Kendell's Bistro Review: A return to a city favourite - but was the French flair missing?

And so it would have to be something pretty good that keeps you coming back for more.

This has been true of Kendell's, one of the stalwarts of the independent food and drink scene in Leeds for many years since before I came to Leeds and will be for many years more.

I think it is one of only two restaurants in the city actually that I have been to more than once - and with a Dry January weekend needing livening up with some amazing food at least - we were looking forward to another visit.

For the first weekend after New Year I thought it would be easy to get a table but there were only two available and the restaurant was busy all night, so I snapped one up and off we went.

As usual the atmosphere and ambience was spot on with the usual candle-light, wooden tables with uneven legs, vintage chairs and diners there for the food and company rather than 'the gram'.

We sat down and were brought our menus which proved for tricky pickings as we were spoiled for choice - unfortunately we had to swerve the extensive drinks and wine menu and opt for water instead.

Entree options included Salade Frisee (smoked bacon, poached egg, croutons, lettuce and French dressing); Escargots a la Bourguignonne (snails, garlic butter); Tarte de Chevre (goat's cheese pickled beetroot orange tart) among several other delightful looking dishes.

Plats Principaux consisted of Boeuf Bourguignon (ox cheek, red wine, garlic, bacon, mushrooms, creamed potatoes); Jarret d'agneau aux Flagoulet (slow braised lamb shank, flagoulet beans, white wine); Choucroute Garni Formidable (ham hock, toulouse sausage, montbellierd sausage, salt pork, boudin noir, sauerkraut, juniper). Fish dishes were hand chalked on a blackboard and included salmon and seabass.

While all was going well so far, it was nearly 25 minutes before someone took our order. We opted for Gratinee Lyonnaise (classic French onion soup, Gruyere cheese croutons) and Pate de Campagne (course French country terrine) for starters and Longue De Venaison (venison loin, crushed celeriac, oxtail croquette, red wine cassis and bitter chocolate sauce) and Croquette de Salmon (salmon, prawn, petit pois, flaked potato fishcakes).

By the time our food came we had been there more than 45 minutes before eating anything. When I asked for bread to go with the soup (I recall last time bread was on tables complimentary) it was a slice of brown bread and cost nearly £4).

Both starters were delicious, delicate and full of flavour. For the main courses we were advised that they needed side orders as they didn't come with anything so ordered Haricots Verts and Pommes Dauphinoise.

When the mains came, the salmon was served with chips that hadn't been asked for. Making sure with the waitress we had not been given someone else's order she said she didn't know why they had been added. It didn't sit right as we had been encouraged to add, and pay for, side orders.

The venison was amazing - real melt in the mouth kind of stuff and the sauce and all the elements of the dish complemented each other. The salmon was my personal wrong choice perhaps as I expected something different and should have chosen differently.

The bill was £75 in the end, without drinks and desserts, but it was the service perhaps that left the bitterest taste. We felt forgotten about and maybe a little fobbed off.

I expected more of the special touches that you get as standard with restaurants of the calibre of Kendell's. Is it still one of the few restaurants I return to? I am not sure.

Address: St Peters Square, Leeds, LS9 8AH.

Telephone: 0113 2436 553

Opening: Tuesday - Thursday 5.30 - 9pm; Friday - Saturday 5.30pm-10pm.

Value: 6

Atmosphere: 6

Service: 4

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