Aarti Leeds review: Why I was blown away by the city centre’s new Indian restaurant with divine spices
and live on Freeview channel 276
And Roundhay residents will be familiar with the name, having enjoyed Aarti in their suburb for close to a decade before it moved to Swinegate earlier this year.
Having walked past the site as it was going through refurbishment, I was eager to give it a try. If the vibrant and colourful decor weren’t enough to put a smile on our faces - then the staff certainly made sure of that, making us feel like nothing was too much trouble from the moment we walked in.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAarti’s menu is soon to be expanded, but there was still plenty to choose from. We started with the poppadom basket and I ordered a mango lassi while my partner had a pint. The crunchy mixed-shape poppadoms came with chutney and delicious raita, which we ended up fighting over.
We then shared a mixed vegetable platter - samosa, spring rolls and bhajiya (vegetable fritters). The samosas were beautifully crisp and filled to the brim, the spring rolls were light and the bhajiya dangerously moreish.
For our mains, I ordered the vegetarian thali - black lentil dal, chickpea curry and a paneer dish, served with aromatic rice, puri, salad, chilli chutney and a little dessert. I was blown away. Every mouthful was divine, from the creamy dal to the perfectly-cooked bites of paneer. It was bursting with flavour, but not at all rich - the spices were delicately balanced.
My partner ordered the chicken tikka and polished it off in record time, declaring Aarti as now in his top three restaurants in Leeds. He said the chicken was tender and fell apart, the masala sauce was creamy and well-spiced and the rice perfectly fluffy.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAnd the service was outstanding, with the owner - and the man behind the menus - checking on tables himself and telling them about Aarti’s story, making us feel so welcome. Despite the impressive amount of food we put away, we didn’t leave feeling bloated or short-changed - the food, lassi and two pints were just under £60.
I can certainly see why Aarti was so well-regarded with Roundhay locals, and I’m sure it won’t be long before people from all corners of Leeds - and beyond - are raving about it too.