Lat night Jon and I drove up to Leeds after work to visit his younger sister who is studying at uni there. We stayed in The Doubletree hotel which is conveniently located a stones throw from the city center and was very good value for money, including a complimentary cookie on arrival!
As it was nearing 8pm when we landed we hurriedly freshened up and headed out to ‘The Alchemist’ for pre dinner drinks. This place is a restaurant come bar combo and quite clearly popular, it was crammed and I could definitely see why, it was amazing. It was quirky in a curious/magical sense and I loved how the drinks were served up in lab flasks, mine had two components which I had to mix together to create my cocktail- the result was very tasty and also very theatrical with smoke being created from the dry ice.
After our drinks we made the short walk to The Blackhouse Grill where we had a reservation for dinner. The facade of the restaurant was covered in sparkling fairy lights creating an elegant first impression. Once inside we ordered almost immediately- each of us choosing steak with a peppercorn sauce and a few sides to share, alongside a bottle of merlot, all of which was fantastic. Besides the yummy food there was also such a relaxed and sophisticated atmosphere, made particularly special by a pianist who played beautiful music as we ate and chatted away.
After our meal, and whilst the night was still relatively young we decided to stop in on a Bierkeller. This is basically a pub decorated in a german style and selling beers in ridiculously large tankards. Jon and I had experienced one in our fresher days and I have fond memories of swigging beer and dancing on the tables whilst bellowing out german songs and this one didn’t disappoint either.
After a good old dance and a satisfying dose of cheesy 80’s music we headed off in the direction of call lane where there is plenty of bars to choose from. We settled down in busy corner of one and ordered some drinks to round of our night.
On returning to the hotel we decided to have a nosy at their sky lounge on the top floor. With the twinkling lights of Leeds the views didn’t fail to disappoint and we sipped our night caps completely contentedly after a lovely night out in the town.
The next morning we awoke after a comfortable nights sleep. Once we were up, ready and our things packed away in the car we headed into town once more to do a spot of shopping. I’ve got my eye on couple of fedora hats but didn’t end up buying one- I’m being indecisive and can’t choose what colour I want!
We stopped in on yet another very quirky restaurant called the Botanist. Similarly to the Alchemist it has the same magical decor and atmosphere; with drinks being served in jugs and the staff wearing braces. We had some non alcoholic cocktails and they were delicious!
Our final stop was the Handmade Burger co. There aren’t that many of these in the UK, the closest to us is their Birmingham branch and that is a good 1 hour 15 minutes away. Therefore we were eager to try these much talked about burgers. After our steak the following night we were having a full on meat feast, but my American cheese was very tasty and the peri peri chips were definitely something to write home about.
We had a fantastic time in Leeds. It’s such a dynamic, vibrant city with plenty to do and see whatever your interests. I hope we will get the chance to go back for another visit in the near future.
Under the Big Top 