Olive & Rye review, Queens Arcade - a great cafe to show off Leeds independent food scene

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle in Queens Arcade, Olive & Rye is one of the most popular indie food venues in the city.

Having originally opened up as a second site following the success of Hepworths Deli, in nearby Thornton's Arcade, Olive & Rye has established itself as a firm favourite in its own right.

The small cafe not only serves up brunches and lunches but has a take-out deli as well as being host to a range of 'pop-up' foodie events.

First impressions?

It was a mid-week afternoon when myself and a friend visited Olive & Rye but the cafe was already filled with hungry customers.

Thankfully, there were a few seats left in the cosy but compact cafe and we opted to sit inside rather than in the arcade.

As you enter the cafe, you are greeted by the deli - a mouthwatering display of meats, cheese and homemade produce.

We were seated slightly around the corner on a snug little table, decorated with fairy lights and gold ornaments.

The gold accents are continued on the walls, with golden stickers placed onto the dark grey walls, which themselves are contrasted against the window wall, which is painted a deep turquoise.

Staff in Olive & Rye cannot be praised enough for their attentiveness.

Not only were they quick and extremely friendly but they went above and beyond to ensure that my friend's food was nut-free, running back and forth to the kitchen to check that it was safe for her to eat.

What’s the menu like?

The menu has something for everyone whether you want a meaty meal, vegetarian, sweet or savoury.

As I mentioned, they also cater well for nut allergies but there was no obvious vegan meal as far as I could see on the menu - however, many dishes could be made vegan if the cheese was omitted.

For those who love to brunch, there is a range of options. Try the butter buttermilk pancakes with banana, creme fraiche and honey or the hot smoked salmon, poached eggs on a toasted muffin with spicy hollandaise.

If you fancy a more traditional lunch, there are a range of sandwiches served on a choice of sourdough, focaccia or ciabatta.

The Yorkshire Poloughmans board also caught our attention, serving up a range of local produce including the Lishman's pork pie, Bluebird Bakery bread and Maple & mustard glazed ham.

Now onto the food

We both opted for sandwiches. Never able to resist some halloumi, I opted for the only vegetarian option on the menu.

It was a big beast of a sandwich, with two thick slices of Foccacia - light in texture, baked in olive oil and seasoned with rosemary - jam-packed with roasted Mediterranean vegetables, homemade harissa hummus and crispy halloumi.

I was very happy with the portion size, as I've found other restaurants to be particularly stingy with halloumi, and the flavours complimented each other perfectly. I wolfed the lot.

My friend chose the chicken sandwich on sourdough - a mix of roasted chicken, honey and cajun spice, crispy bacon and herb yoghurt.

She said it was delicious but, being less greedy than me, did think the portion size was a bit heavy.

Both sandwiches were served with a simple side salad.

And the drinks?

There's a good selection of drinks and has all the usual beverages one would expect in a cafe - lattes, cappuccino, breakfast tea etc.

They also offer an almond milk dairy-free alternative, herbal teas and a selection of 'brunch' smoothies, including an interesting sounding matcha green tea smoothie.

Feeling like an afternoon treat, we opted for a mimosa each for a bit of a fizz fix. For those not in the know, a mimosa is prosecco mixed with orange juice.

There is also wine available at £4 a glass and the cheapest bottle is £15.

A jug of table water was bought over to us for free and they gladly topped it up several times.

How much was the bill? Was it value for money?

The total of the lunch was £25 which I would consider good value for money, especially as we opted for a boozy drink.

The mimosas were £6 each which means an alcohol-free lunch would be considerably cheaper.

The sandwiches themselves were £6.50 each which I think is reasonable given the quality and the city centre location of Olive & Rye.

I'd happily take any out of town friends here again if I were to show off the Leeds indie food scene because the food and drink quality is second to none.

It is also a friendly, comfortable and quaint little cafe that is very endearing and welcoming.

Next time, I'm eyeing up the serrano ham, poached egg and wilted spinach on toasted sourdough. And, in true boozy brunch fashion, it will be followed by a swfit by a Yorkshire gin & tonic. Now to wait for my next out-of-town visitor...

Factfile:

Address: Queens Arcade, 18-20 Briggate, Leeds LS1 6LF

Telephone: 0113 318 1233

Opening hours: Weekdays 10am - 6pm. Saturday 9am - 6pm. Sunday 10am - 6pm.

Website: http://www.oliverye.co.uk/

Scores

Food 9/10

Value 9/10

Atmosphere 8/10

Service 9/10