When I first moved to Leeds one of my first food reviews was at Livin’Italy where I was incredibly impressed by the offering.
A few years down the line, the time felt right to return to the Granary Wharf venue tucked away behind Leeds Train Station. For those who don’t know the restaurant, the Leeds city centre venue, prides itself on being authentically Italian.
And, even just walking through the door of the eatery which has nestled itself in the station’s arches it's hard not to be seduced by its charms. There’s always a buzz in the air, this was no different during my Sunday evening visit with my dad, and there’s something quite intriguing about the cosy but slightly peculiar layout of Livin’Italy. It is certainly fair to say the team makes the most of the space they have to produce a quaint dining environment.
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The decor is warm and homely with a Vespa scooter, standing proudly in the upstairs dining room where we ate, thrown in for good measure. Another of those endearing touches comes from ordering your meal from the printed newspapers - given my career how could I resist that?
The venue is a popular one around Leeds. We’ve previously reported it is somewhere the Leeds United squad has ventured for a social. If it is good enough for Kalvin Phillips then you’ve got to visit. That feels very much like the Leeds adage.
As I got lost in the Italian-Americano soundtrack playing I opted for a cocktail to accompany my meal. The Livin’ Prosecco cocktail seemed like the wise indulgent choice and it certainly packed a punch with it teaming fresh blackberries, raspberry puree, Limoncello, popping candy and, of course, Prosecco. Such an elegant adult choice - I’m sure you’ll agree.
My dad, who is a plain simple eater which ironically brings its various levels of fussiness, opted for the Yorkshire-fed sirloin steak. He assured me it was cooked to perfection exactly how he liked it medium/well. The main came with the venue’s Livin’fries, which sees the familiar potato-based side complimented with truffle and parmesan, but our rather patient member of Livin’Italy’s waiting staff gladly substituted those out for ‘regular’ fries.
The restaurant has an abundance of Italian dishes to choose from, rather unsurprisingly, and while being somewhat tempted by a pasta main I did what I always do when at Livin’Italy and picked one of their outstanding pizzas. The menu boasts all the classics as well as some with a unique twist.
The restaurant also lets you make your own with an abundance of toppings available. There’s currently 33 options allowing you to customise your pizza however you desire. I picked an array of cheese varieties, chicken, rocket and broccoli. There’s no beating around the bush here, in my opinion, Livin’Italy remains the best place in Leeds for pizza.
During our visit, mine had everything I asked for with generous amounts of toppings, with crispy in the right places and the flavours were rich and the quality of the produce was evident. On the side, we had some roast potatoes which were basically giant roast potato wedges. It was a big portion but we could have certainly had even more.
Afterwards, I went for the traditional Italian cocktail of a negroni as we waited for our desserts. Again, dad was well catered for with two scoops of vanilla gelato.
I had a chocolate cake which had almonds, white chocolate and cream. It felt like a luxurious way to end yet another splendid visit to Livin’Italy.
If you’ve never been, it is certainly worth a visit. You just need to take our word for it, ask Kalvin Phillips and his Leeds United teammates.
The bill
- Coca Cola pint - £3.70
- Livin’ Prosecco cocktail - £9.50
- Negroni - £8.75
- Customised pizza - £13.10
- Sirloin steak - £24.95
- Roast potatoes side - £4.50
- Gelato - £3.95
- Chocolate cake with ice cream - £5.50
- Total - £81.34
Granary Wharf, Wharf Approach, Leeds, LS1 4BR. Book online or call 0113 243 0090
Don't, you can visit our Best in Leeds homepage to find out more about new openings in the city. There you'll also find our guides to the best places to eat and drink in Leeds.
