Words by Luke Williams
I have lived in Leeds for almost 8 years and have been privileged enough to sample many of the beautiful restaurants and bars around this lively city, however, Restaurant Bar and Grill somehow slipped my grasp.
I’m not quite sure how I managed to bypass this stunning building, but I made the assumption it was an ‘after work drink’ destination instead of a top notch eatery, and never too proud to admit when I’m wrong, I’ll admit, I was wrong, very wrong.
As a vegetarian, (quitting meat in October 2019), I have always struggled to find a varied choice of meat-free dishes on a menu. I am used to searching for the green ‘V’ against dishes and finding a very limited choice, however, when I explained I was vegetarian to my waiter Ged, he swiftly brought over a separate menu and began enthusing over a number of vegetarian dishes, (one of them being the Tamarind Glazed Heritage Beetroot, which admittedly I had my eye on). Ged described his favourite dishes and to my delight he also discussed wine choices and recommended that we tried a bottle of ‘Pouilly-Fume’, this turned out to be an impeccable choice and now regrettably for my wallet, a firm favourite of mine going forward, thanks Ged!
My meal at Restaurant Bar and Grill was varied and full of flavour and texture, from the Baba Ghanoush and Hummus sharing platter, which came with crispy Arab bread and garnished with chickpeas and pomegranate, (this was deliciously moreish), to the heritage beetroot– Ged was completely right to recommend this fantastic dish. The Labneh was creamy and cooling against the beetroot and the salty pistachios added the much-needed salt and crunch to this stunning dish, I highly recommend this starter, to meat- eaters and veggies alike.
Due to lack of choices in previous restaurants, I normally stay away from Risotto, (since Mushroom Risotto is usually the only choice I have), however, the Asparagus, Broad Bean, Pea and Leek Risotto sounded too fresh to pass up, so I opted to try and added a side of chargrilled broccoli, chilli and garlic. From the first bite it tasted like a bowl of sweet summer sun, from the silky soft risotto, tender beans and sweet peas, it was the freshest comfort food I wanted and needed, plus it was a hearty portion, but I managed to eat every delicious morsel and savoured every last bit.
At this point I was ready to be carted out in a trolley, however, the dessert menu was wafted seductively in front of me and I could not resist. The menu showcased a perfect choice of puddings; from baked cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding, fruit crumble to chocolate fondant and a choice of ice-creams, there was a perfect choice of desserts for everyone. I chose the crumble with Malteser ice cream, however, Ged confirmed it would be a 15-minute wait, (as the crumble has to be oven baked from fresh), this was ideal as it allowed me to take in the lovely atmosphere of the restaurant and it also gave me time to digest the wonderful risotto before I tucked into my final course. The lights had dimmed as the night grew darker outside and the low chatter vibrating from the tables felt really calming. I realised how much I missed restaurant atmosphere since the outbreak of Covid, so I enjoyed sipping on my cold glass of French wine, and taking in the buzz around me, it felt a little like the old days once again, which was lovely to see and feel.
Needless to say; the desert was impeccable and worth the wait. All in all, I certainly will not be waiting a further 8 years to return, The Restaurant Bar and Grill is now firmly on my favourite lists and will be a definite dinner destination going forward.
The Old Post Office, 3 City Square, Leeds LS1 2AN
T: 0113 244 9625
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