Leeds is a city with lots of family friendly restaurants to suit everyone's taste and every occasion.
A meal out with the family is always a good idea for a rainy day, and if you’re anything like us, and enjoy taking children out for a meal (as I think us adults actually get more enjoyment out of this) then we have tracked down five of the best family friendly restaurants in Leeds, where you and the family, or friends, can enjoy too.
Read below for our top picks of family friendly restaurants to enjoy in Leeds this half term.
Fazenda
A meat lovers dream! Here’s your opportunity to experience it with the kids. Fazenda’s Southern American roots bring you and the family an extensive range of unlimited grilled meats, Argentinian and Brazilian hot sides and a Market Table offering a variety of charcuterie, seafood, fresh salad and vegetables.
Children under eight years old eat free, whilst children aged 8-14 dining at Fazenda will cost you £13.90 per child.
It’s definitely a different and interactive dining experience for the children, when you arrive, you are presented with a red/green card to which you utilise to inform the waiters if you are; red = too full, green = bring on the meat! The meat waiter(s), also known as a Passador, brings around the selections of meat which they carve and you retrieve with tongs. Once full, each diner can turn their card to red if they wish to have no meat, or keep it on green to indicate to keep the meat coming. Fazenda couldn't be more family friendly, providing great food and entertainment to keep the kids preoccupied, whilst you enjoy some fantastic meats and perhaps a glass of wine or two!
Worth noting: Fazenda offers a vegan, pescatarian, vegetarian and halal menu, with gluten free items included on the menu, so if there’s anyone with dietary requirements within the family- they have got you covered!
MEAT:STACK
Burgers and chips, chicken and chips…chips and chips!? What more could a child want?
Picture this: the ‘Best Parents Award’ goes to you, for suggesting this super fun and tasty place to take the kids to! Described as a family friendly restaurant, MEAT:STACK graced Leeds with its renowned steamed, smash burgers in June 2022.
Their commitment to quality ingredients and unique cooking techniques reflect in the taste of their wide variety of burger, chicken and chip selections on the menu.
Double or triple up on your patty, we’re not judging! We really recommend you try one of their ‘house-made dip pots’ to submerge your beef dripping fries into- our fave was their ‘House Ranch’.
MEAT:STACK offers a kids menu, including a beef or chicken burger with a small portion of fries and a Fruit Shoot, for only £3 when purchased alongside an adult's meal.
Of course, we’re not forgetting about you! There’s a variety of tipples for the adults, ranging from American lagers, gin and tonic cans, or if that’s not your thing- they serve five flavours of delicious shakes or refillable soda’s.
Leeds Market
Take your children back in time to a pre-supermarket esq era by visiting Leeds Kirkgate Market, which was at one point Europe’s largest market when it opened its doors in 1857! Since then we’ve seen the birth of Marks and Spencer’s (yes, in this very market!), dozens of street food vendors, a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker…you get the jist, Leeds Market truly has it all to offer!
Rivalling other major cities' food halls, Leeds Market boasts 12 street food vendors, including Vietnamese, Italian, Levantine, Caribbean and much more! It’s a great spot for when each family member can’t decide on the same cuisine.
Once you’re done eating, take a stroll into the market itself where you’ll find a range of bakeries that offer scrumptious sweet treats, which can be eaten there, or packaged up and taken home to enjoy later on the sofa.
Worth noting: This is a lunch, or early evening spot as the market shuts at 5:30PM and is closed on Sundays. Make sure to take a look around all the stands the market has to offer, there’s a range of fantastic businesses selling imported foods, houseplants, and if you’re lucky- sometimes Easter eggs, all year round!
Little Tokyo
Described as a ‘Japanese restaurant with Yorkshire roots’, Little Tokyo is based in central Leeds, on the street parallel to Briggate (next door to Mrs Athas).
Now not only do they have a fish tank, full of different breeds of fish, but they also offer a Koi feeding experience every Sunday afternoon- a perfect way to entertain the children before or after you sit down for your meal.
Little Tokyo is the perfect family friendly restaurant, the menu has so much to offer, so much so, you won't be able to stop yourself from ordering off every section; various plates of sushi, gyoza, noodle-based dishes and more! There is something for everyone here in this small piece of Japan, nestled perfectly into Leeds City Centre.
Worth noting: Little Tokyo also offer a two-course lunch menu, Monday to Friday, between 12-4PM, perfect to squeeze in alongside a shopping spree in the city! They also cater for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dietary requirements.
Salvos
A popular spot in Headingley, Salvos is one of the most esteemed and well-known restaurants in Leeds, regardless of it not being central. We've enjoyed many-a-family meal here, and their children's menu is amazing value for money and incredibly tasty! Ellen (Leeds Food Tours founder) took Little Leeds Food Tours here recently and it's fair to say they both really enjoyed the experience, the food and the setting.
Main course, pudding and a drink is £6.95 and the main courses include a range of pasta dishes, pizza or fish goujons - are we allowed order off this next time, it sounds too good!
Food Tours in Leeds
If you've got to the end half term, and need something to reward yourself with, or you'd like to enjoy some child free time doing something you love, come find out about different places to eat in Leeds and join one of our food tours!
Guided Food Tours
Guided food tours run every Saturday, and visit six different venues from cosy pubs, to market stalls, to modern restaurants. Hear the stories behind the venues, learn some foodie facts and Leeds history, and leave with a very full tummy!
You can find out more and book a guided tour here.
Self-Guided Food Tours
Self-guided food tours can be done any day of the week, at your own pace. They're designed for two people to follow the map on the app to six venues and the best part, you get food included at every stop!
You can find out more and buy a self-guided tour here.