Imagine spending a weekend in a hedonistic blur of great food, amazing drink, superb coffee and self-indulgent shopping. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, want no longer – Leeds offers all that and more. Join us as we custom pick our ideal things to do in Leeds for a great weekend.
After you’ve hopped off the train, found your accommodation and checked out the quality of the complimentary bath soaps it’s time, surely, for a coffee and some breakfast.
Just a couple of strides from the station, Laynes is brilliant at coffee, and also brilliant at vegan brekkie options (like Welsh Rarebit with Henderson’s Relish).
La Bottega Milanese
Bond Court, LS1 2JZ
The Light, LS1 8TL
Is another fine breakfast stop off. It has two venues (Bond Street and The Light) and both are minimalist temples to amazing Italian food and knockout coffee.
Shopping in Leeds
There’s more to Leeds than shopping… but then, there is a lot of shopping to Leeds. The city centre has (deep breath) 3.5 million square feet of retail space, five miles of shopping streets and one of the largest pedestrian shopping areas in the country.
Right, there’s a lot to get through here so this is your whistle-stop tour of the incredible mass of shopping in Leeds:
This iconic Grade I listed market is the largest indoor market in Europe and is packed with, bargains. It even hosts events like the Leeds Record and Book Fair (on the second Saturday of every month).
Housed under a giant iconic glass roof, Trinity Leeds is located in the heart of the city and is home to over 120 shops, bars and restaurants and Trinity Kitchen.
The stunning Victoria Quarter arcades have a rich history dating back over 100 years. The breath-taking stained glass roof runs the full length of Queen Victoria Street and is the largest stained glass window in Britain! Here you’ll find elite emporiums such as Harvey Nichols and Paul Smith for that special something.
There’s all this, but there’s still more. We haven’t time to list all the other arcades that criss-cross the city. There’s Thornton’s, Queens, Grand and Central Arcade all within a short walk of each other. Shop. Drop. Stop for lunch…
This is another likely lunch spot and it offers a wonderful modern twist on Indian street food, and, if you’re having a jolly, they also stock amazing craft beers and a good wine list too.
Museums in Leeds
Leeds city centre has a ton of distractions to be lured by, and the recently refurbed Leeds Art Gallery is a firm favourite – it punches way above its weight with a brilliant collection. The Henry Moore Institute celebrates (like its namesake) amazing sculpture and has a programme that changes year-round featuring both historical and contemporary works. Finally, Leeds City Museum is a fun, family-sized afternoon’s worth of interactive galleries to play around in.
Evening Drinks
After a day of wandering and wondering, it’s probably time to take the weight off your mind and take some refreshment, these are just a couple of the best bars in Leeds.
Taking in the sights and sounds of the city (and potentially posting the former to Instagram) Headrow House, with its rooftop gardens, is a brilliant spot to look out over the heart of Leeds.
New to Leeds, this speakeasy-style bar offers live jazz, blues, funk and soul and epic cocktails.
Cocktails in East 59th
Victoria Gate, 3rd Floor Rooftop, Ludgate Hill, Leeds LS2 7AU
More cocktails abound at this Manhattan-style bar and grill. There are regular DJ events too, so you can dance along in the glow of the city lights.
Dining Out
We talked about the wonder that is The Man Behind The Curtain in a previous blog post. It’s one of the best restaurants in Leeds – and reason enough to head to the city on its own – but there are plenty more delicious dining opportunities. Here are just two to think about:
This contemporary, solid-fuel, grill restaurant has been attracting a lot of attention. Jay Rayner’s review ended: “they know what they’re doing, and they’re doing it at a reasonable price too.”
Issho
Victoria Gate, Eastgate, LS2 7AU
This modern Japanese rooftop restaurant & bar in Victoria Gate offers contemporary dishes served at tables for two, and booths for groups, plus there’s counter-seating where you can watch the chefs at work while you devour the rewards.
SUNDAY
Once you’ve had your Sunday lie in, it’s time to get your energy levels up again. Time for breakfast.
Fettle offers punters a relaxed vibe with a locally-sourced, organic menu – it even serves a full English alongside the smashed avocado and rice pudding. Treat yourself.
Right, now you’ve had your fill it’s time to excite the grey matter with one of the country’s most unsung museums.
Matt is a Masterchef: The Professionals runner up and here he serves up sharing boards of Roast Sirloin of Beef & Roast Chicken or Mushroom Wellington with all the trimmings. Pretty much slamming the Sunday lunch nail right on the head.
There are so many things to do in Leeds that we’ve barely had space to list some of our faves. Maybe it’s time you filled in the gaps yourself and booked an Advance Train Ticket to Leeds today.
How to get cheap train tickets
How to get cheap train tickets
Whether buying Advance tickets or using a Railcard, there are plenty of ways to save.
