The night I went to the new CrowdedHouse Leeds it was stormy and freezing cold, with the kind of rain that makes you question your outfit, your hair and your life choices! But the second I stepped inside the new CrowdedHouse (formerly Crafthouse and Angelica) it was an instant mood upgrade.
Sitting above Trinity Leeds, CrowdedHouse Leeds is one of those rare places that genuinely works all day. You can rock up in the daytime with a coffee and your laptop to pretend you’re being productive, and then “accidentally” drift into brunch, lunch, dinner and late-night drinks. It’s basically a choose-your-own-adventure, but the only ending is: you stay longer than planned.
The venue spans two floors plus a rooftop terrace, and each level has its own personality. Level 5 is where you ease into it, as it has a main restaurant space with a more loungey feel, and a private dining room for birthday/engagement/promotion events. It has a gorgeously glossy yet cosy grown-up interior with strategically placed plants, vibey mood lighting and marble tables.
Then there’s Level 6, which is where the “we’ll just have one” plan goes to die. There’s a glamorous bar, that iconic rooftop terrace and even a disco ball throwing little sparkles around like it’s trying to convince you to order another cocktail. I went in full storm mode, so I’m already plotting a return trip to CrowdedHouse Leeds in daylight when the weather is calmer and I can actually enjoy some golden hour rooftop views.
The food is stellar; which is unsurprising if you know it’s from the team behind Three’s A Crowd. CrowdedHouse Leeds is all about flavour-packed small plates that you can build a whole meal from and delicious mains that mean business.
We kicked off with the Cranberry & Sage Focaccia with smoked chestnut parfait and pig-in-blanket butter which is festive and beautifully indulgent. Then the Heritage New Potatoes with crispy onion, chicken butter sauce and parmesan crackling which was lovely; rich and comforting. We also had the Korean Fried Turkey with sprout kimchi and the Grilled Hispi Cabbage with roasted garlic and caper dressing. Both extremely tasty.
Next we tried a gorgeous dish from the grill with a herby, green sauce; it was a glossy, sauce-led dish that was the ideal cold-weather dinner. Finished with a chocolate dessert with vanilla ice cream and crunch on top. We definitely didn’t leave hungry, and each dish impressed.
Drinks-wise, we started with fizz and then shared a bottle of Weingut Frank ‘Kalk & Loess’ Grüner Veltliner (£34) which was crisp, and paired perfectly with all the salty, savoury plates. And because CrowdedHouse Leeds is designed for lingering, we then headed up to the next level for cocktails.
If you like a place with a bit of a calendar as well as a menu, they’ve got that too: £1 Oyster Mondays, £5 Cocktail Club Tuesdays, weekend DJs, and Sunday roasts with live music. Basically, there’s always a reason to go back (not that you need one).
Even with the rain doing the absolute most outside, the night was such a win. CrowdedHouse Leeds isn’t just somewhere you eat – it’s somewhere you hang out. Let’s just say we didn’t want to leave this house!
Address: Level 5 & 6, Trinity Centre, 70 Boar Lane, Leeds LS1 6HW
Opening times: Mon–Thu 10:00-00:00 | Fri–Sat 10:00–02:00 | Sun 10:00–23:00
For more info or to book your table visit: https://www.thecrowdedhouse.co.uk/
Review and images by Victoria Reddington @vic_reddington
Feature image and some internal images supplied
