Restaurant review: Crafthouse, Trinity Leeds

Let’s face it, if a restaurant is hyped as “the Leeds opening of the year,” then expectations are going to run high. And, to pile on the pressure even further, the owners of said restaurant also happen to have a portfolio of over 30 of the most famous and successful restaurants in London, Paris, New York and Tokyo.

Crafthouse Restaurant, (and sister bar-restaurant Angelica on the floor above) are in the spanking-new, Leeds Trinity centre. They are owned by D&D London, the company which famously bought out the Conran restaurants in 2006. This is their first venture in the UK outside of London.

Impressive credentials which were not going to influence me though. If anything, I will admit to being a little niggled by the time I actually sat down in the restaurant. The lengthy and intrusive booking process and follow-up calls to confirm I still wanted my booking had set me off. Next, as the restaurant is on the fifth floor of Trinity, I assumed it would be easy to find. Wrong. It was only later I discovered there is a dedicated lift to the restaurant, at the side of Trinity Church.

Not surprisingly, Crafthouse is über-chic. There are wrap-around views, in one direction taking in the fine Georgian architecture of Trinity Church and the, elegant roof architecture of Boar Lane. In the other, the 40,000 sq ft glass dome of Trinity centre which rises a staggering 100ft above street level. Crafthouse also features a rather splendid roof terrace.

Everywhere in the restaurant is stylish and carefully thought out, but I was particularly captivated by a series of metal and string structures used as room dividers. These, I soon realised, were, in fact, representations of Leeds’ industrial heritage and reflect the looms of the woollen industry. I found this reference to the city’s legacy both thoughtful and touching.

The boasting of the Yorkshire provenance of both ingredients and head-chef (Lee Bennet is a Bridlington lad) however, did not touch me; local sourcing is no longer a USP here, it is expected. What did grab my attention though, is the concise menu of five good-quality meats (from renowned north Yorkshire Ginger Pig), three fish, including east coast lobster and a Josper – but more of that later.

There are six starters plus oysters, Morecambe Bay shrimp and hen crab listed separately (it wasn’t clear if these are also starters). Prices are keen from a sensible £5.50 for a dried tomato gazpacho – my choice of starter and though small, was beautifully fresh and superbly seasoned – to £12.50 for foie gras. Three salads take care of the lighter fare and can be starter size or main. The remaining six mains hang out in the mid-teens price wise and sadly, offer only one vegetarian option.

After starters of the aforementioned gazpacho and a teeny pot of neatly-flavoured shrimps and Melba toast, chef sent out an appetiser-sized portion of sea scallops on a broad bean risotto. The dish of intensely flavoured scallops and a textbook al-dente risotto is one I would certainly order should I return to Crafthouse.

And so to the Josper, considered the ultimate in chef’s toys.

With a price tag that would buy you a very smart car, the Josper is foremost an indoor barbecue, but it looks like an oven. It reaches temperatures of 400C plus which blasts out into the kitchen when the door is opened. Ostensibly, cooking over coal inside the oven and at such high temperatures, means all the moisture is retained, thus producing a succulent piece of meat, fish, or poultry.

This cooking method also adds a distinct depth of flavour I discovered having chosen the half lobster and a thick cut of rib-eye for mains. Both were among the best I can remember in a long time, particularly the steak which had a slight caramelisation on the surface of the meat but extremely tender within.

The quality of the produce, and the skill of the chef (both in abundance at Crafthouse) must have a part to play in the success of the Josper, and I can only guess there’s been many a “cremation” in perfecting this art.

Following the concise menu theme, there are just six desserts but each is sufficiently different to cause a dilemma in choosing. We settled on an irresistible, boozy, sherry trifle, which had an ideal balance between the jelly, cream, almonds and black cherries; all topped off with a flourish of candied Angelica.

Crafthouse quietly slides a “discretionary” 10 per cent service charge on your bill (it is mentioned in the small print). Usually I find this annoying. In this instance, I was more than happy to pay it as the service was impeccable from the whole team and particularly our pleasant, efficient and knowledgeable waiter.

We quickly visited the even chicer Angelica bar upstairs before leaving; very nice.

Leeds centre has some wonderful places to eat and drink. It now has two more. Crafthouse has good food, great service, fab surroundings and an impressive attention to detail. What more could you want from a restaurant?

A three-course dinner for two with bread, four glasses of wine and the service charge came in at £120, though I should add, you can eat there for a lot less.

Crafthouse, Level 5, Trinity Leeds, 70 Boar Lane, Leeds LS1 6HW. 0113 897 0444. Open Monday to Saturday: lunch, 12-3pm, dinner, 5-11pm; Sunday: 12pm to 10pm.