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Anthony's

Address:Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane, Leeds Yorkshire LS1 6EA
Tel:0113 245 5922
Email:
Website: Visit Anthony's website
Price: £41.00Wine: £14.50
Opening Hours:Tues-Sat 12N-2pm 7-9.30pm

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However far the distance you travel, a trip to Anthony's is worthwhile. Tony Flinn spent a couple of seasons at El Bulli in Spain and it has shaped the way he looks at food, as has time spent with John Campbell at the Vineyard at Stockcross. In this beautifully spare room the food is spare, too, restraint is so central to his style that the brilliance of the food dawns slowly, over a series of tiny tapas and amuse bouche; by the time your starter arrives you know this is extraordinary cooking. He has profound things to say about pure, focused flavours, whether in a concentrated risotto of white onion with espresso and Parmesan air, or roast duck breast startlingly and successfully partnered with olive oil chocolate bonbons. Mains are no less satisfying, as in a fillet of roast sea bass served with a pleasingly light and piquant gazpacho sauce and a courgette flower stuffed with crab mousse, or a piece of tender beef with a decadently rich shallot, bacon and red wine sauce. After such indulgence, dessert is a challenge for the waistline, but one well worth meeting, judging by our trio of delightful apple desserts. Hospitable staff sweeten the deal in this classy, comfortable place.

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Reader reviews of Anthony's:

Fiona J.

Fiona J. ( 40s, Female )

Editor's pick

I cannot imagine a nicer dining experience than spending a long evening working my way through the tasting menu at Anthony's flagship restaurant in Leeds, in the company of my enthusiastic eater of a husband. Upstairs we sipped water and crunched pigs ears while having a nice chat with the very personable Maitress D' before being led downstairs ceremonially, our drinks bourne before us. The service has a degree of pomp (and frankly if I'm paying £100 a head I want a bit of pomp) but every highly-skilled waiter is informative, elicits feedback and hangs on your every comment as though vital. Being led downstairs into the calm brown and cream dining room immediately sets the tone – you are here for serious eating, and the food is seriously interesting to reflect this.

With their El Bulli pedigree, the team at Anthony's offers extremely fine dining at a price which fairly reflects the degree of skill and attention that goes into the many little dishes paraded in front of you. Expect to be dazzled by Anthony Flinn's deep, deep artistry. Be prepared to try combinations you've never thought of and put aside your prejudices – pork crackling with pudding, yes please! I thought I hated tongue until I had it here, slightly dried and combined with extremely fresh-tasting seared tuna. And leave room for the cheese course. Okay, giving the cheese its own menu might seem a little poncey but hell, I like cheese, and since you get to select from a couple of dozen varieties you probably haven't heard of you'll be glad to read up on them first. When they arrive, in order of strength, the waiter apologises for the delay but chef won't let them out of the kitchen until they're the correct temperature.

Attention is paid to every detail providing the kind of evening you sink into like a marshmallow as one dish follows another effortlessly, each surpising, each showcasing the flavours of the ingredients. And what appeals to the nipcheese in me is that while the food is relatively expensive we drank great wine for under £30 a bottle, the coffee was cheaper than Starbucks and the brandy an absolute steal – and if you want to test the waters without a big budget there's an excellent value lunch available too. The ultimate recommendation – it was so good that after the first course we booked… More

April 2009
Overall:10
Food and Drink:10
Service:10
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:10
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Minnie
Reviews: 1

Minnie ( 30s, Female, United Kingdom )

So from the beginning: as an aperitif we were given some fat kalamata olives and crispy pigs ears: perfect posh crackling, which went brilliantly with a g & t! Then to start I had tuna carpaccio served as a little bungalow, on top of a square lawn of uber thin tongue. I can't remember what my friend had ( and this is a pattern throughout the meal ) as I was usually too engrossed in my own dishes.

For main I chose the lamb, which beat my friends fish dish hands down. Even the friendly and knowledgeable Spanish waiter agreed that if we were competing, I'd won ‘pick the best main’. I could sense the food envy. Yes, it was amazing. Beautiful, juicy, pink jewels of meat served on a bed of zingy Barley. Barley – who'd have thought it could taste delicious or indeed of anything? To finish the dish, there were tiny goats cheeses to the side with small bites of grilled artichoke and some peanuts and chick peas. It was pretty close to perfection.

Mains done, we opted for a cheese plate before pud. A smart move. There were loads to choose from, we selected 7, which were presented with a picture perfect loaf of bread, quince jelly, biscuits and a glass of port. Yum.

We were not yet beaten, so we marched on to pudding. Knowing the good things coming out of this kitchen, this had now become an all-or-nothing reconnaissance mission and no food soldiers were going to be left behind. My pudding was presented in a little white ceramic snood, not disimilar to something Grace Jones would favour in the 80's. It was classed as a trifle but a modern sort, with a sweet creamy foam on the top, smoked cherries below and a chocolate custard in between. My only criticism was that the smoky-ness of the cherries dulled the sweetness of the chocolate and meant it had a savoury tang rather than the full-on sweetness I was looking for.

All in all a great, GREAT restaurant, with exciting dishes – whose only flaw was playing it safe with the interior… and over smokin' their cherries.

January 2009
Overall:9
Food and Drink:9
Service:9
Atmosphere:7
Value for Money:8
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