Leeds offers a diverse selection of tasting menus that cater to adventurous eaters, including Michelin-starred The Man Behind The Curtain, where off-menu surprises await, and V&V, where Chef Jono serves up a playful Sunday lunch and a Signature Tasting Menu. Other notable options include The Box Tree with its timeless elegance, Crafthouse with its panoramic views, and HOME with its constant innovation. Shears Yard offers an accessible gourmet experience, Six by Nico reinvents its menu every six weeks, Tattu provides Chinese opulence, Owl showcases casual artistry, and The Collective offers refined elegance by Craig Rogan.
What are the top tasting menus in Leeds worth experiencing?
Leeds boasts a variety of tasting menus that cater to gastronomic adventurers. Michelin-starred The Man Behind The Curtain offers a theatrical dining experience with off-menu surprises. Chef Jono at V&V serves a playful Sunday lunch and a Signature Tasting Menu with options for all diets. The Box Tree presents timeless elegance, while Crafthouse pairs its seven-course menu with panoramic views. HOME provides a short and extensive tasting menu, and Shears Yard delivers an accessible gourmet experience. Six by Nico reinvents its menu every six weeks, Tattu offers Chinese opulence, Owl showcases casual artistry, and The Collective has refined elegance by Craig Rogan.
Leeds’ culinary scene is a vibrant tapestry of flavors, and tasting menus offer the most vivid colors of this gastronomic picture. Below, delve into a curated selection of tasting menus that stand as testaments to the city’s gastronomic creativity.
A Symphony of Flavours at The Man Behind The Curtain
Credit: Allen Markey
A Michelin star adorns The Man Behind The Curtain, setting expectations sky-high—expectations that are not just met but surpassed with each course. Chef Michael O’Hare, celebrated for his victory on BBC’s The Great British Menu, orchestrates a dining experience akin to a theatrical performance. The menu, which changes with the seasons, promises to astonish with dishes like Cantonese duck accented with rhubarb hoisin and a sea urchin dish that features both raw langoustine and hand-massaged octopus. Patrons should brace for the unexpected, as off-menu surprises are a beloved staple here.
- Lunch Menu: £95
- Dinner Menu: £165
Location: The Man Behind The Curtain, 68-78 Vicar Lane, Lower Ground Floor, Flannels, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 7JH.
The Artful Innovations of Chef Jono at V&V
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Chef Jono has swiftly carved a niche for himself in Leeds’ dining landscape. A finalist on Masterchef: The Professionals, his culinary approach is a playful yet finely tuned celebration of gastronomy. The Sunday lunch tasting menu is a perfect introduction to his style, featuring sticky pork cheek with a rich array of accompaniments for £49 per guest. The Signature Tasting Menu, at £79, caters to all preferences, including vegetarian and vegan diners, and showcases ingenious creations such as chicken liver mousse with raspberry vinegar jam and an unexpectedly delightful mushroom tiramisu.
- Sunday Lunch Tasting Menu: £49
- Signature Tasting Menu: £79
Location: Chef Jono at V&V, 68 New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6NU.
Timeless Elegance at The Box Tree
The Box Tree, a beacon of fine dining nestled within an 18th-century edifice in Ilkley, tells a story of culinary mastery crafted over generations. Each course of their tasting menu is a chapter in an epicurean narrative, with the opening act featuring warm sourdough and selections of butter, progressing to a mackerel course, and culminating in a sirloin of Yorkshire beef. The peach soufflé paired with ice wine sorbet is a high note in the dessert repertoire. Not to be overlooked:
- Tasting Menu: £95
- Wine Flights: From £60
Location: The Box Tree, 35-37 Church Street, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 9DR.
The Progressive Palette of Crafthouse
Credit: Will Stanley
Yorkshire’s own Simon Jewitt helms Crafthouse, perched atop Trinity Leeds, where he crafts a seven-course tasting menu that perfectly embodies the refinement expected of the establishment. At £55 per person, with an optional wine pairing for an additional £45, guests can indulge in a repertoire that opens with whipped smoked cod’s roe and ventures through an array of dishes, culminating in a salted caramel tart. This dining experience is complemented by the restaurant’s panoramic views of Leeds.
- Seven-Course Tasting Menu: £55
- Optional Wine Pairing: Additional £45
Location: Crafthouse, Level 5, Trinity, 70 Boar Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6HW.
The Adventurous Spirit of HOME
HOME has made an indelible mark on Leeds’ dining scene, with its new waterside location only enhancing its allure. Here, guests observe chefs meticulously assembling seasonal menus, curated by Masterchef semi-finalist Elizabeth Cottam. With an 8-course ‘short’ menu priced at £88 and a more extensive 10-course offering at £120, diners might find themselves navigating a culinary landscape that ranges from roast duck broth with liver parfait to black sesame waffle dough with cherry molasses sorbet. Constant innovation is a hallmark of HOME, ensuring a unique dining experience with every visit.
- 8-Course ‘Short’ Menu: £88
- 10-Course Menu: £120
Location: HOME, 3 Brewery Place, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 1NE.
The Accessible Gourmet Experience at Shears Yard
Credit: Will Stanley
Shears Yard is synonymous with value when it comes to tasting menus in Leeds. At £55 per person, patrons can look forward to tearing into homemade bread before savouring lightly torched smoked salmon and horseradish crème fraîche. Successive courses maintain the high standard, with standouts such as tender lamb and a perfectly cooked brill fillet. The experience rounds out with two desserts, though a supplementary cheese board is available for those who wish to extend their culinary journey. A separate vegetarian tasting menu, adaptable to vegan preferences, is also on offer.
- Tasting Menu: £55
Location: Shears Yard, 11-15 Wharf Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7EH.
A Taste of Theatre at Six by Nico
Every six weeks, Six by Nico reinvents its six-course tasting menu, each iteration inspired by a different theme, concept, or place. The current ‘Catalonia’ menu takes familiar Spanish favorites and elevates them with the finesse expected of a fine dining establishment. Starting with a patates braves and progressing to a barbacoa de porc, diners are treated to a menu that is both comforting and avant-garde, all for an accessible price of £39.
- Six-Course Tasting Menu: £39
Location: Six by Nico, 9 East Parade, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 2AJ.
The Oriental Opulence of Tattu
Tattu distinguishes itself as the purveyor of the only Chinese tasting menu in Leeds. Set against a backdrop of dark wood and neon blossoms, the restaurant presents a selection of tasting menus ranging from £55 to £96 per person. Vegetarian diners will appreciate the four-wave journey that ranges from salt and pepper aubergine to an alluring Asian pear sticky toffee pudding, with a selection of creatively reimagined dishes like shiitake bao and mongolian mock beef capturing the essence of Tattu’s culinary philosophy.
- Tasting Menus: £55 to £96
Location: Tattu, 29 East Parade, Minerva House, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5PS.
The Casual Artistry of Owl
Owl, an offshoot of the HOME group, offers a seven-course menu that showcases favorite dishes in a picturesque riverside setting. Commencing with homemade bread and an Owl charcuterie, the journey includes North Sea cod, Whitby crab with crab mousse, and a 100-day salt-aged sirloin of beef with beer-battered oysters. The dessert course, featuring coconut with Michel Cluizel chocolate and toasted rice, is a testament to the restaurant’s laid-back yet high-caliber approach to cuisine.
- Seven-Course Set Menu: £84
Location: Owl, Lockside, Mustard Wharf, Mustard Approach, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4EY.
The Refined Elegance of Craig Rogan at The Collective
Having taken the reins at The Collective, Craig Rogan introduces tasting menus that personify fine dining. Patrons have the choice between a five-course journey for £50 or an eight-course exploration for £80. Each menu begins with a trio of parmesan, truffle, and fried greens, proceeding to a crab course delicately paired with ‘nduja, radish, and cucumber. The more extensive menu includes additional delights, such as ox cheek with violet potato, bone marrow, and lovage, culminating in an invigorating mix of coconut, pineapple, and orange.
- Five-Course Menu: £50
- Eight-Course Menu: £80
Location: The Collective Inc, 33 Boar Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5DA.
- The Man Behind The Curtain offers a theatrical dining experience with off-menu surprises and a lunch menu for £95 and a dinner menu for £165.
- V&V, helmed by Chef Jono, serves a playful Sunday lunch tasting menu for £49 and a Signature Tasting Menu for £79, catering to all preferences including vegetarian and vegan options.
- The Box Tree in Ilkley presents a timeless elegant tasting menu for £95, featuring dishes such as mackerel and sirloin of Yorkshire beef.
- Crafthouse offers a seven-course tasting menu for £55 with optional wine pairing for an additional £45, and stunning panoramic views of Leeds.
- HOME provides a short 8-course menu for £88 and an extensive 10-course menu for £120, with constant innovation and unique dining experiences.