Leeds restaurants Tharavadu and HanaMatsuri recommended in Michelin Guide 2021

Two restaurants in Leeds have been recognised for serving high quality food in the Michelin Guide 2021.
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Japanese restaurant HanaMatsuri and Indian restaurant Tharavadu have both been awarded a place in the 'Michellin Plate' recommendation section of the latest guide.

The 'Michelin Plate' award is for restaurants who do not have a star or Bib Gourmand but have been recognised by judges as serving excellent food.

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Often, restaurants begin entering the guide before progressing up the coveted star-system, according to Michelin.

Tharavadu in Mill Hill, Leeds.Tharavadu in Mill Hill, Leeds.
Tharavadu in Mill Hill, Leeds.

HanaMatsuri, in Meanwood Road, Meanwood, is an intimate restaurant which serves sushi.

The Michelin judge said: "Suburban Leeds is home to this very intimate restaurant, which seats just seven guests and must be booked at least 24hrs in advance.

"Japanese memorabilia and shelves of sake fill the room.

"The chef-owner serves a wide range of sushi and sashimi crafted from good quality imported ingredients."

The Best Suburban award at the Oliver Awards 2019, presented byeditor Laura Collins, to the winner HanaMatsuri.The Best Suburban award at the Oliver Awards 2019, presented byeditor Laura Collins, to the winner HanaMatsuri.
The Best Suburban award at the Oliver Awards 2019, presented byeditor Laura Collins, to the winner HanaMatsuri.
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Tharavadu, in Mill Hill in the city centre, offers Keralan cuisine and is a favourite of Labour leader Keir Starmer.

The Michelin judge said: "A simple-looking restaurant with seascape murals.

"The extensive menu offers superbly spiced, colourful Keralan specialities and refined street food – the dosas are a hit.

"Service is friendly and dishes arrive swiftly."

Tharavadu has been recommended in the Michelin Guide 2021.Tharavadu has been recommended in the Michelin Guide 2021.
Tharavadu has been recommended in the Michelin Guide 2021.

The two restaurants join five other Leeds restaurants recommended by Michelin.

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These include Dakota Grill, Crafthouse, Ox Club in Headrow House, HOME and The Owl, in Kirkgate Market.

The Man Behind The Curtain has retained its one Michelin star and remains the only restaurant in Leeds to have one.

A Michelin judge said of the Vicar Lane restaurant: "If you’re looking for the unconventional, you’ve come to the right place.

"Michael O'Hare is a chef who does things his own way and his idiosyncratic basement restaurant matches his cooking style perfectly.

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"For starters, don’t expect to be handed a menu when you sit down.

"The original, very creative and artfully presented dishes, many of which come with assorted Asian influences, start arriving with your drink and you’ll never know quite what to expect next.

"Thanks to the music and interior design, which includes everything from skateboard decks to graffiti, a surfboard to a motorbike, you’ll find you don’t need to feed off other customers to create your own atmosphere.

"Furthermore, the disorientating mirrors lend an ethereal quality to proceedings and make you feel cocooned in your own bubble."

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