Leeds offers a range of incredible tasting menus that cater to diverse culinary preferences. From the artistic creations at The Man Behind The Curtain to the playful yet refined dishes at Chef Jono at V&V, these menus provide a memorable dining experience that showcases the innovation and diversity of Leeds’ finest chefs and restaurants.
What are the best tasting menus in Leeds?
Leeds offers a selection of exquisite tasting menus that cater to diverse culinary preferences. Some of the best include:
- The Man Behind The Curtain: Michelin-starred dishes with artistic presentation.
- Chef Jono at V&V: Playful and refined Sunday lunch and Signature menus.
- The Box Tree: Classic dishes with an elegant twist in an 18th-century setting.
- HOME: Innovative seasonal courses by a Masterchef semi-finalist.
- Shears Yard: Seasonally refreshed menus with vegetarian options.
- Six by Nico: Themed six-course menus that change every six weeks.
- Tattu: The only Chinese tasting menu in Leeds, offering oriental opulence.
- Owl: Riverside dining featuring a curated seven-course set menu.
- Craig Rogan at The Collective: A symphony of flavors across five or eight courses.
Leeds is a city that boasts a rich tapestry of culinary delights, with a particular highlight being its range of tasting menus that showcase the innovation and diversity of its finest chefs and restaurants. From avant-garde creations to classic comfort with a twist, these tasting menus provide an unforgettable dining experience.
The Man Behind The Curtain: Culinary Wizardry in Leeds
Credit: Allen Markey
A foray into the extraordinary begins at The Man Behind The Curtain, where culinary conventions are not just bent but spectacularly reshaped. Michelin-starred chef Michael O’Hare, celebrated for his achievements on BBC’s The Great British Menu, steers a course that is anything but ordinary. Here, the food is an art form, with presentations that could easily find a place in a contemporary gallery. Seasonally evolving, the menu boasts delights such as “cantonese duck with rhubarb hoisin” and “sea urchin with raw langoustine and hand massaged octopus,” which are just the tip of the culinary iceberg. The tasting menu, priced at £95 for lunch and £165 for dinner, is an investment in a meal that promises theater as much as taste. The dining experience will undergo a transformation when The Man Behind The Curtain becomes Psycho Sandbar in early 2024, maintaining its operations until the changeover.
The Man Behind The Curtain, 68-78 Vicar Lane, Lower Ground Floor, Flannels, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 7JH.
Chef Jono at V&V: Where Playfulness Meets Mastery
© Copyright Leeds-List 2023
Chef Jono at V&V presents a stage where the culinary narrative is woven with both playfulness and profound skill. Chef Jono, a finalist on Masterchef: The Professionals, has etched his mark on Leeds’ fine dining scene by crafting menus that are whimsical yet refined. The Sunday lunch tasting menu is an excellent introduction to his style, featuring “sticky pork cheek with onion soubise, prune and crackling” for £49 per guest. The Signature Tasting Menu, available at £79, caters to different dietary preferences with a vegetarian and vegan option. The menu shines with creations like “chicken liver mousse with raspberry vinegar jam” and a “mushroom tiramisu” that subverts expectations.
Chef Jono at V&V, 68 New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6NU.
The Box Tree: A Heritage of Excellence
The Box Tree in Ilkley stands as a testament to the excellence that can be achieved with decades of dedication to the culinary arts. Nestled within an 18th-century building, the restaurant exudes an aura of timeless elegance. Their tasting menu, which costs £95 per guest, with optional wine flights starting from £60, is a gastronomic journey that begins with “crusty warm sourdough and butters.” Patrons can relish the flavors of “charred mackerel with a yuzo kosho lobster claw” and “roasted sirloin of Yorkshire beef,” culminating in a dessert of “peach soufflé with peach and ice wine sorbet.” The “cheese course with an apple tart tatin” is a fitting finale to this exquisite dining experience.
The Box Tree, 35-37 Church Street, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 9DR.
HOME: A New Chapter in Culinary Creativity
HOME has swiftly risen in the ranks of Leeds’ culinary destinations, continuing to impress at its new waterside location. The open kitchen allows diners to observe the chefs, including Masterchef semi-finalist Elizabeth Cottam, as they meticulously assemble their seasonal creations. The “short” 8-course menu, priced at £88, sits alongside a more extensive 10-course option at £120. Guests might experience the richness of “roast duck broth with duck liver parfait” or the sweetness of “black sesame waffle dough with cherry molasses sorbet.” With a relentless drive for innovation, every visit may unveil a pioneering dish on the cusp of being added to the restaurant’s gastronomic repertoire.
HOME, 3 Brewery Place, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 1NE.
Shears Yard: Seasonal Sensations
Credit: Will Stanley
For those seeking value alongside culinary fineness, Shears Yard emerges as a compelling choice. This establishment refreshes its menu seasonally to capture the essence of the time of year. At £55 per guest, the tasting menu is a symphony of flavors, starting with “freshly baked homemade bread” and leading into a “lightly torched smoked salmon with horseradish crème fraiche.” “Tender lamb” and “brill fillet” are accompanied by a sumptuous “sweetcorn chowder,” urging diners to savor every last drop. The menu concludes with two desserts, with the option to supplement these sweet finales with a cheese board. A separate vegetarian tasting menu, which can be modified for vegans, ensures that all guests can partake in the gastronomic celebration.
Shears Yard, 11-15 Wharf Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7EH.
Six by Nico: A Culinary Odyssey
Credit: © Copyright Leeds-List 2023
At Six by Nico, the six-course tasting menus are a dynamic expression of creativity, renewed every six weeks to tell a new story or explore a different theme. The current theme, “Catalonia,” offers a reimagined take on familiar Spanish flavors, served with the finesse expected of a fine dining establishment. The journey begins with “patates braves” and advances to “barbacoa de porc,” with pork belly and cheek served atop “white bean ragu and red pepper.” All this for an approachable £39, making it an accessible entry into the world of themed culinary experiences.
Six by Nico, 9 East Parade, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 2AJ.
Tattu: Oriental Opulence
Tattu distinguishes itself with the only Chinese tasting menu in Leeds, where the ambiance is as immersive as the menu is captivating. Guests are drawn into an environment of “dark, lacquered wood and neon blossoms,” setting the stage for a menu that deftly sidesteps the expected. Four tasting menus range from £55 to £96 per person, each offering a voyage through flavors that elevate the familiar. The vegetable-focused menu, for example, leads diners from “salt and pepper aubergine” to a decadent “Asian pear sticky toffee pudding,” with tastes of “shiitake bao” and “mongolian mock beef” along the way. Each dish builds upon the last, culminating in the signature “Tattu candy rice.”
Tattu, 29 East Parade, Minerva House, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5PS.
Owl: Riverside Refinement
Owl is a delightful offshoot from the team behind HOME, nestled along the picturesque Leeds riverside. Their seven-course set menu is a curated selection of the chef’s personal favorites, commencing with “homemade bread and Owl charcuterie.” The menu evolves to feature dishes such as “North Sea cod” and “Whitby crab with crab mousse,” before reaching a crescendo with a “100 day salt aged sirloin of beef with beer battered oysters.” The dessert, a “coconut with Michel Cluizel 64% chocolate and toasted rice,” is an unmissable treat. Though the setting is relaxed, the cuisine speaks of a profound culinary commitment, reflected in the set menu price of £84 per person.
Owl, Lockside, Mustard Wharf, Mustard Approach, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4EY.
Craig Rogan at The Collective: A Symphony of Flavors
Craig Rogan’s tenure at The Collective signals a new chapter in the restaurant’s story, ushering in two distinct tasting menus. The five-course offering at £50 and the more expansive eight-course menu at £80 both begin with “parmesan, truffle and fried greens.” The latter includes such delights as “ox cheek with violet potato, bone marrow and lovage,” and concludes with a tantalizing trio of “coconut, pineapple and orange.” Each course is designed to delight the senses, ensuring that guests leave with memories of a meal that was as sumptuous as it was sophisticated.
The Collective Inc, 33 Boar Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5DA.
- The Man Behind The Curtain offers Michelin-starred dishes with artistic presentation and will be transitioning to Psycho Sandbar in 2024.
- Chef Jono at V&V offers playful and refined tasting menus, including a Sunday lunch menu and a Signature menu with vegetarian and vegan options.
- The Box Tree in Ilkley offers a tasting menu in an 18th-century building, featuring dishes like “charred mackerel with a yuzo kosho lobster claw” and “roasted sirloin of Yorkshire beef.”
- HOME, led by Masterchef semi-finalist Elizabeth Cottam, offers innovative seasonal tasting menus with 8 or 10 courses.
- Shears Yard refreshes its menu seasonally, offering a symphony of flavors with options for vegetarians, priced at £55 per guest.