Dough in the City, New Briggate, Leeds review - Modern pub's four takes on Sunday roast

Dough in The City is the brainchild of the team behind fine dining favourite Vice and Virtue and Pudsey hipster hotspot Feed.
Dough in the City opened in New Briggate, Leeds, in late 2018.Dough in the City opened in New Briggate, Leeds, in late 2018.
Dough in the City opened in New Briggate, Leeds, in late 2018.

Opened in late 2018, it is billed as a modern pub offering all day casual dining with “exceptional coffee” from Casa Espresso and a “large selection of local and international beers and ale to suit any palate”.

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It is run by the same team as Feed and fine dining favourite Vice and Virtue.It is run by the same team as Feed and fine dining favourite Vice and Virtue.
It is run by the same team as Feed and fine dining favourite Vice and Virtue.

First impressions?

The website recommended making a reservation for Sunday lunch but there were only a handful of other customers in having drinks when we arrived, probably because roast dinner isn’t the obvious choice on the hottest weekend of the year but it was still a bit disconcerting to find an untested venue so quiet.

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The decor is stripped back, with wooden booths, bare bulbs and a few neon signs. Light and airy but nothing that sets it apart from the rest.

What’s the menu like?

The bar serves food from breakfast time right through into the evening.The bar serves food from breakfast time right through into the evening.
The bar serves food from breakfast time right through into the evening.

Unlike many bars, Dough in the City is open from 9am Tuesday to Sunday, serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and takeaway food. There’s a bottomless brunch all day on Saturdays too.

Brunch was over by the time we visited and from noon on a Sunday it’s all about the roast dinners, served in four different styles – the traditional one, the hangover one, the posh one and the vegan one.

Now onto the food...

There’s little chance of me ever turning vegan and the cheese sauce with the buttermilk chicken on the hangover version made me feel queasy, so I went for the posh one. I never had pheasant before and can’t say I’m completely sold, but the rhubarb compote served with it worked very well.

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The 28 day dry aged shorthorn beef on my partner’s traditional roast got a thumbs up, especially because there was so much of it.

Both plates arrived stacked high with veg – carrot, swede, roast potatoes and red cabbage – and topped with a large Yorkshire pudding, and there were bonus points for not scrimping on the gravy.

Room for dessert?

Had we not been totally stuffed from the generous main course, I’d have been very happy with any of the three dessert options that day – sticky toffee pudding with Jameson’s and maple ice cream, rose cake with raspberry ice cream or a gooey Cream Egg brownie with vanilla ice cream.

And the drinks?

There’s plenty to suit all tastes and a decent range of non-alcoholic options too.

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My partner had a pint of Mahou followed by Dough’s own lager, while I opted for the refreshing No Way Frose – raspberry Absolut, rose wine, strawberry and lemonade that reminded me of bubblegum.

How much was the bill?

All the roasts are priced £10, which is great value considering the generous portion sizes.

Starters ranged in price from £6 to £7.50 and deserts from £6 to £6.50 so you’d be looking at closer to £25 each if you went for three courses.

With our three drinks and two roast dinners, the total bill came to £36.

Will you be going back?

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I can imagine returning for roast dinner with friends and whiling away the rest of the afternoon sampling more cocktails and playing the board games stacked on the side.

The service was great and we both enjoyed our meal, although the atmosphere was lacking a little.

Factfile

Address: 72 New Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6NU

Telephone: 0113 345 0202

Opening hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 9am-midnight; Friday and Saturday, 9am-2am; Sunday, 9am-midnight

Scores

Food 6/10

Value 7/10

Atmosphere 5/10

Service 7/10

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