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Leeds’ huge student population means that you can find a plethora of bargain bars, restaurants and take-aways all over the city. The old working-class area of Burley, just to the west of the city center, is now home to a large fraction of the student population, and with the students have come some great restaurants serving food from all corners of the globe. Read on to discover our top 10.

Kulfi dessert

The Corner Cafe

Bar, Cafe, Restaurant, Indian

Founded in 1976, this family-run restaurant has become something of a Burley institution. Specialising in Indian cuisine, this – ever so slightly – out of town restaurant definitely gives those in the city centre a run for their money. The Corner Cafe serves simple but wholesome, tasty and authentic dishes in its warm and laidback atmosphere and the high-quality food is matched only by the high-quality service. There’s also a bar on site serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including many locally brewed beers.

The Great Yorkshireman

Restaurant, Seafood

Fish and Chips
© sstrieu/Flickr
Though not strictly speaking a restaurant in the traditional sense, The Great Yorkshireman on Burley’s epic Kirkstall Road is definitely worth a visit. Culinary delights from this traditional British institution include the obvious (and essential) battered fish and classic chip shop chips, cooked to perfection, as well as various savoury pies, chili sausage and ‘cone with splash’ (a cone of chips with gravy for the uninitiated). Here – as with all good chip shops – you’ll have no choice but to take your food to go, so take your very British, newspaper-wrapped bundle of chips and explore the sights and sounds of Burley.

MyLahore Deli

Deli, Restaurant, Fast Food

Burley Road
© LauraBillings/Flickr
The family-fun MyLahore Deli chain claims to be the ‘most loved British Asian kitchen experience’ and the branch in the Leeds area of Burley doesn’t disappoint. The extensive menu includes food from the grill and from the oven but it’s the flavoursome, traditional curries made with only fresh, seasonal ingredients that are MyLahore’s pièce de résistance.

Viva Cuba

Bar, Restaurant, Spanish, Cuban

Viva Cuba exterior
© BryanHindle/Flickr
This tapas bar and restaurant offers an exotic taste of Latin-American cuisine right in the heart of Burley. The deceptively unassuming exterior in fact houses a large, bright restaurant with Cuban flags, photographs and posters (as well as Fidel Castro’s signature) adorning the walls. You will be warmly welcomed to this award-winning restaurant by the appetising aroma of traditional Cuban cooking which has made Viva Cuba a firm favourite in Leeds. The tapas dishes on offer are fresh and tasty, as are the authentic Cuban cocktails and the Spanish and South American wines and beers.

Hasan's Restaurant

Restaurant, Indian

Peshwari Naan Bread
© SeanMacEntee/Flickr
Just a few metres away from Viva Cuba you’ll find Hasan’s restaurant, serving delicious dishes from the other side of the world. The vegetarian and vegan friendly menu is made up of fresh and innovative dishes from traditional and contemporary Indian cuisine. The stylish decor makes for a great location for a meal shared with family or friends. The staff are particularly helpful and in the kitchen the chefs will alter their full and flavoursome curries according to your personal tastes.

Fox & Newt

Bar, Cocktail Bar, Pub, Pub Grub, British

Fox & Newt exterior
© BettyLongbottom/WikiCommons
The Fox & Newt is part of the Burley Street Brew House chain, an independent micro-brewery which creates its own beers for local bars from the cellar of this traditional English pub. Situated between Burley and Leeds city centre, the Fox & Newt pub offers not only great beers and craft ales in an ideal location but also a small, well-chosen food menu. You can expect all the traditional pub-grub meals from steak and ale pie to fish and chips, as well as the slightly more obscure ‘safari menu’, which includes llama, crocodile and buffalo burgers, among others.

Bengal Brasserie

Brasserie, Restaurant, Indian

Selection of Dips
© ScottDexter/Flickr
The warm and friendly atmosphere of Bengal Brasserie in Burley makes this Indian restaurant a great place to enjoy quality food and drink with loved ones. Situated in a tranquil and mainly residential area, Bengal Brasserie is a relaxing haven away from Burley’s busy main roads located just a few minutes’ walk away. The extensive menu caters for all tastes and each dish is made fresh to order.

Haftsin Restaurant

Diner, Restaurant, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian

Doogh Yoghurt Drink
© JasonLam/Flickr
Haftsin Restaurant is a traditional Persian, Iranian and Mediterranean grill house situated in the heart of Burley. The menu includes an innovative and imaginative range of dishes influenced by Persian cuisine. As the open kitchen can be seen from all corners of the cosy dining space, you can rest assured that everything is made fresh on site. Popular dishes include the traditional meat stews, whose flavours and spices vary depending on the area of ancient Persia from which they came. The restaurant isn’t huge so booking is advised to ensure you can sample this wonderful dining experience.

Rosie's Diner

Diner, American

American Pancakes
© RalphDaily/Flickr
For a delightful taste of the United States of America without having to set foot outside of Yorkshire, head to Rosie’s Diner on the Cardigan Fields retail park in Burley. The 50s-style diner is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a number of different menus to choose from. We recommend trying the classic American pancakes (with a variety a toppings) for a delicious breakfast treat. For something more substantial, the 100% fully traceable Yorkshire beef burgers look just as good as they taste and go perfectly with the made-fresh-to-order milkshakes for a great all-American meal.

Sheesh Mahal

Another of Burley’s brilliant Asian restaurants, Sheesh Mahal distinguishes itself with its top-class customer service and equally good food. Here, the customer definitely comes first and the owner’s commitment to warmly welcoming each patron has ensured its position as one of the most popular Indian eateries in the whole of Leeds. You will be met by an aroma of fresh herbs and spices as soon as you step through the door and can look forward to sampling tasty, homemade dishes inspired by Pakistani and Indian cuisine. The award-winning establishment even had to extend and add a second floor due to its unwavering popularity.
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