If you want a little bit of that New York glitz and glamour in Leeds I think I've found your venue…read more By some great fortune I discovered that Epernay were putting on a free Champagne tasting the other night and so, having not been along before, I popped along with a friend to sample the delights of their fizz. Oh my goodness. It must be some kind of crime that I've not visited this heavenly venue before. As you enter through the glass doors to the indoor-outdoor courtyard great glass windows depicting waxen champagne bottles, candles and rustically beautiful décor promise of the decadence to pop forth. As my friend and I wandered in we were greeted warmly and immediately offered to discard our coats and replace them with a glass of the Henriot Brut. (Forgive me if I've misnamed this, we tried several!) The staff were all incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their fayre, which only made the bubbles seem sweeter, and we took a seat to chat and indulge in some high class Champagne. In all I think we sampled about three from the Henriot range, including a 100% Chardonnay number and a rosé, all of which were sweet, palatable and incredibly moreish. I'm told they have a range that changes monthly, I believe, which you can purchase by the glass. This is excellent as it's not every day that you can afford to go a whole bottle, whereas a treat of a glass or two is rather more affordable. Mind you, when the bubbles go to your head you'd be sorely tempted to sip some more as the range is simply delightful. We chose to stay for one more night-cap after the event and decided it would rude not to try out some of the champagne cocktails. I'm not much of a cocktail drinker, nor a champagne drinker, but this was no problem as the staff were simply fantastic at suggesting which ones to try. The passion each of them has for their craft is evident and a million miles away from your standard bar. Having several staff suggest the London 1875 and the Elderbubble we went for those. As they were being crafted we had a wonderful chat with the staff, again cementing the quality of the service as friendly, welcoming and efficient. At £6.50 per drink it's certainly not somewhere I can envisage affording all night long (Lionel Richie, now playing in my mind!) but for a few seriously special drinks it seems there is no other venue. Now, for the cocktails. Oh my goodness me. Trying to articulate the delicious flavour is going to be a feat - all I can say is that they infuse the Beefeater gin on site with Earl Grey tea (one of the staff's concoctions I'm told) and it was utterly delicious. The delicacy of the Elderbubble was equally as delightful, both being sweet, soft and subtle on the palate. Both are a drink that you will want to indulge in again and again and again. I'm certain 'll be back, I just need some kind of excuse - perhaps my birthday can come once a month rather than once a year. Quite simply a true delight in Leeds and if you've not yet been I urge you to visit. You'll find all the decadence, delight and divinity of a fantastic Champagne bar, with not a sniff of the pretense. Glorious!

I associate Epernay with achievement, as it is frequently the venue I have visited to commemorate a…read morespecial occasion. Whether it has been a personal triumph or educational success, Epernay has provided a fantastic celebratory atmosphere. Whilst I am not a connoisseur of champagne, I do appreciate sampling its different varieties and learning the individual characteristics of each. I commend the bar staff at Epernay for offering their expertise on numerous occasions without patronising me, in what can be an industry steeped in pretentiousness. With champagne from more than 21 houses, the amount of varieties is staggering. Epernay have decorated the venue to be fairly understated, yet stunningly beautiful. The exposed brickwork and contemporary furniture contrast magnificently with the more traditional appearance of dripping candles in champagne bottles. A covered balcony in the attractively developed Electric Press building, provides the atmosphere of drinking al fresco, without having to rely on the temperament of the British weather. This charming little haven offers a selection of antipasti style nibbles, their flavoursome olives are a regular favourite. I do find the venue a little unpalatable on evenings during the weekend, with significantly more punters out to impress, but I think that is the reality in many city centre bars. I will always consider Epernay to be a superior venue to celebrate, congratulate and generally appreciate good champagne.

I have been trying to think of a way to put this without sounding too harsh, but it is just not…read morepossible. Oracle actually makes me feel sick and scrunch up my face in disbelief. It is a bar / restaurant / night club on the waterfront of the river that unfortunately, like so many other bars and clubs, is a cattle market parading around falsely as a sophisticated night out. On a busy night, it is like drowning in a pond of glow stick fluid while bright orange practically naked women pout at you like delirious tropical fish from all angles (see photo of 'sexy santas'). Meanwhile the lazily produced monotonous drones of music repeatedly flick you in the face like an annoying little brother, provoking a tiresome and frustrating headache. Oblivious to any of this, it oozes with pretense, and goes about it's not-even-tactful patriarchal ways as grinning goofy men swagger around trying to look cool and control what's hopefully hidden in their trousers. The only valid reason for going here would be for comedy value, if you can stomach it.

So, Oracle has reopened during the day and I for one was very happy about this…read more If ever anyone would ask me where to go for a burger in Leeds i would have previously not hesitated in recommending this place. The menu however has now changed! And I'm not happy. The speciality here used the be their almighty burgers and the selection was fab,it has been cut down now to a very minimal selection on the menu. :-( My friend and I went for lunch last week and I was surprised to see 2/3 tables of people in there- all eating. As it's down Brewery Wharf it's pretty tucked away so some days I have been in and no other customers have been in the place. This makes the bar space a cavernous and very cold place. The bar is nice and airy, very light with the floor to ceiling windows and features lots of 'bling' style decor touches. Anyway, back to lunch. We were greeted cheerily and seated wherever we wanted. She explained the 'burger lunch special' only featured skinny fries and not wedges or sweet potatoes as says on the usual menu. Other than that its a very good deal. We ordered and sat back to people watch. There seems to be more staff here than is necessary and no-one doing too much. The manager was doing paperwork in one of the booths and another male member of staff seemed to be doing very little except stomping around flexing his muscles. May suit the evening ambiance of this place but not at lunchtime love- I'm waiting to eat! The food came quite quickly and as we had sat opposite the kitchen hatch we saw it was all freshly prepared. We'd ordered the BBQ Ranch burger, the chicken bacon & avocado burger and some cheesy garlic bread. The garlic bread was lovely- very soft ciabatta and cheesy cheese- not overly garlicky so very nice. The burgers were well presented and the portion of fries were HUGE! My chicken burger was minced chicken- a strange consistency really and the guacamole didn't really do much for it. Overall it was OK but I left about a third of it. The ranch burger was nicer, large fresh onion rings and a sweet BBQ sauce provided with it were a great addition. The fries were nice and crisp and overall it was a pleasant lunch. A couple of things let this place down- The dodgy background music The excess of staff doing little to nothing The coldness in the place I wouldn't say I'd now rave about the burgers there but it's going to be one of them places to keep in the back of my mind if I want a filling burger lunch.

This is a brand new bar in House of Fraser that opened just in time for the 2009 Christmas…read morefestivities. Not surprisingly, you'll find it beside the women's lingerie department, a calculating move that assumes that shoppers (in particularly women) purchasing small luxuries may also indulge in a spot of carousing too. Well, they weren't wrong. After discovering the existence of the bar on an afternoon shopping trip, my girlfriend and I congratulated ourselves on a hard day's procuring with a couple of glasses if their more affordable Champagne (Mumm Cordon Rouge NV at £45 per bottle or £8 per glass). We sat at the bar itself, which is situated in the middle of the room in the round, a nice place to sit and chat to the friendly staff. Not a regular hang out but it was definitely a welcome intermission in a hard day's Christmas shopping.

Wonderful selection of drinks and the food, we indulged in The Italian Job sandwich and the…read moreWatermelon Salad, both of which were lovely and very filling. The cocktails were incredible, while all the staff were lovely the bar staff were exceptional, making conversation as they served us. It made a great break while shopping and I'll definitely be coming back soon.

Actually it's not that bad. Wasn't expecting much as it's new and there hasn't been much song and…read moredance about it. Has a well stocked bar and the look and feel is pretty laid back and inviting. We just had cocktails which were not cheap but some of the best we've had in Harrogate. Could become a habit.

Normally airport food is nothing to write home about and certainly nothing to write a review about…read more But finding this place was akin to sitting on the proverbial needle in a stack of hay. With a definite French feel the restaurant boasts a fine selection of both cold and hot foods. www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/attachmentsbytitle/epernayfoodmenu.pdf/$file/epernayfoodmenu.pdf Hopefully the link above will take you to the menu. I had a mixed platter of cured meats, bread, cheese olives and bread. My partner had the cheese board. They were both really fresh and tasty and we could see the chef preparing them through the hatch (see photo1). They boast a superb collection of champagnes and wines and have all the regular beers. Please if you want a good pre-flight meal, stress free and relaxing then come here. NOW SHUT AND REBRANDED

Came here for dinner on a Wednesday night. It was not that busy, so i'm not sure if a reservation…read moreis really needed for the weekdays. The inside of the restaurant is absolutley gorgeous! It's modern, classy, and vibrant. I ordered the Rigatoni Arrabbiata. It may look boring, but the flavors were bold! It had a nice spice from the chili peppers and tasted very fresh. The only downside to our dinner here was our waiter. He didn't really seem to understand or communicate that great. We waited 15+ minutes after he cleared our plates to recieve the check, which I had to ask for.

The higher end of average cocktails, lovely staff, I didn't have cake, but they looked of a…read morepatisserie valerie type. There's outdoor seating, inside is a little dark, especially on a grey day. I think my main issue with it, is that it seems to attract a particular type of clientele (no offence to customers- bitchier versions of my Mother (also, no offence to my lovely Mother)) which can be a little off putting.

My wife (American) struggles to find any bartender who really knows how to make a dirty martini…read morehere in the UK. Finally, whilst vacationing in the lakes, we found the Fizzy Tarté which sells itself as a champagne and pastry bar, however... their cocktails are worthy of attention too. The service was certainly attentive and we enjoyed our short break from souvenir and clothes shopping (OK I was mainly there to carry the bags!) Pop in sometime and see if you can put the bartender to the test... I think you'd be pleasantly surprised!

excellent hospitality. cracking pint of john smiths. brandy not too shabby. to quote alan wicker…read morewish you were here 0

Oh my oh my. My budget is suffering now. However, it'll have to struggle a little bit more yet…read morebecause I've just discovered a quite simply stunning and deluxe bar, the Lure Luxe Bar. Now this is grand to the extreme. This mother is one stylish player with decadent furnishings and a sophisticated feel. What's more you get tables that light up, built in ice buckets and a real baby grand piano. To make me even giddier, they do fizz by the glass. Is this place for real? You don't even have to move because a delightful hostess will see to your every need (within reason). The drinks list is awesome too. If money is no object then go for a deluxe Champagne. Or try one of the zillion or so cocktails that will blow you away. If you want aged rums, no problem. Plus, you'll find some of the finest cognacs. James Bond wouldn't look out of place here. The food isn't bad either but I'm singing this little babies praises for some serious drinking action. Make sure the credit card isn't maxed out though; you'll need every penny you can muster. Extreme to every level but marvellous if costly.

This restaurant/bar has a cool, trendy vibe with music that's just loud enough to listen to without…read moredrowning out conversation. The menu is a bit all over the place and tries too hard. They have a ridiculous cocktail menu that for some reason requires an explanation by the server. The food menu is a mishmash of global cuisines which never bodes well for any restaurant. That said, I had the vegan burger which made from one of those new plant based fake meat patties and it was pretty good. We had a great time here and the service was attentive without being overbearing.

Been here once. Enjoyed the entertainment of the mixologists making the drinks. Love the rustic…read morefeel. Only loose a star because of the pricing as it is a bit pricey so could not make it a regular stop.