The Empire Cafe in Leeds

Absolutely beautiful. Very much lived up to the high expectations. We couldn't decide between their signature dishes (the steak and the chicken), and so we ended up getting both and sharing. Properly delicious. The service was great - attentive, friendly, and relaxed. The atmosphere was lovely, and the drinks were very nice as well. My only slight negative would be that the starters were absolutely tiny. I get that high-end food is often in small portions. But at £9/10 per starter, they felt pretty tiny to me. Not to the point where I'd leave 4*, though - this is a fantastic dining experience and ideal for a special occasion or treat.

Hospitality done to perfection! This has to be my favourite restaurant in Leeds, the food is expectional, never had a bad meal. Definitely try monkfish! the teamare friendly and very helpful. An absolute pleasure.

What an amazing little secret Leeds has been hiding!! We were lucky as we hadn’t booked but got a table downstairs, such a chilled vibe! Honestly the best roast beef dinner I’ve ever had, the gravy was mind blowing! Staff are so welcoming. A live vinyl Dj was a bonus gave a great atmosphere. Will be back to try other bits on the menu

Lovely place great food highly recommended 👌

Delicious!!!! Such a great find in Leeds.

Shared a load of small plates and had some cocktails. Absolutely fantastic food, incredible service. Second time I’ve been and want to go back again already.

Well, well, well! Talk about surprises, I thought I had seen this establishment on Adam Richman Eats Britain on Food Network channel. It's not what I expected but actually BETTER than what I saw on the programme. I have yet to truly try the chicken from the from the rotisserie, which is locally sourced and is non-halal, but what we did have today was something to share and just a drink. 1. The welcome = Friendly, warm and welcoming 2. The service = Excellent service and interaction 3. The drinks = Probably one of the nicest coffees I've EVER had from a restaurant. 4. The food = Ordered the Dhesi Chana with a Roti and I was in shock! The Chana dish (Chole) was sweet and sour with a kick but you could taste the lemon coming through which cut through and leaving a warm feeling and tingle in your mouth from the masala and tamarind. Being Panjabi and trying this Panjabi dish in a non-Panjabi place was tasty, very impressed! I'll be returning as there's lots to try out but the rotisserie is the stand out to try and that will be next. In the famous words of Arnold Schwarzenegger "I'll be back!”

Thank you so much for a really chilled, interesting and great tasting night! Love the venue and everything it has to offer! Can’t wait to return!

Talk about hidden Jems. This place was so good from food to service to establishment and staff.

Top class establishment with great food and amazing, professional service.

Absolute belter of a place, been here twice now and it hasn't disappointed. Service is brilliant and there is excellent gluten free provision including Virtuous on tap, my Coeliac partner was delighted. Must have the chicken and potatoes, but small plates are also great. Portion sizes can be on the small side, but the food is amazing. Can stop for a drink or food and it's a nice atmosphere. Will definitely be back!

All of our meals were absolutely delicious! You guys have a real talent for bringing out the flavors in each dish. Rotisserie chicken is a main event but I also highly recommend trying small plates. Very friendly and lovely staff. Thank you for the amazing experience and see you again❤️ Also they do a very delicious Sunday roast 🔥 Must try!

Third visit to empire cafe and every time the food is just perfect. I had the steak again which is topped with the most addictive salsa verde and served on top of some of the best chips. The starters are always fantastic too offering some slightly more complex flavour combinations. 10/10 would always recommend.

Cute cafe on a side alley downtown Leeds.

I appreciate what is going on at Empire Café, however, the food is overpriced for the portion sizes as well as what you're getting on the plate. The tapas dishes were quite hit and miss with our table, as were the ribs. The chicken however, the specialty I think, was outstanding. The deserts, although limited, were also great. We were seated downstairs and unfortunately there was quite a nasty smell down there. I can't lie, it was off putting when eating smelly pate! The staff were all friendly and attentive. We spent just over £200 for 4 people, this is with maybe 2 drinks each. We left with our hunger relatively satisfied and had an enjoyable evening. I'd recommend The Empire Café, just be prepared for high prices and not much grub.. but as an experience it's something that might be up your street.

Was on the list of top 100 restaurants in the country so had to try it as the gf hasn't been to it either. We were a bit early but they still managed to fit us in so that was very welcome. Tapas starters were lovely, didn't try them all in case we were going to be too full for the main. Got to try the rotisserie chicken so juicy, highly recommended.

I didn't know chicken could taste this good! So I ordered the steak, which at £24 was as good steak cooked perfectly rare. In any other setting I would have been very pleased but, my partner ordered the rotisserie chicken which upon tasting gave me food envy. Yes, I wanted her buttery melt in the mouth chicken over my perfectly good delicious steak. Just means I will have to come back! The service was top notch by the pair waiting on us. I sound like and old man but good service is rare to find these days. Earnt their tip within the first 10 minutes through their welcome and attentiveness. The location, out of the way in a back alley, gives European al fresco vibes. Makes it a hidden gem that we only discovered by word and mouth. Unfortunately we aren't in a tropical European city and the Leeds' back alley characters can break the charm occasionally and its definitely prettier looking into the bar than out. Otherwise faultless.

Had a couple of cocktails and a goat skewer. The cocktail were punchy, the service was friendly, fast and joking around and the kebab was well cooked. Went back a year later and had more food, which was excellent...ox cheek spring roll, tempura broccoli and truffle pork. It was amazing and the waitresses were great

Excellent Sunday dinner. Juicy chicken, perfect Yorkies, delicious gravy. Can't fault any of it. And reasonably priced!

Best steak and chips I’ve had in a longtime. Classy and friendly. Service was immaculate. Gem of Leeds.

Fantastic gem of a cafe/restaurant...delicious food...this morning we had..one triple sandwich..😋..one leeds Brekkie..😋..and one Steak and Eggs..😋...all superb 👌 😋

Finally visited Empire Cafe and not disappointed. Service is exemplary - friendly, efficient and engaging! Food is everything you hope for when you read the menu. We felt obliged to try the chicken along with some veg sides all washed down with a pint of the truly wonderful Kirkstall Judicious (is there a better beer currently?). A perfect pre-theatre dinner and will be back!

Had a great meal here. I had the rotisserie chicken as a main course and one of the small plates as a starter. Everything was really tasty and the staff were all helpful and friendly.

What can I say from start to finish everything was absolutely incredible. I have been fortunate enough to travel the world and eat some of the world's best food, this is by far the best food I have had. I will start with the service as you just couldn't fault it, Eden was so lovely and attentive. She knew here way around the menu and helped describe the dishes, throughout the evening constantly checking in on us and sharing conversation! Really did make the experience. The food was superb! We had a few bits from the small plate menu which were bursting with various flavours that you just don't normally have. These were polished off in no time! For the main we had the beef rump and this is by far the best beef I have had in my life, ever so tender and cooked beautifully paired with a lovely sauce/gravy. Other main dishes were the chicken with gravy which again cooked perfectly, soft and juicy! All sides were exceptional peas, cauliflower cheese (done right) and potatoes. Desserts were sublime cereal milk tart and a negroni tiramisu. Absolutely flawless and we will definitely be returning to try other parts of the menu.

Treated myself to lunch out. Superb from the moment I walked through the door. Greeted and seated by the friendly staff. I really enjoy the intimate interior here with its nooks and crannies. This time I had the house speciality Chicken rotisserie. I ordered the half chicken. I wish i’d ordered a full one!!! It was divine. This place is immense.

Absolutely superb- great tasty food- we had 8 of the small plates and they really were tasty. Very much worth a visit xx

Fast becoming regulars here now. One of the beat dining spots in Leeds. Food is on point every time. Service from walking through the door to leaving is warm & attentive without being overbearing. Sam & team are just excellent. Highly recommended any night of the week.

Exceptional food. Very professional yet friendly service. Brilliant place.

A wonderful first visit to this delectable cafe in beautiful sunshine! Hopes were high. Two laydeez of taste and discernment we were. Sated with the gowns of handily placed John Lewis. We opted for an outside table and the wall of flame rotisserie chicken. Totally tender tasty and delish. Gorgeous cocktail in a dessert Negroni tiramisu and to top it all - excellent flat whites. Very busy but no hurry - delightful and kind staff - can’t wait to visit you again!! Kathryn and Barbara xx

What a great place. Cosy inside and french cafe vibes outside. Sunday lunch was beautiful (we had the lamb). My daughter had set her heart on something that wasn't on the Sunday menu, and was going to choose something that was. One of the kitchen staff overheard and said they would make it for her anyway. This made us feel very welcome and valued. Desserts were magnificent and we drank guiness (excellent pint) and expresso martini (very well made). Can't wait to return.

Absolutely knock out scran. Really good service as well. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Leeds.

What an amazing place! The staff were so friendly from the moment we walked through the door. The small plates were excellent. Inventive dishes that tasted incredible. The rotisserie chicken was so tender; great choice of lathers! Tasty and well presented cocktails. Desserts: wow! (we shared all three between the two of us; very glad we did!) I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Will definitely be back. I think would be deserving of a recommendation in the Michelin Guide.

Wonderful food and extremely attentive staff would recommend.

A lovely hidden gem. Delicious food and first class attentive service. Excellent all round.

What a fab little place. Great spot hidden off the main road for a dinner with friends. It’s a tiny place with tables downstairs — super relaxed and intimate vibe. We shared all the starters (they were incredible) and then had a few steaks and chickens between us. And those potatoes… still recovering.

Food was amazing at Empire Cafe! This small and cosy restaurant is easily one of my favourite restaurants in Leeds. We had a variation of starters, all so unique and tasty. For mains we had the half chicken and steak and chips. The chicken was cooked to perfection, not dry - almost melt in the mouth and the butter sauce was soooo yummy! Steak and chips were also really good, chips were crispy with a generous amount of steak. Will be coming back again and will be recommending to friends in Leeds :)

Great service. Food tastes great there’s just not enough of it for the price. Generally feels over priced as we came out hungry. We ordered the whole chicken between two. It comes chopped up into small pieces which is odd as your never sure your getting the full bird but the sides are so small and you only get one portion of potatoes with the whole chicken which isn’t enough for two. Can’t fault the taste or service.

Excellent service and truly memorable food. A hidden (literally) gem. Booking essential. Will be going back for breakfast!

An absolute hidden gem in the heart of Leeds! I was impressed with the cosy ambience and friendly service but the food is the star of the show here. I started with a Spam Pakora topped with egg yolk jam and chilli flakes. It had a warm kick from the chilli, perfectly complimenting the saltiness of the spam and the creamy, slightly sweet egg yolk. My main was Bavette steak, chips and a salsa Verde and I can honestly say this was one of the best steak and chips I've ever had. A great portion and superb quality for £22. The menu was split into seasonal small plates, which also work well as starters, a small large plates menu and a couple of desserts (I was too full for a third course unfortunately!). I am already planning to return to try the rotisserie chicken and more small plates. Highly recommended!

Great food and exceptional service. We can’t wait to visit again soon!

Great food , value for money, tasty delicious food and people that care about making an individual alternative dining experience 🙌

Excellent food. Wonderful service. A little gem of a place. Would recommend to everyone!

Wow! Just wow. Food exceptionally divine. Service was great - so great we left a £50 tip. Such a quirky little restaurant. Down a spiral staircase you go to have a gorgeous meal with an edgy vibe to it. They have an amazing mixologist also, so any cocktail you want, they can make it! 5 stars, I have to admit.

Absolutely incredible food and service. Would happily eat here everyday until I got gout.

Down a tiny spiral staircase we found our cosy corner and had one of the best meals ever. Table staff were great, knowledgable and fun, and the food and drinks were all excellent. We had the mussels and spam pakora (yes, spam) to start, then the steak and a rotisserie chicken, then feeling decadent after the scrummy cocktails we ordered all three desserts which were delicious too. Try the mulled vermouth from the Christmas cocktail menu - heavenly! Will be going back!

The best place in Leeds to eat. Hands down. No snobbery or fannying about. Great food, great service.

Food is absolutely amazing, really tasty and flavourful. We sat upstairs next to some very loud women which kinda impacted our evening a little. Next time we will sit downstairs! Highly recommended, super staff, can’t do enough for you. Sam and team should be very proud 🤩

Absolutely brilliant place to eat and have a few drinks. The menu is amazing and with the small plates, we were able to try things we wouldn't normally. Staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable. Being able to see into the kitchen and watch how the chefs cook on the wall of flames is an awesome experience! We cant wait to return!!

This little place used to be the theatre cafe of the old Empire Theatre (now Harvey Nichols). Great host Alex gave a very warm welcome and knew lots about the place’s history.

Lovely place to grab breakfast on a Saturday morning

Great food and atmosphere - really good spot for lunch.

we were visiting Leeds have heard so much about this place ...maybe our expectations were too high .. we had a half rottiserie chicken .. ( with tarragon lemon and garlic .. good flavours . but tepid with slimy soft skin ? . we chose a bean salad I have never seen such a mean serving ... about 8 French beans a few slices of fennel .. we ordered an extra smaltz potatoes . they were tasty and at least hot .. .. what a shame .. pud was delicious bit again tiny .. mango and coconut pannacotta had a lovely texture like a meringue ... but not really pannacotta .. the service was excellent . I wanted it to be brilliant but alas not

One of the best restaurants in Leeds. Ambitious and interesting. Great vibes, friendly, helpful and knowledgable service, incredibly tasty food. Feels like a lot of love, passion and attention to detail has gone in to this venue.

Food was great when it arrived but we were sat waiting outside for 45 minutes. Wanted to love this place as had read about it and we were looking forward to going. Not even an apology when the food finally arrived. Great looking independent venue though and hopefully just a one off bad experience.

A super lovely, tiny spot (Leeds always seems so adept at nurturing these kinds of places) just off the main shopping drag It’s great looking, service is ace and the food is well as executed as it is interesting; cool looking rotisserie chicken, small plates and breakfast stuff - the bits I tried were all tip top (Caesar and Spam pakora were standout) Would highly recommend and will definitely come back

We have been wanting to go to The Empire Cafe since it opened and it was well worth the wait! Despite some reviews to the contrary the rotisserie chicken was amazing, flavoursome and tender and the roast potatoes were also delicious! It would have been good to have had more veggie main courses, although the starters had a good veggie selection and were substantial enough to have had a couple of those as a main. The staff were lovely and I really enjoyed the music which was quite funky for restaurant background music. Thanks guys we will be back!

It’s 11:50 - too late for breakfast but the guys in the kitchen can rustle up a rotisserie chicken & schmaltz potatoes and I’ve still time to catch the 12:32 🚂- chapeau 👏🏾. Bravo also for the servitor for providing prompt service - much appreciated.

can't fault this place at all, super nice service from all the staff and the food was incredible. The smaller plates change every couple of weeks so that gives us a reason to go back, apart from all the other reasons!

Went in for lunch and had one of the best meals I've had for a long time. Really nice place, service was great and the rotisserie chicken we had was outstanding.

Absolutely love this spot! Brilliant concept, service is absolutely wonderful, the food and drink is top tier. The ever-changing selection of small plates are innovative and so well done, the rotisserie wall is fantastic, and everything we’ve tried has been excellent. If you haven’t been yet, go. If you have been, go back!

Believe the hype. This is a wonderful restaurant that combines truly outstanding food with a great sense of character and great service. The best meal I've had in a very long time.

Came here with a big group which was probably a mistake given the size of the place. Food was interesting and inventive but didn't quite hit the spot, I had the roasted chicken which had marinade on top but didn't really penetrate the meat. Smaller plates seemed the way to go and would have preferred to sit outside instead of by the kitchen. Probably the wrong setting for what we were after and getting the amount of dishes out for our group seemed to be tough, not surprising again given its not a huge place. Will probably come back with just my wife and try again as it seemed promising.

Great food and drinks from an experienced team that clearly know what they're doing. Definitely worth a visit

This is one of my favourite places to eat in Leeds at the moment. The small plates are amazing, and the regularly change so there's always something new and exciting to try. The rotisserie chicken is delicious, but I'd recommend the chips over the chicken schmaltz potatoes. And I've heard great things about the bacon sandwiches so I'll be visiting for breakfast soon!

Really recommend, the rotisserie chicken is excellent, and the small plates are great fun. They rotate often, so it'd be worth going back regularly and trying the new dishes as things come in and out of season. There are a few places to sit, downstairs is more intimate, upstairs is a bit more open. I'd go downstairs for a romantic meal, but upstairs for a bit more casual.

Spot on, loved every dish. Will head back soon to try the chicken rotisserie. Problem with gas day of visit. Can’t wait to head back !

Food was excellent, service was also fantastic. Only gripe is really uncomfortable seats on the higher chairs and bar tables which are the ones located on the ground floor, and the benches are so high your feet have nowhere to rest (im 6ft) which is uncomfortable. I think they have normal tables/chairs downstairs however.

Hidden gem in fish street. Cocktails are superb and mixology is well thought out and very knowledgeable

The steak and chips was amazing!! Definitely coming back for it 🔥

This is undoubtedly one of the best places I've/we've ever dined at. Welcomed & directed to our table, all very friendly. We shared the steak & chips & ordered the Spam pakora ~ couldn't fault anything. Ordered the Spam out of curiosity, & it was a revelation! Our steak & chips were divine, the steak cooked exactly as we had requested. This place is an absolute gem, in the heart of leeds, but a tad hidden. I don't want them to change anything, as everything was so good. Thanks Empire cafè.

Service is great and very attentive. The range of small plates / starters are really interesting and high quality. The mains are ok but not great and expensive for what you get.

Great food. Excellent service. Interesting mixture of small plates and some very succulent chicken. A lovely cocktail selection too

Really tasty chicken. Reasonable given quality and quantity

Tried empire after wanting to go for a while! We loved it, the staff were great and the drinks and food were delicious. We had a bunch of the small plates and thought they were all great. Only negative was the corn seemed over priced for amount served although it was delicious. Particular highlights were the venison and the strawberry dessert. We will be back to try the larger plates and breakfast!

Excellent sausage sandwich from the hatch, highly recommended. Edit 3.7.23 - The Empire Cafe is now my go-to place for breakfast sandwiches. Had a bacon sandwich and a coffee, both excellent, the ingredients are first class.

I've been twice since it opened, and I have to say it's been brilliant each time. A wonderful new addition to the city, looking forward to many more meals here in the future. Menu ever changing with amazing new dishes , some real talent here!

Historic leeds greasy spoon has been converted to a stylish eaterie. The real treat is the food...it is outstanding and priced well. The leeks, roast chicken and negroni tart that I had were superb.

Some big tastes here, certainly not the norm and most definitely worth checking out! Food gets cooked on open fire giving a really rich authentic taste. A little gem of a place, go before you can’t get in!

Absolutely love this place! We went for a selection from the Small Plates menu and they recommended a couple of white wines to compliment the choices. Unrushed, intimate and cosy, while also having a very Top Shelf vibe - it was like a fancy restaurant had been shrunk, and was a joy to experience. Tip - get a table next to the kitchen! The set-up they've got was fantastic to watch in action, and I entirely need to return for the rotisserie chicken!

Would post a review, but we walked in, got blanked by the guy shuffling paperwork behind reception, so walked out and went elsewhere (there are plenty of other eateries in Leeds). Won't bother trying again.

Gorgeous new addition to Leeds. Delicate small plates, hearty large mains from the rotisserie wall, it's got something for everyone. Drinks selection is brilliant too.

A great new hidden little spot in Leeds City Centre which has staples dishes fixed in the menu, together with a range of other dishes that change on a regular basis.

First time at Empire Cafe on a Friday night and I've already recommended it to five different people. The menus are varied and everything we had was so delicious. Also SO MANY GF OPTIONS! The soft shell crab, empire fried chicken and the rotisserie chicken were all incredible, but the absolute highlight was the reblouchon pastel de nata. Lovely atmosphere both inside and out - it was sunny when we went, and we sat outside throughout. Prepare to pay a little more but it's worth it, and especially given the cost of other places in Leeds, I felt the bill was justified.

I'd seen that Empire Cafe was dishing up exciting seasonal dishes on social media - and it did not disappoint. Having had my eye on the reblochon pastel del nata, it was actually the mushroom doughnut that blew me away, with the salmon belly another real highlight. The small plates are fantastic, but we still had room for half a rotisserie chicken, which at £16 for something so tender and tasty and cooked right in front of you - including schmaltz potatoes - we thought was good value too. We turned up without a booking and were lucky to get a table, so I would definitely recommend booking in advance.

Stumbled across this place a few days after it opened and the food and service are excellent. A changing menu built around cooking over fire and packing flavour.. I am looking forward to my next venture to see what they are serving up next!

Seriously very good! A real foodies spot, open fire cooking, great seasonal menu. Great cocktails and drinks menu. Service is always on point, great team.

Lovely food. Wanted to try the whole menu so will be back. The ceasar salad was divine. The chicken so tender.

Can't stop thinking about that rotisserie chicken

Amazing Staff Amazing food Amazing drinks Big Hendo

The Empire Cafe is a fantastic addition to the brilliant hospitality scene in Leeds. The service and cocktails were both first rate and whilst we didn’t have any food, their menu looked delicious and will certainly be back to try it!

Fantastic wine/cocktail selection, excellent food and service! Will be returning. Love the vibe!

Stopped by for an early breakfast on a Saturday morning. Relaxed atmosphere. Fabulous food. Made me think of my mums delicious breakfast. Highly recommended. We intend to cone back to try the evening menu too.

Really nice food, and a well put together menu. Staff very friendly and great service.

Exceptional, hidden gem. Went for the evening, menu was varied, almost tapas like, and the rotisserie chicken was exceptional. Hot Honey.... SOLD! Need to try Breakfast and lunch next. Epic work guys!

Amazing cute venue with delicious food. Warning small boutique portions

Super friendly staff, with great recommendations (ask for their wine opinions - they have strong ones haha!) starters were fantastic (we got the chorizo madeleines and the octopus wontons, both great and super flavorful) and the steak was really good. Roast chicken was a little dry which was a bit disappointing but other than that would definitely recommend and would come back again.

Absolutely incredible. Such an amazing atmosphere, really lovely staff and top notch service. The steak and chips was the best we have ever had. Would go again in a heartbeat.

Absolutely amazing food, fantastic service and a great atmosphere. Can’t wait to come back and try more of the menu. Food and Drink options both on point, and the staff were extremely welcoming and helpful with recommendations

Totally amazing food, lovely drinks and attentive staff. Really, really pleased the Empire Cafe has opened as Leeds needs exactly this kind of place right now.

Just what Leeds needs, a beautifully thought out menu of small plates with unique flavours and local produce. Great atmosphere and service. Will be coming regularly 🙌🏼