Stories – Leeds

Stories – Leeds

A very minimalistic chic little cafe situated in Leeds – Stories is a bright and airy space with a beautiful aesthetic. Light wood, white surfaces, and pastel coloured cutlery it has that Scandinavian modern decor we often see on our Instagram newsfeeds (+Ikea). The environment is a perfect spot to enjoy a light coffee over a little chit chat.

Stories main focal point is to create simple food from quality local ingredients. The owner Emily Crocker explains “While our menu might be smaller than other cafes, we feel that it is in no way lacking in the care and attention that has been poured into creating it… With a focus on local, seasonal and quality ingredients, our menu is based around small plates of delicious food.” Fussy eaters may want to scan the menu on their Website before visiting. Their menu is quite basic and dare I say boring however there is a lot of options for vegan or gluten free eaters.

Even though it wasn’t on the menu we ordered a pot of English tea – we tried to order a hot chocolate but were told they had ran out. A disappointing start.

£2.50

I’ve got to admit it did take us a while to choose what to eat. Nothing really jumped out at us on the menu. In the end we decided to order the Sweet Potato fritters and the Pouched Eggs on Toast.

The pouched eggs on sourdough bread were just as simple as they were described on the menu; basic poached eggs and sourdough toast. The eggs were runny – great! But the bread was far too tough to even cut with a knife. In my opinion the sourdough bread wasn’t soft enough to compliment the eggs. The bread had to be physically ripped apart. Even if they had served it with a hollandaise sauce which traditionally most places do it still wouldn’t have helped.

£6.00

The sweet potato fritters were unfortunately just as disappointing. Usually sweet potato fritters are grilled patties made with a mix of sweet potato, zucchini, spices, herbs, spring onion covered in an egg and then lightly grilled. However these fritters broke at the slightest touch and all that was left was grated slices of sweet potato fritters and large cuts of spring onion. It lacked any sort of flavour. As the sweet potato fritters didn’t come with anything I asked for hummus to accompany. The hummus unfortunately was dry and stale.

£4.00

+ £1 for the bowl of hummus

I understand that Stories have a very unique concept but compromising on flavours really brings this place down. A lot of the food seemed quite lazy rather than simplistic.

The atmosphere and environment was relaxing but unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend Stories unless it was just to sit with a coffee.

Lots of love, Hafsah x

EDIT: Stories have stopped trading and are permanently closed as from the 7th May.

… not surprised.

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George’s Great British Kitchen – Leeds

George’s Great British Kitchen – Leeds

George’s GBK is an amazing restaurant in Leeds City Centre. George’s prides itself on its traditional all British menu with a slight modern multi cultural twist. The ‘Great British‘ menu, which is presented like a good old fashioned newspaper, enthusiastically declares things to be ‘ruddy marvellous‘ or ‘rather splendid and jolly‘. It’s always great to see a restaurant with their own concept that sets them aside from the competition.

To begin with we decided to get one starter to share. We had already picked out our desserts so we needed to make sure we still had room for it at the end. We decided to try out the Charcoal Grilled halloumi served on a light curry bed. It’s an unusual starter and something we’ve never seen combined before.

The Charcoal Grilled Halloumi was beautifully presented on a sweet potato, chickpea and veg curry. The curry was full of flavour and very lightly spiced. The halloumi was perfectly grilled and laying on top of the curry had given it a slight kick too. My only regret was that we shared it as I could’ve eaten it all myself and then some more. It was really nice and I actually can’t wait to revisit so I can have it again.

£5.65

For our mains we got the Ultimate Bbq Cod Sub and the Chickpea and Goats Cheese Burger. We got chips with one dish and then paid an extra £1.50 for sweet potato chips to go along with the other. There was quite a lengthy wait time for our main meal so we decided to take our drinks outside and enjoy the sun whilst we waited. The decking area outside fronts on to Headrow, it’s one of the most busiest roads in the city centre so it’s nice to be able to sit outside and people watch.

£2.50 for a glass bottle of coke

If you’re a fan of seaside fresh fish you will love George’s menu. They pride themselves on fresh traditionally cooked fish and the BBQ Cod Sub didn’t disappoint. If you’re not a seafood regular at first glance it can look slightly off putting however take my word for it it tasted delicious. Think of it as a fish butty but completely upscaled and without all the grease.

The chips that accompanied were to die for! Thickly cut, twice cooked and light handedly salted. Real seaside chips!

£11.50

Whilst I enjoyed half of the cod sub, the Chickpea and Goats Cheese burger was the real winner! Im the biggest meat fan but I can honestly say I would swap for this burger at every chance if I could. The chickpea and sweet pepper patty was amazing, lightly crispy and savoury on the outside but delicate and soft on the side. Bounds of flavour and the goats cheese on top everything about it was delicious.

The sweet potato chips kept up with deliciousness of everything else we had eaten. Very crispy but still flavoursome. All our mains came with a sweet mayo dip, the food itself had so much flavour that I barely even touched it.

£11.50

+ £1.50 for sweet potato chips

My foodbae got the most exciting drink ever which was basically like a dessert in itself. Candy Baby is George’s own take on rhubarb and custard as a drink. It’s mixed with lemon juice and their own passion fruit syrup. It’s served in a tall glass with a big cloud of candy floss. The actual drink itself tastes exactly like the rhubarb and custard sweets – It’s definitely a drink that will take you back to your childhood.

£4.25

All the portion sizes so far had been on a grand scale and whilst we shared everything, ordering two desserts after everything we had already eaten was not the smartest decision we’ve ever made. Nonetheless for our actual desserts we got Doughnuts and Cadbury’s Fudge Finger Rolls.

The doughnuts were not what I was expecting. These were more than just homemade doughnuts, these were long strips of seaside doughnuts served with a raspberry and a chocolate dipping sauce and another great blob of candy floss. Again taking me back to my childhood, my only flaw was the doughnuts were topped with too much sugar. I was constantly scraping off the sugar but that’s just my own preference.

£4.95

The warm Cadbury’s Fudge Finger Rolls was something I really didn’t expect to like. I don’t like fudge finger rolls as it is however these were amazing. They were coated in breadcrumbs and then fried until it’s crispy. It’s drizzled in sticky goodness and melts in your mouth. Even thought it was presented beautifully with vanilla ice cream it wasn’t the most photogenic dessert. I thought it was perfect – it’s what’s on the inside that counts anyway 🙄

£5.95

The food is on the pricey side but I do think it’s absolutely worth it. The service was impeccable; we had two fantastic waiters. Really friendly and chatty, took their time out to explain but also recommend dishes. The atmosphere and environment was so laid back and relaxed that we spent a lot of hours there. Would definitely recommend and I actually can’t wait to revisit!

Best wishes, Hafsah x

Food For Thought.

(read bottom up, so from the last line back to the top- not backwards as I first did)

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Completely unrelated to food but I stumbled across this poem on my newsfeed and just had to share it.

Whether it’s an unrealistic body image we crave or the #lifegoals we see plastered all over Instagram; there’s a point in our lives where we swallow through tough times of self-doubt and inadequacy.

It’s true; We are our own worst enemy and if we listen to our inner critic it can trick us into hiding under a rock and completely stop us from living our lives. That little voice in your head that brings you self-doubt when you need reassurance. That little voice that reminds you of your insecurities when you need to be confident. That little voice that tells you you are not skinny enough, not pretty enough or not smart enough. It’s that voice that sets us back.

The ideal lifestyle, size and image is broadcasted everywhere we look – social media, tv and magazines but we shouldn’t compare ourselves to that. The truth is we will never be that. You are not that person and you won’t ever be able to be that person, because you are you. You offer something someone else can’t, we all have flaws and weaknesses in this funny little life of ours but we work on them and we make ourselves better and we should love ourselves throughout the process. We need to completely curve out the negativity and self hate. We are much more than just our setbacks.

“Turn down the volume of your negative inner voice and create a nurturing inner voice to take it’s place. When you make a mistake, forgive yourself, learn from it, and move on instead of obsessing about it. Equally important, don’t allow anyone else to dwell on your mistakes or shortcomings or to expect perfection from you” – Beverly Engel

Lots of love Hafsah x

If you’re not already follow me on Instagram @hafsaaahh 💕

Laynes Espresso

Laynes Espresso – Leeds

Laynes Espresso is a great little cafe right by Leeds Train station. It’s a very little place however with large glass windows the place is full of natural light and oozes the smell of fresh coffee from your first step in.

Laynes Espresso only serve food from 7am – 2pm during the week and 9am – 4pm on the weekends. At first glance it looks like there isn’t much on the menu however each meal is served with a healthy sized side.

I got the Sweetcorn fritters; it was served with halloumi, kasundi, pouched egg, avocado and pickled chilli. I expected maybe one or two small fritters, one egg and one slice of haloumi with a little decoration of avocado, kasundi and chilli. However I couldn’t have been more wrong. On my plate was three very well sized sweetcorn fritters, three thick cuts of halloumi cheese sitting on a bed of kasundi with a perfectly poached runny egg and a decently sized avocado.

The sweetcorn fritters were delicious, slightly on the heavy side but we’re still very delicious. The haloumi was grilled to perfection and didn’t carry that rubbery texture that it sometimes can. I’ve never had kasundi before but a quick google search right before I ordered told me that it was a spicy type of Indian ketchup. I wouldn’t say it was spicy but it definitely had a powerful kick to it. All of it put together created a mini heaven.

£7.00

Along with my food I also ordered a cup of English tea. The tea was nice and strong however my only complaint was the mug was slightly dirty – little coffee finger prints probably from the waiter. They also don’t serve white sugar, isn’t really an issue but is just something to keep in mind.

£1.60

Overall I had a great lunch at Laynes Espresso. Price, service and food were perfect. I actually can’t wait to visit again!

Lots of love Hafsah x

The Indian Tiffin Room

The Indian Tiffin Room – Manchester

Authentic, bold and vibrant; the Indian Tiffin Room is a pure representation of real India.

Having a Gujarati mother I’ve obviously had my fair share of Indian food. From fluffy dhokla to spicy pataka varas, thaalis to masala dosas I have proudly stuffed my face with it all. However since our move from Leicester to Bradford it’s become quite rare. Culinary Indian cuisine in Bradford has slowly moulded into your every day tikka masalas and boring baltis.

Street food is one of the main characteristics of India so I was excited to hear about The Indian Tiffin Room. Their website boasts ITR ‘specializes in authentic Indian street food that is inspired by the bustling streets of India.’

ITR has three branches; Cheadle, Manchester and Leeds, all three branches are very busy. I would therefore definitely recommend you reserve a table before hand. We visited the Manchester branch mid week in January but were told there was at least a 2hr wait for a table. After seeing how busy it was I was even more determined to tick ITR off my bucket list. So a few weeks later I reserved a table online through their website for that same evening.

It’s evidently clear why it’s so busy; the style and layout beams a contemporary but yet traditional feel. At the side there’s booths designed like rickshaws, in the centre a large open kitchen with a booming open bar next to it. Even though ITR are extremely busy their mannerisms and hospitality are first class. As soon as we sat down we were given a jug of water that the waiter poured out for us into traditional stainless steel cups.

To accompany we ordered two mocktails. There wasn’t a large selection of non alcoholic drinks to choose from. However there is an option to order a cocktail off the menu and request them to minus the alcohol. We decided to stick within the mocktails section; We got the Nimbu Lychee and the Lemon Berrigon pictured on the left hand side.

The Nimbu Lychee was a very light mix of Lychee and Lemon. I thought the flavours blended nicely together but in my opinion it needed a bit more. It was a very boring and flat drink. It could have done with a bit of soda water or more lemon – just something to give it more of a kick. It was garnished with rose petals, a nice little touch except near to the end of my drink I kept finding little pieces of the petals stuck in my straw, slightly annoying.

£3.50

Our second drink was the Lemon Berrigon which was a mixture of berries and lemonade. This one was slightly more refreshing than the previous however it still carried a slight watered down feeling. It was garnished with berries which again is a nice little finishing touch.

£4.00

For starters we were spoilt for choice. The starters are split into three sections; veg warm, veg cool and non veg warm. We decided to opt for Paneer Pakoda and Vada Pav both from the veg warm section and the Grazing Platter from the veg cool section.

Just as I would expect from Indian street vendors the starters were ready straight away. The Paneer Pakodas came out steaming hot with a thick mint chutney. Paneer pakodas are often made in different ways but the basics remain the same; cottage cheese covered in gram flour and then lightly shallow fried. Unfortunately the pakodas at ITR looked better than it actually tasted.

Whilst the platter reflects a very generous portion, it was only until I actually bit into a piece that I realised the lack of actual paneer. All I could taste was the gram flour (besan) with just a very thin layer of paneer inside. Paneer has a chewy soft taste that I love and I was quite disappointed to realise that this was more pakoda than actual paneer.

£4.50

Secondly, the Vada Pav. It’s not something I would usually order but my mum chose this and I am so glad she did. The menu describes it as a veg burger but in fact it’s so much more. The filling is a large vegetable mix; quite spicy and very flavoursome, fried and then sandwiched between a buttery soft bap. The crunchyness from the batter and the spicyness from the filling makes it a delicious starter.

£4.35

Lastly for our starters is the grazing platter. The grazing platter consists of ITRs famous puris; bhel puri, dahi puri and sev puri. The puris comes in twos and are little crispy pastrys each with their own filling. It’s a great idea if you’re indecisive like me.

Bhel puri is served with seasoned potatoes and really nice date chutney. Dahi puri is again filled with seasoned potatoes but this time with yoghurt and sev puri is filled with a tamarind chutney, pastry vermicelli and chopped onions. Each puri is uniquely mounded with flavour. I’d never been able to pick a favourite so the grazing platter was perfect.

£7.75

We knew from the get-go that we definitely wanted to try out ITRs Masala Dosa but we didn’t know what other main to get. After speaking with our waitress she advised ITR is 100% halal – it isn’t displayed anywhere but the waitress offered to show us a certificate. This gave us even more to choose from on the menu; we eventually chose the Lamb Kashmiri curry.

Masala Dosa is a staple south Indian dish and can be served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The thin crepe like pastry (dosa) is made with rice and black lentils, very finely grinded into a pancake batter. Specifically Masala Dosas are stuffed with a spicy potato and lentil curry. It’s a long process but when made properly it’s so worth it.

The ITRs Dosa was served with two other lentil curry’s and a yoghurt chutney. Whilst the Dosa looks huge the actual filling inside wasn’t – just a tiny ball of curry in the middle. Slightly disappointing but it was still nice and carried a lot of traditional flavours.

£4.95

The Kashmiri Lamb curry is either served with naan or rice, as we were sharing we requested both. The lamb itself was soft and tender with a thick curry; really well made! The rice was just plain boiled rice which is the norm at most restaurants but I did expect a little more flavour from ITR.

£9.85

By this point we’re really full and shouldn’t have even looked at another course but for dessert we tried Kesari Bath. Kesari Bath is a semolina cooked in saffron milk, sprinkled with cashews and pistachios. A really light fluffy dessert, nice and sweet to end off a hearty meal.

£3.75

Overall our experience at ITR was amazing! Its a lovely family friendly restaurant that brings out a snippet of the real India right to Manchester. The service was great; smiley and helpful. The food could’ve been slightly better, some of the food could’ve done with a lot more flavour. However I would definitely recommend and will be back soon!

Lots of love, Hafsah x

Bucket List

Taking it back to September 2016.

I’ve just graduated. Got myself my first full time job. Passed my driving and finally on the roads with my little car. Beaming with excitement I began noting down a list of all the places I wanted to try out.

Trip Advisor became my daily go-to; from cute little cafes to award winning restaurants, rooftop terrace bars to dessert parlours, Indian street food to British afternoon tea. I wanted to try it all!

Nearly two years later and my list is nowhere near complete. Every time I tick one place off I end up adding another few on.

Whilst I’m trying to post reviews as regularly as possible there’s no way I’m going to be able to catch up on the places from my pre-blogging days. I’m always getting asked where I’d recommend so I thought it’d be easier to post my list.

One day when I’m feeling extra OCD I’ll put them in some kind of order…

✓ Marco & carl Leicester

✓ Las iguanas Leeds

◦ Salt & pepper Manchester

✓ Scene Manchester

✓ Vermillion Manchester

◦ Iceberg Preston

✓ Manjaros Leeds

✓ Angelicas Leeds

✓ Tattu Manchester/Leeds

✓ Frangos Halifax

✓ Tipu sultan Birmingham

◦ Al feena Leicester

✓ Pizza in a Cone Bradford

◦ Heavenly desserts Birmingham/Leicester

✓ Gourmet Oldham

✓ Sizzling Palette Bolton

◦ Dessert republic Manchester

◦ Vapiano Manchester

◦ Managerie Manchester

◦ Neighbourhood Leeds

◦ Ziya Manchester

✓ Bison Leeds

✓ Cona Bradford

✓ Dejavooo Liverpool

◦ Kaspas Manchester/Liverpool/Leeds

◦ Rebus domes Leicester

✓ Mughals on the rocks Keighley

✓ 50s diner Keighley

✓ Chaiiwala Bolton/Leicester/Birmingham

✓ East z East Liverpool st Manchester

◦ Sa-ha Steak Rotherham

◦ Al cazar lounge London

◦ Terrace lounge London

◦ Tiger Bay Lounge London

✓ Yayas Steakhouse Manchester

◦ Evelyn’s cafe Manchester

✓ Molasses Manchester

✓ Rakkaposhi Bradford

◦ Sher akbar Manchester

✓ Zouk Manchester

✓ Sky lounge Leeds

✓ Cloud 23 Manchester

◦ Syon lounge London

✓ Cardamom Black Harrogate

✓ East z East Riverside Manchester

◦ Sky Gardens London

◦ STK London

◦ Hakkasan London

✓ Sweet Diner Manchester

✓ Akaash Cleckheaton

✓ Dhanak Deira Bolton

◦ Shajan Blackburn

✓ Argeela lounge Birmingham

◦ Manchester house Manchester

✓ Emperors lounge Birmingham

✓ Creams Leeds

◦ Kobe sizzlers Leicester

◦ Nivikov London

✓ The next desserts Birmingham

✓ The Alchemist

✓ Godfathers Batley

◦ Sky lounge Manchester

✓ Bibis italiannisimo Leeds

◦ Zoya Leeds

✓ The Indian Tiffin room Manchester/Leeds

◦ Fazenda Manchester

◦ Rosso Manchester

✓ Grand daddy’s Manchester

✓ Sweet diner Manchester

✓ Estabulo Leeds

◦ Huqqa lounge London

✓ Moose Coffee cafe Manchester

◦ Restaurant ours London

◦ Dessert republic Manchester

◦ Zaraks grill Oldham

✓ Azeems Keighley

✓ Handmade Burger Leeds

◦ Ibrahim’s steak house Birmingham

◦ Tru burger Birmingham

◦ Basrah lounge London

✓ Carluccios Leeds/Manchester/Liverpool

◦ Grillz steak house Birmingham

◦ Amigos Mexican Kitchen Sheffield

✓ Akbars Sheffield

◦ New Yorker American Manchester

◦ Mughli charcoal pit Manchester

◦ Brew and brownie York

✓ Temples Coffee Leeds

◦ Slattery Manchester

◦ Gingers comfort Manchester

✓ Dakota Deluxe Leeds

◦ Mowgli Birmingham

✓ Kabanas Huddersfield

✓ Eat Meat Manchester

✓ Bills Restaurant Leeds

✓ Pearls tearoom Bradford

◦ Patisserie Lidere Manchester

◦ Brunch and Grill Bolton

◦ LaGlacier Blackburn

◦ Ambience Blackburn

◦ Junction 51 Blackburn

◦ The Clove Blackburn

◦ Black Milk Manchester

◦ Fig and Olive Blackburn

◦ Grindsmith Coffee Manchester

✓ Frankies Batley

✓ Just vintage! Grand Tearoom Leeds

✓ Tawa House Dewsbury

◦ Fargos food factory Birmingham

◦ Gelato Amorino Leeds

◦ IfCoffee Bar Leeds

✓ Hepworths Deli Kitchen Leeds

◦ House of Koko Leeds

✓Laynes Espresso Leeds

✓ Chaophraya Leeds

✓ Tipu Sultan Birmingham

✓ Tinseltown Birmingham

◦ Sukhothai Leeds

◦ Santorini Bar and Grill Leeds

◦ Out of the Woods UK Leeds

◦ Heaney and Mill Leeds

◦ La Chalet French Tea Room Leeds

◦ East 59th Rooftop Bar & Grill Leeds

◦ Le Bab London

✓ Ezra and Gil Manchester

◦ Sweet and Salted Dewsbury

◦ Jamie Oliver’s kitchen Leeds

◦ Gusto Leeds

◦ Gino Di Campo Leeds

◦ Alberts Shed Manchester/Castlefield

✓ The Refinery Manchester

◦ Salvis Manchester

◦ Dukes 92 Manchester

◦ Chino Latino Leeds

◦ Victors Hale Manchester

◦ Thaikun Manchester

◦ Stories in Leeds

◦ Soft Serve Society Desserts London

◦ Bukhara Manchester

◦ La Vina Manchester

◦ The Locals Cafe London

◦ Mrs Athas Leeds

◦ XO – Sakana Manchester

◦ Maitre Choux London

◦ Fargos Food Factory Birmingham

◦ Fress Restaurant Manchester

✓ East Z East Liverpool

✓ The Refinery Spinningfields Manchester

◦ Sugar Junction Manchester

◦ Indique Fine Dining Manchester

◦ Kings Full Veg Birmingham

◦ Luna Rossa London

◦ Bubblewrap Waffle London

◦ Baker st Cakes Leicester

◦ Konak Leicester

◦ Bundobust Street food Leeds/Manchester

◦ Royal Piri Piri Oldham

◦ Dum Biryani London

◦ German Donner Kebab London

◦ Australasia Manchester

◦ Tamarind of Mayfair London

◦ Fillmore and Union Leeds/Harrogate

◦ Dhosa Xpress Manchester

◦ Chappati Cafe Manchester

◦ Nurooz Grill House Sheffield

◦ Sirkars Buffet Middlesbrough

◦ La Creme Desserts Sheffield

◦ Syhiba Halifax

◦ 3 Five 1 Coventry

◦ Bun and Steak Birmingham

◦ Heritage Deli and Kitchen Huddersfield

◦ The Wild Plum Breakfast Harrogate

◦ The York’s Birmingham

◦ Med One Lebanese Huddersfield

◦ Fargos Food Factory Birmingham

◦ Upshot Esresso Sheffield

◦ The Botanist Leeds/Manchester

◦ Try Thai Manchester

◦ Alabama’s All American Manchester

◦ The Sipping Room London

◦ The Edgbaston Boutique Birmingham

◦ Lemon Pepper steak hut Leicester

◦ Steak Out Leicester

◦ Wolf of Green Park Leeds

◦ The Cats Pjs Leeds

◦ Limeyard Leeds

◦ Four Seasons Tea Room Blackburn

◦ 20 Stories Manchester

◦ Lokkum bar and grill London

◦ Embassy Lounge Leicester

◦ The Food Box Manchester

◦ Haute Dolci Cheshire Oaks Outlet

◦ Tampopo Manchester

◦ Saints of Mokha Leicester

◦ L’eto Cafe London

◦ Bun and Steak Birmingham

✓ Snowcold Batley

✓ Comptoir Lebanai Leeds

◦ Malmaison Afternoon Tea Birmingham

◦ Taste Buds Leicester

◦ Barnis Desserts Huddersfield

Please note some of these places are sheesha lounges and do not do food but they’ve managed to find their way on to my list.

Comment below or message me on any of my social media platforms if there’s anywhere that you recommend I add to my list.

Kind regards, Hafsah x

Brunch at The Alchemist

The Alchemist – Trinity Leeds

The Alchemist is more than just a bar. With outdoor seating on rooftop terraces to full length windows and little heated lamps it’s not just the drinks that are a visionary dream to the eye. From bubbles to smoke to colour changing drinks; the Alchemist is one of the only few bars that still carry a magical selection for non alcohol drinkers. Plus all of their branches have a consistent beautiful aesthetic.

I’ve been to The Alchemist on so many occasions; birthdays, catch ups with old friends or sometimes just a quick drink to recuperate after a long shopping spree however I had never tried anything off their food menu. In January The Alchemist promoted a 50% discount on all food! I like trying new things, but I love trying new things with a discount.

We perused the menu online and immediately booked our brunch for the next available morning. Obviously with the promotion they were quite booked up but we managed to get a booking on the following Monday.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Mac n Cheese Bites. My fav! Not many restaurants do them and I don’t understand why. I absolutely love them and thankfully The Alchemist did not disappoint. In fact I can honestly say these were the best Mac n Cheese bites I’ve ever had.

They were bigger than I expected them to be. Crispy on the outside cheesy on the inside. The batter was lightly seasoned carrying a slight zing. It’s not something I would usually order for a brunch as it’s fried. However they were so tasty so no matter the time or day if I’m at The Alchemist I will definitely be ordering them again. Without a doubt. They were a good size with a tasty chipotle mayo dip, they were ultimately beyond perfect!

£5.00

Along with the delicious Mac n Cheese Bites we also ordered Popquorn. I’m not the biggest fan of Quorn. I’m a die hard meat eater and just can’t find it in me to substitute. I can’t fault The Alchemist, Quorn just isn’t to my palette. Even with a crispy batter and a creamy sriracha mayo sauce it still lacks flavour. It also carries a slight rubbery overly chewy texture which I hate.

£5.00

As the Popquorn and the Mac n cheese bites were on the nibbles and sharing section of the menu we really didn’t expect the portion size to be as big as it was. We had also ordered two mains off the breakfast and brunch section of the menu. I got the Eggs Benedict without the ham, and my foodbae got the Smashed Avocado & Pouched Eggs.

My Eggs Benedict were delicious! The Eggs were yolky and runny just the way I like them. The thick muffins were very lightly toasted, still keeping them soft and doughy with just a slight crunch along the surface. They were traditionally drizzled in a tangy hollandaise sauce, the zing to the sauce really complimented the soft flavours!

£7.75

My foodbae is the ultimate foodie – always teaching me new cuisines. With her avocado and pouched egg she also asked for a side of halloumi cheese. She loved her brunch just as much as I did! I would never have tried avocado or even halloumi cheese with a pouched egg but it all went so well together!

£8.25

As you can imagine after our two very hearty courses we were beyond stuffed! We decided to move over to the roof top terrace to enjoy the crisp cold midday air of Leeds over some mocktails. As I’ve already tried most of the mocktails on the menu I asked the bartender if he could just mix me up something different. I’ve done this before and have never been disappointed! I simply explain what kind of flavours I like and let them create the magic. As usual I wasn’t disappointed!

With or without a 50% discount I would definitely visit The Alchemist again for a hearty brunch. I can’t think of one plausible fault and if I did the Mac n Cheese bites simply overrides it all!

Lots of love

Hafsah x