Oliver Review: Dinner and drinks at Dakota Hotel Leeds

From purpose built selfie mirrors in the trendiest bars to be seen in to supper clubs for the serious foodies there was something for everyone and it seemed that everywhere, new or old businesses upped the game somewhat.

Some stand the test of time and some don’t, so a few years down the line, I return to Dakota Leeds, which prides itself on being the favoured place to stay of celebrity visitors to the city and a haven from the hustle and bustle of the bars on nearby Greek Street.

This is, to some effect true, as we step in on a Saturday night for dinner.

Inside the hotel you step onto still plush carpets and into a bar area that is filled with chatter and cheer but in a relaxed setting and what seems a hundred miles from the madness just a few metres away outside.

Our table is not ready and we are told to sit down and order a drink while we wait. This however, is not as slick as the setting suggests. Nobody returns to take the order and and we have to ask a passing member of staff. It is 20 minutes after our booked time that we are taken downstairs to our table in the main restaurant.

To be fair, the service we received from the waiter looking after our table from here on in was absolutely spot on in a restaurant where he was clearly busy and we were seated in a curved booth which does give the impression of a more private dining experience.

Menu

Perusing the menu, the starter options included vol-au-vent of wild mushrooms, spinach and cheddar; heritage beetroot and sheep’s curd with walnuts; grilled mackerel with celeriac, mustard and apple.

Some dishes expressed a flair for flavours you wouldn’t usually pair, but maybe some were old hat.

For instance, I opted for King scallops with chorizo. It has been done for years but, being something I wouldn’t cook at home it is a popular choice for me. But at £12, three scallops not much more than the size of a pound coin and no obvious sign of chorizo left me disappointed to be honest.

My dining companion chose slow cooked pork belly with smoked bacon jam. This was a much heartier option with the smoked bacon and tangy lime working well together.

Main course options this evening consisted of trout and king prawns with fennel; ox cheek with king oyster mushroom and there was also caramelised cauliflower with black garlic among others.

The Meal

They were interesting options and I was hard-pressed to decide but in the end chose duck breast and confit leg with parsnip and pomegranate and my other half option for a sirloin steak from the grill menu.

I had gone for the duck partly as it suggested it came with parsnips and with no other accompaniments you were left looking at £4 for a dish of carrots or a bowl of steamed kale which were part of the sides offering.

I appreciate there is mark up for side orders in restaurants but really, £4 for a few sliced carrots? And this penchant that a lot of places seem to have for having a main meal where you need to pay extra for half of it if you want some carbs or greens with it. Maybe I have got used to living in the suburbs and things being half the price.

The steak itself was £29 and did come with the option of a salad or fries and a sauce. It was nice, so I am told, but not the best he’d ever had. The duck was very well cooked and perfectly pink and tender, but two pieces of breast that were an inch square and a ball of sticky duck leg again left me wondering whether that alone was worth £22. The parsnips were parsnip crisps so maybe a good job we splashed out on the kale and with some fries it takes you to £30 for a main course.

Onto dessert and I opted for pear crumble and rather than the advertised custard the kitchen were happy to oblige me with ice-cream instead while the other choice was lemon posset. Again it was sweet and who doesn't love crumble but with perfectly diced pears I did wonder if it wasn't tinned fruit and not home-made. The posset was rich, creamy tangy and a perfect palate cleanser.

Verdict

To sum up the food from start to finish was perfectly nice, but was it fine dining and value for money then no. There are many other establishments in the city creating food that will blow your mind and your tastebuds but not your budget and with a bill that came in at £145 for two people with a couple of beers, a glass of wine at £9 and a prosecco at £8 it was hard to get past the bitter taste that left.