Leeds, United Kingdom

Leeds city centre boasts an excellent range of drinking and dining establishments to suit all palates and pockets.

Dining Gastronomes could head straight for either of the city's two Michelin-starred restaurants; Pool Court at 42 or Rascasse . Other fine dining establishments include Leodis , Harvey Nichols Fourth Floor , Sous Le Nez en Ville and Brasserie 44 (neighbour to Pool Court at 42).

A wealth of outstanding, slightly less formal restaurants are scattered across the city. Delicious Mediterranean/British food can be had in and around the Exchange Quarter at Brigg Shots, Calls Grill , Shear's Yard , Art's Cafe , Oporto and Velvet . According to The Sunday Times, The Cactus Lounge , next to the West Yorkshire Playhouse, is one of the country's top four Mexican restaurants. For fine French food and wine, visit the subterranean La Grillade . Quality Italian food is served at The Italian Job and the long running Bibi's . Shabab and Darbar both serve good Indian cuisine. Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants are mainly clustered around the Grand Theatre and at the top of Vicar Lane. Try Canton Flavour , off The Headrow, for lunch with a difference.

Excellent cafe-bars are to be found all over Leeds. Try Moderno, Metz, Cuban Heels , The Elbow Room , Revolution , Milo or Norman—all in and around the Exchange Quarter. Chain outlets, such as All Bar One , Bar 38 , Henry's and Parisa are clustered around The Headrow and in the financial quarter. Soul Kitchen , also in the financial quarter, deserves a special mention. Cafe Rouge , Est, Est, Est have branches in the city. There are two branches of Pizza Express . Unlicensed eateries, such as Roots and Fruits and Kada's are of excellent quality.

In the outlying areas of Leeds, visit Citrus Cafe in Headingley or Grove Cafe in Hyde Park, both unlicensed. The Ferret Hall Bistro in Headingley serves quality English food. On the city's outskirts, close to the BBC and the University, Strawberry Fields serves delicious wholesome food and has a good choice for vegetarians. For Italian, The Flying Pizza in Roundhay and Salvo's in Headingley are both popular, long-running establishments well worth a visit. Leaving the city via Kirkstall Road, you will find TGI Friday's , Frankie & Benny's and Quincey's. Tariq's and Nafee's serve up the customary curries in student land.

Drinking Bar life in Leeds is booming. There are distinct areas to the city and if you follow this guide, you can't go far wrong:

The area around the Corn Exchange, known as the Exchange Quarter, is filled with great bars. Choose from Metz, Milo , The Townhouse , Po Na Na , Pitcher and Piano, Fudge, Cuban Heels , Oporto , Velvet , Norman, Moderno, Art's Cafe , Revolution , Cafe Junction, The Elbow Room , Hakuna Matata , Break for the Border and Dimitri's . Call Lane should form the backbone of your bar crawl. Several bars now have late licenses - Revolution , Norman and The Townhouse . Clubbers should head for Think Tank, Po Na Na or The Elbow Room . Many of these places are chameleon-like changing from sedate cafe-bars, to thriving evening quality drinking establishments.

Travel away from the Exchange Quarter up Boar Lane. Bars like Yates' Wine Lodge , Square on the Lane, Observatory and Bar Censsa line the route. After this, you can head up to Majestyk or Jumpin' Jacks for a dance, a kebab and an early morning fight for a cab. Head up Park Row away from City Square and you're deep in the financial district. There are bars and restaurants here that will keep you amused enough. Parisa , The Firehouse, The Old Monk, All Bar One and O'Neill's are all on or around Park Row or East Parade. In The Headrow area, try Empire , LS One, Bar 38 , or The Slug and Lettuce . There are more pubs and bars clustered around the Civic Hall and library.

Go down The Headrow, towards Eastgate, turning off at the Odeon cinema. Lovers of quality independent bars, you're back on safe ground now. Try North , the fantastic Mojo , Le Beatrute , The Atrium—another bar with late license and club. The Mint Club (home of Basics on Saturday night) is on Harrison Street and Club Heaven and Hell is opposite The Atrium. So, there's plenty of quality dining, drinking and dancing to be done in the city. Head for the area that most suits your taste. There are other hidden gems around the city like The Wardrobe , Whitelocks and Joseph's Well .

Tour 1: Hitting the City

Leeds is a thriving city, with something for everyone. It's regarded as a Mecca for shoppers, drinkers and diners. New, innovative places spring up constantly. Here's one way you could spend the day seeing what all the fuss is about.

Break yourself in slowly with a browse round the quality, high profile stores and delightful independent shops clustered in and around Victoria Quarter. Premier retailers, like Karen Millen , Jigsaw Womenswear , Jigsaw Menswear , French Connection and Space NK Apothecary are represented here. Stop off at Harvey Nichols coffee bar, Caffe Uno or the Bagel Bar for a quick refreshing drink or snack and then hit the jewel in Leeds' crown, Harvey Nichols . From here, wander further into the shopping heart of the city. Take in Thornton's and Queen's Arcades—both havens, housing delightful independent shops, selling everything from designer street wear and top quality leather goods, to photographic equipment and wonderful designer jewellery.

Lands Lane runs across the top of the arcades. You're in pedestrianised high street shopping heaven here. You can strike in any direction and you won't go wrong. The Headrow Centre is opposite and Leeds Shopping Plaza sits on Commercial Street. The gamut of high street stores are situated in this area; Warehouse, Boots, HMV , Oasis , Virgin , W H Smith and Next , to name but a few. Be warned, it's pretty frantic here most days and if it's a sedate shopping experience you're after, Saturday is a definite no-no. Now you must be in need of substantial refreshment. Head slightly away from the shops towards the Corn Exchange and enjoy a nice long lunch in any of the wealth of the Exchange Quarter's cafe-bars; Moderno, Norman, Metz, Arts Cafe , Oporto , Velvet and Revolution can all be found here.

Right, that's enough watching the world go by! Get back out there and take in some of Leeds smaller independent and alternative shops and boutiques. A must for all visitors is the Corn Exchange. Everything, from designer dresses to handmade pottery, is sold here from small converted shop units. It's worth going for the building alone—an impressive structure on three levels with a huge dome roof—the heart of Leeds' trading life in bygone days. For those interested in retro, browse around Blue Rinse , situated just outside the Corn Exchange.

At this point, you could take a detour to Granary Wharf , particularly if it's a sunny weekend day. Enjoy the great street entertainment and treat yourself to an ice cream. Then, head over to the Market to stare—another impressive building. Wonder at the great sprawl of stalls where you can get anything you might want as long as you look hard enough!

You must be tired now. Go and grab a coffee somewhere or head back to your accommodation. You've already pre-booked a table at any one of Leeds quality dining establishments; Rascasse , Pool Court at 42 , Brasserie 44 , Shears Yard , and Leodis , number among them. Dine in style wearing the fine garments you've bought yourself today and plan your next visit!

E. Hill

Tour 2: Museums and Galleries

If you believe the hype, the arrival of The Royal Armouries in Leeds four years ago, boosted the city's cultural scene and heightened interest in the its museums and attractions for tourists and residents. The truth is, a trip to the Royal Armouries is not to everyone's taste and there's plenty to do besides, but we'll start our tour off there anyhow:

The Royal Armouries sits on Leeds' waterfront at the bottom of The Calls. Stare at it from Crown Point Bridge to appreciate the building's massive battleship-like splendour. Once inside, it's worth visiting for the interior alone. Children (and some adults) may bore easily here, so think twice before planning your day around a visit here. The temporary exhibitions, which are usually well publicised are of greater general interest (past exhibitions have included The World of James Bond and Dinosaurs Alive).

If you're on foot, walk along the waterfront, following signs for The Calls. When you're on The Calls, head for the Corn Exchange. Now strike up to The Headrow. Here you'll find the Henry Moore Institute and the City Art Gallery next to one another. If you're without transport, or it's a rainy day, you could visit both and then dine in the gallery's cosy cafe before heading home.

Lovers of sculpture who still want more after the Henry Moore Institute, get on the bus or in the car and head down the A61 for Wakefield Art Gallery . Here there is a room dedicated to former Wakefield residents Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth and a restful, if small, sculpture garden to contemplate all that great art you've just beheld. And now for the jewel in your non-stop sculpture tour, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park . It is accessible by public transport but it's far easier to get there by car. Bear the weather in mind before you go—the sculptures are exhibited outside. Permanent and temporary displays can be enjoyed in splendid countryside surroundings, and the kids can run around and enjoy themselves, too!