Hern Chapel Allerton: Inside the tiny Leeds restaurant that’s a favourite with locals in the suburb

Over the last year, Chapel Allerton’s Hern has switched up its offering, introducing an a la carte menu alongside its set tasting menu - which is going down a treat.

The restaurant was founded by Rab Adams around four years ago, taking over a 33-square-metre venue in Stainbeck Lane. The limited space means the chef and his team-of-five have to adapt, from making use of plum stones to whole carcasses of meat.

The set menu is served Thursday to Saturday at £55 a head, while the a la carte menu is served on Wednesday night and Saturday lunchtime. Vegetarian and pescatarian menus are always available if booked in advance.

Rab told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “The a la carte menu reflects what we’re seeing across the industry, the way people are trying to adapt.

“We were thinking about how we could appeal to more people and at a lower price tag. It’s a lot of work, but it’s really working out for us to have two a la carte services and three set menu services each week. The a la carte dishes can be a gateway for people to come in before they try the set menu.”

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Rab admits the honest goal for Hern is to survive - as restaurants across the city face rising costs and unprecedented challenges.

The restaurant is exploring more special events this year including guest chef nights and takeaways during Chapel Allerton Market, which brings big footfall to the suburb once a month.

Rab added: “Because it’s such a small restaurant, if we pick up a couple of tables it can change a mediocre night into something that can change the whole week.

“People in Chapel Allerton like the novelty of when we put on an event. Then we’ve got an amazing baseline of returning customers who have supported us really well - we couldn’t ask for more.”