If like me, you can rarely stomach breakfast and prefer your first meal of the day to be closer to the afternoon, you may be seeking new places to enjoy brunch. Leeds city centre is home to a brilliant array of independent cafes and restaurants serving up hearty and wholesome breakfast and brunch dishes from morning until well after midday.
Whether you like to break your fast with a protein hit or prefer something sweeter to set you up for the day, these fantastic independent brunch spots in Leeds city centre will provide you with a satisfying and delicious first meal…
Where To Get Brunch in Leeds City Centre…
Farmhouse
20-22 Lands Lane, Leeds LS1 6LB
Farmhouse has been one of Harrogate’s most loved brunch spots for some time now and in August 2023, the indie favourite opened a second venue in Leeds city centre. Boasting spacious, contemporary interiors and a varied menu of breakfast favourites, brilliant brunchtime creations, various internationally inspired lunches, juicy burgers and crafted cocktails, this popular eatery has already received countless glowing reviews.
There’s something for everyone at one of the newest brunch spots in Leeds! Those seeking something healthy and nutritious are well catered for with tasty Acai bowls, Japanese rice bowls, superfood salads and more. For a heartier start to the day, there’s a cracking Full English with all the expected components, Shakshuka, Eggs Benedict, Smashed Avo on Toast and much more.
I highly recommend the Farmhouse Benedict which comprises two sourdough crumpets topped with potato rosti, turkey bacon, two poached eggs, crispy halloumi and hollandaise sauce. It’s super filling and absolutely delicious!
If you’re hoping to satisfy a sweet craving, Farmhouse also serves towering pancake stakes topped with either blueberry compote and banana or crushed Lotus biscuits, Lotus spread, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Naughty but oh-so tasty!
Green Room
36 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 2DE
Green Room on Wellington Street is a social hotspot all year round due to its large roof terrace and mouthwatering food menus. During the warmer months, the roof terrace at Green Room is the ideal space for sipping cocktails in the sunshine and when the weather gets colder, it’s covered and transformed into a winter garden complete with heaters, cosy blankets and a menu of warming dishes and festive drinks.
Having visited both for a boozy summertime brunch and a pre-Christmas date with the husband, I can confirm that the ambience on the terrace is always great, regardless of the time of year.
Green Room recently announced Braizin Squad as their resident chefs so diners can expect to see some truly delicious dishes on the menus this season. The recently revealed brunch menu features all the usual breakfast and brunch dishes plus a few creative culinary surprises, all expertly prepared by the talented trio of chefs.
Banish a hangover or load up on protein with Braizin Squad’s Full English Brekkie (vegan version available), keep it simple with a classic bacon sarnie, load up on nutrients with a poke bowl, treat yourself to an indulgent pancake stack or tuck into the delicious-sounding Braised Ox Cheek Benedict which features a smoked chipotle hollandaise.
Olive & Rye
Queens Arcade, 18-20 Briggate, Leeds LS1 6LF
Located in the beautiful Queens Arcade which is known for its beautiful Victorian features and array of boutique shops, is one of Leeds’ best independent cafes. Perfectly situated for shoppers, this splendid little indie business serves a daily menu bursting with creative versions of breakfast and brunch classics plus a selection of generously filled sandwiches and healthy salads.
Breakfasts such as granola, full breakfasts and breakfast bagels are available until 2 pm but their brunch dishes are available to order all day. The brunch options at Olive & Rye are superb, with numerous sweet and savoury options on offer plus, plenty of tasty dishes for vegans and vegetarians. Extensive and varied, the brunch menu will likely take some perusing before deciding as all the dishes sound utterly delicious.
Non-meat eaters can start the day with halloumi and mushroom on sourdough toast with a homemade spicy tomato sauce or perhaps, opt for the ever-popular avo on toast. Meat-based brunch dishes include a warming Chorizo Hash and the rather scrumptious-sounding Reuben Benedict which comprises pastrami, poached eggs, mustard hollandaise, pickles and crispy onions served upon toasted sourdough. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll undoubtedly have trouble resisting the Lemon Meringue French Toast!
IF Up North
43 Call Lane, Leeds LS1 7BT
IF Up North now have a handful of venues scattered around Leeds but the success story of these popular coffee, cake and brunch connoisseurs began on Call Lane. The original IF cafe has long been considered one of the best brunch spots in Leeds due to its exceptionally good coffee and fantastic all-day dining menu. Whether you’re seeking a quick caffeine and cake fix or you’re craving a hearty and wholesome brunch dish, packed with quality local ingredients, IF Call Lane can certainly deliver and do so extraordinarily well.
This rather iconic Leeds cafe bar offers a mouthwatering menu of brunch dishes alongside a daily selection of phenomenally good cakes. The thick and fluffy pancakes are particularly delicious and come loaded with toppings like summer fruits and Biscoff crumbs. The full English breakfasts, benedicts and burritos are equally as tasty and of course, beautifully presented.
If it’s a boozy brunch you’re after, IF Bar is just across the road and offers a brilliant bottomless brunch on weekends so you can enjoy their tasty daytime dishes alongside several cocktails!
FINT
73 Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3BR
Looking for something a little different to the usual bacon and eggs brunches? FINT on Great George Street is a Scandinavian-inspired all-day dining venue serving seasonal menus of organic and nutritious dishes.
The stripped-back, minimalist decor provides the perfect setting for a laidback brunch date and you’ll find a stunning array of quirky eats on the menu that you won’t find elsewhere in the city.
Brunch at FINT is available between 10 am and 3 pm and there’s something to suit most tastes and preferences on the brunch menu. FINT’s take on the Full English is a mouthwatering medley of top-notch produce given a Scandinavian twist. Venison sausages, molasses-cured bacon, poached egg, pickled mushrooms, confit tomato and a classic Swedish potato pancake are served with sourdough toast. There’s a vegan version too which includes Meatless Farm sausage and scrambled tofu.
One of the most popular brunch dishes at FINT, however, has to be their tasty alternative to Eggs Benedict. The Lamb Sourdough Benedict comprises braised Yorkshire lamb, pickled apricots, poached eggs, lemon hollandaise and almond granola on either sourdough toast or homemade crumpets. Delish!
The Collective Inc
33 Boar Lane, Leeds LS1 5DA
The Collective Inc is just a short walk away from Leeds railway station and a must-visit for interior design fans! As well as being a great cafe bar serving up tasty grub which champions local produce and producers, it’s a retail space showcasing high-quality finishings, tableware and art.
Pretty much everything you can see in The Collective Inc is available to purchase, including the tables and chairs. If you’re seeking a statement piece for your new home or hoping to upgrade some dilapidated furniture, The Collective Inc enables you to discover unique pieces whilst indulging in a mid-morning or early afternoon meal.
This super cool cafe bar and retail space has very recently announced the appointment of a new executive chef. In addition to creating exquisite tasting menus for the multi-purpose venue’s newly extended opening hours and a superb Sunday lunch offering, award-winning Craig Rogan has elevated The Collective Inc’s daytime menu.
The menu looks remarkably different to how it did when I last visited! There are some truly scrumptious-sounding new additions alongside classics like Eggs Benedict and Avocado on Toast. Pull up a chair and peruse the venue’s latest collections whilst tucking into Baked Egg Shakshuka, Heirloom Tomato Panzanella with Burrata, Cassoulet of Sykes Garlic Sausage or Salt-Baked Beets served with goats cheese and walnuts.
As is the case with all our articles of this nature, we’ll be amending and updating this list as and when we discover or are introducing to new businesses. To make a recommendation or to discuss advertising opportunities, please email business@theyorkshirepress.co.uk
