Formerly known as The Man Behind the Curtain, the underground restaurant on Vicar Lane remains one of the best in the city.
Leeds' only Michelin-star eatery, The Man Behind the Curtain, closed its doors at the end of last year in order to make way for chef Michael O'Hare's new venture, Psycho Sandbar, which opened in March.
We were lucky enough to visit the new venue, and it certainly did not disappoint.
The Great British Menu judge said the rebrand was influenced by Brexit, the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, which have transformed the food and drink industry.
And the new, more accessible set menus available reflect this.
Customers can enjoy a four course menu for £40 or six courses for £60, both of which come with additional optional wine pairing.
Now granted, a dining experience at Psycho Sandbar is not your everyday, walk-in casual lunch or dinner option.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
But our experience at the Sandbar was nothing short of exceptional, and it stands as the perfect restaurant to celebrate a special occasion if you're a foodie or looking to experience something very unique.
From the moment you step foot through the door and make your way down the stairs to the underground concrete bunker, everything from the funky music to the monochrome aesthetic transports you to a different world.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Every tiny little detail has been thoroughly thought out, from the handcrafted cutlery and crockery to the bundle of menus tied together in leather.
The menu offers a la carte options as well as a chefs tasting menu, but whatever you order you will be absolutely blown away.
From the Singapore chilli crab with slow cooked egg yolk to the salt and sugar cured hake with plankton scraps, everything was honestly exceptional.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The wine pairings take your dining experience to another level, presented by their expert staff who will answer any questions you may have (no matter how ridiculous they are).
If you can visit Psycho Sandbar, then we really urge you to do so and their new six or four course menu is the perfect way to do it.
The set menus will constantly change so no visit will be the same, and we can guarantee that you'll be wanting to visit time and time again.
To find out more and to book your table, take a look at Psycho Sandbar's 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 -
24th May 2024 
