The Ivy, Leeds

The first Ivy restaurant opened in 1917 but over the last few years they have branched out to the north. The Harrogate restaurant opened just over a year ago, then York followed and in September the new restaurant in Leeds opened. They say that in the first few days of opening they had over 8,000 enquiries. That's a lot of mouths to fill!

The Leeds restaurant is in a good position within the Victoria quarter. They have some swanky neighbours too with not a fast food joint in sight.

Coats are taken at the door and the service from thereon is perfect. Note to ladies though, don't wear a red dress or you might be dressed like one of the staff who greet you on arrival.

We visited on a Thursday night. There was a DJ on upstairs and downstairs, thankfully the music is not loud and at just the right level - as the night progressed the music went from jazz to 80's soul music. Just as I was expecting Give Me The Night by George Benson to come on, the Salt Crusted Sourdough bread arrived. Priced at £3.95 it was good value as it is a large loaf that is served.

My partner chose the Prawn Cocktail as a starter. It looked very tempting when it arrived. It didn't say on the menu that paprika was added, which is a shame as the taste of the paprika did not add to the taste of the prawns, in fact it took it away and disguised the taste of the prawns. The lettuce however was very fresh.

I decided upon the Apple and Stilton Salad which had just the right amount of Stilton. An enjoyable start.

The mains range from fish and seafood to steaks and even the Ivy Hamburger. Why you would want to eat a hamburger at The Ivy is beyond me, but if you want one there is that option.

The Sirloin Steak (£21.95) I chose was cooked just as I ordered - a succulent and tasty steak served with piping hot chips - which are an extra at £3.75. The thick peppercorn sauce that costs an extra £2.75 was intense and robust.

My partner chose the Steak, egg and chips option minus the egg. Again the steak was cooked to perfection.

Desserts range from £6.50 with my Blackberry Ice Cream Sundae priced at £7.95. What a delight it was - full of cream, vanilla ice cream, meringue, roasted hazelnuts and even shortbread - thankfully they do not put the calorie count on the menu!

The Apple Tart fine is theatrically served - they light up the Calvados and pour it over the Apple tart. For a minute we could have been back in Normandy.

If you want white table cloths, service without exception, good food served in a warm welcoming atmosphere then The Ivy will not disappoint. You can dine casual or smart dressed too.

I'm sure those 8,000 enquires will turn out very successful.

The Ivy Leeds, Vicar Lane, Leeds LS1 6BB
Telephone 0113 388 6222
www.theivyleeds.com