La Taberna Leeds
Britannia House, 16 York Pl, Leeds LS1 2EU, UK
Best Restaurants in Leeds
Leeds boasts a compact, vibrant dining scene with 9 standout restaurants that showcase local Yorkshire produce and international wine styles. From tasting menus to relaxed wine bars, the city's wine culture embraces English sparkling, classic Burgundian varieties and thoughtful pairings — ideal for exploration across Leeds.
9 venues
4.6 avg
Olive Tree Brasserie Leeds
8 S Parade, Leeds LS1 5QX, UK
Ox Club
19a The Headrow, Leeds LS1 6PU, UK
Lost & Found Leeds Club
3 Albion Pl, Leeds LS1 6JL, UK
LIVIN'Italy
Granary Wharf, Wharf Approach, Leeds LS1 4BR, UK
Brasserie Blanc Leeds
4, Victoria Mill The Embankment, Sovereign St, Leeds LS1 4BJ, UK
Gino D'Acampo Restaurant Leeds
6, 8 Boar Ln, Leeds LS1 6EN, UK
Six by Nico Leeds
9 E Parade, Leeds LS1 2AJ, UK
Fourth Floor Brasserie at Harvey Nichols Leeds
Harvey Nichols, 107-111 Briggate, Leeds LS1 6AZ, UK
Wine Culture in Leeds
Leeds has quietly built a reputation as a city that takes wine seriously. Independent wine bars and restaurant lists increasingly feature bottles from nearby English producers alongside Loire, Burgundy and Italian selections. You’ll see English sparkling — typically Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier blends — next to Bacchus and newer trial varieties like Solaris and Ortega from the broader Yorkshire and northern English vineyard scene.
Restaurants such as La Taberna, Brasserie Blanc and Ox Club treat wine pairing as part of the experience: expect chilled whites with seafood, structured reds with Yorkshire game, and local cheeses paired with fortified or late-harvest styles. The emphasis is on provenance and seasonality, reflecting Leeds’s broader food culture: menus that rotate with the market and sommeliers who want to tell the story behind each bottle, whether it’s a small English grower or a family estate from Rioja or Piedmont.
Where to dine with wine in Leeds
Neighborhoods shape the dining experience in Leeds. The City Centre — around Trinity Leeds and the Corn Exchange — is home to destination restaurants like Six by Nico and LIVIN'Italy, where tasting menus and curated wine flights shine. Call Lane and The Calls offer a livelier late-night scene with cocktail-led venues such as Lost & Found, but you’ll also find eclectic wine lists and small plates perfect for sharing. Headingley and Chapel Allerton skew more neighbourhood-friendly, with cosy bistros and approachable wine lists for relaxed evenings.
For a memorable dinner, book ahead at Ox Club for its wood-fired, seasonally driven cooking or reserve a table at Gino D'Acampo and Brasserie Blanc for reliable Mediterranean and French classics paired with popular Old World and New World bottles. La Taberna and Olive Tree Brasserie provide great options for Spanish and modern brasserie pairings respectively. Use your map to plan a wine-focused crawl: start with an aperitif in The Calls, move to a main course in the city centre, and finish with dessert near the West End or Headingley.
What to Look For
When choosing a restaurant in Leeds, focus on wine list diversity and staff knowledge. A well-curated menu balances local English producers with classic regions — look for English sparkling alongside reliable Burgundy or Rioja options and some adventurous boutique growers. Also check whether the venue offers pairing menus or by-the-glass options; these let you sample multiple varieties without committing to a full bottle. Sustainability is increasingly important, so many Leeds restaurants highlight organic, biodynamic or low-intervention producers.
Consider atmosphere and occasion: book Six by Nico or Ox Club for special nights with tasting menus and sommelier-led pairings; pick La Taberna or LIVIN'Italy for lively, casual sharing plates with approachable wine lists. Ask about corkage if you want to bring a bottle from home, and check reservation policies for weekends, particularly around Call Lane and the city centre, where tables fill fast. Finally, pair wines with local Yorkshire produce — game, hearty stews and creamy cheeses — to get the most out of Leeds dining.
When do wine restaurants in Leeds open and close?
9 of the 9 wine restaurants listed in Leeds publish their opening hours. The median one opens at 12 pm and closes at 11 pm on a typical trading day.
Sunday is the day that catches visitors out: 8 venues in Leeds (89% of those with published hours) trade on Sunday, against 7 on Monday. 7 open seven days a week.
7 addresses stay open past 10 pm, which matters if you are buying after dinner rather than before it. Ox Club closes latest, at 11 pm.
At the other end of the day, Fourth Floor Brasserie at Harvey Nichols Leeds opens earliest, at 10 am.
These hours come from each venue's own Google Business Profile as read in March 2026. They are regular hours: public holidays, August closures and harvest-season changes are not reflected, so call ahead for a specific date.
What the ratings in Leeds actually say
The 9 rated wine restaurants in Leeds carry 13,357 reviews between them. The mean rating is 4.62 out of 5 and the median is 4.6, and 9 venues hold 4.5 or better — 100% of the list.
La Taberna Leeds carries the highest rating with a review base large enough to mean something: 4.8 from 763 reviews. Lost & Found Leeds Club is the most reviewed address in Leeds, at 3,184.
A five-star average is worth less than it looks on a venue with a dozen reviews, which is why the ranking above is sorted by rating and review volume together rather than by rating alone. The rating also measures the visit, not the cellar: service, queueing and the state of the room all land in the same number as the wine selection. It is a starting filter, not a verdict on what is on the shelf.
How much do wine restaurants in Leeds cost?
Price level is published for 7 of the 9 wine restaurants in Leeds, and it splits as follows: 7 moderate (100%). Google's price level is a four-step band reported by the venue and by visitors, not a price list, so it says where an address sits relative to its neighbours rather than what a bottle costs.
Leeds compared with the rest of United Kingdom
Leeds accounts for 9 of the 139 wine restaurants we list across United Kingdom, spread over 10 cities.
Sunday trading is the clearest local difference: 89% of venues in Leeds open on Sunday against 81% nationally, 8 points higher.
Both columns are computed from the same rows that build these pages, so the national figure moves whenever a city's listing does.
| Measure | Leeds | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Venues listed | 9 | 139 |
| Mean rating | 4.62 | 4.58 |
| Open on Sunday | 89% | 81% |
| Median closing time | 11 pm | 10:30 pm |
Where to look next from Leeds
This listing is short on purpose: Leeds has 9 wine restaurants that publish enough public information to describe honestly, and we would rather say that than pad the page. A short list usually means the trade here runs through supermarkets and restaurants rather than specialists, not that the city drinks badly.
Other wine venues in Leeds: 15 wine bars, 19 wine shops, 2 wineries and tasting rooms. In a city with a thin specialist trade, the restaurant list is often where the interesting bottles actually are.
The nearest larger listings in United Kingdom are Birmingham (19), Liverpool (17), Bradford (17), Glasgow (17), Bristol (14). Each is a separate page with its own hours, ratings and map.
Bottom line
Leeds has 9 wine restaurants on this list, averaging 4.62 out of 5 across 13,357 reviews. The median address opens at 12 pm and closes at 11 pm; 8 of the 9 with published hours open on Sunday.
If you only have time for one stop, La Taberna Leeds is the highest-rated address with a real review base (4.8 from 763).
Ratings, hours and price bands here come from public venue profiles read in March 2026; they describe how an address is reviewed, not how good its wine list is. Confirm hours before travelling for a specific bottle.
Buying wine in United Kingdom: age, tax and trading rules
Selling alcohol to anyone under 18 is an offence under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales, and retailers operate Challenge 25 on top of it, so expect to be asked for ID well past 18.
The United Kingdom taxes wine harder than anywhere else in this directory, and it taxes it by strength. HMRC's rate from 1 February 2026 is £30.64 per litre of pure alcohol for wine between 8.5% and 22% ABV, which is £2.87 of duty on a 75 cl bottle at 12.5% ABV, before 20% VAT is added on top of the duty-inclusive price. On a £7 bottle that leaves very little for the wine.
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 caps shops over 280 m² in England and Wales at six continuous hours of Sunday trading between 10 am and 6 pm. Smaller independents are exempt and may open all day, which is why a specialist wine shop is often the only thing open on a Sunday evening. Scotland is outside the Act entirely.
Sources: HMRC — Alcohol Duty rates (GOV.UK) · Sunday Trading Act 1994 (legislation.gov.uk) · Licensing Act 2003 (legislation.gov.uk)
Local Tips
01
Book weekends early
Reserve in advance for weekend dinners, especially for popular spots like Six by Nico or Ox Club. Friday and Saturday nights fill quickly in the city centre and Call Lane.
02
Try English sparkling
Order an English sparkling wine made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier — a great match for Leeds seafood and celebratory meals.
03
Pair with Yorkshire produce
Ask for pairings that highlight local ingredients: Yorkshire game, beef and cheeses work beautifully with fuller reds and aromatic whites.
04
Use public transport or walk
Leeds city centre is compact. Walk between Trinity, The Calls and Call Lane, or use local buses and trains to avoid parking hassles and enjoy wine responsibly.
FAQ
This directory highlights 9 curated restaurants in Leeds, United Kingdom. The city has many more independent eateries, but these nine are notable for their wine lists, cuisine styles and neighbourhood appeal, from Ox Club’s seasonal plates to Six by Nico’s tasting menu experience.
Yes. Many Leeds restaurants balance local English wines — including English sparkling and Bacchus — with classic Old World and New World selections. Look for venues that offer by-the-glass choices and pairing menus; sommeliers and trained staff are increasingly common in mid- to high-end spots.
The City Centre (Trinity Leeds, Corn Exchange) is the primary dining hub, while Call Lane and The Calls offer lively bars and late-night options. Headingley and Chapel Allerton provide a more local, relaxed vibe. Holbeck and Leeds Dock are emerging with interesting riverside and warehouse-style restaurants.
Booking is recommended, especially for weekend evenings and tasting-menu venues like Six by Nico. Popular spots such as Ox Club and La Taberna can fill quickly. For casual brasseries you might find walk-in availability, but reservations ensure preferred times and seating.
Yes. Most restaurants in Leeds now include vegetarian and vegan dishes, with many offering full plant-based tasting menus or adaptable plates. Always check the menu online or call ahead if you have strict dietary needs; chefs are typically happy to accommodate with advance notice.
Leeds covers a broad price spectrum: casual Italian or brasseries are mid-range, while tasting menus and fine-dining establishments are higher. Expect set menus and wine pairings to raise the price; look for lunch deals or midweek offers for better value.
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