The Living Room, Greek Street- Leeds.

Located right in the centre of Leeds, The Living Room is a popular destination for both food and drink lovers that want that extra touch of quality. It's stylish and elegant decor creates a relaxed and yet vibrant atmosphere and after I visited the restaurant almost two years ago, I wanted to see how things have changed and whether these exceptional standards were still met.

Things looked good from the off! Arriving for an early evening dinner at  6, the restaurant was already busy and the bar full of business men and women. As a party of four, we were seated in the upstairs restaurant; set with low lighting and attentive staff. The Living Room places itself towards the higher end of the mid-range bracket in terms of prices and the food is definitely worth the little extra.

However, because we were dining at 6pm, the 'Perfect Set Menu' was on offer and boasted some fantastic choices on the offer of 2 courses for £12 and 3 courses for £15 (Although you do have to ask for his menu- a little cheeky I know!). This price is unbelievable for the standard of food and you would certainly pay £15 for one main course from the normal menu.

A few cocktails got things going, with a couple worth mentioning:
MONKEY JAM - Monkey Shoulder whisky, apricot conserve, lemon juice and orange bitters, built and served in a jam jar!
SHERBET SAPPHIRE - Bombay Sapphire gin mixed with peach liqueur, passion fruit syrup, fresh lime and egg white.

So, to start-
2   Buttermilk Fried Chicken with ginger and chilli dressing and BBQ sauce
1   Thai Fish Cakes with marinated cucumber and light chilli syrup
1   Soup of the Day (Winter Warming Vegetable)

All three of these starters was exceptional, with the buttermilk chicken presented in a novelty cardboard box and the soup of the day taking first place in the taste rankings! The chicken was crisp and tasty and the BBQ dip had a hint of hoisin to add a little something special.

The Thai Fish cakes were firm and full of flavour, whilst the soup was thick and definitely 'winter warming'; all three dishes certainly warmed up the pallet!

Round 2-
1   Gressingham Chicken Breast with roast garlic mash, chicken crackling and lovage sauce
1   Roast Pork Fillet with Ratte potatoes, apple chutney and cider sauce
2   Moules Frites

Once again, the three different dishes did not disappoint. The Chicken was succulent with a slight crisp on the outside, with chicken crackling adding a little bit of crunch! The Moules Frites boasted a large bowl of muscles, all packed with flavour and lavished in a creamy white wine sauce. Although chips are just chips at the end of the day, there was something special about these ones and both factors complemented each other well.

Now, this is where things got a little bit special. When the wooden block was placed in front of my eyes, with small glass bottles filled with chutney and the cider sauce and a neat array of pork laid across potato, I immediately knew I had the best dish. The kind of dish everyone looks across at and utters those painful words "that looks nice, wish I had chosen that"(!).

As far as pork goes, this fillet was exceptionally succulent and I cannot stress how good the Ratte potatoes were! As for the chutney for that matter, the bar was risen even higher and the cider sauce topped it all off! This was one of the best pork dishes I had ever tasted and from presentation to taste, this dish alone won me over.

The food so far was at a standard far above many of the restaurants also situated in the Leeds City Centre and the dessert was last in line to finish the deal. The choices had been pretty varied up to this point, but it seemed that there was only one dish for my dining partners-

3   Sticky Toffee Pudding with clotted cream ice cream.

Although I bowed out of a dessert, I was assured that the Sticky Toffee was the icing on the cake! Tempted to see what the fuss was about, I took a taste with 'that extra spoon' and I immediately understood. Rich in flavour, the sauce was homing a warm and light textured pudding that switched to the coldness of the ice cream in your mouth.

A perfect end to a perfect meal.

From the second you enter The Living Room, Leeds, the vibrant atmosphere and friendly staff set the standard for the overall experience. The food was of a very high  quality from presentation to taste and the cocktails added a little sparkle to the occasion. The 'Perfect Set Menu' is fantastic value for money and with 3x   3 courses,   1x   2 courses,   1 bottle of wine   and   4 cocktails,   the bill just reached £90.  You could easily double this price from the normal menu so the set menu is definitely the one to go for (This is not to say the food isn't worth more than this, because it definitely is!).

As the piano gets fired with a live artist, we all leave feeling impressed and full!

Food- *****

Atmosphere- *****

Staff- ****

Location-****

Shears Yard, The Calls- Leeds.

Amongst the abundance of restaurants Leeds has to offer, being the ‘newbie’ is not always easy! So when the team behind the Arts Café announced the opening of a brand new ‘independent kitchen and bar’, the standards were set high.

Tucked away in a corner down The Calls, the building could easily be missed and as I approach, the blank exterior is already giving me reason for concern.

However, all is soon forgotten as you enter through the large glass doors into an intimate bar area complete with candle-lit tables and low ceilings with exposed beams. The dining area builds on this already enticing atmosphere with light bulbs hanging freely from the ceiling. Simple and yet somewhat alluring.

The smell from the kitchen soon wandered into the dining area and after such a warming start, the stage was set. Dining with the Leeds University Union Food Society, the team at Shears Yard were kind enough to create a set menu for us at a discounted rate and I started off with the-

Ham hock terrine, aerated piccalilli sauce, pickled cauliflower & ciabatta croutes.

Upon arrival, the starter’s somewhat artistic description was not let down by its creative presentation, with the aerated picalilli sauce leading the show. Paired with the suprisingly light ham hock terrine, the two bold flavours worked well together and the ciabatta croutes added a nice touch.

Eager to continue, there wasn’t much debate when it came to the main course-

Duo of pork- slow cooked pork belly & braised cheeks with heritage carrots & pork jus.

As one of my favourite meats, I’ve come to realise that pork belly can easily be done poorly and I’m glad to say that the chefs at Shears Yard did not disappoint!

The presentation was again superb and the taste exceptional. The pork belly was possibly the best I have ever tasted and the braised cheek was surprisingly succulent and full of flavour. The carrots and delicate flavouring of the jus was a nice addition to what was an excellent course.

I’m also reliably informed by fellow diners that the Fillet of hake, almond crust, warm nicoise salad, deep fried egg yolk & smoked potato puree, was also a favourite on the night, with both presentation and taste getting top marks.

To finish off two superb courses, I was now expecting a dessert of a similar standard. However, although creative in appearance, I was somewhat disappointed by the flavour-

Passion fruit curd & pistachio corral with crème pate, white chocolate sorbet & soil.

Combined with the sorbet, the passion fruit curd was phenomenal in flavour and yet the plate was dominated with a flavourless white powder (dubbed white chocolate ‘soil’). The pistachio corral also lacked flavour and unfortunately the refreshing passion fruit curd was undermined by its counterparts.

However, I must admit that following the exceptional quality of the first two courses, I may have set the ‘dessert bar’ a bit high!

As the evening came to an end, I was thoroughly impressed with what Shears Yard had to offer. The quality of the food, in both presentation and taste, combined with the friendly staff, enticing atmosphere and unique interior design, sits Shears Yard comfortably amongst some of the best restaurants Leeds has to offer. 

Once you overcome the somewhat uninviting exterior, this ‘newbie’ is a must visit restaurant and to be of this quality when newly opened, I have no doubt that Shears Yard is one to look out for!

Food- ****

Atmosphere- ****

Staff- ****

Location-***