Home to award-winning art and sculpture, the world’s first nature reserve and of course, the National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield has much to offer tourists and definitely deserves a place on your itinerary, should you be exploring Yorkshire anytime in the future. When planning a day out, it’s often a good idea to check out the restaurant choices before you go. If you’re looking for restaurants in Wakefield then you’ve come to the right place!
When it comes to dining out in West Yorkshire, Leeds might be your first point of call but you may be surprised to learn that the cathedral city of Wakefield could easily give Leeds a run for its money when it comes to eating out. To give you an idea of what Wakefield’s hospitality scene has to offer, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular restaurants in Wakefield. There really is something for everyone…
5 of the best restaurants in Wakefield…
Capri at The Vine
82 Leeds Road, Wakefield WF1 2QF
Capri at The Vine is an Italian restaurant and bar on Wakefield’s Leeds Road boasting two 2nd floor outdoor terraces. This popular venue opened its doors in 2016 and was the second of its kind to be opened by the Capri family.
The restaurant seats an impressive 300 diners and serves authentic Italian cuisine made with the finest of ingredients. As with most Italian restaurants, the menu at Capri is quite extensive and features many traditional favourites such as Bruschetta, Spaghetti Carbonara and Risotto Al Funghi.
For those who love the flavours of Italy but like to break away from the usual offerings when dining out, the menu at Capri is bursting with options. Their Care D’agnello is a locally sourced, herb-crusted rack of lamb served with a mint and red wine jus – a Yorkshire favourite with an Italian twist. For fans of fish and seafood, there’s a delightful array of dishes including Ravioli Seabass and their Pesce Lune Meuniere – Pan-fried Dover sole in beurre noisette and a lemon and caper sauce.
Starters are priced from £6.90 (Soup of the Day) at Capri and main courses range from £9.80 (Pizza Margherita) to £29.95 (Fillet Steak).
Qubana
1-3 Wood Street, Wakefield WF1 2EL
Situated in a former bank, Qubana is a Cuban and Spanish tapas restaurant and bar with beautiful interiors and a big personality. With a spacious and charismatic restaurant, an underground bar, a gorgeous rooftop terrace and a quirky underground private dining experience available, this place has plenty to offer.
At Qubana, they base their menus around seasonal locally sourced produce so their menus change regularly but there is always a superb selection of authentic tapas dishes and delicious mains to choose from. Their menu consistently boasts a vast array of flavoursome starter/tapas options with dishes currently including tasty delights such as Chorizo Lollipops, Beef Tartare, Empanada, Pan-fried Halloumi plus many more.
They always have a great number of meat, fish and vegetarian main courses which are all very reasonably priced. For an authentic Galician flavour, opt for something from their fantastic grill menu which includes meat sourced from Yorkshire butchers cooked in a traditional Galician way on their charcoal grill.
Prices for tapas dishes at Qubana start at £4.50 (Patatas Bravas), burgers from £14 (Vegan burger) signature mains begin at £16 (Jambalaya) and the dishes on their grill range are priced from £12.95 (Butterflied Chicken Breast) to £42 ( a meat platter for two).
Tết
3 – 9 Cross Square, Wakefield WF11PQ
Situated in the centre of Wakefield, just a short distance from Wakefield Cathedral is Tết Restaurant. This popular, contemporary eatery serves authentic Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, expertly prepared by their Head Chef.
Tết most certainly has one of the most beautifully decorated dining rooms in Wakefield, providing the perfect backdrop for those celebration group photos and Insta-worthy selfies.
Their main menu is a mouthwatering list of traditional Thai, and Vietnamese favourites such as Chicken Satay, Green Curry and Pad Thai but it also features a delightful selection of signature dishes, carefully created by the talented Tết team. They cater for most dietary requirements and all the dishes on their menu can be made to your preferred heat intensity.
Starters and small plates begin at £7.95 ( Vegetable Spring Roll) and go up to £11.50 (Tempura Prawns). Mains are priced between £10.95 ( Papaya Salad) and £29.50 (Fillet Steak).
It really is a rather extensive menu so if you’re struggling to decide on a dish, there are a couple of reasonably priced tasting menus on offer priced at £39.50 and £44.50. The higher-priced version includes Thai Prawn Crackers, sharing platter of Tet’s most popular starters, Duck Fruity Curry, Nutty Chicken, Crispy Seabass Fillet, Stir-Fried Green Beans with Garlic & Black Pepper plus Egg Fried Rice. What a feast!
All in all, it’s a superb central restaurant serving a vast array of delicious, aromatic dishes in a sophisticated setting.
The Grill Pit
40 Westgate, Wakefield WF1 1JY
Located inside the Counting House in Wakefield you’ll find a fun and funky casual dining restaurant called The Grill Pit. This place is immensely popular with locals and when you see their menu you’ll understand why. Ideal for family meals and celebrations with friends, they serve up their own version of fast food and calorific comfort food favourites.
If you’re a meat-lover then you’re in for a real treat. Their menu includes Dr Pepper Pulled Pork, Slow-Cooked Beef Brisket, Gourmet Burgers, Jumbo Chicken Wings, Meaty Ribs, numerous kebabs, baguettes and nachos plus their own version of the North East favourite – the Parmo. Although their epic menu is targeted towards carnivores, they also offer some excellent veggie dishes including their “Filthy Jackfruit Burger” and a Grilled Halloumi Kebab.
All the starters at The Grill Pit are priced at £7 and you can choose from a selection of wings, boneless wings and halloumi wedges with your choice of sauce or topping. Mains cost from just £9 (Classic Dog) to £16 (The King Kebab).
Food at The Grill Pit is already reasonably priced but you can pay even less if you dine on certain days. On Wednesdays, you can get two mains for the price of one and on Thursdays and Sundays, it’s buy one, get one half price on mains.
IRIS
12 Bullring, Wakefield WF1 1HA
Okay, so the restaurant scene in Wakefield covers a wonderful variety of cuisines from around the world and we’ve included Italian, Cuban, Thai and American restaurants in this article. However, Wakefield is also home to some great restaurants which don’t focus on one particular cuisine but offer a small menu of creative dishes designed to highlight some of the region’s excellent produce.
Iris is one such restaurant serving a selection of globally inspired, thoughtfully concocted dishes and they do it phenomenally well. The British brasserie boasts sleek and contemporary interiors and bases its menu around top-quality locally sourced ingredients – some of which the chefs forage for themselves.
As their menu is very much dependent on the produce available to the creative chefs each season, it changes regularly. It’s a fixed price menu too, with diners able to choose two courses for £19.95 or three for £24.95. Currently, starters on their menu include North Sea “Fish Pie” Scotch Egg, Truffle Honey Beetroots and the incredible-sounding Hog Roast Pork which is fried in a Yorkshire pudding batter and served with apple ketchup and crackling. Currently, main course options Korean Glazed Chicken, Venison Ragu, Lamb Dumpling and Sea Bream served with a butter bean and Italian nduja cassoulet.
Three Flames
270 Wakefield Rd, Lupset, WakefieldWF5 9AB
Three Flames is an absolute must visit restaurant in Wakefield for meat lovers! For the past year or so, it has been one of the most talked about eateries in the area and has attracted numerous foodie influencers keen to sample its extensive menu of meaty mains and premium steaks.
All the steaks at Three Flames are 28 day dry-aged Black Angus and they’re all prepared in house by their own in-house butcher. Choose from Ribeye, T-Bone, Fillet, A5 Wagyu Ribeye and Tomahawk and enjoy with grilled tomato and asparagus.
If steak isn’t your thing then there are plenty of other tempting mains on offer including a selection of burgers served in homemade brioche buns, Lamb Chops with mint chumichurri, Norwegian Salmon and Smoked Paprika Cauliflower Steak.
Starters are priced between £5 (Houmous with flatbread) and £12 (Beef Sushi Rolls). Main courses vary in price quite significantly and cost anything from £12 for a Halloumi Burger and £70 for a 35oz Tomahawk.
As with all our articles of this nature, we will be adding to this list over time. If you would like to recommend your favourite restaurants in Wakefield or wish to request our media pack, please email business@theyorkshirepress.co.uk
