| Cuisine : | British, English |
|---|---|
| Open for : | dinner, lunch |
| Type : | restaurant |
| Tags : | car park, local produce, private dining room, suitable for large groups |
| Average price : | Main course £16. Three courses £29. |
| Website : | http://www.theleedskitchen.co.uk/ |
| Short URL : | http://iate.at/Wc86 |
[ Please note that as of 4th March 2013, this restaurant is currently closed. This is due to Alea Casino having ceased trading. We will update this page if we receive further information. ]
The Leeds Kitchen is BBC 1 Saturday Kitchen presenter and chef James Martin's restaurant in Leeds. The restaurant is situated on the ground floor of the Alea Casino at Clarence Dock and is replacing The Fig Restaurant. It will be the Yorkshireman's first restaurant in his home county, and his first restaurant opening in 10 years (he was previously head chef at the Hotel du Vin in Winchester).
The menu features plenty of local Yorkshire produce, with dishes including Fortune Smokehouse kipper fishcakes with a Welsh rarebit & pickled tomatoes and a coarse chicken liver terrine with Black Sheep Ale mustard to start. Main courses include a double-baked Coverdale cheese soufflé served with a walnut and dandelion salad and roast rump of lamb with crushed peas and broad beans, marjoram and pickled chanterelle mushrooms. As you'd expect from a chef famed for his delicious (but perhaps not diet friendly!) puddings there is a good choice here including: a sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce, buttermilk pannocotta with poached pears and cinnamon sauce and - weighing in at 3,100 calories - a white chocolate and whisky croissant "bread and butter" pudding which is served with ice cream made from a single malt whiskey.
The interior of the restaurant has been designed by Leeds based mother and daughter interior design company Carolyn Parker Interior Design and promises to by a contemporary setting which reflects the executive chef's personality. The restaurant opens for dinner Monday to Saturday, and lunch only Sundays. The dress code for The Leeds Kitchen is smart-casual.
The restaurant team will be offering private dining for up to 60 people and event catering within the conference facilities at the casino. The Leeds Kitchen opened on 9th April 2011.
The casino has one other restaurant The Bird which serves Indian food by Michelin starred chef Vineet Bhatia on the second floor.
Photos of the food at The Leeds Kitchen are available here on flickr.
In April 2012, James opened his second restaurant in the region; The Restaurant @ Talbot Hotel
Review left on 09/10/2012 by Loz (1 review)
Situated in a dull part of Leeds in a casino. No atmosphere. Food was nice (nice is not a word I usually use - as non descriptive!!).
Glad I went but Leeds has a lot more to offer - won't be rushing back. Thank god for San Carlo's fillet steak at Street Lane, Leeds.
Review left on 30/11/2011 by muffinfactory (1 review)
Been there a few times now, particularly for Sunday lunch - amazing value for money and the food almost always delivers. Service is always warm and great. Highly recommended.
Review left on 18/08/2011 by oxonala (1 review)
Unfortunately placed on a small table near to the open bar and overlooked by approx. twenty people waiting for a table. Bar area very small so the people were standing on the ramp and we couldnt hear ourselves talk. The meal was very good and very rich as we expected but very disappointed in the ambience and extra quick service. We had anticipated a lesiurely Saturday night out meal but we were wined and dined in less than an hour for just short of £100.
Review left on 11/07/2011 by Clive and Kate (1 review)
Being a great fan of James Martin my daughter had arranged a table for my partner and me for dinner at The Leeds Kitchen as a birthday treat! A treat it certainly was - we had a leisurely drink at the bar and then we were seated in the semi-circular booths down one side of the restaurant which were very comfortable and private - the meal and service were excellent, my partner having the Grilled Devilled East Coast mackerel with roasted radishes followed by the Seared spiced Monkfish and then much to my amazement tucked into the Iced orange and honeycomb parfait with meringue and fresh raspberries (he very rarely indulges in dessert!!) all of which he said were delicious, likewise I enjoyed the grilled asparagus with hollandaise sauce followed by the Double-baked Coverdale cheese souffle with a dandelion and walnut salad, which was light and delicious. Being a great dessert fan I found it difficult to choose as they all sounded wonderful! However, I went for James's signature dish of white chocolate and whisky croissant butter pudding with homemade single malt ice cream which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The only disappointment was I love my after dinner coffee and drink it black and my cup was half full and very strong and frothy (more like the coffee you get abroad) rather than a good blend of cafetiere coffee and unusually my partner who prefers tea was not offered a choice.
Very minor disappointments after a splendid meal, but worth a mention I think.
We will definitely return!
Review left on 06/06/2011 by hedina1976 (1 review)
I and my partner have all James Martins cookbooks and cook from them on a weekly basis. We were thrilled to hear he had opened a restaurant in Leeds so booked a table for my birthday. We read the reviews on this website and in The Guardian and were considering cancelling the booking. We then thought we may as well give the restaurant a chance and we are so glad we did. The food was excellent how anyone can find fault with the food was beyond us. Our waiter was very attentive and recommended dishes for us. If you have not been and are put off by the above reviews dont be as we loved it and will certainly go back again.
Review left on 09/05/2011 by Doubleu (1 review)
After having dined at LK for the second time, we are in no hurry for a third. The first visit was a week after opening. My Partner had Soup and Pork Belly, and to say she was disappointed was an understatement. Although she is a light eater, a bag of crisps and a ham sandwich had to satisfy her hunger when we got home. Unless I've missed something, Pork Belly is one of the cheapest cuts you can buy. But at 18.50 for two pieces which were barely a mouthful, and half a scallop, value for money and hunger satisfying it was not. Her Soup was served in a small Gravy bowl, again very frugal on quantity. My meal on the whole was OK - Whitby Crab Risotto and Shoulder of Lamb. Nothing to shout home about - Just OK. We decided to give it another chance, so we promptly turned up Last Saturday and again we were really disappointed. With very few items to attract my attention, the Collops were chosen. This was cod & monkfish and the game played by me and one my guests’ who also order Collops, was spot the monkfish. I think I found mine, but my guests were all cod. Total lack of inspiration forced me to order a steak which was, well a steak, no frills just a steak with Chips which were extra. My partner had the Crab risotto which again was OK.
So they we are we, we tried once , gave the benefit of the doubt and tried again – However we all agree we will be in no hurry back. There is nothing on the menu that entices me – also the area is a soulless end of town like a scene from Clockwork orange. James was there on the first visit and was, as you would expect, very pleasant and approachable. I can only concur what my friend thinks, is that it is in the interests of the Casino to have restaurant within their down stairs complex, otherwise, for those who haven’t been there an empty restaurant would look terrible, as it is the first part of the complex which greats you. We guess there is a financial input from the Casino ALEA, particularly as it prominent in the Menu.
In finishing, the menu is dire and needs specials. He also needs to sharpen his pencil on the price of some items.
Review left on 28/04/2011 by rich (1 review)
I had high hopes for Leeds Kitchen but felt that perhaps they are still finding their feet.
The location is a soulless part of town, a taxi ride away from the centre.. The Restaurant itself is actually inside a casino which I didn't realise until we checked in with the security before being allowed to enter.
There was no one to great us when we got in and no one at the bar. When we did get served a bottle of wine it wasn't cold. The menu read very well but unfortunately didn't deliver. I had the fried mozzarella with pear chutney which had very little taste and seemed a bit pointless. My partners pot-roast chicken wasn't nearly hot enough so we had to send it back. I had the soufflé which was very rich but nice enough.
The staff were fantastic. Helpful, friendly but perhaps a little over-worked. The bar was literally covered in dirty glassed for most of the night. All of this is very forgivable individually but together made for a rather disappointing night.
I would probably go again but I not in a hurry. Give them a month or so and I would imagine things will be significantly better. This restaurant will do well off James' fame for a time but I can't help but feel they won't last unless they splash out on some more staff and get the food to a higher standard.
Review left on 24/04/2011 by hulldanfan (1 review)
3.5 out of 5 is about right. As a group we were quite disappointed. No more than average cooking. My friends wife scraped at least a tablespoon of grease ridden flour from the top of her sole and couldnt eat the shrimp as they seemed to be soaked in vinegar. The belly pork/scallops combo was tasty, but 2 small pieces of pork and 1 scallop cut in half was hardly a decent portion. The cheese souffle was heavy - my wife couldnt finish it. The much vaunted sticky toffee pudding was light and tasty, but the accompanying toffee sauce was heavily flavoured with black treacle and spoilt the dish.
On the positve side, the deep fried egg with ham hock was excellent and the lamb tasty. The staff themselves were also excellent.
They do have a major problem. There are so many good places to eat in Leeds, that once all the hoo-hah has died down, there is no reason to make a special effort to get a taxi and go out to the Armouries for what is pretty average fare. Whilst on about location, the restaurant is surrounded by a dozen poker tables in what resembles a bingo hall. In the restaurant itself, there is just lots of brown furniture. If I'm honest, It looks like the refurb has been done on a budget. If this restaraunt is still here in a years time, I will be surprised.
Review left on 21/04/2011 by patc57 (3 reviews)
Arrived here with friends on the Tuesday after it opened for a 8.30pm table. Greeted by staff and offered a drink at the bar as we were a little early, or to sit straight down. We chose the latter.
As the designated driver of the bunch, I was eager to get on with the eating!!
Absolutely nothing disappointed during the course of the meal. There was a very small issue when the wrong dessert was brought out for one member of our party but the waitress realised immediately that she had put the ticket in incorrectly and they rectified it straight away. It really didn't feature as a 'down' point, because everything else was simply brilliant.
I had the deep-fried soft boiled egg, followed by slow cooked belly pork / scallops and ending up with the croissant butter pudding (allegedly 3,100 calories in itself) - so nothing in my choice for health freaks clearly!
It was all utterly tasty and the portion sizes were perfect so that you didn't ruin your appetite for the third course (which, I admit, I couldn't quite finish).
The cooking style is suited to the location and the area, and it's good to see James Martin 'bringing it home' a bit, and using his favourite local suppliers for food.
James was cooking that night and he came out twice during the meal for a chinwag at each table which was a nice touch - obviously once the place settles in, he won't be there as often so I guess don't expect that. But his presence and politeness reiterated the down to earth and unpretentious style he gives off as a person and in his food.
Will definitely make a return visit when I can get in!
Review left on 21/04/2011 by RainbowBright (8 reviews)
We ate here during the first week of opening and had a fantastic time. The food was beautiful but a special mention is needed for the sticky toffee pudding - WOW! The food ticks all the boxes for me.
I was surprised by how reasonably priced the whole meal was, all four of us had three courses and drinks (bottle of wine, lager etc) and the bill was way under £200.
The staff seemed to be genuinely enjoying working in the restaurant, they were knowledgeable and chatty which made for a nice relaxing atmosphere.
The only downside I can find to the resturant is the fact that you have to enter through the main enterance for the casino and therefore have to become a member to enter. The toilets are also on the casino main floor and so you have to leave the restaurant to access them.
Overall a great night I can't wait to go back!
Review left on 14/04/2011 by dave (99 reviews)
I visited The Leeds Kitchen for dinner this week. As it's part of the casino, you have to go through their security on the way in - wasn't a problem for us but I would imagine it could be a bit annoying on a busy friday/saturday night.
We were sat in one of the half-height booths that run along the side of the restaurant, they're big and comfortable and gave a bit of privacy (we couldn't hear conversations on other tables). The other tables in the restaurant looked reasonably spaced out too.
Before our visit I had been slightly apprehensive about how the food would be - would it reflect some of the simple dishes the chef cooks on Saturday Kitchen, or would it try to hard to impress the big spenders at the venue? Thankfully these were unfounded and there was a good brasserie-style menu full of British dishes, Yorkshire produce and free from any pretentiousness.
My starter, a deep-fried egg with ham hock terrine, portobello mushroom and a red wine and shallot puree was well cooked and worked well as a dish. I followed this with a roast rump of lamb with broad beans, peas, marjoram and pickled chanterelle mushrooms. The lamb arrived pink - which is to my liking, but I wasn't asked so if you prefer your lamb more cooked be sure to ask. The marjoram flavour was bold (perhaps verging on over powering) but it brought a fresh, almost, citrusy flavour to the plate - very enjoyable. The dishes come as stated, so as a table we ordered sides of mashed potato, carrots and a leek gratin. The leek gratin was delicious, but it's worth noting the portions for the side orders are quite small. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I oped for the Welsh rarebit for dessert - it was good, but I felt it would have been better on a more generous slice of a more crusty bread. Others around the table opted for sweeter puddings where seemed to go down very well.
Staff were enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the food making for excellent service. The only slip up was that nobody cleared the side plates from the table that we'd been using for bread before the starters arrived.
James Martin was in the restaurant, cooking and visiting tables to check people were enjoying their evening - and to pose for photos. I understand he's going to be there for the whole of the first two weeks - not sure how often he'll visit after that, hopefully he won't abandon it completely.
We'd noticed a few of the tables were empty when we were there, something we thought odd given the restaurant is fully booked for months ahead - but when we were speaking with James, he mentioned they are deliberately under-booking for a while to ensure they aren't under too much pressure. If you're passing in the evening and see lots of empty tables, it might be worth calling in to see if they can seat you. If not, there are plenty of other good restaurants nearby.
On our table of four, three courses with sides and drinks the bill worked out at around £40 per head - good value for the standard of cooking and location. I look forward to returning.
Review left on 13/04/2011 by steph (142 reviews)
A lovely experience! I ate here last night and was really impressed with everything.
The staff were polite and attentive. The food was excellent value with the mains starting at £11.50.
The restaurant has booths down one side, and three rows of tables. The tables are well spaced out and you cant hear the other people in the restaurant.
The food was well prepared, my pot roasted chicken was moist and so full of flavour, and wow, the desserts were so sweet!
James was there, and he went from table to table checking that everyone was ok and had enjoyed the meal. He seemed incredibly relaxed - which I guess is a sign that things are going well.
I'm definitely looking forward to going back - just need to find a date they're not booked up :)
Review left on 12/04/2011 by SPfoodie (1 review)
I ate in the restaurant last night and I can honestly say as a bit of a foodie myself that it was the best restaurant experience that I have had in Yorkshire.
The lamb that I had was to die for, so tender and cooked to perfection.
The value of the food was excellent.
The service was also excellent with the waiters having a very good knowledge of the food and able to offer a wine to compliment the course. This is a very big thing for me as love it when the wine list has been thought out in relation to the food. We did not have to wait to be seated, served or cleared and the staff were very helpful.
The restaurant had a real hustle and bustle to it resulting in great atmosphere and a very welcoming environment.
My night was wonderful and I will be definitely going there again.