Leeds bar recs

Where are you planning to eat? did you want to be near the train station or anything?

i honestly can't think of anywhere 'new', i tend to go more for pubs. ? how new did you want it to be?

H is looking at a place called Bibis restaurant. I like to go to modern bars but they don't have to be really new. I've found a couple of places online but one of them is having a fancy dress party (that's the trouble with H being born on Halloween). We're stopping in The Park Plaza which is where we always stay. Happy to wander around as long as it's not as cold as it is here today (about 2 degrees!).

Bibis is a teeny bit isolated tbh. its about 5 mins walk from the train station/park plaza but there aren't many bars in that direction...

park row may be your best bet, althouh the bars up there tend to be chain ones (slug and lettuce, wetherspoons etc)

i love epernay which is a champagne bar but its a it of a schlep from bibis. however there is a totally fab chinese restaurant next to it called red chilli if your H isn't fixed on italian.

Just been trying to look at the website of Red Chilli but it's been temporarily shut down. Like to be able to see the menu beforehand as I'm a veggie and will only eat at places where the veggie stuff in labelled.

The other place H has been looking at is Brio Pizza in The Light.

Epernay looks nice - have just found the website and pleased to see it does lots of cocktails - wish there was a list, but only lists the champagnes.

Have just realised that there are Epernay bars elsewhere in the country and I've been to the one in Durham before - so I know there is a very nice cocktail that I had before!

Brio is very nice, but its not as upmarket as bibis. its more like a pizza express sort of place.

however it is near epernay. ?

there are a few bars that way...courtyard is ok. ha-ha bar and cuthbert broderick (which is a wetherspoons but a reasonably nice one) at millenium square. there's one a few doors down from courtyard which used to be nice but i thinks its a bit studenty now. and one opposite the new museum off millenium square. (i forget their names)

near your hotel is park row, as i said, and the streets leading off it so loads there. also boar lane which is a bit scruffy tbh. and theres a bar in the old post office building bang opposite your hotel (called bar and grill i think) which is supposed to be nice

what are the places you had in mind?

Mr c recommends thai edge if you were going millenium square-wards. not that you asked for restaurant recommendations. ?

iirc red chilli had a reasonable amount of veggie food ?

Thanks Kieren and Mr C. This is all really helpful.

The bars I've got written down in my notes are as follows (oops, it's ended up really big):

Superna (bar) – Unit 3 Assembly Street (behind the Corn Exchange) LS2 7DE

Oporto – 31-33 Call Lane LS1 7BT

Atrium – Grand Arcade.

Never been to the first one. but corn exchange/call lane are next to each other. and oporto is pretty funky. there's some nice bars round there and they aren't miles away from the hotel (about 5-10 mins walk tops)

i didn't even know atrium was still open ? but its more of a club anyway. or it was. and tbh thats probably the furthest away part of leeds from your hotel

Maybe it isn't still open - the website could be out of date. Don't want to go to a club anyway - too old ?

Off to watch Holby and Spooks off last night now which we recorded (went to see Saw V last night).

Thanks v. much for your help ?

Room is just opposite your hotel, it's a while since I've been in but used to be really nice

http://www.roomrestaurants.com/restaurants/leeds/

Like KtC not heard of Superna, I'm not keen on Oporto but I'm an old git and don't like loud music. I think it's Atrium that's now Gatecrasher and I think Red Chilli i closed or being refurbed, it was all shut up last week, will try and remember to have a look I'm in town tomorrow.

? i so hope it hasn't closed down

it was always dead busy, so i'd be very surprised

I'm pretty sure Atrium is closed now.

Oporto and Jakes Bar next door used to be amazing but now they are so rammed it's not even funny - maybe I'm getting old but I just can't be bothered with the scrum to get to the bar / toilet etc. The music is fab though and they were both top of my list in years gone by.

Nowadays I would go with Kieran's rec of Thai Edge followed by the Electric Press which is where Epernay is. There's also HaHa bar and Revolution there, and then you could work your way back to your hotel along Park Row and Greek Street - I like Prohibition on Greek Street and there's the Living Room on there too.

Otherwise, you could try Blackhouse which although a steak restaurant has some gorgeous fish on the menu (if you eat fish!) or Restaurant Bar and Grill on City Square - both near to your hotel - and head up Park Row and Greek Street afterwards.

As a Leeds bod I agree with Hello Sunshine... I was in Jakes a week or two ago and it was chaos. It used to be THE place to go but its now crazy busy. 4 deep at the bar the last time. Last week I went to Greek Street and I thought "oh no" as again, the "it" place a bit ago bt no longer...however we had a really fun time.

I personally would not recommend Epernay. I LOVE champagne but when I went it seemed to be full of people who were keen to be seen but dull as dishwater.

(Sorry! Just my opinion...)

The new area behind dock street is worth exploring - plenty of new bars and restaurants and a gourmet fish and chip place - have a look on google for the area. there wa also an unbelievebaly posh (for leeds) corner shop on dock street itself which i had a good nosy round.

Just to add another restaurant rec into the mix....

H and I met up with some friends at Malmaison last week and had the most amazing steak & frites. I sadly had to have mine well done due to upduffedness but it was really tender and makes my mouth water thinking about it now <drool>

I second/third the stay near the Corn Exchange recs for bars, it's not as busy now as it used to be and there's usually room to get a seat etc without it having no atmosphere. Oh and my all time fave bar was Revolution which is near there but it is a chain place and probably full of students etc so might not be what you're looking for. I'm so out of touch now ?

Have a fab time, Leeds rocks!