Last night we enjoyed an incredible evening at Crafthouse, a brilliant British restaurant located on the third floor of Trinity shopping center, with views over Leeds. The food is simple, the service is excellent and the atmosphere of the restaurant is second to none. This is an eating experience in Leeds not to be missed.
We tried out a few dishes on the new spring menu which has been created with a focus on classic French techniques, and the best of British produce. To start we shared the seared yellowfin tuna, avocado, mizuna, radish and sesame salad. It was a generous size, and good value for money (£10). The combination of fresh crunchy cucumber, soft avocado and warm meaty tuna was great.
Although we loved the started, to improve the dish we thought that the tuna could have done with a few seconds less in the pan as we enjoy tuna steak rare. Also, I would have liked a drizzle or soy or miso dressing to give an umami hit.
For mains we ordered the halibut. It was served with a hazelnut and herb crust and came with wilted spinach and a chive veloute. The fish was flaky and well seasoned, the spinach was buttery and rich, and the veloute gave the dish much needed freshness. I think the dish was well balanced, and the portion was just right. I mopped up the remaining sauce with the warm Crafthouse bread. Yum.
Although I really enjoyed the fish dish, I believe that there is always room for improvement. I would have liked a little extra crunch- perhaps from a parmesan tuile. I would also preferred the chive veloute to have just been served around the dish and not on top as it took away from the flavour and texture of the hazelnut crumb.
For mains we also ordered the venison Wellington which was served with celeriac puree and sauce poivrade. It was so beautiful! The venison was cooked perfectly and just melted in the mouth. The pastry was also well cooked - no soggy bottoms here. The celeriac puree was also delicious, super smooth and creamy, and the sauce poivrade brought everything together.
Although it would be hard to improve the venison dish as it was already so tasty, we agreed that it could have done with a slightly thicker puree, with more of it. We also agreed that the dish was missing something - perhaps a celeriac or potato fondant, which, if crisped up, could have added some crunch to the otherwise very soft dish. Finally, we would also have loved a little more sauce poivre (perhaps even an extra jug of it) - we are in Yorkshire after-all, and we love our 'gravy'.
Then for dessert, because it is always so hard to pick, we both have a sweet tooth and love to try out desserts, we opted for the sharing platter. This fabulous option allows the diner to try out five of the desserts on the current menu for an incredible price of £19.
The dessert platter included: creme brulee, Yorkshire rhubarb cheesecake, salted caramel Valrhona chocolate tarte and a sticky toffee souffle. My personal favorite was the cheesecake as the combination of creamy filling with crunchy, buttery base and a tart rhubarb topping was just what I fancied. However, I also loved the rich chocolate tart.
Although we loved the dessert selection we both thought that it was a little too rich. We would have loved a fruity dessert instead of one of the rich chocolate items, and also would have liked another texture in the souffle. However, we still managed to demolish everything! What was even better is that once we spoke to our waiter about our ideas for improving the dessert, he came over with a scoop of rhubarb and blood orange sorbet- to freshen our pallets- just one example of the great service you can expect at Crafthouse.
Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Crafthouse, and would thoroughly recommend it for those looking for a great foodie experience in Leeds. It is a great place for a special meal after work, a celebratory meal with friends, or as place to enjoy a great meal and just enjoy being in Leeds.
If you have been to Crafthouse and tried out their new menu, let us know what you think. Either comment below, or send Leeds Food Guide a message on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Eat well,
Leeds Food Guide
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