Review: LIVIN’ Italy Dough House, Cloth Hall Street

The original LIVIN’Italy in Granary Wharf has a reputation for serving up some of the most authentic Italian food in Leeds, so when I heard they were opening up a new site near the Corn Exchange, I knew I had to try it out.

LIVIN’Italy dough house, on Cloth Hall Street, has a whole new menu and atmosphere to the original restaurant. The focus is on Italian-style tapas and small dishes designed to be shared with friends.

First impressions?

We went by on a Saturday evening and the atmosphere was livelier than ever. It was very busy – filled with young couples, groups enjoying a meal with friends and families grabbing a bite to eat. It wasn’t the wisest choice to head along to without a booking on a busy weekend night but luckily, we bagged a seat very quickly.

The restaurant itself was tastefully decorated, with dim lighting and mismatched chandeliers and lamps adding a cosiness to the room. Right in the centre was the bar, which served on both sides, to the side the gelato area and the DJ booth and to the back was the open plan kitchen where guests could watch the chefs cook the food.

Our waiter was very attentive despite having a packed-out restaurant to serve and took the time to talk us through the menu and recommend us some dishes. The only downside to going on a Saturday night was being seated next to a rather boozy first date but the waiter took it all in his stride, quickly cleaning up any broken wine glasses and jokingly calmed them down.

What’s the menu like?

The menu is set out like a tabloid newspaper named ‘La Gazetta Del LivinItaly’ and I really enjoyed the quirkiness of it. The menu is extensive and although it offers traditional pizza and calzones, you won’t find conventional dishes like spaghetti Bolognese here. Instead, the focus is on street food and nibbles – a bit like an Italian-style tapas.

Bread is a big focus in this restaurant with a sizable selection focused on Ligurian focaccias, Sardian breads and a ‘bruschetteria’ offering up more than your traditional tomato bruschetta. There was also a substantial selection of Italian street food dishes to choose from as well as the option to buy pizza by the slice if you need your pizza fix. There was certainly a lot to choose from.

Now onto the food

We decided to get a few dishes to share. We opted for the Porchetta al Barolo served with traditional Sardinian bread and spicy pear chutney. Having never tried Sardinian bread before, I was surprised to find it almost like cracker-like in texture but the crispness of the bread paired perfectly with the thin slices of bacon and sweet chutney.

Alongside that, we opted for the zesty and fresh Bruschetta meditterranea - toasted sourdough topped with cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted sweet peppers, Sicilian capers, shallots and fresh basil.

Unable to resist the pizza we shared a generous slice of Sarda which was simply topped with sausage and roasted onion. We also got fired polenta topped with garlic mushrooms and thyme, fritto misto, a mixture of battered courgettes, calamari and baby cuttlefish and 'tender grown lamb skewers' with a red pepper sauce and sourdough crostini. The red pepper sauce was so delicious we suggested to the waiter that they bottle it and sell it by the thousand.

Room for dessert?

Barely! But having watched everyone rave about the gelato, we managed to squeeze one in between us. We opted for a medium 3-scoop ice cream to share and went for a yogurt Amarena cherry, vanilla and tiramisu. All three flavours were fresh, creamy and delicious but be warned – if you’re not an ice cream lover, you will be disappointed with the desert selection here and gelato was the only option.

And the drinks?

There was an excellent selection of drinks on offer, including a huge range of Italian craft lagers which was great news for my partner. He opted for a Brewfist La Bassa - a lager 5.2% pilsner. As to be expected, there were plenty of good quality Italian wines on offer but instead, I opted for a classic Aperol Sprtiz. There were also non-alcoholic drinks on offer including all the classics like coca-cola but also Italian brands like San Pellegrino and homemade juices and sodas.

How much was the bill? Was it value for money

The bill came to £52 and for the amount of food we had and the quality, I would consider it excellent value for money. This included six dishes, two alcoholic drinks and a dessert to share. IVIN’ Italy Dough House would make a great spot for a quick and cheap bite to eat or for a reasonably priced tapas-style meal out with friends.

Factfile

Address: LIVIN'italy Dough House, 2 Cloth Hall St, Leeds LS1 2HD

Telephone: 0113 243 0090

Opening hours:

Monday - 12–3pm, 5pm–12am

Tuesday - 12–3pm, 5pm–12am

Wednesday - 12–3pm, 5pm–12am

Thursday - 12–3pm, 5pm–12am

Friday - 12pm–1am

Saturday - 12pm–1am

Sunday - 12–11pm

Website: www.livinitaly.com

Scores

Food 8/10

Value 9/10

Atmosphere 8/10

Service 9/10