It has been some time since we walked the streets of Leeds city centre and we were amazed at the level of office and residential development that have taken place over the last few years. New districts in the city such as Clarence Dock and the redeveloped Granary Wharf had been completed, established foodservice clusters were in the process of being strengthened with the imminent openings of Gaucho Grill, Jamie’s Italian and San Carlo, and, judging by the constant ‘ant track’ of suits at lunch time, the financial district was a strong as ever.
We opted for lunch at the Piazza by Anthony, located in the historic Corn Exchange building, to see the most recent addition to Anthony Flinn’s foodservice portfolio in the city. Flinn has been central to the growth in the finer dining choice in Leeds, with two restaurants and a patisserie already successfully trading.
Piazza by Anthony occupies the entire ground floor of the Corn Exchange, combining a 125-seat brasserie, informal café, private dining rooms and five retail units selling quality treats from chocolates to homemade pastries and cakes. We selected the café option for a light lunch, with a choice of made to order sandwiches and salads, soups and jacket potatoes, rotisserie chicken and a selection of cakes and patisserie.
After a slight delay in working out the service style (menus are placed on the tables but food is ordered, paid for and collected from the counter), we opted for two sandwiches (three choices of bread) and two Coca Colas, with a combined bill of £12.90. Not the cheapest in the city, but not all sandwiches are served in such a grand environment. The food showcased the quality of ingredients used, with both lunches devoured in minutes, but savoured.
It is easy to see why Flinn has cornered the market in the ‘ladies who lunch’ sector, with great food served in spectacular environments. It is a shame that the food emporium trades almost in isolation, but, if the boutique retail offers can be attracted to the vacant levels above, this will significantly enhance the overall visitor experience.
Food ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Service ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
Value ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
