Dine under snow-dusted cherry blossom trees and dazzling light murals at this show-stopping contemporary Chinese restaurant.
Tattu, located on East Parade, is a sophisticated restaurant and bar serving up modern Chinese cuisine and innovative cocktails in a beautifully elegant setting.
When we heard they were offering a special seasonal dining experience for the festive period named 'The Great Snow', we simply had to head down there to try it out for ourselves.
The Great Snow is intended to reflect the Chinese proverb ‘a fall of snow gives promise to a fruitful year’, the interior of the restaurant has been given a magical icy hue complete with sparkling light projections of the Northern Lights adorning the walls.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
As soon as you walk through the grand entrance you are greeted with hanging cherry blossom trees coated in glittering snow and decorated with frosty icicles, within seconds our coats were taken and we were shown to our seats; we knew this was going to be a magical evening.
Known for their impressive cocktails, we started our night by sampling their new Aurora cocktail, crafted specially for the winter season to reflect a luminous night's sky.
A delicious concoction of Grey Goose vodka, white chocolate and sparkling cherry, complete with a dome of smoke which when released reveals an encapsulating, wintery nutmeg aroma.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Everything at Tattu is meant to be shared and enjoyed amongst friends and family, with the dishes arriving as and when they are ready.
We started with the Chicken Truffle Shumai and Lobster and Prawn Toast dumplings, both were absolutely sensational and packed so much flavour inside perfectly formed, small bites of deliciousness.
The truffle dumplings were a standout dish for us, each topped with a thin shaving of black truffle that was strong but certainly not overwhelming.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Next up was the Szechuan Rock Shrimp, lightly battered prawns sprinkled with sancho pepper which gave a warming, fragrant aroma that had us going back in immediately after the first bite.
Another standout dish was the Sticky Beef Short Ribs, recommended to us by our brilliant waiter Paulo who clearly knew what he was talking about, as these were absolutely divine. Cubes of succulent beef covered in a sticky soy glaze that fell apart effortlessly at the poke of a chopstick.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
For our mains we opted for the Chinese Barbecue Chicken and the Shanghai Black Cod. Both were cooked to perfection and went amazingly alongside the XO Fried Rice with shrimp, chicken and pancetta.
Now for the desserts, these were just as much a show-stopping spectacle as they were a delicious end to the meal. Tattu's famous Cherry Blossom dessert has been reimagined for the festive period and wow, it did not disappoint.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Icy blue candyfloss is balanced on a delicate chocolate trunk, grounded in a light and airy chocolate, cherry mousse which is presented on a bed of dried ice that cascades over the table as you tuck in.
Another newbie to the menu is the Mount Heng Flambé, their innovative take on a Baked Alaska topped with Maraschino cherry, hazelnuts and coconut that is set alight at your table.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Both desserts looked almost too pretty to eat, but we of course tried our best and our tastebuds certainly thanked us for it, as did our eyes as we gazed at the piece of theatre taking place right in front of us.
Overall the experience was fantastic, the food delicious and the service impeccable. If you're looking to spend a special night with loved ones this Christmas then Tattu is the place to be, 'The Great Snow' offers an unmissable dining experience unlike any other.
To find out more and to book your table, take a look at the Tattu 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.”
Leeds Tattoo Expo to return to the First Direct Arena for 10th anniversary
Clementine Hall
The tenth annual Leeds Tattoo Expo will showcase some of the best in tattooing both local and internationally.
If you fancy getting yourself a fancy new bit of ink, then look no further than the iconic Leeds Tattoo Expo that will be returning to the First Direct Arena this June.
Taking place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June 2025, over 200 tattooists and 70 traders will be flocking to the city to show off their skills.
And not only that, but there’ll also be a whole host of market traders for you to browse as well as live music to have a boogie to.
The artists will be tattooing with options for both pre-booked appointments and walk ups available throughout the weekend.
Image: Leeds Tattoo Expo
There will also be a piercer, tooth gems and a henna artist ready to adorn your body.
Alongside getting tattooed, there’s plenty to do and to see over the whole weekend; there'll be an alternative drawing class, an illustrators market with kids’ workshops provided by Art Gecko, an art fusion event on the main stage, burlesque performances and competitions, a small vintage clothing pop-up, fire breathing and break dancing demonstrations in the square outside the arena.
The annual tattoo competitions will also be taking place each evening, where tattooists showcase their work to a panel of judges, sponsored by Killer Ink!
To celebrate Leeds Tattoo Expo's tenth anniversary, they'll be hosting a Pre-Party at Belgrave Music Hall on Thursday 5 June which is a completely free entry event complete with live music and free pizza.
You can find out more about the event and book your tickets here via the First Direct Arena's website.