Readers Mark Baber and Amman Sehmar agree with Lynsey Atkinson-Buckley, who called this Spanish restaurant the best in the city centre. She added: "Amazing staff and beautiful food, they always make you feel also welcome." | Tripadvisor

placeholder image — Readers Mark Baber and Amman Sehmar agree with Lynsey Atkinson-Buckley, who called this Spanish restaurant the best in the city centre. She added: "Amazing staff and beautiful food, they always make you feel also welcome." | Tripadvisor

The 13 best independent food spots in Leeds, according to YEP readers

Reporter

Published 3rd Jul 2026, 11:30 GMT

Explore Leeds through its top 13 independent restaurants selected by readers

Leeds is packed with brilliant independent bars, restaurants and cafés – so many, in fact, that picking a favourite is no easy task.

As part of our Leeds Summer Served campaign, celebrating the independent hospitality scene that helps make this city so special, we asked our readers to tell us their go-to spot.

The response was overwhelming. With dozens of nominations and plenty of repeat mentions, we've rounded up 13 of the independent venues our readers love the most.

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