El Gringos - Carta

La Bistro Mediterranean Kitchen

➤ 124 Long Row, LS18 5AT, Leeds, United Kingdom

Carta • Pizza • Bistro • European • Mediterranean

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"We’ve eaten at La Bistro a good 20 or 30 times now, and as the title suggests, it’s our favourite restaurant in Leeds, not just Horsforth. For context, we are a family of four with two young kids, aged 10 and 7 at the time of writing. Given that background, the things we tend to look for in a restaurant are good food, a nice environment, solid service, consistency and a tendency to cater well for kids (and for me, that’s not simply about having a kids menu; I’ll come back to that later . La Bistro ticks every single box, every single time. First and foremost, the food here is fantastic. For all of us. Personally, I’m a lover of Mediterranean food, though as much as I do try to mix things up, I struggle to get past the meat platter; it’s delicious. The menu leads with a selection of Turkish dishes, everything from hot and cold mezes to Ottoman style seafood, and this is my personal favourite section of the menu. But there’s a lot more on offer beyond that, including a wide choice of pizzas and pastas, steaks, burgers, plus a smattering of Greek favourites like stifado and moussaka. For this reason, it’s always been a go-to whenever we’ve been looking for somewhere for a big family group. We’ve had tables of around 20 adults and children, some fussier than others, and everyone has gone away happy and full. There is something for everyone, even those with certain food intolerances. Kids can choose from a smaller portion of any pizza or pasta (they’re still generous, btw! , or a selection of other options like chicken nuggets. One final word on the food, the early bird deal (which runs from Sunday to Friday until 5pm, I think! , offers two courses for something like £19 is fantastic value. Whilst I’m partial to a calamari starter, my wife loves the desserts! There’s a good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. From a personal point of view, I prefer a draft beer as opposed to bottled, however the 500ml bottles of “Efes Draft” are the next best thing. The restaurant itself is modest in size and has a modern, cozy feel. Though the restaurant isn’t massive, there’s ample space between tables, and you don’t feel like you are a top of one another. It’s a nice, relaxing place to be, even when the place is busy. As good as the food is (and it truly is brilliant , what makes this place is the staff. To a person, they are absolutely fantastic. Welcoming, friendly, helpful and attentive. Again, no matter how busy it is. Our young daughter gets on like a house on fire with the owner, who is brilliant with both of our kids. Some time ago, my daughter drew a little sketch of him while at the table; to this day, that picture remains pinned on the wall at the back of the restaurant. Just a lovely touch, that delights our little girl every time we go back. Whenever the kids’ birthdays come around, La Bistro is always the place they ask to go. Not TGIs, not Nando’s, not Five Guys. That in itself speaks volumes, for me. A visit to La Bistro is like a warm hug from family. Every single time, bar none, we’ve walked away having thoroughly enjoyed not just the food, but the whole experience. It is consistently excellent. It’s what eating out as a family should be all about."

The Old King's Arms

➤ The Green, Horsforth I-LS18 5JB, United Kingdom

Carta • Cafés • Kebab • Pizza • Asiatic

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"This large pub offers fantastic food, including their delicious slap pickle. They frequently change the wallpaper, creating a fresh atmosphere while providing a wide selection of beers. They also feature seasonal drinks, like glow wine during festive celebrations. The cozy, traditional pub ambiance is delightful, and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting or living in the Horsforth area. It’s also very dog-friendly!"

Trattoria Il Forno

➤ 85 Town St, Horsforth, England, LS18 5BP, United Kingdom

Carta • Pizza • Mexican • Seafood • Fast Food

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"We visited this restaurant last night, the first time in a few years. The service was good and friendly. The pate was okay, and the dough balls were also just okay. The calzone and mushroom risotto were average, while the gnocchi was okay. Overall, the food was nothing special. The prices were quite high, with beers costing £7.50 each and Sprites priced at £4.75. We ended up spending £162 for four people, including a bottle of mid-priced wine. We were not impressed enough to come back in a hurry."

The Agora

➤ 207 209 New Road Side, Leeds, United Kingdom

Carta • Greek • Turkish • European • Vegetarian

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"As is usual for this time of year – time for our annual visit to the Agora on Christmas Eve to enjoy the wonderful fayre this restaurant has to offer. Warmly welcomed on a cold blustery evening and arriving somewhat windswept, we were shown through to our table which was very nicely positioned in the window next to a lovely warm radiator! As is the norm, we ordered a bottle of Cankaya to be followed by starters of Prawn cocktail and Lamb Keftedes. Mains of choice on this occasion were the seabass feta and Adana. Starters suitably delivered they were well presented and nice and hot. My keftedes were smothered in rich tomato sauce were very tasty. Sue’s prawn cocktail was also very good, lots of plump prawns with flavoursome Marie Rose sauce. The bread that was supplied separately was used to good effect to mop up the excess sauce with all dishes left spotless before being returned to the kitchen. A short while later the mains were delivered. The seabass was very good, two fillets stuffed with feta accompanied with potatoes and vegetables. My Adana was also lovely, nice flavoursome kebab on a bed of rice and small side salad. As always both dishes were enjoyed very much with plates left devoid of all that went before. Another very nice meal at The Agora, really lovely friendly hosts with whom we enjoyed chatting very much supported by tasty well presented food that provides a real taste of the Mediterranean. Visited 24 Dec 2023"

Westbourne Spice

➤ Bradford Road, Otley, LS21 3LS, Leeds, United Kingdom

Carta • Balti • Curry • Indian • Chicken

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"This was my third Westbourne experience. First visit back to the UK since the pandemic. If anything this restaurant has got better, (if that is possible), probably the best service I have seen. The place was mobbed as it turned out to be ‘Early Bird’ night. For somewhere that is as busy they have absolutely nailed the service and the food. A fantastic menu with some fantastic food, all while being looked after by the best serving staff you could wish for. We hadn’t booked as this was a last minute arrangement but the restaurant accommodated us and made sure we were valued. The whole place is clean as a new pin, which includes the washrooms.I cannot recommend the Westbourne highly enough."