Kino Leeds: I tried this New Briggate restaurant's pastry club with seven-courses and here's what I thought

Located in New Briggate, this modern restaurant and bar, brought to the city by Opera North, opened in 2022 with the hope to house different pop-up food brands keeping the offering ever-changing and fresh. 

Kino, meaning ‘cinema’ in a number of languages, is a nod to the site’s former use, and was designed to become the perfect place to have a drink and dine before or after a show at Leeds Grand Theatre, where Opera North is a resident company, and Howard Assembly Room. 

It has quickly become known for its unique dishes made with local produce that leave a lasting memory. Much of its reputation is due to former MasterChef semi-finalist Josh Whitehead, who was announced as head chef in mid-2023.

The restaurant’s latest endeavor, a monthly pastry club, takes dining to the next level.

For £45 per person, Kino offers a varied seven-course menu of pies, pastries and profiterole - all individually introduced by Josh himself. 

If that sounds like a lot of food - it is. Pastry enthusiast Josh said he wanted to make sure the pastry club was fantastic value for money and recommended coming with an “open mind and an empty belly”. 

The evening began with arlettes as the first course. The light puff pastries were a great choice, especially when paired with a savoury dip. They were long-forgotten, however, when the next course arrived. Noisette, made with cauliflower, had a marmite-like taste, thanks to the yeast in the pastry. 

Josh came to introduce himself for the next dish while he added finishing touches - lots of truffle - to the vol-au-vent, a small hollow case of puff pastry. Filled with pumpkin, the sweet dish was paired with garlic curd and walnuts.

The dish, which had a beautiful orange colour, made me realise that the foundations of each dish - the pastries - are done fantastically but it's the details, the pairings and sauces that elevate them. 

Pithivier, a traditional French pastry, followed - and it was gorgeously golden in colour and equally beautiful to break into. An avid mushroom fan, the dish was everything I wanted it to be. 

A short break from pastries was provided with the next course - a trou normand, before we dived into desserts. 

And despite my aversion to sweeter dishes, the religieuse of pumpkin seeds was my favourite and perhaps the most stunning dish of the night. This French pastry is made with two small choux pastries and topped with a subtle chocolate sauce. 

The final course, a brisee with rhubarb, custard and lemon, brought Pastry Club to the close but not before Josh made his final appearance of the night, bringing around a much-needed Gaviscon chewable tablet. A funny - but practical - touch. 

The Pastry Club at Kino is truly a special experience. There’s just as much magic found in the venue as there is in the pastries. From very likeable servers to small conversations with Josh throughout the night, Pastry Club feels like an intimate dinner with the ultimate comfort foods - pastries and pies.

Factfile

Address: 34 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU

Telephone: 0113 223 3700

Opening hours: Monday, closed, Tuesday - Friday, 4:30pm - 10pm, Saturday, 12pm - 10pm, Sunday - closed

Website: kinoleeds.co.uk

Scores

Food: 9/10

Value: 10/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Service: 10/10