Leeds is a city that boasts dozens of gorgeous brunch spots, whether that is in the centre, or in our beautiful suburbs. We wanted to share two brunch spots that haven't quite left our mind since trying...read below to find out which they were!
We have guided and self-guided food tours around Leeds City Centre, you'll visit six hand-picked spots, with food included for everyone at each.
It's a great day out and perfect for friends or family. Click here for more information.
House of Koko
Our first question is, have you ever ventured up to Chapel Allerton? And if so, have you been to House of Koko? If not, let us tell you why we absolutely love it...They have a venue in Chapel Allerton, which is the one we tried, and more recently opened in Oakwood too. It's an independent cafe where brunch is a passion, and served all day.
They often host pop ups and supper club evenings over at the Oakwood site from time to time.
The Chapel Allerton site is a cute, cosy venue with really friendly and welcoming staff. Service was spot on from start to finish.
Hot Honey Hash from House of Koko
The food was amazing! They have standard brunch dishes like Eggs Benedict & Turkish Eggs, but also more unusual things with all sorts of different influences from around the world.
The menu is slightly different at the two venues, but fear not, as we are have the Oakwood one on our hit list to review soon.
We had:
Hot Honey Hash: The potatoes had just the right amount of sweetness and spice (personally would have liked it hotter but that wouldn't be to everyone’s taste for brunch, so we think they’ve got it just right!).
Perfectly cooked egg on top. Gorgeous tangy salad bits for a really balanced dish. We added the spicy lamb sausage but don’t think it added much to the dish so would have without next time.
Look at that gorgeous egg on the Hot Honey Hash!
Chapati Canai: Lovely light chapatis with lentil & coconut dahl, cauliflower purée, pickles mustard seeds and crispy shallots. Comfort in a bowl. This was so warming, had a really nice peppery heat, not spicy but just loads of flavour. Loved it!
Chapati canai brunch from House of Koko
Next up...Hash browns with House of Koko hollandaise: Fluffy, with the perfect amount of crunch, the hollandaise was buttery rich but also somehow light, tasted lemony perhaps. A really wonderful dish.
Hash Browns with House of Koko Hollandaise
Iced latte: Foamy milk in an iced coffee means everything to me, so we were very excited about this!
Iced Latte at House of Koko
We were really full, but the cakes look amazing. We will have to treat our self to one next time we walk past, there's always an excuse for a nice coffee!
Find House of Koko on Instagram.
The Empire Cafe
We think this might have been the the best bacon sandwich we have ever eaten, so obviously had to share it on here.
The Empire Cafe has opened this year in Leeds City Centre on Fish Street. They are an all day cafe & bar, they cook over open fire, they have a "wall of flame" for cooking their signature rotisserie chicken.
They use local ingredients from Kirkgate Market. And we've heard their cocktails are very special.
Bacon sandwich from The Empire Cafe
It was genuinely the best bacon sandwich we have had. The bacon was cooked on fire until perfectly crispy (and so so smoky), and the bread was fire oven toasted too.
There were charred bits from the fire on the bottom muffin, which made it feel like camping, in a good way.
We're not sure what else to say about a bacon sandwich other than, go and try it!
Find The Empire Cafe on Instagram.
We're always open to suggestions and would love to hear where your go-to brunch spots are, whether that's Leeds City Centre, or surrounding areas. Get in touch and stay up to date via our Instagram here.
If you're interested in booking one of our food tours, you can get more information by clicking here, where you'll find our guided OR self-guided food tours.