Kendells Bistro in Leeds

Wonderful attention to detail and lovely special anniversary acknowledgement-Thankyou!

Good food, good value especially the Tea time menu. French atmosphere. Staff welcoming and helpful.

Booked as a party of 5 and the communication to sort the booking was prompt and well organised. The food was incredible as was the service and I can't recommend it enough for a wonderful night out.

This restaurant has stood the test of time. Food has always been excellent and the pre - theatre menu is great value.

Had a lovely meal last night, our first visit to Kendells. Absolutely delicious food and brilliant service. Highly recommend!

guys please go and try this French bistro out. you will thank me later. hands down the best french dinner we ve ever had. thank you guys for giving me an amazing birthday experience. your food was simply perfect, every single dish we tried.

Gorgeous meal at Kendall’s this evening. The food was delicious, and they weee able to cater for my gluten free diet really well. The staff were friendly and attentive and even though it was fairly quiet this evening, the atmosphere was pleasant. Highly recommend!

Great service, romantic atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Definitely would not be visiting here again!

Excellent food (the beef wellington was beyond great) and super friendly and efficient service in a chilled, low key atmos. Love it.

Visitó mientras estaba en un corto descanso a Leeds. Teníamos grandes esperanzas después de leer otras críticas. La comida era generalmente buena, lo más destacado de la noche fue el pan, que era delicioso. Los entrantes eran buenos, los principales de cordero estaban bien - no se preguntó cómo queríamos que la carne servida, y todo el plato estaba solo caliente. El restaurante estaba muy ocupado con los asistentes pre-teatro, la iluminación tenía que ser un poco más brillante para que pudiera leer el menú, la música hizo que la conversación con su cita fuera prácticamente imposible! Sin embargo, disfrutamos de nuestra noche! 3 . 5 estrellas

Went here last night for my birthday meal, wanted to go for years and wasn’t disappointed. Staff were amazing and attentive, food was exactly what you expect from a nice French restaurant. Definitely coming back.

Primera visita a Kendells y no será la última. El personal (Kady & Sorin) que nos atendió fue amable, servicial y profesional. Decidimos pedir desde el menú de té y encontramos entrantes y platos principales para ser sustancial, sabroso y muy bien servido. El ambiente era bueno. En general, como debería ser un bistró.

Outstanding - again. Second time coming here and wow. It was as good as I remembered. Fair play to the kitchen staff here. Cannot recommend this place enough, genuinely the best French food I’ve ever had. The French onion soup is 10/10, the beef bourguignon 10/10, the crème brûlée 10/10.

Kendells Bistro provides a great service, with a warm, cosy and romantic atmosphere. They also moved us to a preferred table when we asked. However, I personally wasn't overly impressed with the food. Sadly, two starters weren't available so I went with a third choice of mussels in a garlic and white wine sauce. I think that's a boring dish anyway no matter where you get it from, but the majority of the mussels were out of the sauce so I had to make my way through a few before I could dip them in. The braised beef cheek was melt in your mouth tender. Excellently cooked. Generous portion too, but it's a cheap cut of meat so I'd expect that for the price. The flavour was rustic but lacking in anything that got me excited for my next bite. I actually got a bit bored of eating it. However, to be completely honest, I find beef pretty boring unless it's a steak cut or a burger. Therefore my review is very subjective in that regard and I'd recommend trying it for yourself. My partner really enjoyed her starter and it was well presented. She liked the beef cheek more than me but she seemed to get my portion of garlic in hers. So in terms of food rating, we've given it 4 stars to meet in the middle. I would definitely go to this restaurant again, but I would try the lamb and a different starter.

Loved this place. Will definitely come again.

Tuvimos una gran comida. Estábamos en el teatro tan apreciado que se hizo una nota y que llegaríamos a tiempo. Fabulosa elección, un montón de platos de carne abundantes (quizás no es ideal para las verduras) El servicio era excelente y en general pensamos que era una relación calidad-precio Tenemos la intención de volver y lo recomendaremos a amigos.

Nada de caracoles. No delfín de patata. ¡Absolutamente ridículo! Hemos pasado mucho aquí a lo largo de los años. Ya no más. Frecuentaremos otros establecimientos en Leeds en su lugar.

Very traditional internal decor considering its in a modern building. Food was good quality. Service was nice as well as polite. We had some of our party arrive late so the waiter explained the timings on food which was helpful. However as good as the main courses were the complimentary bread whilst we waited was the star showing. Absolutely beautiful I'd happily sit with a bowl of soup and a pile of that bread. As some say it's dark, however it's clear from the pictures the environment is set up like that.

Kendell's is a Leeds institution, a place where you can enjoy traditional French cooking in atmospheric candle-lit surroundings. The service is always good without being stuffy or over-formal. On this visit the food was absolutely excellent: they really know how to cook fish. It's not cheap, but it is good value.

The food is very tasty. Recommend escargot for appetizer and the beef cheek for dinner. The atmosphere is dimly lit and a bit classy but not too price y or fancy. Next time I go will try the daily specials and french onion soup.

The food was incredible! Even down to the bread which needed no oil or vinegar, just perfectly seasoned and chewy on its own. We got the french onion soup, black pudding starter, beef bourguignon, roast chicken, creme brûlée and chocolate fondant cake. All was super tasty, it was very clear so much care and attention was put into the ingredients and the quality really showed. I really enjoyed the beef bourguignon, very rich and tender meat. The atmosphere here was amazing, we loved the romantic candlelit vibes and fairy lights. we can on Valentines weekend so just a perfect restaurant for celebrating love with good food! Highly recommend booking in advance.

Fabulosa comida y gran servicio. No hay nada mejor que este restaurante, ambiente encantador. Gran elección de comida y cócteles. Nada es demasiado problema para el personal! Uno de los mejores restaurantes de la zona, no te decepcionará!

I came for a meal last night and I was absolutely disgusted that you put on nearly a 15 pound service charge I saw no mention of this on the menu I actually feel scammed and will be looking into this I was appalled I eat out a lot and I have never come across this in England before

One word, sensational. The food, the service the atmosphere. Everything was perfect. It was my husband’s 40th birthday and we were greeted with a free glass of Prosecco and they also gave him a surprise pudding. It was faultless and would go back in a heartbeat.

Comida moderada, servicio razonable. Nada especial y caro. Fue a comer antes del teatro con los padres. Muy caro para lo que es

¡Gran noche celebrando una fiesta de cumpleaños número 70! Comida, bebida, servicio y ambiente era brillante! Sin duda volveremos!

We come to this amazing place on a regular basis, so i have just added this review to my last one. Christmas dinner, 2024, as with previous years, was just the best. Atmosphere, fantastic food and the best service. This place is a true gem, as are all the people who work so hard there. Thank you. Another amazing meal on Saturday. The atmosphere felt just like it used to, pre Covid, which was lovely. Staff, as always did an amazing job. The food was top notch. After just coming back from a visit to London, it was great to get a meal, of equal quality, for half the price. Every course was absolutely delicious from the pate starter to the perfectly cooked venison & calves livers. Perfect night livers

This is such a good place. The food was brilliant, staff are friendly and helpful. I was so stuffed after and extremely content. Took a mate that had never been and he loved it. Highly recommend

I never would have a) known about this place or b) thought to have come here given the distance from the train station and a plethora of other eateries being closer but it was great we did. A fantastic experience beginning to end. It's clear Mrs. Kendell runs a tight ship and everything was lovely. Service just right (correct level of friendliness/professionalism), food excellent and atmosphere lovely. Sure it is not cheap but it is a quality product, one which I recommend you try. It's located just opposite the city centre studio of BBC Yorkshire and the Aagrah, by the Playhouse. Opposite the bus station. And ultimately only c. 15 minutes walk from the train station so no great hike if you know beforehand!

As you walk in you're immediately hit with a beautiful room, followed by swift and welcoming service. We did not want for anything, water arrived without needing to ask, food and drinks shortly thereafter. I have to say this was in my top 5 restaurant experiences. The plating and flavour of the dishes were great. If there is something listed as an ingredient, you can pick out the individual component in each bite, something I greatly admire! The house white was not bad either :)

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. We've been here about 6 times, easily our favourite restaurant for special occasions.

You really can not go wrong here. The place is gorgeous. The staff are lovely. The wine is banging. It's not unreasonably expensive. Everything about it is lovely.

This is my favourite restaurant. Incredible food, lovely atmosphere, great staff. Absolutely worth the cost. Puts much more expensive options in its shadow. You could drown me in the lamb sauce and I'd die smiling.

Oh my Gooooood, this place. Absolutely breathtaking, so romantic, cosy, warm, and literally place you could sit hours. Food - djeezuschrist, absolutely amazing. That onion soup and stake.... oh my, I literally can't find the best words to describe that deliciousness. Super friendly staff. Amazing place to go to enjoy the atmosphere and incredible food 😍

We came for my birthday on Saturday, this place is very special. We were given a warm welcome and Prosecco and cake for my birthday which was a really nice touch. We had oysters to start, followed by roast duck. The food was amazing and the wine was great too. I highly recommend this place for a special occasion! Thank you for a wonderful night.

Perfect ambience - really lovely restaurant. Friendly, knowledgeable and efficient service. Food was very good with great variety of dishes. Best eating experience in Leeds we have had for years.

Very nice cosy Parisian style bistro, a decent sized menu and plenty of specials we had mussels and scallops to start and for mains I had the venison which was very well cooked and my partner had the ham hock which she really enjoyed we shared a tarte Tatin to finish all washed down with a reasonably priced Chardonnay which was excellent The service was very good all in all a really nice dining experience we will definitely return.

It was quite a nice restaurant, great service, but the missus had lamb and wasn't quite happy with it.

Having booked the table for last night, I was rather disheartened to see some less than glowing recent reviews on here, some suggesting standards had slipped. I hadn’t been here since before lockdown so I was more than a little nervous. Well, I needn’t have been! From the first sip of my Negroni to the last mouthful of espresso, the dinner went beautifully. The two members of staff on duty were helpful and charming. We’d forgotten to mention it was a special birthday but the young woman serving our drinks heard this and returned with a glass of fizz for the birthday girl. The food was as I remembered it. No experimentation here, just good French bistro cooking and it was blissful. One thing I had forgotten was that you get served a pretty hefty plateful. Although everyone cleared their plates as nobody wanted to waste a morsel. We didn’t have room for desserts but, when two slices of a tarte au chocolat appeared on a nicely decorated plate arrived for our birthday friend, everyone’s eyes lit up. It was just gorgeous, from the light pastry to the silky smooth intensely flavoured filling. Given it was a special birthday, we threw caution to the wind, opting for the à la carte menu rather than the prix fixe one. With that and the cocktails, two glasses of pink champagne, a very nice bottle of wine, bread, olives and coffees, the bill per head was just over £60 and that included service. For such a lovely dinner, that was a bargain. I can’t wait to return.

Once again the food was beautiful will be booking again.

Expensive but nicely presented. Not much meat on my chicken for the money paid but everything looked good on the plate. A little fancy for my taste but I appreciate that’s just my opinion. Ambience is good but too dark to see what you’re eating. I would personally appreciate a little more light. My husband really enjoyed his salmon dish and really likes the restaurant. Service was excellent.

Nice venue, close to the Playhouse, and excellent, attentive, genuinely helpful staff. My husband's meal was fine - not wonderful, however, but mine was very disappointing. Sea bream with lots of (dangerous) bones with what was called a potato pancake which was an oily, tasteless mess which I found inedible. The waitress was very empathic and I was not charged, but I was very upset to receive such a poor main course. The puddings were good, however. In addition, the restaurant is candle lit and it was impossible to read the menu wiout using our phones. Also, the many flickering lights from the candles could potentially cause a seizure or migraine attack in people who are predisposed.

Beautiful restaurant, small but busy. Lovely atmosphere with lots of candles. The food was amazing, this is the second time we have been and we’ve been impressed each time

Very enjoyable evening at Kendall's Bistro. Delicious food and great service, with a lovely atmosphere. We will definitely return.

What a lovely place this I'd. We visited here a number of years ago and we're greeted with a glass of fizz and they also gave us chocolates before we left but that doesn't happen anymore. We still had a lovely 25th wedding anniversary meal and the food was delicious but the extras would have made our evening complete.

Another wonderful evening at Kendall’s the staff so nice and friendly, the atmosphere so unique and the food is always superb. Thank you…

Lovely to be back at Kendall’s and the food and atmosphere was as good as ever. We went to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and they didn’t disappoint. Thank you!

Excellent service ,food and value . Lovely ambiance

Lovely place and will go again. Service was impeccable and ambience was perfect. Main course and dessert cannot fault. However I ordered moules and my wife the scallops. The former half had opened and the latter were undercooked! It’s not difficult to cook these French staple starters so was a bit disappointed. My wife didn’t want to make a scene so I didn’t mention it at the time. Come on guys let’s check this at the pass.

Very nice place, friendly and attentive service. Set menu great value. Puddings classic french and delicious. French onion soup top nonch

Had the salmon, cod and prawn fish pie last night. There was hardly any seafood in it - mostly just big chunks of carrot and leek. Really wasn’t worth the money

The food was beautiful. The staff were lovely & attentive. Would definitely recommend.

Have been to Kendall’s many times and delighted to say that the whole experience remains as good as ever. Great food and great service alongside a super French Bistro ambience makes it one of the best restaurants in Leeds

Four of us Went for early dinner before concert at the Wardrobe Venue next door . Lovely ambiance with low lighting. Service was excellent and friendly . Food was amazing and great value for the pre theatre dinner . I’ll be back soon for date night with my wife .

Excellent all round. Ridiculous palaver to get to this page. Why verification codes? I'm only leaving a review not accessing money!!!

Unprepossessing exterior belies what awaits inside. Food, service and ambience exceptional.

This is beautiful candle lit restaurant and we received a lovely warm welcome as we arrived into the dining area. The menu was varied and with a good choice and there was a specials board available too. The dishes were good portions of hearty French food and the presentation was really good too. The was service from all the staff in the bistro was just exceptional.

This is the first time I've posted a second review for a restaurant - but felt moved to do so after another superb meal for three at Kendells last night. Selection of food, ambience and - a bit of a cause of mine - service were all outstanding. Having been there an hour, I realised I was as relaxed and happy as I could have been at any eatery, after a gravadlax starter and Porc Normandie main. As always, I went for the sorbet for dessert - it didn't matter what flavour, as I've never tasted better than here. When out with family, it means a lot to have the unfussy attention of waiting-staff and the trust that any menu-selection will work out fine for all diners. I can't help but plan for the next visit to Kendells......

Le restaurant est vraiment très jolie! La cuisine française est au point, nous avons passé une très bonne soiree. Je recommande vivement. Update - went again in July 2024. We order lots of food (4 starters, 2 mains, 2 desserts). The only two things I would not recommend are the snails, cooked under some pastry and it was tasteless. And also the fish cake which was way too salty. Everything else was SPECTACULAR, I would still very much recommend.

We dined there on Thursday. And whilst the food is good, the bistro is so dark we couldn't see our food, let alone read the menu. When customers have to get their mobile phones out to read a menu, it is time to drop the pretentious candle lit dinner nonsense. The whole place needs an overhaul to bring it up to date. The restaurant interior resembles a bad holiday experience from the 1970s, and the gents toilets are a mess. There are much better place to eat in Leeds.

We had a lovely evening after our son’s graduation day. He was given a celebratory glass of sparkling wine by the restaurant on our arrival. The staff were all very friendly and efficient.We had a delicious meal. The scallops starter was particularly good.The crème brûlées and melt in the mouth chocolate puddings were also excellent. We were then also given some strawberries and chocolate brownies courtesy of the restaurant . It topped off a wonderful family day perfectly.

Lovely experience. We were there for an anniversary and they greeted us with a glass of Prosecco and when we finished they gave us a little cake treat and icing wishing us a happy anniversary. Food was delightful as always and service was top notch. Have been many times before and will continue to visit.

The restaurant was so poorly lit we couldn’t read the menu let alone see our food. Like other diners we had to resort to using the lights on our mobile phones to read the menu and eat our food. Whilst the idea of a romantic candle lit meal sounds appealing, the fact that it was impossible simply see anything. Makes it absurd. While the food and service were good overall, the restaurant’s interior made it feel like we were dining in a bad 1970 sitcom.

Delicious food and excellent service - in a lovely peaceful environment.

As always, delicious food, beautiful setting,friendly and attentive staff.. a real French bistro experience…

As usual a wonderful Dinner with excellent service from a polite attentative but not intrusive staff

We were treated to a voucher for our wedding anniversary and we were absolutely amazed by the food, service, attention to detail. We had a wonderful meal and we will be back again soon. Kendell’s Bistro is a hidden gem!

We had a wonderful evening. The ambience was fabulous. The waiter brought my daughter a glass of Prosecco because we were celebrating her graduation, which was a lovely gesture. The food was excellent and the team could not do enough to make sure our evening was a success. We will definitely be back.

Visited numerous times over the years and it’s always our go to restaurant for a romantic evening. Beautiful restaurant, excellent staff and service, and fantastic delicious food. It was great to see it full and busy on a Saturday night.

Love the ambience of this place. It’s not often you get places that are mainly lit by candles. It makes the atmosphere so nice and welcoming. It’s my favourite part of the resturant The food is wonderful and very well cooked. Good size portions too! Staff are lovely too

Went with my daughter before the theatre. We hadn't booked, but the staff were able to accommodate us. They asked us if we were going to the Playhouse and the time of the performance. The staff were incredibly attentive, friendly, and extremely efficient. The ambience is lovely, subdued lighting with candlelight. The food was amazing. My daughter and I both had rib eye steaks, which were cooked to perfection exactly as we'd ordered. The House Wine we ordered was delicious. I've been here a couple of times before for family celebrations, which have been booked beforehand. It was lovely that our impromptu visit was just as special as our pre-booked visits. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. Fantastic food, wonderful staff, and amazing ambience. What more could you wish for?

Excellent restaurant. The best in Leeds in our opinion. Cannot fault it.

Really.looking forward to dinner but unfortunatly they had sold out of of my choices. Soup de posson ( sold out) selected the mussels ( sold out ) oysters ( sold out . I wanted seabass for main (sold out ) All gone by 8pm. When I spoke to the " Manger " he simple said we'll its Saturday and the chef did not order enough food. Must say the staff were very polite and apologetic.

Wonderfull meal for our anniversary dinner . Great food with warm service . Lovely romantic vibe

Delicious food. Fantastic attentive staff. Good value tea time menu.

Friendly staff . Great food with an excellent menu choice . Wonderful atmosphere . Very Romantic . Perfect venue for our wedding anniversary celebration.

Beautiful venue, very romantic with candles everywhere. Came for my second wedding anniversary with my husband. Food was absolutely delicious. Very sweet touches to mark our anniversary too.

Beautiful restaurant, great front of house staff let down by flavourless, mediocre food. Scallops with garlic butter devoid of any garlic. Calves liver, spongy, over cooked, mash needed seasoning, just had little flavour. Not the best dining experience.

Delightful evening meal with fantastic service

This restaurant is one of the most romantic and quirky spots in Leeds. We celebrated my birthday there last night and absolutely loved it. The service is spot on! The food is outstanding (we had mussels and goats cheese tart then steak Dianne and lamb rump) and the overall experience was superb. One thing I recommend that could take this restaurant to the next level is bringing in live entertainment at weekends. If there was a singer performing traditional french jazz music we would have stayed there all evening after dinner. In that area you will attract a theatre crowd that would pay for that type of entertainment. Thank you for having us. We will be back!

Very good food service as always will be back in the near future

Warm welcome, delightful ambience and delicious food. Her vegetarian main course was, my wife said, one of the tastiest vegetarian dishes she has enjoyed. my sea bass was exceptionally good. It was a delightful meal, made even better by the efficient, friendly, informative servers who seemed to enjoy helping us to enjoy ourselves as much as we enjoyed the experience. It is one of our very favourite restaurants. Thank you all very much

Wonderful evening, what a warm unique experience it is at Kendall’s, underpinned by lovely staff and great food. Thank you…

Lovely table ( though rather dim lighting- so you may need your mobile torch to read the menu). Staff attentive without being fussy. Food came in good time so that we were able to get out to the theatre on time. The fish and sea food was delicious, as was my steak and the chips were honestly the tastiest I have ever had in a restaurant. Steak ( which I asked for medium cooked) delicious. Wine also lovely.

It was me and my boyfriends 1 year anniversary tonight and it couldn’t be more perfect. The atmosphere and service was impeccable, and the food was delicious.

We visited to celebrate my husbands birthday and as our previous visits food and service was excellent. We selected the set menu which we think is good value for money.

This is a really good restaurant, service and food very good. I love the fact that the plates were nearly as hot as mine, you could feel the heat coming off them. Had the set menu which I thought was good value and good size portions, I particularly enjoyed the cheesecake although I couldn’t quite finish it. The only reason I’ve marked it down slightly is that it is very dark, I actually spilled water pouring it into my glass because I couldn’t see that it was actually full.

Great Bistro, food, service & ambiance all brilliant. Would highly recommend

Always a fabulous dining experience. Lovely and attentive staff :)

Food and service both good. For us experience spoiled by the restaurant being too dark, difficult to see menus, food etc. We’ve been to Parisian bistros and they’re not this dark!

Reliably good food, service and atmosphere

What a find! I didn't know about this place but now it's one of my favourites. Superb food, well seasoned and very cosy atmosphere!

We booked a pre-theatre meal for 2 with a birthday package. The starters of escargots and terrine du lapin were fabulous and the main courses of venison and confit de canard were perfect. So all in all for the food the restaurant gets 10 out of 10. Unfortunately the service was not where it needed to be to get us the package and get us to the theatre. In the birthday package they promise a small dessert - but the service around the first 2 courses was too slow to have time to get the sweet. The restaurant know the show started at 19.00 but opening at 17.30 - it's just not organised enough to get the package through.

The food is absolutely beautiful! And the staff can't do enough for you. We don't go anywhere else now as its just the best! We will be back to visit very soon. The ambience is amazing also, the French aesthetic of the place is incredible.

Not been for a few years and it's slipped. Still tastyish food (to a cost) in a lovely ambiance with excellent service. Menu sloppiness with inconsistencies. Pre-theatre deal difficult to fathom. Toilets poorly signed & needed a clean.

Crowdy, careless,and pricey... Never again.

Kendell’s is a popular bistro. The food is typically French. My only criticism is that it is very dark inside which makes it not that easy to read the menu. Quite a few people were resorting to using the light on their phones to aid them in this task. Don’t let that put you off, the food is excellent and the service is good.

Honestly, we can't fault this place. The menu is so excellent it really did take a time to decide what we would order but we all made a great choice and every single course was exceptional. The staff were amazing. It was mid week so fairly quiet but that did not take anything away from the experience, in fact it enhanced it as one member of the party can't hear too well, so the lack of back ground noice was a bonus and the atmosphere was still second to none. We will be back and rate this as our favourite restaurant in Leeds. Thank you team Kendell.

Beautiful food. Beautiful customer service this is definitely one of new favourites. It is so hard to find a nice restaurant in Leeds these days but this place was amazing from the food to the staff I can’t recommend this place enough.Thank you so much for an amazing experience in your restaurant.