In honour of World Pasta Day, we've rounded up five spots in Leeds where you can get your hands on a steaming hot bowl of Italian goodness.
Yes, it's one of the best days of the year...it's World Pasta Day.
Whether you're a spaghetti fanatic, a rigatoni lover or partial to a simple penne - we're spoilt for choice in Leeds for great spots to get your pasta fix.
So, we've rounded up five spots so you can get twirling like the Italians do. Forks at the ready and keep reading.
La Piola
2 Park Square E
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Be transported to the bustling streets of Italy in this family-run, authentic delicatessen and eatery. Run with Fabio at the helm, La Piola serve coffee and fresh ciabattas and lunch options by day, and a small home-cooked seasonal menu by night.
The fresh pasta is not to be missed, made with fresh and simple ingredients following recipes from Fabio's hometown, Cuneo, in the Northwestern region of Italy.
Livin' Italy
Granary Wharf, Wharf Approach
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Livin' Italy on Granary Wharf has been our go-to Italian for quite some time. Dubbed ‘the best Italian Restaurant in Leeds’, their fresh menu has come straight from their motherland and consistently brings authentic Italian flavours to the city centre.
Whether you're after a classic Carbonara, a beautiful mushroom ravioli or a lobster spaghetti, it's all freshly made and goes perfectly with an Aperol Spritz or two.
Stuzzi
Grand Arcade, 7 Merrion St
Image: Stuzzi
There's no doubt that Stuzzi is a firm Leeds foodie favourite. Serving 'Stuzzichini', small Italian plates of traditional cuisine, it's the perfect spot to sample a range of their delicious pasta dishes, so don't worry if you're struggling to pick just one dish from the menu.
The menu is ever changing with the season and the pasta is made fresh in house, every single day. You must order a portion of their arancini too, as it wouldn't be a trip to Stuzzi without them.
Sarto
Munro House, Duke St
Image: Sarto
This is a restaurant whose main focus is fresh, homemade, delicious pasta. So if you're looking for an authentic bowl, then this really is the number one choice in the city.
Kick things off with a plate of their moreish, springy, salty focaccia and make sure to keep some for your plates of pasta so you can mop up all of that saucy goodness. Their pork and 'nduja ragu with homemade Campanelle is a standout dish which they shower with lashings of parmesan, and of course you've got to finish things off with a Tiramisu to share.
Riva Blu
11-12 Park Row
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Right in the middle of Park Row you can’t help but notice the iconic blue interiors when you’re walking past, and as you step through the doors you'll be transported to the streets of Sicily.
Their entire menu is delicious, but their pasta is truly something special. We highly recommend the Linguine Frutti Di Mare’, perfectly al dente pasta jam packed with wild red king prawn, mussels, clams and calamari – all accompanied with a white wine, tomato & chilli sauce. Utter perfection.
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 -
25th October 2023 
