Paris Brasserie, Rodley

Paris Brasserie used to be Oliver’s Paris and reopened its doors late last year. It is in a 19th century building just off the ring road in Rodley. Despite it being Saturday night, we managed to secure a table for four when we called in the afternoon. So off we went with our dining companions, the Robster and GemBear.

We had a drink in the bar and were quickly seated at our table. A significant part of the dining room is in a conservatory, making it very light and airy when the sun is still up.

The menu is a mix of traditional dishes (Steak and Ale Pie, Gressingham Duck), French classics (Moules marinere) and steaks. In fact there were so many wonderful dishes, we found it hard to decide what to have. In the end, I went for one of the specials for first course – Battered frogs legs. This would be a first for me, so I was quite excited to see what they were like. And the verdict is...... not a lot of meat, as you would expect, and rather like chicken.



The Robster chose Scallops with pancetta and pea puree, which he enjoyed. He commented that the pea puree was particularly good.



GemBear chose the goat’s cheese and onion in filo pastry. It was a good sized portion but it held no fears for GemBear. Again, thumbs up for this dish.



The individual fish pie for main course contained white fish, salmon, scallops and king prawns. The amount of fish was substantial in a creamy white sauce. However, I am not convinced that chilli should be included in the sauce – it’s all a bit Jamie Oliver – chilli obsessive.* Mashed potato and cheese topped the dish off well, and vegetables were served on the side. The baby carrots were particularly tasty.




The boys had rib eye steak, which they described as a bit dry. This is unusual for rib eye which is usually marbled with fat, making it a moist cut. A range of sauces are available with the steaks (including the strange sounding Monkey Gland Sauce)** but the boys decided to have it without. The dish came with fries, onion rings and mushrooms.



Pudding was warm cinnamon doughnuts with milk chocolate sauce and ice cream. These were good, with a crispy texture from frying. Cappuccino and Lattes were also ordered.



Service is friendly and a little slow. The food isn’t slow to arrive, but it felt we were left quite a while before our dessert and coffee order was taken. There is a bit of a “held-hostage” moment at the end, waiting for the bill. This is not a big deal, however, as you want to make a night of it at the Paris Brasserie, given that it is fairly isolated. I think we would have felt a bit cheated had we been in and out in an hour.

Overall, I would recommend this restaurant. There is an early bird menu which looks like good value and the evening menu is varied. Another bonus, for the boys, is that they serve Leeds Best beer – nice to see Leeds Brewery ales becoming more widely available.

*A suggestion for a boring evening - Try the Jamie Oliver drinking game – every time he includes chilli or olive oil in his cooking on TV, down a drink.

**I have googled this and found it is of South African origin and includes fruit chutney, red wine, port, ketchup, curry powder, Tabasco, Worcester sauce, pepper, garlic, onion, chillies, mustard powder brown sugar and vinegar – so no monkeys are harmed in the making of this sauce.

Portofino, Leeds city centre

Shopping in Leeds is made more bearable by lunch. Often, this involves a walk away from shop central and out into the peripheral areas of Greek street, Millennium Square or the Calls. Portofino, however, is very conveniently located on Albion Place, one of the short streets that links Lands Lane with Albion Street.

My two lunch partners arrived first and were sipping the first Pinot Grigio of the day. I quickly sat down but had to ask a waiter for the same, as no offer was forthcoming. My partners whispered that they had been left without drinks when they arrived too, and had to request them. Not a great start.

The menu is extensive. Lots of pasta and pizza choices, meat and fish. Portofino also does an express lunchtime special for £7.95, which contains a number of main menu dishes. We chose to go a la carte, however.

We decided to forgo a first course although the “antipasti” on the menu looked very tempting, particularly the Funghi Al Forno (field mushrooms baked with ratatouille and dolce latte) at £4.95.

My vitello alla parmigiana (£14.95) was a breadcrumbed veal fillet topped with tomatoes and mozzarella, with a generous spaghetti Napolitana on the side. I have a weakness for breadcrumbs or batter so this was a good choice.



My dining companions both had the chicken and chorizo salad special, again a generous serving with big chunks of chorizo.



Pudding was sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. Again, a very sizable portion.



Also, the cheese selection, which included brie and a blue (not stilton but not sure what it was). This can be served in an individual or sharing portion.



Lunch was accompanied by two bottles of Italian wine – a Pinot Grigio and a Soave (because they had run out of Pinot!)

Overall, Portofino is a great place for a traditional Italian lunch. The red and black interior is modern without trying too hard. Portions are generous and meals are well presented and tasty. Service is generally swift and efficient. Outside, there are tables set up ready for the warmer weather and it will be interesting to see this area filling up in the next few months.

East, Pudsey

We weren’t supposed to be having a curry but ended up in East after an aborted attempt to finally visit Diva Italiana in Booth’s Yard, Pudsey (It was still closed for the Easter holidays). East is a modern Indian restaurant on Richardshaw Lane that we have visited several times before. It is spread out over two floors, with three “lounges” for drinking and a good outdoor raised terrace out back, with seating and umbrellas.

On arrival, we headed straight upstairs to one of the lounges for a drink. Although not technically open yet (it was 6.30pm) the barman happily served us our drinks and we took a seat on the terrace. After ten minutes of looking at the sky and trying to establish whether it would rain, we went down to the restaurant to get a table.

We were quickly seated and menus provided. The East menu contains the familiar dishes – Bhuna, Korma etc – and some house specialities. Popadoms and pickles were brought to the table as we made our selections.



Starters were very traditional – I had mushroom bhajis (£2.95) and A had seekh kebab (£2.60). Both very good.





We decided to get two mains – Chicken Biryani (£7.95) and Hydrabadi (chicken and lamb in a medium sauce - £7.95)). We had two keema nan breads on the side (£3.20 each).
Main dishes came in bowl-style plates and because we wanted to share them, we asked for additional plates to eat from. These were swiftly provided. Chicken Biriyani was a new one for me and was our alternative to ordering rice. It is a tasty rice dish with a sauce that comes separately and is poured on the dish at the table.



The keema in the nan is more like a lamb spread which I have come across before, but I prefer the minced filling you get elsewhere which I believe has more flavour.



Two nans were clearly too much and we were offered a doggy bag for the one we didn’t eat.


We weren’t offered the hot towels at the end of the meal which I believe I saw other diners using.

East is quite a buzzy restaurant and it can get quite loud on a weekend. It seems to do parties and celebrations very well and there is always a large table of people having a “do” whenever I have visited. There is a pianist in the corner who provides background music and also a round of “happy birthday to you” when required.
The food and service are very good. Strong competition for the ubiquitous Aagrah.

The Greyhound, Tong village

There isn’t much in Tong Village – a garden centre, a hotel, an ice cream shop and the Greyhound pub. It is a lovely little oasis in the desert of the sprawling estates and suburbs of north-west Leeds. It was the last day at work before Easter, so we decided to go out for a tradional pub dinner at the Greyhound to celebrate.



This pub is a very popular place and they have recently built an extension to their dining room. Many tables were reserved when we got there but we managed to get a table for two as none of the other diners had arrived.

A pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord and a Pinot Grigio were ordered at the bar and we were quickly seated. The menu is typical pub food and the menu is extensive – a range of steaks, fish dishes, and the staple steak and ale pie. There are also some menu boards on the wall with filled Yorkshire puddings on offer along with a “sweets” board. I can’t remember the last time I heard that word to describe pudding but it has a lovely 1970s ring to it.

The pub is a nice old-fashioned place with lots of dark wood, tankards on shelves and brass horseshoes hanging around the fireplace. Our order was taken – Beer-battered fish and chips for A (£9.40) and Scampi (£7.95) for me.

The beer-battered fish came with the skin removed, clearly freshly cooked to order. Chips appeared to be of the frozen variety but nice nonetheless.



A good portion of scampi for me with the biggest pile of mushy peas I have ever seen. A side salad was also served.



“Sweets” were offered but declined. The large portions make it difficult to imagine getting through three courses here.

There was a held-hostage moment while we waited for the bill. A eventually went over to pay at the restaurant till. I had some wine left in my glass so it may have been the staff didn’t want us to feel rushed.

This is a great old-fashioned pub that does lovely traditional food. Tables outside make it a top place to sit out in the summer.

I have just remembered what else there is in Tong village – “Tong Feline Retreat” where Frank has his catty holidays!

The Black Swan, Helmsley

I have visited this hotel a couple of times before I began writing this blog, and felt I should pass on the general wonderfulness of this place and its restaurant.

Helmsley is a small market town in the North Yorkshire Moors, very close to Harome, village of the famed, Michelin-starred The Star Inn.

The Black Swan is a hotel right on Helmsley’s market square. It is the sister hotel to The Feversham Arms, and you can use the Feverham’s spa facilities if you stay at the Swan. I have never done this, however, as I am there for the food.

There are some great deals to be had at the Black Swan. We booked a “Thank fizz it’s Friday” deal last year. For £145 for two, we got a bottle of champagne in the room, a three course dinner in the restaurant, a nightcap and a full English breakfast in the morning. The second time we visited was for Valentine’s night this year, a late deal at a similar price, but including a cream tea on arrival in the afternoon.

The restaurant is outstanding. I don’t know why they don’t have a Michelin star. Last visit, we both had French onion soup to start (better than the one I had in Paris last year). Duck was the choice for main and then A had the cheese and I had the coffee themed dessert – a coffee tiramisu, coffee ice cream and a cold latte with a straw!



Breakfast is equally amazing. A full English brought to the table and a choice of cereals, pastries and fruit on a small buffet table. Clearly high-quality produce used at all times.

There is plenty to do in the area. Rievaulx abbey is round the corner, where you can do a good audio tour. Helmsley castle also has an audio tour and is really interesting. The stately home, Duncombe Park is in Helmsley, although I haven’t visited yet. There are some lovely foodie shops in the village.

Yo Sushi - Harvey Nichols, Leeds

We are regular visitors to Yo Sushi, after A discovered the joys of sushi on his travels in America a few years ago. In Leeds, despite a number of Japanese restaurants, there appears to be slim pickings on the sushi front. So Yo Sushi, upstairs in Harvey Nichols, seems to be the best bet.

Luckily, it’s good. So instead of a heavy Sunday lunch of roast beef and all the trimmings, we went for the lighter option of fish, rice and soy sauce.
Yo sushi is always busy on a Sunday. A short queue had developed but we were quickly seated on the bar stools. Most seating is at the bar, wrapped around the kitchen, where the staff make all the food in front of you. There are a few tables that can seat about four people on one side.

The conveyor belt of small portions moves around the room, and customers take them off when they see something they fancy. Plates are colour coded for price, which makes it easy to keep a track of what you are spending. The empty coloured plates are added up by the waiter at the end and you are presented with a ticket to take to the till on the way out.

Many of the cold dishes are already on the belt – sushi, sashimi, sushi rolls, maki, salads and desserts. You just lift them off when you see something rolling past that you like the look of. Hot food and drinks are ordered from the staff. There is a button in the bar you can press to switch a light on to make an order.
Also built into the bar are storage areas where you can find your chopsticks, ginger, soy sauce and wasabi (hotter than it looks – use sparingly). These mix very well with the sushi rolls.

We both ordered hairy prawns to start – my particular favourite.



We then proceeded to take plates from the belt...

Salmon skin rolls (A’s favourite)



Tempura prawn rolls



California rolls



Avocado maki




All very good as usual. I particularly like the maki, as they are small enough to put in your mouth whole. The bigger rolls I feel the need to bite into, often spraying rice down my shirt. I think the right way is to eat them whole too. Contrary to popular opinion, my dentist reliably informs me that I actually have a small mouth.

The only issue is that sometimes when we go to Yo Sushi, the belt is full of plates and we struggle to decide what to have. Other times we arrive to find the belt mostly empty, or full of desserts. I am not sure why this is – whether they have certain times of the day when they fill it up, or whether it is an issue of staffing. Maybe I should ask. This is not too much of a problem though, as if there is something you want that is not on the belt, you can just order it. Maybe it just appeals to my love of buffets, having lots of food floating past that I can look at.

Yo Sushi sometimes has special discount offers. They also have a “Blue Plate Mondays” promotion, where more plates are blue (i.e. cheaper). It is worth checking their website for the latest promotions before you go.

All Bar One, Leeds city centre

I have developed a reputation as a “lady who lunches” (despite having a full time job). This means Saturday lunchtime is often an opportunity to meet up with friends, have a gossip, down a fair number of pinot grigios, set the world to rights and have something nice to eat. This Saturday it was lunch at All Bar One with my friend, Psycho Psu (named for being a psychologist, as opposed to other interpretations).

I got a craving for prosecco around 1pm, so off to La Strada on Greek Street for a glass of the bubbly stuff. (£5 a glass).

Then it was off to All Bar One. Despite visiting this place several times, I have never eaten there, and the food always looks good when I am having a nose at what other people are ordering. Plus it’s a fairly busy place and does a good selection of wine.

We decided to have another glass of prosecco (£3.95 this time, should have gone there first!)

The menu is a mixture of tapas style small plates, sandwiches, salads and traditional meals. We decided to have two small plates to share for first course. We wanted the mozzarella and artichoke dip with pitta but it was off, so instead decided to share a plate of falafel and some goat cheese and red onion on slices of French bread. Both were very good – the falafel was moist (can sometimes be a bit on the dry side, according to Psycho Psu).



I had cod in tempura batter with fries for main. The fries were good but the cod was a little dry and chewy. A tiny portion of mushy peas on the side were runny and lacked seasoning. The company had a lamb burger (of which I ate a quarter), fries and tzatziki. I wished I had ordered that as well.

Pudding was chocolate brownie and treacle tart, both served with vanilla ice cream. Both very good. The meal was washed down with a bottle of pinot grigio, nice and cold in an ice bucket.



There was no held hostage moment at the end - the bill arrived promptly.
I do like this place – the food is reasonably priced and mostly good. I would recommend going for the tapas dishes to share, rather than a main meal. A lot of customers appeared to be doing just that.