The Ivy, Leeds

The public’s appetite for eating out post lockdown does not seem to have waned. The secret though is getting diners' confidence to dine out again.

The Ivy seem to be on the right track - as soon as you enter the restaurant your temperature is checked by a scanner, if it is too high then you are refused entry. There is also a foot pedal operated sanitizer at the entrance and one in the washing area of both male and female toilets.

Tables are set well apart from each other and on each table there is a small bottle of hand sanitizer. Staff however do not have face masks and the same menus appeared to be used all the time.

The Ivy is a classy place but not pretentious with it. Service has always been excellent when we visited, though they do add a 12% service charge to your bill.

At the Leeds restaurant you can dine outside, though I did notice that they seem to stop serving outside at 6pm.

The Harrogate restaurant has a terrace too, but even in the unseasonably cold summer days we have been having you will be pleased to know that they have heaters and blankets to hand should you need them.

We started off with the Triffle Arancini - fried Arborio rice balls with truffle cheese - my partner thought that they reminded her of the texture of haggis, though I would say that the cheeses taste is something you certainly would not get with haggis, very moreish and cooked just right.

My main or Sirloin steak was cooked to my liking though the sauce comes extra, a thick and rich Peppercorn sauce with a bite complimented the meat.



My partner chose the Chicken Milanese - brioche-crumbled chicken breast with shaved asparagus, radish, mixed herbs, green pesto and herb mayonnaise. It tasted as good as it looked.

Good to see the cheese served at room temperature. The Pitchfork Mature Cheddar though had an onion taste to it, perhaps it had been left in the fridge alongside onions? The Camembert from Normandy had that rich earthy taste you get with proper Normandy Camembert.



The Vanilla cheesecake had a firm base topped with a creamy topping.

There is an extensive wine list as you would expect. With the white wine they place it in a cooler and distance it away from you, we did have to ask our waiter to place the top back on the bottle as we felt uneasy with it being open.

Apart from that it was a delightful experience - good food and good service.

The Ivy Leeds- Vicar Lane, Victoria Quarter, Leeds LS1 6BE
Telephone 0113 388 6222
https://theivyleeds.com/

The Ivy Harrogate - 7-9 Parliament Street, Harrogate HG1 2QU
Telephone 01423 787100
https://theivyharrogate.com/