Review: The Liquorist, Leeds
Leeds is such an exciting city and over the last few years, restaurants and brands are slowly starting to recognise this. The Liquorist is one of the latest restaurants to open in the city centre and I was invited down to try their menu and be ‘lead into temptation:’
Firstly, the decor of the place is amazing. Think exposed wood, luxurious upholstering and a cosy yet opulent atmosphere. There are phone chargers and USB ports at every table, which saved my dying phone battery, and a great range of tables for all sizes of groups. I started the evening with a Peanut Butter and Jelly Cocktail; how could I have resisted? It was creamy, strong and tasty – and topped with popcorn, just to make it ever better!
To start, I chose the Battered Prawns, accompanied by a prawn cocktail sauce and some celery. The batter was fantastic and one of my favourite parts of my meal. The main course of Fish and Chips also looked brilliant as it was carried out for some fellow diners with the batter looking just as good. Unfortunately the prawns were over-cooked for me and I found the celery to be a little pointless, but I still managed to eat the lot!
For my main, I opted for the Tender Slow Cooked Pork Ribs. Normally if I want ribs, I head straight to Reds True BBQ and they are still the unrivaled best for me. However, these ribs were pretty good and, if you go on a Tuesday, particularly good value thanks to the three courses for £15 set menu offer. My meat simply fell off the bone and I gave up on my knife and fork and dug right in! The crispy floured onions were a nice idea but I felt that they needed to be cut into larger slices to keep some moisture to them. Another bonus were the warm plates. I cannot remember the last time I went to a restaurant where they bothered to warm the plates. It’s something that really annoys me because it’s such a simple thing, which I even do at home, yet seems to be neglected by most restaurants. As a result, my main course stayed nice and hot as I ate – hurrah!
I was so full after my main course, I initially refused the offer of a dessert. However, our wonderful waiter encouraged us to share a Warm Cherry Pie with ice cream and I am glad we heeded his recommendation. It was my favourite dish of the meal; sweet yet still slightly tart cherries, oozing out of a dainty pastry, served with quickly melting ice cream. The staff are another impressive part of The Liquorist. They are so genuinely friendly and enthusiastic about the food they serve with all the customers and it really makes such a difference to an enjoyable meal.
Finally I tried the Chocolate Orange ‘Alcoholic Hottie,’ which was the perfect soothing alcoholic ending to the meal. The sweetness of the chocolate was balanced by the hit of Triple Sec and left me feeling cosy, warm and content! Overall I enjoyed my meal at The Liquorist. There are a couple of teething problems with some of the dishes, as you would expect from a newly opened restaurant, but the overall excellent branding, welcoming ambiance and superb staff bodes pretty well for Leeds’ latest offering.
Have you tried The Liquorist? You can check out the food menu here.
