Cancel

Open app

Search

The Corn Exchange

3.5 (50 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

The Corn Exchange Photos

THE CORN EXCHANGE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Hipster
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Good for groups

Recommended Reviews - The Corn Exchange

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Michael B.

I might have been looking through rose-coloured glasses when I visited here the other day (the last time was probably over ten years ago), but I was pretty disappointed with the offerings from the small number of retailers. Back then there were loads of shops selling all manner of quirky items. I have to say though that it looked to have been totally refurbished inside and it's stunning, look up at the ceiling and you would think you're stood inside a Zeppelin airship. A couple of sweeping staircases and you can wander round the upper level (albeit past mostly empty units). Perhaps it was hit hard by the recession, perhaps its location slightly separated from the main shopping centres means it doesn't get the footfall of shoppers. On your approach you wouldn't really know that there were any shops inside, there are no signs or banners nearby drawing the punters in. It could be so much better, but it needs to get a pulse and have some life blown into it first.

The Corn Exchange
Rebecca D.

I love the Corn Exchange. In the early 2000s it was a favourite haunt of mine and was the coolest place for teenagers to hang out. A little later (I think around 2006) it closed for major refurbishments and a lot of the wonderful independent shops and businesses moved out, which was kind of a shame. I think it took a while to really get business going again here and it might not yet be quite back to its former glory but it's already well on its way. It's amazing for small, local, independent businesses. There are lots of artsy jewellery stores, a couple of fashion places and what I'd call "hippy shops." Personal favourites of mine include Outrage jewellery and Culture Vulture and if you're visiting Leeds and want souvenirs to take home then The Great Yorkshire Shop is an essential stop. Downstairs there used to be a cafe but it has gone, replaced with ping pong tables which seem to be fairly well used. It's an odd use for the space but a good one. There are also a few hairdressers here, as well as a small nail salon and a piercing and tattoo place, further proving that the Corn Exchange hasn't lost its alternative edge - even if it feels generally more upmarket than it did 10 years ago. The three remaining eateries are Humpit (hummus and pita bar), Primos (artisan hot dogs) and Vanilla One (coffee, tea and cake). I have tried the first one, I have it on good authority that the second one is good and the third looks like a brilliant spot to either work or to watch the world go by. It seems I'll be forced to try them all soon. Oh dear. I'm happy the Corn Exchange is still in use and that it can be used by these kinds of businesses. It's a wonderful, beautiful building, light and bright and spacious and I can't really think of anywhere else in Leeds that's quite like it.

My 2nd favourite ceiling in the UK.
Ian M.

Ok, so last time I came here, they were in the midst of clearing out the small shops to make way for 'the future' and there was not a lot to say. Apart from that is, the stunning ceiling. For me, it's my 2nd favourite in the whole land, after only the British Museum in London. Thankfully that is still there. Gladly, it's also full of little shops again, and has not gone the way of Manchester's Triangle, or whatever the middle class food court is that has replaced it now - both of them being called The Corn Exchange. It's good for 10-20 minute wonder, and whilst a lot of the places felt a bit couplely in nature, I really liked the Japanese shop which had a good range of oriental nick nacks. Couple of indie food places were also on the ground floor. Bar a couple of units it's now mostly full. Glad to see it keeping it's character. Worth a pop through. It's also just around the corner from the main market, pieminster and the row of bars with Black Swan / Arts Cafe on.

Corn Exchange Entrance
Li F.

The Corn Exchange. The Beloved Corn Exchange. What happened? Once upon a time you were so good. You were a jewel in the crown of this West Yorkshire City. You were packed to the brim, full of colour and life and quirk. You were an attraction, a paradox, a contrast, a metaphor. In your old and beautiful carcass you housed the contemporary, the alternative, the colourful and the unique. You were busy and full of custom and appreciation, and your sole purpose wasn't for that of photo opportunities from non locals to the area. What happened oh beloved Corn Exchange? Where did your soul go? And when the hell is it coming back? You were once the main attraction, and your walkways were jammed with locals and tourists alike, all clamouring to taste the depth of variety and niche you offered. Who decided to make you smell like food? All drama aside, whatever happened to the Corn Exchange over recent years really is sacrilegious. When I first started shopping in Leeds I used to love visiting the Corn Exchange, distinguishable by its grand rotund architecture, topped off with the domed roof, and that was just the impression it made from the outside. Walking inside the glorious building was another matter altogether, the size and scale of the building really was breathtaking, and the only plus I can see from the massacre of all business within the Corn Exchange is the appreciation of the size, scale and craftsmanship of that beautiful building, especially the roof. Word on the grapevine is sense has been restored and businesses are slowly but surely returning to the Corn Exchange, however, I haven't seen any real movement in this area for a long long time. The restaurant on the lower level is the main attraction nowadays, which is both sad and depressing, as it just isn't meant to be like that. It's not a building for fine dining it's a building made for hustle and bustle and when it returns, we will all be happy. However in its current state, no matter how much I love this place, it cannot be rated above the two stars I begrudgingly bestow it. Hope aside, when the initiative is taken to restore this beauty to its former glory, I have my five stars waiting.

Here, have another photo from inside the Corn Exchange.

See all

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Rowena H.
1582
1547
2243

15 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

8 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Li F.
13
509
384

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of David K.
29
310
88

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Dr Z.
13
213
84

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Aniela M.
11
391
360

16 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Mark R.
3
285
18

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

19 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Where have all the shops gone!!!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

19 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

A great building, but the shops are a little weird - good for comic books though. Currently going through a refurb so seems a bit chaotic.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

19 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

19 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

This was a great place before the shops were chucked out. Now it's just a nice building.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

19 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 2

The Corn Exchange Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - The Corn Exchange

The three remaining eateries are Humpit (hummus and pita bar), Primos (artisan hot dogs) and Vanilla One (coffee, tea and cake).

Mentioned in 2 reviews

Read more highlights

Verify this business for free

People searched for Restaurants 13,100 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Victoria Quarter - Inside Victoria Quarter.

Victoria Quarter

(17 reviews)

£££

City Centre, Shopping Quarter

Swish, Damn Swish - no, not a famous line from a swashbuckling James Bond rip off, this arcade is…read moreincredible. A whole Victorian street in the shopping heart of Leeds enclosed by a wonderfully modern glass covering. OK, so the shops are all designer, the ones everyone loves to look in, sometimes go in to have a look at just how much some people are prepared to pay for t-shirt....but boy the designers have designed a perfect place for designers to come sell their designer bits 'n bobs. little bubbling fountains, coffee and bagel huts for that quick pit stop and belly filler. I sat in here for about an hour, just sipping my cheap filter coffee and commoner's bacon and egg bagel getting a good view of how the other half live. I didn't mind, I was content, in such a place I find it hard to believe anyone could feel otherwise.

The Victoria Quarter is the Leeds hotspot for chic shopping. I'm sure it would object to being…read moredescribed as such but that's tough, cos it's be that's writing it so ner. In all seriousness, The Victoria Quarter is the opulent home to some of the more high end brands of the Leeds shopping arena, and with it comes certain prestige in being housed here. The little independent stores like the French Revolution and Rose & Co gain a little kudos in being located here, as that is the effect the Victoria Quarter has on a business here. It is really rather easy to get lost in the annals of the walkways, be it through gawping at all the lovely shopping enticements, or be it from the identical high vaulted ceilings and archways criss crossing across one another, identical fountains, and sympathetic shop signage so that it doesn't interfer with the original features and feel of the Victorian decor. Depending on which entrance you take you will find fountains tinkling delicately, or small tables with coffee service, or even a small but assuredly delicious pattisserie. Benches are also dotted around and if you take the time to perch, and knock your head back you'll see the bizarre yet beautiful glass decoration. A worthy attraction all on it's own.

The Light

The Light

(25 reviews)

££

Shopping Quarter, City Centre

It's a funny thing to write a review of a shopping centre, but since my last visit to The Light, I…read morerealised I was indeed a fan. Whilst it's of course handy to review the individual shops, giving an overview of these places is not without use. It's not large, it's not bustling per se, but it's got some real gems within and for that it deserves a mention. One of my favourite indie coffee shops, La Bottega Milanese, is housed inside and it's well worth stopping by for a pick me up. Not only do they have great coffee, but plentiful and delicious bites too. You'll also find some lovely shops, including Fabrication and Joy, both of which are fab for a browse. (More on those individually.) As far as shopping centres go, I do enjoy the fact it has a pleasant mix of independents and chains, although I can't say I visit for Cafe Rouge or Starbucks all that often. I've long intended upon eating at Franco's, since trying a bite of their pizza at Epernay some time ago, so expect some words on there soon. I'm sad that Salt's had to leave the place, but I hear they're still online if you're hankering for some of their delicious fare. All in all, it'll take you perhaps a few minutes to wander through, but it's a gorgeous building and well worth investigating. They've some kind of discount club, sometimes do events, and are yet another location in Leeds that gives us the shopping prowess we have.

As shopping centres go, an amble through The Light is a considerably pleasant experience. The very…read morehigh glass ceiling makes for a very light and airy space (hence the name), with an almost monumental feel when descending the escalator onto the ground floor. The Light doesn't boast a huge range of shops, but is does manage to fit in a cinema, hotel and gym. Like most shopping centres, the shops are all chain stores, though of a more up market ilk that those of nearby St. John's or the Merrion Centre. Due to the lack of independent retailers, bars and eateries the Light definitely lacks character in its offering, but its character lies in the huge towering space within, and the use of what were once exterior walls and windows of neighbouring buildings in its slick interior. If you seek a tranquil shopping experience, fancy a Nando's, a trip to Vue, or simply want to take a short cut slicing off the corner between Albion Street and the Headrow, a walk through The Light can bring a moment of calm amongst the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

Merrion Centre

Merrion Centre

(16 reviews)

££

Shopping Quarter, City Centre

The Merrion Centre in Leeds is the second largest shopping centre in the city. Although I much…read moreprefer the larger Trinity Leeds nearby, they still have a nice selection of brands here, and the location being right by the First Direct Arena is useful to hop in without much of a detour before a show. As of January 2024, it's the 41st largest shopping centre in the UK in terms of retail space at 74,100 meters squared in area. Parking is expensive, and it's shared with the arena nearby, rates start at £3.50 for one hour, but when you're parking in a city you always seem to get similar rates. The inside of the shopping centre looks ordinary pretty much like any mall which opened in the UK around the 60s/70s. It's easy enough to follow the layout, there is a large map which shows not only the shops inside the centre, but the rest of Merrion Way, including the outlets just outside including Pizza Express, Starbucks and the Co-Op, and then leading to the arena and Ibis Hotel. There is a large Morrisons supermarket located here and an Amazon Hub featuring two Amazon Lockers for deliveries/returns. There are many budget shops located here which you might not find elsewhere in the city centre including Iceland, Heron Foods and Home Bargains and one or two charity shops. 3* - OK, the shopping centre isn't somewhere you'd go out of your way to visit, luckily due to being within the city centre of a big city, you don't have too, useful if you're looking for a specific store here but otherwise it's just another reasonable addition to Leeds' shopping scene.

The Merrion Centre is one of the larger shopping centres of Leeds and as such offers a little bit…read moremore choice in shopping. One of the most obvious shops within the Merrion Centre is the huge Morrisons, and accompanying car park, which is useful for residents across the city. The range of shops includes KRCS Apple Store, Fuji Hiro, Yorkshire Linen Co., Costa Coffee, Peacocks, O2 store, Thorntons and a great deal more. At the back of the Merrion Centre there are a number of indie style shops too, which often are overlooked, but are worth going along to check out. Some of the more innovative elements of the Merrion Centre include their impressive Christmas display which each year puts a smile on the wee kid's faces as they toddle past! Currently, or at least when I last visited, there was a really intriguing and interesting art installation along the walls of the entrance adjacent to Morrisons. I noticed that there were peep holes in the wall and odd lights, and on further investigation noticed that if you looked through the eye holes there were video projections, displays and models on show! It was really very cool. All in all, Merrion is a pretty decent place to shop. Certainly, it has enough of a range of stores to satisfy most people's tastes, needs and desires.

St John's Shopping Center

St John's Shopping Center

(8 reviews)

££

Shopping Quarter, City Centre

Since the addition of Found in the St. Johns Centre, my visitation rates here have increased…read morevastly, so I felt the need to add an update. (Though I mentioned previously, I'd only just discovered this quirky gem!) Of course, there are still a few shops that I'm less keen on/don't visit too often but as it goes there are still some worthy places to visit in here! Of course there is Jumbo (again as mentioned prior) - a seriously decent, large, independent music shop which not only houses a proud collection of vinyl but sells most of the best gig tickets for in and around Leeds too. Whilst this shopping centre isn't the most interesting for indie/unique choice, it has a few damn good things going for it and I'm becoming much more regular visitor. Found is truly a lovely place to go for a browse, housing both vintage and vintage styled goods, indie jewellery and other interesting finds. There's a new toy shop, which seems perfectly timely for Christmas, and it looks to be of a similar theme to The Discovery Store, so should be reasonably interesting! Dare I say it, I'm even becoming a browsing fan of Dorothy Perkins, so all in all I'm getting fonder and fonder of the St. Johns Centre! If nothing else, this would be a good place to start for gift inspiration as the year swiftly comes to a close...

This is one of several mid-range, budget shopping centres in Leeds city centre and aren't we lucky…read moreto have so many of them so we can hide from the rain? There's not really much out of the ordinary here but it does it's job. I'm sure there are plenty of bargains to be found if you know where to look. Shops flank the wide walk ways which are also dotted with stalls selling things like off-brand hand bags and personalised gifts. There are a couple of food places too, but they're the standard thing you expect in a shopping centre (McDonalds and, I think, a Subway). Student discounts are offered in a lot of the stores, which further helps if you're shopping on a tight budget. Probably the most interesting stores are Evolution, an ethical home ware store and Jumbo records, and independent music shop.

The Core - Photo from www.barkerproudlove.co.uk

The Core

(8 reviews)

££

Shopping Quarter, City Centre

I don't know why this place has the name the 'Core' it's hardly the core of shopping with little…read moreshops that will attract the average shopper. HMV & Game becoming more and more obsolete with downloads. I remember the Headrow Centre which predated this place to have far more variety of shops, heck even shops that a man would like to shop at. Now it's sadly a great place to stop off to use the toilets at. Sad but true...

The Core is a small shopping center in the city center of Leeds, it appears to be quite run down,…read morewith not a lot of shops located here, which made me slightly disappointing on my previous visits here, with most stores being outside, but they is an inside area too and a very expensive NCP car park, which I wouldn't recommenced parking at. Some of the stores here include a Little Waitrose, which is a small store but always worth a look in especially considering loyalty card holders can get a free coffee every day or tea, and a newspaper when you spend £5 on weekdays, or £10 on weekends. HMV, Game and JD Sports also have stores here, and they is a few eateries including Subway and a few smaller / independant chains which we certainly don't have where I'm from in Manchester! This certainly isn't a place you can spend a few hours, infact you can barely spend an hour here, unless you're looking for a store in particular, it isn't worth calling in here, unless you are walking around Leeds city center, as it is quite poor, small and appears run down, like most of the smaller shopping malls in Leeds, including St John's, Still with a few big name stores like Waitrose and HMV, I still feel it deserves 2 stars.

The Corn Exchange - restaurants - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...