Tucked away in Granary Wharf is Canal Club, a relatively new bar that according to Tripadvisor, is the number one place to eat in Leeds for 2022.
A bold statement in a city like Leeds. The new arrival describes itself as an 'all day destination' serving a sharing menu of small plates with 'trendsetting' cocktails and also offers bottomless brunches.
I do love a sharing menu - nothing better than being able to sample a few things in small amounts instead of enviously staring at your friends' meals, wishing you'd ordered what they did.
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We'd booked a table for 7.30pm. When we arrived at Canal Club on a chilly Wednesday evening, we were told to pick a table - there were a few booths at the side taken, but it was largely quiet.
The first thing that hits you is just how good the bar looks. It's stylish and Instagrammable without being pretentious or gimmicky, with modern, colourful furnishings and soft lighting that makes it cosy, even though it is a decent-sized space. While it was quiet, the atmosphere wasn't flat in the least, and I imagine on a busy Saturday night it's a very fun place to be.
We took a table towards the back and started to concoct our sharing menu for the evening - the food is split into The Hunter (meat dishes), The Fisherman (fish) and The Gardener (vegetarian) and so we decided to sample something from each section.
We chose the trio of sliders, Greek chicken skewers, salt and pepper squid, the pan-fried gnocchi with arrabbiata sauce and added an order of parmesan and truffle chips for good measure.
I went up to the bar but as I ordered, I was told the sliders weren't on tonight - but was recommended the pulled pork tacos instead. Sounded good to me (although I was disappointed about the sliders).
The cocktail menu had all the classics to choose from - mojitos, margaritas, old fashioneds, negronis, brambles and a 'Canal Club Iced Tea' as well as some of their own takes on popular mixes including a Pornstar Pineapple and a Burlesque Martini with vanilla and pineapple.
Here for the food more than the cocktails, we didn't indulge - I ordered an alcohol-free Peroni (always nice to see alcohol-free options when you're driving and get very bored of diet coke) and my fiance had a pint of Meantime.
As we waited for the food, there were some people tinkering with the DJ booth nearby - the bar has live DJs on Saturdays - and testing the volume, it seemed, as it went up and down for about 10 minutes. A bit distracting but as we were the only ones in that part of the bar it felt petty to be put out by it.
By the time our food arrived, it had stopped, and the dishes looked so tempting that we soon forgot about the sound testing anyway. Our five dishes appeared to be the perfect amount for the two of us, and the larger sharing dishes were portioned into two which was a nice touch and saved the fuss of cutting things in half!
We started with the gnocchi - I'd not had pan-fried gnocchi before, and the texture was interesting - crispy edges on some pieces, but overall it just made the gnocchi tougher - not unpleasant, but strange in the mouth. The arrabbiata sauce, however, was zingy and delicious, with the perfect amount of heat, and a lovely thick consistency. It was good enough to eat on its own.
Next, the salt and pepper squid, a favourite of my fiance's. It came on a bed of salad sprinkled with fresh chillies with sriracha mayo on the side. The salt and pepper seasoning was spot on and came through in every bite, complemented nicely by the mayo. The squid was cooked well - nothing worse than rubbery squid rings - but there were no tough rings here. But I could have definitely eaten a few more.
The Greek skewers, of all our dishes, were the most tempting to me - marinated chicken served on flatbread with halloumi, salad and tzatziki. There were two pieces of flatbread, both piled high, making it easy to share.
The chicken didn't have the strongest marinade, but tasted fresh from the grill and paired well with the salad and tzatziki. The salad was lovely and fresh and the tzatziki creamy and light, and there was plenty of it. The halloumi was lightly crumbed - and was so good I saved most of it to the end. Salty, cooked enough to be chewy without being rubbery and ridiculously moreish. They should serve it as a side dish.
The flatbread was not so much flat as more of a ciabatta, and tougher to cut up - not what we expected but not offensive.
Onto the pulled pork tacos, which came in a pair, topped with plenty of sour cream and chillis and perched neatly in one of those 'w' shaped holders that you immediately want for your own kitchen but know you'll never use.
The pulled pork came in a barbecue sauce and was served in the soft taco with salad, chillies and sour cream - the menu said salsa picante but I'm going to be honest, it seemed more like lettuce and some plain onions and tomato. The softshell makes them tricky to eat by hand - my fiance had a go and managed it, albeit clumsily, whereas I didn't even attempt it and used my knife and fork instead.
The pulled pork was a very standard pulled pork in barbecue sauce, quite sweet, but like most I'd tried before - it was cold by the time we ate it, which was a shame. The sauce could have had more zing - the chillis helped, but the sour cream and salad cooled things down further and so it became not entirely bland, but certainly lacking a kick. But you get plenty of pork, which is always a bonus.
The parmesan and truffle chips were, however, a big disappointment. The parmesan could be seen on the chips, which were big, chunky numbers - but as soon as you took a bite, you tasted nothing. Just potato. Not even salt. The chips themselves were well done pub-style chunky chips, but the parmesan and truffle flavour was nowhere to be seen. If it wasn't for the parmesan sprinkle being visible, I'd have wondered if we were sent the plain chips instead.
The waiter that delivered the food was pleasant, but never seen again - we were not asked how the food was, and our plates were not cleared before we left. It's a casual space and I'm not expecting restaurant-style service - this is very much a bar that serves food, not a restaurant, to be clear - but I don't think the standard mid-meal check is too much to expect.
TripAdvisor's 'places to eat in 2022' list might not be the right category for Canal Club here. It's not a food destination, it's a chic and Instagrammable bar for drinks and a fun atmosphere. The small plates are good value and do the job but nothing blows you away.
And the format of cocktails and small plates is not unique in Leeds - and dare I say it, done better elsewhere. Power Corruption and Lies on Call Lane offers cocktails with dim sum, bao and small plates, with full table service and fresh, punchy, flavoursome food.
We had a nice evening and I'd definitely return in nicer weather to use their pretty sun terrace, or with the girls for drinks and nibbles while we catch up. But the number one place to eat in Leeds in 2022? Not quite.
The bill
- Greek skewers - £8.95
- Pan fried gnocchi - £6.95
- Parmesan truffle chips - £4.95
- Pulled pork tacos - £7.95
- Salt and pepper squid - £8.95
- Pint of Meantime - £4.95
- Peroni alcohol free - £3.20
- Total - £45.90
Canal Club
Little Neville Street Leeds, LS1 4ED.
Call 0113 513 3592 to book or visit the website.
