This is why The Whitehall restaurant in Leeds is a 'hidden gem' for Sunday lunch

The Whitehall Restaurant and Bar came highly recommended but to be honest I was sceptical.

Yes I had enjoyed a very pleasant lunch there during the week but, without its staple workforce custom, would it have quite the same atmosphere on a weekend given it is slightly out of the usual city centre track?

However, I was to be proved wrong on all counts.

The place was packed. From couples, to groups of friends, to families with young kids there was a buzzing and vibrant yet relaxed atmosphere about the place which sits on Whitehall Road heading out of the city centre.

Inside, the vibe is somewhere between clinical but urban cool and on a bright sunny Sunday the floor to ceiling glass building was light and bright, yet in the evening as fairy lights replace the daylight - it becomes a different place again.

Menu

Anyway with a decent sized glass of Merlot on the go it was time to peruse the menu.

It is a pretty straight-forward set menu with maybe the kind of dishes you would expect. One course for £13.95, two for £19.50 and three for £23.50.

Starters are along the lines of chicken liver parfait with an onion compote, truffle brioche; smoked salmon burnt orange, rocket, fennel; French onion soup with a cheddar croute.

I ordered the soup to start - I never normally do but it was the cheese crouton that did it. We also opted for a pate.

They were both as you would expect in appearance but the soup was tasty and the crouton was almost like a soft dumpling - but I am not complaining, it was delicious.

For the main event you can choose from roast beef, roast chicken, pork belly or a vegetarian and vegan option.

The mains are served with roast carrots, cauliflower cheese, green beans, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and gravy.

All sounds pretty run of the mill but it was done so so well.

The beef was tender and pink, and the Yorkshires certainly weren’t cooked from frozen. They were the real deal and there were lashings of gravy to top them all off.

As is the law, I think, that you have to have mashed potatoes with a Sunday lunch, I ordered some as a side order.

They were creamy, thick, tasty and just perfect.

Portion sizes were ideal with plenty to go around the three of us and it was just like a hearty home-cooked Sunday dinner, but better.

Dessert indulgence

We could have probably managed without the dessert as after two courses we were full enough but, having seen some puds being taken to other tables, the temptation was too much.

And it was only £23.50 for three courses so value for money wise - I doubt anyone could argue with that given how nice the food so far had been.

With the options being the likes of Chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and dulce de leche; Sticky toffee pudding with toffee sauce, ginger and caramel ice cream; Dark chocolate and orange cheesecake with ginger, orange and vanilla.; Crème brulee and cranberry shortbread or a Cheese board you were certainly spoiled for choice.

I opted for sticky toffee pudding and it was beyond worth the calorie hit. The pudding was soft, squidgy, steaming and tasted almost of a melting caramel. The ginger sauce was tangy yet not over-powering and the vanilla ice-cream was a simple way to cap off the dessert which could have been a meal in itself. The portions were generous.

The dark chocolate cheesecake was again two sets of flavourings put against each other in the loveliest of contradictions. The chocolate was rich and smooth and the mandarin provided a sharp contrast.

The service was on point and after finishing with a round of coffees the bill for food and drink was £105.30 but the service charge was added on taking it to £115.83.

Having dined there a few times now for lunch in the week I would definitely go back, even if just to check out the bar nibbles.