Headingley
Dare is popular with students (because it’s trendy and cheap), and does coffees, snacks and light lunches—plus big portions of good Mexican dishes at night.
Citrus, another student café-bar, gets mixed reviews: you decide!
Tariq’s is an Indian restaurant and take-away which gets busy because it’s popular: it makes a big deal of welcoming students, as you’ll see from the big sign in the window.
You can’t not go to Brett’s—the fish and chips are so good, there’s often a queue. You may even see the Test Match Special team in there in the summer, because it’s so close to the cricket ground. Be warned, you might miss it: it looks more like an ivy-clad stone house.
Chapel Allerton
Sukhothai has featured twice in the Times’ guide to the top-10 Thai restaurants. They’re reasonably priced, and there’s a takeaway.
If you want to splash out a bit, try the award-winning Olive Tree Greek Restaurant (there’s one in Headingley, too)—there’s an early doors 3-course menu for at £12.95 from 6-7pm or Sundays from noon till 10:30pm.
City centre
Cuban Heels, near the Corn Exhange, is small and unpretentious with good-sized portions of reasonably priced and wholesome Cuban and Tex/Mex food.
Viva Cuba, on Kirkstall Road, does great tapas, doesn’t cost the earth and has a friendly, authentic feel.
They’re not exactly giving it away at Art’s Café Bar and Restaurant (although lunch is more reasonable, and they do all they can for Fairtrade)—BUT they have an exhibition space for all kinds of contemporary art, and invite anyone to submit their art for consideration. You may even sell something!
