The Empire Cafe

It may have been momentarily upstaged by the instant success of its younger sibling, the Highland Laddie (winner of the GFG’s 100 Best Pubs 2025), but the reborn Empire Cafe is still one of the most talked-about eateries in Leeds. Its current incarnation is ‘a place for old-school values and new-wave cookery’, whether you’re in the windowless basement dining room or enjoying a cuppa and a breakfast bap outside on the pavement. Owners Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton have done a grand job here, rekindling the nostalgia while making the place feel emphatically of the moment, 'high-class yet down-to-earth'. The kitchen’s rolling menu is an ever-evolving feast of treats, with the grill and BBQ taking centre stage. Recent arrivals include slow-smoked lamb rump served over an apricot BBQ sauce, although nothing can trump the iconic rotisserie chicken piled onto dripping ‘schmaltz’ potatoes. For something lighter, there might be a twisted take on oysters Rockefeller, while desserts could feature seasonal asparagus ice cream or a chicken skin, chocolate and caramel bar. Drinks include suitably off-piste cocktails and tipples from local merchant Wayward Wines.