VINeataly in Leeds is a dubiously named Italian-themed restaurant in Granary Wharf. It sits comfortably underneath a railway arch and offers good quality, authentic food.
When we first entered the restaurant, we were initially confused as there is a small deli and only a few tables. However, we were escorted upstairs by a friendly waiter, where the restaurant has its main space.
The under-arch construction adds real character to the place. The exposed brick, rustic wooden tables and chairs and unfussy table settings all give an authentic feel to the place. Add to that, genuinely Italian staff and you could be anywhere, Leeds or Tuscany.
While there is waiter service, they only bring you wine, any food you want you have to order at the bar. A curious mix, but nothing to put us off. The menu is limited, but in a good way, as the kitchen really puts a lot of energy into the food they offer and it shows.
We began with bruschetta, which came on fresh, warm bread. There were three types, mushroom, tomato and grilled olives. Each tasted very different but lovely. An authentic way to begin an Italian meal.
“VINeataly could be anywhere, Leeds or Tuscany.”
Main courses were lasagne and aubergine parmigiana. The lasagne was home-made and done very well. It’s a difficult dish to get right and we are happy to say, it was perfect. The pasta was well cooked, the meat was tender and the ragu had a good mixture of herbs to make it very interesting indeed.
The aubergine parmigiana was a vegetarian dream. The dish was baked with fresh mozzarella, basil and tomato and tasted great. It’s a very authentic Italian dish and was easily equal to the lasagne in taste and texture.
We didn’t have dessert as those two courses were plenty enough. We decided instead to have cocktails to finish. We had cairpir apple cocktails, which was a mixture of vodka, spices, lime, sugar and apple juice. It was the perfect end to the meal. The cocktail was well balanced and sweet enough to substitute dessert without leaving us feeling short-changed.
VINeataly is a nice restaurant in a nice space. The food was great, the atmosphere relaxed and there is everything here to make a lovely experience. We would return.
The Bill: £42 per head
