Central district of Leeds. It contains the following notable areas:
Civic quarter - north of the railway station, focussed on Millennium Square. Many museums and galleries can be found in this area as can two major educational institutions.
Central shopping district - north and north east of the railway station.
Exchange quarter - east of the railway station, centred on the Corn Exchange. Home to many quirky independents, bars and cafes.
Gay Village - east of the railway station around Lower Briggate.
Financial district - north west of the railway station. The attractive Georgian-era Park Square is at the centre.
Riverside - south of the railway station. The converted granaries are now home to shops and restaurants, while new developments bring upmarket shopping to Leeds. The Royal Armouries museum can be found at Clarence Dock.
Holbeck - south of the railway station. Once the industrial heart of Leeds, this district has been regenerated into a creative industries quarter with trendy bars spilling into cosy public spaces.
Get in
See
🌍Millennium Square.There is generally something going on! A great public space home to some gorgeous civic architecture (including Leeds Civic Hall - council offices built in 1933), concerts, exhibitions, ice rinks, Christmas markets.(updated Dec 2024)
🌍Leeds City Museum,Millennium Square, LS2 8BH.Tu-F 10AM-5PM; Sa Su 11AM-5PM.The Leeds Story is the main draw for visitors, but there are also galleries of natural history and ancient Roman and Greek history. The museum is in the imposing Leeds Institute building.free.(updated Dec 2024)
🌍Town Hall,The Headrow.The city's symbol and pride and joy, one of the world's finest Victorian buildings, and home to a dazzling array of concerts, particularly during the city's popular and extensive International Concert Season. The restored interior is stunning.(updated Dec 2024)
🌍Leeds Art Gallery(Leeds City Art Gallery),The Headrow.Tu-Sa 10AM–5PM; Su 11AM-3PM.The world of modern and classical art is at your disposal here in Leeds. It has a small but interesting range of exhibits, plus an ornately-tiled cafe, and is a great place to kill half an hour or more. It is co-joined with the Henry Moore Institute, which exhibits sculpture. Free.(updated Jan 2025)
🌍Henry Moore Institute,74 The Headrow, LS1 3AH.Tu-Su 11AM-5:30PM, W until 8PM.Small sculpture gallery and library.free.(updated Dec 2024)
Victoria Quarter
🌍Victoria Quarter including County Arcade,Briggate.When the Victorian civic authorities sought to improve the sights and foul smells of Briggate and the city centre, they demolished some of the city's dirtiest yards, alleyways, shambles and lanes and built covered shopping arcades filled with fine establishments. These catered for the refined tastes of the growing moneyed classes of Leeds. This rebuilding continued into Edwardian times and the legacy is some of Europe's finest, most elegant shopping locations. Today these arcades are home to some of the most exclusive designer shops in Great Britain (Vivienne Westwood, Hugo Boss, Luis Vuitton and Harvey Nichols to name a few).(updated Dec 2024)
🌍Kirkgate Market,Vicar Lane.M-Sa 8AM-5:30PM.This traditional British market is largest in Europe. Housed in an opulent late Victorian palace to commerce, it has both indoor and outdoor stalls. Marks and Spencer had their first establishment here called, 'Marks Penny Bazaar'.(updated Dec 2024)
Inside Corn Exchange
🌍Corn Exchange,Call Lane.Shopping in surroundings to rival any of Leeds' fine arcades. Located just to the south of Kirkgate markets on Vicar Lane. Designed by Cuthbert Broderick and architecturally based on the Paris corn exchange. A largely elliptical building, crowned with a great glass dome roof, that allows light to stream in even on the greyest Yorkshire winter mornings - necessary because grain traders required good lighting to determine the quality of the grain. (Broderick was also architect of Leeds town hall and the Leeds Mechanics' Institute, Millennium Square, Two shops designed by Broderick still survive opposite the Mechanics Institute on Cookridge Street, now converted into a cocktail bar.)(updated Nov 2015)
🌍St Pauls House,20 and 22, St Paul's Street.A stunning building built in an ornate Middle Eastern style, with minarets, complex stone carvings, and colored tiles on the facade.
🌍Park Square.A lovely Georgian square reminiscent of Dublin, and is often an overlooked haven of tranquility in the city centre. (Hard to find without a map)
🌍City Square.With old Post Office and imposing Queens Hotel.(updated Nov 2015)
Churches
🌍Saint Anne's Cathedral(Cathedral Church of St Anne),Cookridge Street.Small, but an extremely interesting example of an Arts and Crafts, 19th-century Catholic cathedral - unique within the UK.
🌍St John's Church,New Briggate.Hidden away within peaceful gardens lies this true gem, built just before the English Civil War, it has beautiful ornate woodwork in its charming interior, and architecturally it is an extremely rare example of a 17th-century double nave design.(updated Nov 2015)
🌍Oxford Place Chapel,Oxford Place.Lovely 19th-century, red-brick baroque church.
🌍Leeds Minster(Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds),Kirkgate.An attractive and fairly large neo-gothic church with a renowned choir and concerts from time to time. During the rebuilding of the Parish church in Victorian times, the original Saxon crosses where Leeds folk would have worshipped in the 8/9th centuries (well before the first church of Leeds had been founded) were unearthed in the medieval tower and is permanently on display inside.(updated Nov 2015)
🌍Holy Trinity Church,Boar Lane.An unassuming location and exterior hide an elegant baroque interior, built for the merchant class by subscription and donation so they could worship well away from the lower working classes of the city. The Iconic spire of Holy Trinity has dominated the skyline of the city for hundreds of years and was restored in 2006/7.(updated Nov 2015)
🌍Grand Theatre,46 New Briggate,☏ +44 844 848 2700.Major shows (often straight from the West End); also this is the home of the world famous (and extraordinarily good) Opera North who perform a wide repertoire of operas and operettas.
🌍West Yorkshire Playhouse,Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill,☏ +44 113 213-7700.More adventurous and often performs world premiers and encourages local talent - well worth a visit. Lucky travellers may arrive in time for one of the themed, almost festival-style programmes.
Cinemas
🌍Vue,The Light Plaza, The Headrow, city centre.Modern 13-screen multiplex cinema with huge screens.
🌍Everyman,Trinity, Briggate, city centre.Cinema complex in the Trinity shopping centre.
Buy
Eat
🌍Aagrah,St Peter's Square, Quarry Hill, city centre,☏ +44 113 245-5667.An expanding Bradford-based chain of quality curry houses. Traditional Indian and Pakistani cuisines available
🌍Akbars,15 Eastgate, city centre,☏ +44 113 245-6566.A chain of excellent curry houses. Try the masala fish!
🌍Arts Café,42 Call Lane, exchange quarter,☏ +44 113 243-8243.One of the oldest establishments in the Exchange Quarter, with a friendly-relaxed vibe and food to die for at very reasonable prices (the desserts are especially delicious).
🌍Bibis,Criterion Place, Sovereign Street,city centre,☏ +44 113 243-0905.Wonderful Italian food served in a fantastic Art-Deco restaurant - packed with local regulars who know a good thing when they eat it!
🌍Little Tokyo,24 Central Rd, Exchange Quarter,☏ +44 113 243-9090.Multi-award winning Japanese place.
🌍Red Hot World Buffet,The Light, 44-48 The Light The Headrow, City Square, city centre,☏ +44 113 244-0400.All-you-can-eat buffet restaurant on Headrow.
🌍Fourth Floor at Harvey Nichols,Victoria Quarter, 107-111 Briggate,☏ +44 113 204-8888.Renowned Leeds branch restaurant has been going strong for years with an innovative menu tailored to the seasons. Despite the swanky location, it is surprisingly unpretentious and not ridiculously pricey.
🌍Sous Le Nez en Ville,The Basement, Quebec House, 9 Quebec St, financial quarter(near railway station),☏ +44 113 244-0108.Fantastic dining experience below street level in this exclusive-but-well-worth-it restaurant. Does a very good value early bird menu, but you need to book in advance at the weekend.
Cafés, coffees and light meals
As well as a plethora of fine restaurants, Leeds also has a huge range of cafés and places for a drink or light bite. Of course there are countless Starbucks, Caffe Neros, Costa Coffees, etc. but there is also a strong showing from independent places. Many of the above restaurants will do smaller meals and lunch menus during the day but here are a pick of some Leeds cafés:
🌍Bagel Nash,City Square; The Light Plaza, The Headrow and Swan Street, all city centre.Rapidly expanding Leeds bagel chain, with a massive range of bagels and fillings, all extremely tasty.
🌍Bottega Milanese,The Light Plaza and Call Lane.An espresso bar that is open until 10 or 11PM most nights. Excellent coffee and good food.
🌍Harvey Nichols' Café,Briggate, City Centre(Ground floor).High quality treats that won't break the bank.
🌍Philpotts,41 St Paul's Street, financial quarter.Top quality sandwich deli and juice bar.
🌍Tiled Hall Café,The Headrow, City Centre.A magnificent tiled hall linking the city library and city art gallery next to the Town Hall. A must for any visitor, and pop in the gallery and library for a free look round.
🌍Epernay,Electric Press, 12 Great George Street, City Centre,☏ +44 113 242-9977.High-quality champagne bar.
🌍Jake's Bar,29 Call Lane, City Centre,☏ +44 113 243-1110.Thought of by many as having the best drinks in the city, and is on one of the city's busiest bar strips.
🌍Norman,36 Call Lane, City Centre,☏ +44 330 111 0010.Sexy and stylish, has bucket-loads of atmosphere and great drinks.
🌍Milo,10 Call Lane, City Centre.Bohemian, has bucket-loads of atmosphere and great drinks. DJs and often a bit of dancing too.
🌍Mojo Bar,Northern Quarter, 18 Merrion St(Just past the Grand Theatre down a small road on the right.),☏ +44 845 611 8643.Old favourite still going strong with a wonderful, friendly atmosphere and drinks to die for.
🌍North Bar,24 New Briggate, City Centre,☏ +44 113 242-4540.Unrivalled beer selection! Was named best place to drink in Britain by The Observer.
🌍Whitelocks,4 Turk's Head Yard(off Briggate),☏ +44 113 245-3950.A great 18th-century historic pub, one of the most impressive (and oldest) in Leeds.
🌍The Wardrobe,6 St. Peter’s Square, Quarry Hill,☏ +44 113 383-8800.Famed for its diverse range of quality live music, including a strong jazz offer. With bar and food.
🌍The HiFi Club,2 Central Rd,☏ +44 113 242-7353.Regularly voted the best club in the city, it has a range of quality nights out playing excellent music in easy-going yet chic surroundings... expect everything from jazz to reggae to hip hop. Featuring live Comedy every Saturday evening and live music at The Sunday Joint every Sunday, HiFi is the truly diverse venue that every city deserves!
🌍My House(Stinky's Peephouse),Brick St.Home of one of the UK's biggest club nights: Back to Basics (Sa).
🌍The Space,11 Hirst's Yard,,☏ +44 113 246-1030.Great Thursday nights (Habit) and great weekends sometimes too! Although Fridays and Saturdays are to be avoided unless you know it will be busy, it's not really a Friday or Saturday night place.(updated Mar 2019)
🌍Wire,2-8 Call Lane,☏ +44 113 234-0980.Wire pushes quality underground music in a personal setting. The club is powered by a full Funktion One Sound system, fuelled by an eclectic range of spirits and beer from around the globe, and is a favourite home to world class DJs.
🌍Art Hostel,83 Kirkgate, LS2 7DJ,☏ +44 113 345-3363,arthostel@esamail.org.uk.A hostel with a twist. Each room exhibits works by local artists, which understandably makes this more expensive than your average hostel, but not bank-breakingly so.Dorm from £22.50/night; private room from £55/night.(updated Dec 2016)
🌍Russell Scott Hostel,1 Lisbon St, LS1 4LY,☏ +44 113 245-9046,leeds@rshostels.co.uk.Perhaps Leeds' only true backpacker hostel.Dorm from £17/night. Single room from £26.50/night. Continental breakfast and wifi included in room price.(updated Dec 2016)
🌍Discovery Inn,Bishopgate Street 15, LS1 5DY,☏ +44 113 242 2555,info@discoveryinn-leeds.co.uk.Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00.Independent hotel right next to the Leeds City railway station in a historic building. Rooms and interior are a little outdate to modern standards, but a good choice for a night or two when visiting Leeds. The hotel has spread out to neighbouring buildings, leading to a maze of lifts and corridors to get to rooms. Don't bother paying the £7.50 extra for breakfast, it's not worth it.(updated Apr 2025)
Splurge
🌍Roomzzz Leeds City,10 Swinegate,☏ +44 844 4994888.A short walk from the train station, Harvey Nichols, and the finance district. Award winning Aparthotel right in the heart of Leeds' vibrant City Centre in the Swinegate area. LCD TV, Apple Mac computers, free Wi-Fi and free Grab & Go Breakfast.
🌍Malmaison Leeds,1 Swinegate,☏ +44 113 426-0047.Three minutes walk from the City Rail Station, in the Swinegate area of the city.
🌍Met(formerly Hotel Metropole),King Street,☏ +44 113 245-0841,enquiries.themet@principal-hayley.com.Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM.A 4-star hotel offering 120 bedrooms, 18 event suites and a restaurant, housed in a Grade II listed building built with a Victorian terracotta façade.
🌍Park Plaza,Boar Lane City Square(opposite railway station),☏ +44 844 415 6720.Funky hotel in a prime location with great views on the upper floors.
🌍Quebecs,9 Quebec St,☏ +44 113 244-8989.Stunningly refurbished building housing one of Leeds' finest and most luxuriant hotels in a prime location.
🌍Queens Hotel,City Square, City Centre,☏ +44 113 243-1323.One of Leeds' oldest hotels, its dramatic Art Deco façade and old world charm and style ensure it remains a favourite.
🌍Radisson Blu Leeds,The Light Plaza, The Headrow, City Centre,☏ +44 113 236-6000.The Radisson Blu, Leeds is a Grade II listed building located in the city centre.
🌍Quebecs luxury apartments(Residence 6),The Old Post Office, 3 Infirmary St, City Square, City Centre.Serviced apartments in the Old Post Office.
Self-catering
A useful alternative to hotels can be to stay in self-catering accommodation. There are a number of serviced apartment providers in Leeds, with many apartments in the city centre.
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