Bin the meal deal and try one of the best lunches Leeds has to offer…
There’s no reason for a dull lunch in Leeds. The city is teeming with everything from grab & go spots to bars, cafes and restaurants, serving vibrant Indian street food and spicy Thai cuisine, or maybe you’d prefer steaming ramen and dripping Yorkshire pudding wraps? Either way, it’s time to scrap the sarnie and treat your tastebuds to the best lunches in Leeds.
Döner Summer
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Larger than life vegan junk food is the order of the day at Döner Summer, perfect if you’re looking for the best meat-free lunch in Leeds. Imagine a loaded kebab with all the trimmings, but this time it’s 100% plant-based.
We’re talking mock döner and chick’n, crammed into a flatbread or – even better – Turkish pide. The whole thing get smothered in an array of toppings and sauces. Aside from the kebabs, they’ve also got a mean selection of burgers, while their buttermylk fried chick’n comes in either classic or spicy and covered in your choice of sauce.
Döner Summer, 10-12 Call Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6DN.
Mommy Thai
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With two restaurants in the city centre, and a speedy approach to serving their delicious South East Asian fare, Mommy Thai is perfect for a sit-down lunch in Leeds. Their daytime menu lets you snaffle a starter and a main from just £9.95 each.
Kick things off with spring rolls or chicken satay, before tucking into one of their classics for your main. Pad Thai faithfuls will be well looked after, but you could spice things up with the pad gra pow or a spicy holy basil stir-fry. Pay £1 extra to up your lunch game with a khao moo dang (five spice roast pork) or a yum woonsen (a spicy glass noodle salad with pork or chicken).
Mommy Thai, 7 Duncan Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6DQ & 110 Vicar Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7NL.
Leeds Kirkgate Market
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Kirkgate Market has been at the centre of life in the city for nearly 150 years now, but these days much of its popularity comes from the Market Kitchen, a hub for delicious street food ready made to give you the best lunch in Leeds.
Based at the rear of the market, you’ll find a globe-trotting array of delights to fill you up. Jenny’s Jerk Chicken is a Caribbean treat, Fat Annie’s put a tasty vegan spin on American classics and Mr Mackerel show off the finest chicken skewers this side of Istanbul. Throw in curries, salads, cakes and more, there’s something for everyone here.
Leeds Kirkgate Market, 34 George Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7HY.
Bubble Sing
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The food counter inside Sing Kee Oriental Supermarket is one of the best lunch spots in Leeds. Bubble Sing is the perfect hidden gem for on-the-go eats – pick from a range of Asian dishes and delicacies, starting with light bites like char siu bao buns or hot chicken wings.
Sushi lovers can get a fresh taste of the sea from just £4.55, while mains will take you from vegetable chow mein to chicken katsu curry, honey roasted pork or roasted duck, starting from a bargainous £5.99. Don’t forget to try their bubble tea on the side – it’s their speciality!
Bubble Sing, Singkee Oriental Supermarket, 26-28 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 8LX.
Bundobust
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Bundobust is and always will be a go-to for the best lunch in Leeds, dazzling diners with tasty, pocket-friendly Indian street food. Every dish on the menu is either veggie or vegan, but that doesn’t mean less flavour.
You can treat your tastebuds to the likes of warming tarka dhal, spiced egg bhurji, and our favourite, the exceptional Bundo chaat – layers of chickpeas and samosa pastry, laden in lashings of chilli, yoghurt and tamarind sauce. Hop aboard the lunch express to grab two of their staple dishes for just £10.50 on weekday afternoons.
Bundobust, 6 Mill Hill, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5DQ.
Little Bao Boy
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Tucked away inside North Brewing Co’s city centre taproom, you’ll find one of the best shouts for a quick and tasty lunch in Leeds. Little Bao Boy are the bao masters, serving up soft and pillowy buns filled with a medley of Asian fusion fillings.
You can grab one for £5.50 or any two for £10. But what will you go for? The OG KFB is a favourite, homemade buttermilk fried chicken smothered in sriracha mayo, while the salt and pepper aubergine provides a veggie kick. Don’t fancy baos? They do loaded fries, noodle broths and gyozas too!
Little Bao Boy, North Brewing Co. Tap Room, 3 Sovereign Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 4BA.
The Cheesy Living Co.
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If you want to indulge in all manner of cheesy goodness on your next lunch break, make a beeline for the Corn Exchange and The Cheesy Living Co. This is a Mecca for cheese lovers and one not everyone thinks of when it comes to lunch.
But that should change pronto because you can get all manner of pastries, from pies to Scotch eggs, from £5.95, while their slow-roast, cheese-draped roast potatoes are a steal at £6.50. But their midday star is the focaccia sandwich, filled with delights like brie and red onion or Yorkshire pastrami, from £8.50.
The Cheesy Living Co., The Corn Exchange, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 7BR.
The Northern Market
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The Northern Market is a subterranean collaboration between two local legends, Northern Monk and Falafel Guys, who have created the perfect place for lunch when you’ve got different people with different tastes.
There are four street food vendors here – Falafel Guys serve up a medley of Middle Eastern treats, from wraps to bowls, alongside their two sister stalls. Big Buns promises juicy burgers while Six Slice are pizza boundary-pushers. Finally, you’ve got Yuzu Street Food, where you can get everything from katsu to baos, all washed down with Monk’s 14 beer lines!
The Northern Market, 12 Great George Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 3AL.
Things in Bread
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It’s an epic sandwich shop in the heart of Leeds where the hungry masses queue up to get inside before it sells out – but don’t let that put you off Things in Bread. They’re seriously worth the pilgrimage on your next lunch adventure.
The sister venue of neighbours, Doh’hut, they keep it simple when it comes to their fillings, but not before making their own shokupan, or Japanese milk loaf bread, fresh every day. Sandwiches start from just £5 and come loaded with everything from roast chicken salad to BLT and Ploughman’s to ham salad. Look out for their specials!
Things in Bread, 15 Boar Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5EL.
Rola Wala
If you love Indian street food and want to sample one of the best lunches in Leeds, look no further than Rola Wala. It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s downright delicious.
Head to their counter on the edge of Trinity Kitchen and choose from a naan roll or get yourself a rice, a cauli or curry bowl. Then move down the counter as you fill your choice up – will it be grilled chicken tikka, red channa dal or Bengali spiced beef? Load up on a medley of fresh veggies and sauces for a tasty meal that won’t cross 600 calories and all for less than a tenner.
Rola Wala, Trinity Kitchen, 27 Albion Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5AT.
Trinity Kitchen
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If you love street food, the best place for lunch in Leeds is Trinity Kitchen. Alongside all manner of big names, from Tortilla to Pho, Doner Shack to Archie’s, this elevated food court welcomes a handful of street food vans to set up shop on a rotating basis every couple of months.
It means your repeat visits will offer the chance to try something new, and most of it for around a tenner, whether you’re gorging on smash burgers, tucking into a bowl of poutine, or snaffling Middle Eastern shawarma pitas. The only question is, where to go first?
Trinity Kitchen, 27 Albion Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5ER.
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