Family-run Italian restaurant Pranzo are serving up deliciously authentic Calabrian cuisine to the hungry people of Leeds' suburbs.
Sometimes only a steaming hot bowl of pasta can really hit the spot, and Pranzo Italian are dishing up some of the best in the area.
Opening their flagship restaurant in Ilkley back in 2018, they quickly opened another location in Harrogate after Pranzo became a smash hit with locals and tourists alike.
Inspired by founder Marco's Italian heritage and his Nonna's traditional Calabrese cooking, you can really taste the authenticity in the cooking and homely dining experience.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
On an early weekday evening, the cosy restaurant was already filling up and inviting smells were wafting out from the kitchen.
The menu offers a wide range of Aperitivo, Starters and Homemade Pasta as well as a seasonal list of specials which they change regularly.
After kicking things off with an Aperol Spritz (because when in Rome), we opted for the Special Sharing Antipasto Platter and the Bruschetta with mushrooms, gorgonzola, parma ham and homemade basil pesto.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
To the table came a plate overflowing with delicious Italian produce. We’re talking freshly baked focaccia, nduja butter, olives, sun dried tomatoes, a selection of cured meats and huge hunks of cheese which we dove into immediately.
The bruschetta was rich, creamy and herby in equal measures - the perfect way to start off an amazing meal.
Now onto the pasta, this is all made in house and almost all of the dishes can be made Gluten Free on request.
The Seafood Bigoli was the star of the show, it was absolutely outstanding and any seafood lover’s dream.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Perfectly al dente pasta was jam packed with fresh mussels, juicy tiger prawns, anchovies and calamari in a white wine sauce, topped with a seasoned pangratatto which gave it that perfect bite.
The Mafalde in 4 hour braised beef shin ragù also deserves a special mention, the sauce had such a depth of flavour with meat that melted in the mouth - showing it was made with bundles of love.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
If we had enough room left, we would have absolutely ordered a side of toasted focaccia to mop up all of the delicious goodness left in the bowl.
With locations in Ilkley and Harrogate, Pranzo is well worth the trip out of the city centre next time you're craving an authentic taste of Italy.
To find out more and to book your table, take a look at their website.
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
The Swine That Dines announces the official opening date of its brand new restaurant
Clementine Hall
Much-loved Leeds Bistro The Swine Bistro, formerly known as The Swine That Dines, has moved to a bigger space in Headingley.
Although it’s gone through a few name changes over the years since launching as The Greedy Pig cafe in 2012, this independent spot has long been a firm favourite for Leeds locals for some time now.
Run by chef couple Jo and Stu Myers, they’ve been operating out of North Street where it’s all about cooking seasonal produce simply and with an added ‘little bit of sunshine’.
But now Swine Bistro has moved up over to Headingley, taking up a unit previously occupied by Jam hairdressers on Otley Road.
Image: Supplied
And the time has finally come for them to open their doors, as they announce their first service will take place on Friday 4 April with bookings open from today, Thursday 20 March.
The Myers will be welcoming head chef Kirsty Cheetham, who won Observer Food Monthly’s Best Sunday Lunch award in 2018 and 2022 when she ran The Queen o’t owd Thatch in South Milford, Leeds.
The expanded space in the restaurant has allowed the team to curate a bigger wine list which will include natural wines from Wayward Wines and Latitude Wines as well as local beers from Ilkley Brewery and Horsforth Brewery.
Image: Supplied
The team remains passionate about locally sourced ingredients and has partnered with a variety of Yorkshire suppliers including R&J Yorkshire for its fresh meat, Tarbetts fishmonger, cheese from George & Joseph cheesemongers and beans from micro roaster, Chipp Coffee Co.
Jo Myers, co-owner of the Swine Bistro said: “It’s taken a huge amount of time and effort to realise our dream to revamp what was previously a hairdresser into a fully functioning kitchen and restaurant. It’s been a wild ride but we’re excited, and slightly nervous, to finally open our doors.
“We love the vibe in Headingley and the time out has allowed us to have fun with our menu as well as take part in lots of essential taste testing of ingredients and drinks from our brilliant local suppliers. We can’t wait to welcome guests into our new restaurant!”
Clementine Hall -
11th May 2023 
