Whilst travelling to the big apple is now a possibility thanks to the relaxation of travel restrictions, we can't exactly hop over the pond every time we crave some American-style cuisine.
Having recently launched their spring menu, any of Manahatta's venues in Leeds offer a taste of New York inside their bar without the six-hour flight.
The bar chain is already well known around the city for its bustling ambience, holding a reputation for being a favourite amongst those seeking an escape from the 9-5 and a refreshing menu of food and drink, so naturally their updated spring menu is no exception to this.
Channeling their New York influence even further, Manahatta has upgraded their sandwich section to become NYC-style sourdough bagels and light and fluffy bao buns with toppings of your choice.
The Rueben bagel is also a must-try authentic New York classic and is stuffed with pastrami, cheese, sauerkraut, gherkins and sweet mustard.
Discerning Leeds foodies will notice the return of the huge Empire State Chicken stack.
The lunch and dinnertime option comes as a towered stack of crisp coated chicken, waffles, American cheese, purple slaw and maple syrup, with a serving of barbecue sauce or thick gravy to pour over the stack and fries. Thick, juicy and tender- this is the ultimate chicken dinner inspired by the USA.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Carnivores will also be delighted to see indulgent upgrades like Manahatta’s new and improved recipe for the Steak Frites: sliced 8oz rump steak, fried onions, garlic mushrooms, Monterey Jack cheese and peppercorn sauce, loaded onto skin-on fries.
Elsewhere on the menu, guests are finally welcoming the return of dishes designed to be shared. Their updated selection of small plates includes the Mojo Cod Tacos, topped with salsa verde, mojo sauce and crunchy slaw and the Beet ‘n’ Goat Bruschetta, bursting with colour, creamy English goat’s cheese and red, candy and golden beetroot.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
These are light, summer-inspired options that are bursting with zesty flavour, perfect for an afternoon in the beer garden.
The halloumi fajitas are just as colourful and packed with flavour: create your own combinations using sizzling slices of halloumi, toasted wraps and a whole host of toppings like tomato salsa, guac and bright salads.
The new Manahatta brunch menu is available until 4pm each day, whilst the main menu takes guests into the evening with larger portions and incredible flavours that truly do resemble a bite of New York City.
To get your foodie fix, Manahatta have multiple bars in Leeds: two in the city centre on Greek Street and Merrion Street, as well as a large venue in Headingley.
Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds
Eats
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
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!”
Sophie Smith -
22nd March 2022 
