The warmer weather and the longer nights have got us all craving an ice cold glass of sangria, so here's five of the best places to grab one in Leeds.
Sangria - the perfect fruity beverage which just screams lazy summer afternoons in the sun with friends.
Originating in Spain, the delicious punch usually consists of wine, chopped fruit and brandy or vermouth and is the ultimate shareable thirst-quencher.
Even the satisfying sound of the wooden spoon mixing the ice and fresh fruit together is enough to get our mouths watering, so we've cherry picked a few of our favourite spots in the city where you can enjoy a glass, or a jug, or jugs.
Bomba Paella
1 Saw Mill St, Holbeck
Image: Bomba Paella
Bomba Paella is an independent Spanish restaurant and tapas bar located in Holbeck, Leeds.
They’re known for serving up authentic paella and a range of classic tapas dishes so you can get your Spanish fix right here in Leeds – and of course with that comes amazing sangria, right?
They serve up sangria by the glass or by the jug, in white, red or rose. Laden with fresh fruit and served ice cold, it's the perfect tipple to share amongst friends on their gorgeous outdoor terrace. Oh, and they also host a bottomless brunch with bottomless sangria, weekend plans sorted? We think so.
Everyone's favourite taproom have launched a new summer menu and yes, you guessed it, there's a jug of sangria on there with your name on it.
Labelled as 'summer in a jug', the North Bar rosé sangria features rosé wine, cranberry, lime and lemonade. Grab a glass or a jug, take a pew in their beer garden and why not order some food from Little Bao Boy whilst you're at it.
Ambiente Leeds
36-38 The Calls
Image: The Hoot LeedsImage: Ambiente Tapas
Tapas and sangria is a match made in heaven, add to that a glorious sun terrace overlooking the Calls and you're practically winning at life.
Known for serving some of the best Spanish cuisine in the city since 2007, Ambiente know their way around a good jug of Sangria. White, red or rosé - they do it all, even a Rebujito version which features Manzanilla sherry and lemonade.
El Gato Negro
35 Park Row
Image: El Gato Negro Image: The Hoot Leeds
El Gato Negro is a fantastic little neighbourhood tapas spot located on Park Row. Not only do they serve up brilliant sangria but they have fantastic deals on tapas dishes throughout the week.
So if you fancy a casual, Spanish-inspired lunch then this is the place to be. We recommend the Cava Sangria, a sparkling wine concoction topped with fresh fruit, limoncello and lemonade - we challenge you to find a more refreshing drink in all of Leeds.
Ibérica Leeds
Hepper House, 17a E Parade
Image: Ibérica Image: The Hoot Leeds
Ibérica Leeds is known for it's absolutely stunning interior, authentic food and lovely atmosphere. This is the place to go if you're celebrating or simply just treating yourself.
They only serve one style of sangria, but boy oh boy do they do it well. The Classic Sangria is jam packed with seasonal fresh fruit, orange juice, cinnamon, red wine and lemonade. A special drink for a special occasion.
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 -
20th June 2023 
