The Gray Ox, Hartshead

Wracking my brains for somewhere to go for Sunday lunch, I had a brainwave and went on Leeds Grub’s blog. I had a vague memory of a review several months back of a pub that did a good Sunday lunch which was not that far from home. After scrolling down for several pages, I hit on it – The Gray Ox in Hartshead! I remembered being impressed by the pictures and thinking the prices seemed reasonable for what looked like good quality.


So we programmed the postcode into the SatNav and set off. We arrived about 12.15pm and were asked if we had a reservation, which we hadn’t thought of. They said they could squeeze us in if we vacated the table by 2pm, which we had no problem with as we were heading to the cinema afterwards.

There was a specials menu, and a £13.95 set menu for two courses. I ordered off the set menu, having smoked salmon ballontine which came with herb salad and small pieces of toasted bread.

A had the chicken liver pate, which he reported excellent.

For main, I had the roast lamb Sunday lunch. This came with a large Yorkshire pudding, goose fat roast potatoes, mash and a jug of “proper” gravy. On the side – mashed swede, broccoli and cauliflower cheese. The lamb was “melt in the mouth” and the meal was beautifully presented, despite being a generous portion.

A had the beer-battered haddock which came with homemade chunky chips and a little silver bucket of mushy peas. All very good.

The bill came promptly and was around £40 for 2, including a pint for A and a large glass of pinot for me. I would definitely visit again, but would probably make a reservation, just to be sure.

Side issue: probably my first real experience of the now acceptable rudeness to smokers happened outside this pub. I had just nipped outside and was sat on my own on a bench having a cigarette and reading a bit of the paper when an older man walked past. He said something to me, which I didn’t catch. When I looked up, he walked over and said something about smoking and dying. I didn’t catch exactly what it was but it was not presented in a friendly way but instead in a rude confrontational manner. I just looked away but was amazed that it has become the norm to approach a woman on her own and berate her for something that isn’t anyone’s business.

Anyway that is a side issue – The Gray Ox is awesome!

Roundhay Fox, Roundhay, Leeds

We visited the Roundhay Fox today for Sunday lunch. A sign greeted us at the bar to say they were low on choice of beer due to the weather. I am guessing they haven’t been able to take deliveries because they had run out of white Pinot Grigio too, so I ordered a rose and A had the only beer on offer – Tetleys.

We have had Sunday lunch here before, and it was very good. They have an extensive menu and the place is packed out. Lots of families seem to dine here – I am guessing following a brisk walk around the park. We missed out on the walk bit, however, dumped the car outside and went straight in.

For starters, we ordered tempura chicken with a sesame dip to share. It was great – a lovely crisp batter and the dip was just the right level of sweetness.

For main, we both had the Roast Beef. We had to wait a while for it, the service was rather slow, perhaps due to the number of diners. When it arrived, we were offered a range of sauces and A chose some horseradish. I just like it with gravy (and the Fox gravy is high quality!)

The roast potatoes and vegetables were great. The parsnips appeared to have been slightly battered and fried, also good if you are into parsnips (it’s the one vegetable I have never got on with). The Yorkshire pudding was ok. The beef, sadly, was tough and gristly – I left a fair bit of it. This is a real shame as the last time I had the Sunday roast it was great. Perhaps just an off day and a lack of deliveries affected the quality.

The total bill came to just over £30. Fair price for what we had.

The Roundhay Fox has a nice outdoor area, which is great in the summer. It is all currently covered in a thick layer of snow (like everything else in Leeds!) Today, they had a log fire burning in the pub, which is great with the current temperatures and I should imagine a welcoming sight for the hardy walkers of Roundhay Park.

The Deer Park, Roundhay

A gets sent to America now and then to work. In fact, this seems to be happening more and more frequently. He returns home with jet lag, 200 Superkings for my good self and some strange American sweets. This time it was Skittles –Tropical Flavour, which apparently they don’t do over here.

Anyway, it was Sunday morning. A got up at half two in the morning and was snoozing on the sofa when I surfaced around eight. So I waited, watched the X factor on Sky Plus from the night before, and waited some more. Finally, a few loud coughs awaken the slumbering A, and I mention that a) I’m starving and b) it might be nice to go out for Sunday lunch.

So that’s how we ended up at the Deer Park in Roundhay. I had heard that they were doing it up and that it was now a restaurant, so we thought we would give it a try.

On arrival, we were quickly seated. The place is done out with a definite “Deer Park” theme, in that there are some rustic tables and some of the chairs are decked out with animal fur-type rugs. Very modern and airy decor.



The menu is extensive and includes a wide variety of dishes. A Sunday lunch menu was also provided, along with a specials menu. A lot of deliberation went into our order, as there was so much choice.

In the end, A ordered the roast beef Sunday lunch. The waiter asked him how he would like it. Apparently, you can order it rare, and they will cut slices from nearer the centre of the joint. If you want well done, you will have some of the outer slices. It is quite unusual to be asked how you want your beef for Sunday lunch so we were quite impressed by that. A ordered rare.



I decided on beer-battered fish and chips which were served with a lovely pea puree. A generous portion of fish was clearly freshly cooked, with an excellent crispy batter.



The Deer Park used to be a pub, from what I understand, but is now much more of a restaurant. I asked the waiter if people could come in just for a drink and it seems that the entrance area is set up for that purpose with lounge chairs. Outside there are chairs and tables set up for alfresco drinking, which I am sure will be busy during the summer. I do hope that the Deer Park is welcoming to drinkers as well as diners in the future. Apart from the Streets of Leeds, the area seems a bit bereft of pubs.

The Arts Cafe, Leeds

I love the Arts Cafe. It has been a staple of Leeds for many years now and can always be relied upon to produce quality food in lovely surroundings. Nestled down Call Lane, very near the Corn Exchange, the Arts has art work from local artists displayed on the walls, usually for sale.

We decided to go for Sunday lunch last weekend. They have their usual menu - a range of lunch plates, sandwiches and salads, along with the a la carte menu. On Sundays, they also have a choice of a beef or lamb roast. There is a also a special offer on a Sunday where you can have 2 courses for £12.95 or 3 for £15 (prices approximate – they don’t seem to mention this deal on their website).

I had the goat’s cheese starter, which came with crostini, and A had the haddock fillet on a bed of green beans with quail eggs. The haddock was perfectly cooked, and went well with the tiny eggs.



The goat's cheese...



We both then chose the Sunday roast beef. All I can say is that it was a great Sunday roast – homemade Yorkshires, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese and a mix of vegetables. In fact, we would go so far as to say it is right up there with the Cross Keys on Water Lane, which seems to be booked out every Sunday since it won a Best Sunday Lunch Award in the Observer Food Monthly Magazine.



So well done, the Arts. Consistent, reliable, quality – and now I find a great choice for Sunday lunch!

Oh, and they do a nice Pinot Grigio.

The Midnight Bell, Leeds

The Midnight Bell is one of a number of pubs and restaurants that have appeared in the last few years in Holbeck Urban Village. Turn right at the “Dalek” as you come out of Leeds on Neville Street, into Water Lane, and there it is!

The pub is part of the Leeds Brewery chain which includes the Brewery Tap and Pin. We have dined here before, usually for Sunday lunch, and it has always been good. Today, we fancied a return visit, and discovered the place was empty, probably due to the fact it was tipping down with rain! I don’t believe the lack of customers is a reflection on the food, as we have always had a good experience here.

Sunday lunch was available, but we both decided to go non-traditional, A ordering fish and chips, me ordering a burger.

The fish and chips came with pea puree – excellent in A’s opinion, and he doesn’t like traditional mushy peas. Chips were homemade.



My burger was homemade as well, presented in a seeded bun with salad and cheese. A side of relish was also provided, along with the chips. The picture below is not great – you can’t really see the burger under the huge bun, but I was so eager to tuck in I didn’t notice when I took it!



Other options on the Sunday menu included traditional roasts, sausage and mash, a veggie pasta, along with a few starters and puddings.

Another bonus of this area of Leeds is that you can park for free on a Sunday, just over the road.

Bar 166 & Bistro, Horsforth

Bar 166 is at the top end of Town Street in Horsforth and we decided to try their Sunday Lunch today. The bistro was closed for a function, so we sat in the bar with a few customers finishing off their breakfasts, which looked great and are served til 1pm. The Sunday menu has the option of one course for £9, two courses for £11 or three for £14, which is really good value. We decided to go with just one course and ordered the traditional roast dinner - beef, lamb or a bit of both were the options.

Both dishes came with a large Yorkshire pudding, potatoes and gravy.

The beef......



The lamb......



The vegetables came in a side dish and were carrots, broccoli and mange tout.....



The food was excellent - just what you want from a Sunday lunch. The starters and puddings looked great too but we didn't want to overdo it, today.

Service was very friendly and polite. With a glass of Pinot Grigio and a beer, the bill came to around £25.

A lovely place to sit, read the papers and enjoy good food.