Six by Nico Leeds: I tried the new six-course tasting menu The Chippie at Yorkshire’s new restaurant by chef Nico Simeone - here is what I thought

The stylish new restaurant located in the heart of Leeds is the latest of 10 branches set up by Scottish chef Nico Simeone, who hails from Glasgow.

It has already been highly anticipated for months before its grand opening and Nico has received more than 6,000 pre-bookings for the next six weeks.

What started out as a local restaurant business in Scotland has flourished into a chain of eateries across the country over the last six years.

The Leeds building was left derelict for years before it was bought by Nico two years ago.

It will be open to the public today (July 3) from 4.30pm and a busy turnout is expected.

From the outside, the restaurant didn’t look very big but once I stepped inside I was immediately blown away by the size; there were around 24 tables with four seats around each one.

The design of the interior was a mixture of forest colours: green, blue and yellow and the dimly lit atmosphere set a calm and sophisticated tone - ideal for couples and there were candles placed on each table.

I first walked into the restaurant on Friday (June 30) where I had a chat with the chef and owner Nico Simeone.

“We always try to evolve [the concept] for every new branch; we get into the car and delve into the city,” he said.

“We try to make our next restaurant better than the last as we grow; we don’t have many venues that have a bar area, so [for the Leeds branch] we want our guests to come in for a pre-drink and a post-drink to add a unique stamp for this city.

“We’re [working on a] rooftop terrace as well which should open at the end of this year or next year which is exciting.”

Nico explained that for more than two years Leeds was on his radar and described how he was feeling about his new venture.

“I’m really positive, I think it will be amazing,” he said.

“For us, we always say we want to create a dining experience and what we want to do is build communities around the UK.

“We want to build these relationships with our customers to engage with them and for them to enjoy it.

“As a company we have a lot of other concepts that we are testing and Glasgow is about to launch a bakery and a bespoke bar. We’re still testing the model but hopefully we can expand. We hope everyone enjoys it.”

I tried Six by Nico’s The Chippie six-course menu in Leeds - here is what I thought

I was invited, along with a family member, for an exclusive first taste of the restaurant’s debut menu The Chippie on Saturday (July 1).

Our waiter, Luke, a self-professed wine connoisseur, introduced himself, gave us an outline of what to expect and asked if we had any allergies or intolerances.

We were first served with an £8.50 ‘Sea Side Spritz’ aperitif that included Lemon, Earl Grey, Prosecco and Samphire. On top of the fancy glass was a wooden fork with green powder that when mixed into the drink, it fizzed up - and took us by surprise.

I expected a typical fizzy Prosecco taste but this drink was smoother, went down easier and tasted better than the usual brands I’ve had before.

I guess they were easing us into the following six-course meal.

Course 1: Chips and Cheese

Course 2: Scampi

Course 3: Steak Pie

Course 4: Fish Supper

Course 5: Smoked Sausage

Course 6: Deep Fried Mars Bar

Guests can choose either the tasting menu alone for £39, or add a wine pairing option for an additional £30. Vegetarians and vegans can also choose to swap the meaty and seafood courses with vegetarian options.

Chips and Cheese

Description: Parmesan Espuma, Curry Oil and Emulsion and Crisp Potato Terrine

When I think of ‘chips and cheese’ I immediately picture chunky chips with melted cheese on top in a polystyrene box that you pick up from a chippie - this course was far more elaborate and sophisticated.

There were two black ceramic plates presented; one with a Crisp Potato Terrine and Curry Oil and Emulsion, the other with Parmesan Espuma. A far cry from your typical cheese and chips at the fish and chips shop.

This was my favourite course.

Every time I indulge in a memorable meal, I dream about it the following night. This course was no exception.

The perfect amuse bouche to start off the meal.

Scampi

Description: Brandade, Dill Emulsion, Gribiche, Spring Peas, Beurre Blanc

I’ll be frank, I don't normally go for seafood, but this dish surprised me. I expected it to have a strong taste and possibly fill me up. This wasn’t the case.

The crispy exterior of the Brandade complemented its steamy and soft interior along with the tasty spring peas immersed in the Beurre Blanc sauce and a side of Gribiche and Dill Emulsion.

This course was served with an Italian Prosecco DOC Cavallieri Reali Extra Dry Spumante, Terre Cevico. I admit, I don’t consider myself a wine expert, but it tasted good to me and suited the dish nicely; however, it did have a more traditional Prosecco taste than the aperitif we were served earlier.

Steak Pie

Description: 24 Hour Beef Shin, Burnt Onion Ketchup, Mushroom Duxelle, ‘Meaty Salsa’

This is more my kind of cuisine and it certainly did not disappoint.

The steak was perfectly cooked and melted in your mouth. Its presentation also had a creative flair with four thinly sliced mushrooms placed delicately around the ‘meaty salsa’ with a burnt onion base and crumbs sprinkled on top of the beef shin.

The easy-to-cut steak pie was delicious.

It was served with a French Bordeaux Rouge AOC, Xavier Jaubert. The mixture of this light and dry red wine with this rich meaty course was the perfect combination.

Fish Supper

Description: Scrabster Coley, Pickled Mussels, Confit Fennel, Samphire, Beer Emulsion

Just like with the Scampi dish, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the Scrabster Coley; the light texture and flavour made it a great transition from the meaty course.

I thought I would have been too full by this stage to continue. Usually I barely have enough room for dessert after the main course, but each course at Six by Nico appeared to be carefully selected to ensure every stage is comfortably enjoyed.

This course was served with a light and delicious Gavi DOCG Aureliana, ViteColte.

Smoked Sausage

Description: Trio Of Pork, Apple, Crispy Crackling, Salt Baked Celeriac, Choucroute

I had never had Pork Belly before, even though friends and family have recommended it to me on multiple occasions; this was my chance. It was very good and I would order it again.

I also loved the combination of the sweetness from the thinly sliced apples with the salty flavour of the succulent pork.

They were the highlights of the dish for me and the Russian wine pairing of Pinot Noir DOC, Metamorfosis was a delightful addition to the course.

Deep Fried Mars Bar

Description: Chocolate Pave, Irn Bru Sorbet, Deep Fried Mars Bar

I’ll be honest, I was excitedly awaiting this course from the minute I sat down and perused the menu - and *spoiler alert* it met all of my expectations (and more).

As someone who has spent the first half of her childhood in Scotland and went through an addictive phase of drinking Irn Bru, my eyes were immediately drawn to the sorbet.

My first spoonful of the sorbet brought back so many memories. The nostalgia was strong.

Even though I spent 12 years of my life in Scotland, admittedly, I had never tried a deep fried mars bar, so I was excited to try it out. It was as delicious as I imagined and surprisingly not as rich as I expected.

Although, being honest, by the end of this course I was very glad I wasn’t wearing tight-fitting jeans.

When our waiter, Luke, described the menu to us, you could hear the enthusiasm in his voice when he reached the dessert wine pairing - claiming it was the best one (in his opinion).

I agree with him.

The Italian sparkling wine La Sera Dolce Essenza Frizzante, Malgra was served in a fancy, shallow Prosecco glass. The pink coloured drink had the perfect level of sweetness to end the meal right.

To conclude, when I first saw the price of the tasting menu I thought it was quite expensive but after indulging myself in the elaborately designed six-course tasting menu and the warm welcome I received as well as the overall dining experience throughout, I can safely say it is well worth the price tag.