These are all the restaurants nominated for a YEP 2020 Oliver Award

The finalists in the 14 categories have been announced and there are some familiar and new names among the entries.

There are six entries in each category and the winner of the Outstanding Contribution to the city’s food and drink scene is set to be decided by the judges and announced at the awards night.

The judging panel - made up of beer writer Simon Jenkins, top chef Steph Moon and food critic Amanda Wragg - said: "The variety of bars, restaurants, pubs and cafes which we’ve been able to visit during the judging for this year’s Oliver Awards shows that the Yorkshire dining scene is in rude health. Our shortlists hopefully reflect the cosmopolitan nature of the experiences available to diners locally – there are some old favourites in there, of course, which continue to offer quality of food, service and value, but also some which are just starting out or have introduced our palates to styles quite new and distinct.

“The wealth of really strong entrants in the Newcomers category illustrates just how quickly this scene is evolving, as wonderful new places open their doors and bring something truly different to an already crowded marketplace.

“Choosing just six venues for each category was a very tough job, and there were several which can rightly feel a little unlucky to miss out. But choosing the winning entrant from each of these categories is proving harder still – and to date, we are still having some lively debates. Hopefully by the time the awards dinner comes around on March, we will have reached the right decisions.”

Ceremony

For one night, it will be the turn of the Leeds’ hard-working restaurateurs, waiters and waitresses, chefs, bar staff, kitchen hands, cocktail makers, front of house staff and brewers to let their hair down for the night and let someone else do the hard work.

A glittering ceremony will be held at the Centenary Pavilion at the home of Leeds United on the night of Monday March March 9 with dinner, drinks, presentations and prizes.

2020 sees the 12th year of the awards which was created to celebrate the thriving and diverse food and drink offering that Leeds has.

In that time, places have come and gone, some stalwarts are still leading the way and others are fine examples of creativity, entrepreneurship, flair for food, talent and a dedication to drink making.

New names

For example, this year’s shortlist features Northern Monk, a brewery started in a basement by the founder with a £5000 inheritance from his grandmother. It has since expanded three times and hopes to open its first brewery out of Leeds this year. We meet Leeds Cookery School, working with charity Zest, which runs affordable community cooking activities, enabling low income families and vulnerable people to access basic cookery skills and clubs to help social isolation and inequality. El Gato Negro is one of the new names in the city for food and is in both the newcomer and world category this year while over in the best service list we meet Sarto, a new pasta based eatery that comes from the familiar faces at Laynes Espresso and The Brunswick.

Emma Cohen, Marketing Manager, Chef Works International Ltd, one of the awards sponsors, said: "As a global designer of chef and hospitality uniforms, Chef Works are delighted to sponsor the Chef of the Year Award at the 2020 Olivers. Celebrating the best restaurants in Leeds by recognising individual talent and creativity in the region."

And of course, would The Olivers really be The Olivers without two of the city’s longest standing restaurants being among the nominations? Salvo’s and Kendells have once again tempted the judges.

From the super post-modern Asian style favoured by Vice and Virtue’s Jono Hawthorne to a traditional full English breakfast dished up at the LS6 cafe in Hyde Park, every kind of food you might want to try is served up in Leeds to a growing city of food fans.

The shortlist - People's Choice and Outstanding Contribution announced on the night

Best Bar, HEAD OF STEAM, WHITELOCKS, BELGRAVE, SKY LOUNGE, MAVEN, NORTHERN MONK

Best Brunch, ANGELICA, PRIDE AND PRODUCE, ALEXANDERS, NORDISH, SHEARS YARD, LS6 CAFE

Best Café or Café-Deli, SALVOS SALUMERIA, FARM DAIRY, OWT, HAYLEY AND CLIFFORD, WILD PLUM, FIKA NORTH

Best Customer Service, RUDDING PARK, BUON APPS, SUKHOTHAI CHAPEL ALLERTON, IBERICA, SARTO, ISSHO

Best Family Friendly, FAZENDA, LIVIN ITALY, KENDELLS, CLARENDON HOTEL, SALVO’S RESTAURANT, SALUTE

Chef of the Year, JOEL MONKMAN (Host), AJITH NAIR (Tharavadu), JOSH WHITEHEAD (Harewood F+D project), JONO HAWTHORNE (Vice and Virtue), MURRAY WILSON (Craft House), JONATHAN STRUB (Clarendon Hotel)

Fine Dining, SHEARS YARD, CONISTON, HOST, GRAND CRU, DAKOTA HOTEL, ISSHO

Newcomer, THE OLIVE, GRANTLEY HALL, EL GATO NEGRO, THE OWL, GRAND CRU, SARTO

Local Produce, GRON KAFE, QUEEN O’ T’OWD THATCH, WATERSIDE, THE OWL, BLACKER HALL FARM, CLARENDON

Best Gastropub, NORTHERN MONK, RELIANCE, THE OWL, SALT BEER FACTORY, TAPPED, QUEEN O T’OWD THATCH

Best Brewery, BRIDGE HOUSE BREWERY, NORTHERN MONK, QUIRKY, SALTAIRE, ANTHOLOGY, NORTH BREWING

Speciality, THARAVADU, ALEXANDERS, CLAM AND CORK, NORTHERN BLOC, ROOTS AND FRUITS, BUNDOBUST

World, LUPES CANTINA MEXICANA, PUNCH BAR, DEVOUR, KUALA LUMPUR CAFE, EL GATO NEGRO, DE BAGA

Sustainability, SWINTON PARK, CLARENDON, ROOTS AND FRUITS, LEEDS COOKERY SCHOOL, THE OWL, BLACKER HALL FARM