Tori Nori Leeds Review: Japanese Grill, Sushi & Gluten-Free Dining on Vicar Lane

If you're anything like us and love sushi, chances are you've already visited Fern Modern Sushi in Leeds. Since opening in the beautiful Central Arcade in 2024, Fern has built a loyal following thanks to its creative menu, fresh ingredients and, of course, the famous Cheesy Truffle Torched Salmon Roll. But while that showstopping roll might get people through the door, it's the consistently excellent food and friendly service that keeps them coming back.

Some of the Leeds Food Tours team at Fern Modern Sushi in 2025

So, when we heard that Fern had launched a second venue, Tori Nori, on Vicar Lane, we couldn't wait to try it for ourselves.

Opening in the former Red Bus unit, Tori Nori takes inspiration from Tokyo's lively izakayas, offering a menu centred around grilled dishes, small plates and sharing food. We booked a table to celebrate a family birthday and, with one coeliac and another guest who is intolerant to wheat and gluten, we felt confident choosing Tori Nori based on our previous experiences at Fern.

One thing we've always appreciated at Fern is the dedicated gluten-free menu, which makes dining with dietary requirements much easier. Over the years, we've taken several friends with gluten intolerances there, and it's always been a stress-free experience.

(Check out our blog on the best gluten-free restaurants in Leeds)

Great for sharing, they also had gluten-free Peroni on the menu

Before dinner, we spent some time exploring Leeds and searching for somewhere to enjoy a drink first. We visited at the end of June when England were playing, meaning Leeds city centre was packed with football fans and many bars were heaving.

After managing to grab a couple of aperitifs at Rita's Beer Hall and a few spots on Merrion Street, we made our way down to Tori Nori for our booking.

The restaurant itself is stylish, modern and welcoming. The interiors are a nice balance between contemporary and relaxed, making it good for date nights, celebrations or casual meals with friends.

The staff were great throughout the evening, taking care to check dietary requirements and clarify who would be eating which dishes when we placed our order. That attention to detail is always appreciated, particularly when dining with allergies or intolerances in the group.

The drinks menu is also worth mentioning. The prosecco was particularly good, although the one downside of our visit was the temperature inside the restaurant. To be fair, it was one of the warmest days of the year, but it did feel a little too hot at times!

The food...

The food at Tori Nori was outstanding.

One of the best surprises was discovering that Tori Nori has recently introduced sushi dishes available at Fern's, meaning we could finally introduce some family members to our favourites.

King oyster mushroom yakitori and sesame tenderstem broccoli

We started with a selection of small plates and skewers, including the chicken thigh yakitori, which was beautifully cooked and packed with flavour. The real standout, though, was the king oyster mushrooms. These were genuinely incredible and had so much flavour, would honestly base a return just for these!

The pork belly was another highlight. Tender and topped with a delicious combo of Japanese seasonings, the caramelised fat from the meat being finished off on the grill was genuinely incredible.

We also ordered a selection of sashimi, the tobiko (fish roe) proved to be another unexpected favourite at the table.

A selection of sushi at Tori Nori

For anyone who follows a gluten-free diet, it's worth noting that the soy sauce provided on the tables is gluten-free, which is a thoughtful touch.

Sushi, sushi, sushi!

Of course, no visit would be complete without ordering Fern's famous Dragon Cheese Roll.

As expected, it completely wowed the table.

We also ordered the Hell's Tuna Roll, which was packed with flavour, and a deep-fried roll that we think was the Tuna Lava Roll, another dish that quickly became a favourite.

Alongside the sushi, we added some cucumber maki and edamame as side dishes. If you're ordering edamame, definitely go for the spicy version.

Great for groups (and non-sushi lovers)

Ordering for a table of six can be tricky at the best of times, particularly when some dishes need to accommodate allergies while others don't. Sharing plates can become a bit of a challenge, so we'd recommend keeping track of which dishes contain what if you're dining in a mixed group.

Yakitori: Chicken and pork belly

One of the things we really liked about Tori Nori is that it's not solely geared towards sushi lovers. If raw fish isn't your thing, there are plenty of alternatives. Someone in our group opted for the katsu curry, which went down very well, while the menu also includes a variety of grilled dishes, fried specialities, small plates and larger mains.

Would we recommend Tori Nori?

We left Tori Nori having had such a fun birthday celebration and completely understood why there's been so much excitement around this new opening in Leeds

The food, service and a menu that caters well for different dietary requirements makes it a fantastic addition to Leeds' food scene. We'd happily return for the sushi alone; but we're already planning another visit to trey the Crispy Chilli Beef Tower, it looked great but the drinks, heat and food we had meant we didn't quite have room- but that's a great excuse to return soon!

📍Tori Nori, Vicar Lane, Leeds, LS2 7NL