Aqua Preena

I’ve heard about this for a while and was discussing it yesterday at work, so I decided to use the birthday cash sent by my lovely mam-​in-​law to treat myself.
I rang this morning and managed to book a 30 minute session for this afternoon. The staff were really nice and helpful, when they heard that it was my birthday, I got a larger glass of red wine and a foot massage afterwards.
The sensation was ticklish at first but I soon got used to it and the fish themselves fascinated me. I could have sat there all day and when I walked out I felt as if I had new feet.

what an amazing experience!
i was out with my daughter in leeds when she said she was treating me to ‘something different’
when i walked in i was thinking to myself just grin n bare it — 15 mins later i was thinking — why didnt we have 30mins! it was sooo relaxing after the initial shock of a shoal of fish surrounding your feet
(very tickly when they nibbled between my toes)
the receptionist was very knowledgable and answered any questions
we asked
a free drink was offered which i thought was good seeing as the sessions were cheap — £10 for 15mins £15 for 30mins
me and both daughters will be spoiling ourselves on a regular basis now

I have to be honest; when I saw something similar to this in London last year I was looking at all the people sat around with their feet in tanks of little fish thinking «that looks like a right waste of money» but when I was invited to the Unilocal event at Aqua Preena I thought I’d give it a go.
Its very weird sat there with this swarm of fish waiting for you and MY GOSH DOES IT TICKLE when your feet go in there but once you’ve got over that first minute it feels wonderful! I had a 15 minute session and was quite disappointed when it was over — I could easily have stayed there for 30 minutes!
The staff in Aqua Preena were all really helpful and friendly and the pricing was much lower than I was expecting for somewhere in the middle of the city centre. I’d definitly recommend going here to anyone who fancies a bit of a pamper or maybe as a treat for a friend. I already have my next visit planned! :-)

To be honest, before coming to the UK, I had heard about some kind of a ‘fish spa’ where the fish bite at your dead skin cells and leave your feet (and sometimes hands) smooth as a baby’s ass. However, I never thought it would be in England, let alone in Leeds of all places… let’s be honest, it’s a bit obscure of a place to imagine something like this existing…
So out of curiosity, a bit of a fatter wallet and a sense of boredom, a friend and I went in after a long day of unsuccessful Christmas shopping, hoping to rack up a bit of ‘lad points’ (or in my case, Man Points) by venturing on the weird side of things and walking into this place to get a massage by some cold-​blooded creatures.
The décor is nice: It’s simplistic and clean and it looks elegant and still retains a sense of self awareness to make it not an outright womanly thing to do… after all, two straight men ventured in to waste a bill! The staff are super friendly and helpful and they explain away all your fears of sanitation… well, for the most part at least.
The price is super cheap for something this random!!!0 Pounds for 15 minutes with a complimentary drink is amazing on any standard no matter how you look at it… and let’s be frank… some people are cheaper than a chav at Sports Direct buying Umbro track pants… HEYAHHHH! So don’t complain. you probably spend more on booze per visit to the pub than anything more frequent or infrequent.
My only complaint is that the pre-​foot bath before getting into the tanks to have your toes sucked on by fish is a bit sketchy, you feel as if they don’t clean those massage basins properly and you’re always looking at someone, usually fatter and greasier than you, stepping into it and making a huge puddly mess after they get out of the tank. Also, communal exfoliating cream, while given to you, is still a bit gross… but this is all just rambling in my mind.
To be honest, this place is great to bring a date or anyone who is bored in town. It’s in a great location by Victoria Quarter and it’s cheap too. Go check it out. Don’t be a pussy and try it. there are more weird and arguably more questionable sanitation issues in most of Southeast Asia that aren’t imaginable to our minds. so common’…give it a go ya big sissy!

This incredible new spa, of sorts, is a wonderful new and exciting venture in Leeds it has to be said. Of course, it’s not ground breaking –I don’t suggest for a moment it may change your life, but it is unusual and it is fantastic. Inside you will discover the zeitgeist (and I hope more than just a zeitgeist) delights of the Gara Ruffa fish. So, assuming you’ve not heard of this before, what the deuce am I bubbling about? Fish that nibble the dead skin from your feet. It’s a lot more delightful than it sounds, I can assure you.
I went in here recently to give it a try and was bowled over by what a lovely experience I had here. I was giving it a go solo, so was greeted by one of the lovely owners, who saw me to my spot and began to tell me everything about it. Her enthusiasm is contagious and she delved into all the information about what they do for your skin, how they hit the acupuncture points in your feet, how they have healing properties in their saliva to help skin complaints and a variety of other details about the fish.
I was given a choice of free drinks, and chose a delicious hot chocolate, which I sipped happily as the fish did their thing. I swear that chocolate has some kind of addictive properties as it’s bloody delicious. As soon as you dip your toes in they swarm toward your feet, which is an incredible and strange sensation, and begin sucking away. At first it felt like a strong vibrating foot spa, which soon calmed, and they simply swim around the areas of your feet nibbling as they go. The large ones have a stronger «nibble», which was a little tickly, but nothing to worry about in the slightest.
The owner told me all about how they came about deciding to open a Gara Ruffa salon (her business partner discovered their properties after complaining that her «feet were like hooves!») and their passion and enthusiasm is tangible. Even though they were hugely busy on my second visit, there was no shortage of good customer service, and everyone in there was extremely friendly. At only £10 for fifteen minutes, or £15 for half an hour, this is one of the most intriguing, sociable and pleasant pedicures you could want. It’s not just for the girls; as I was being seen to a group of four rugby-​type lads came in to make an appointment, and even children are welcome at a reduced price. They are even offering gift vouchers!
You really must try it for yourself — it is a fantastic experience!

Those little fish are going to do what?!? Oh… suck on my feet… Naturally.
I must say that this is unlike anything I ever done before, but something that I would do extremely often if I knew of a spot near me that was as friendly, comfortable, affordable and accommodating as Aqua Preena.
It’s true — £10 for 15 minutes, or £15 for 30 minutes, and these lil’ suckers will do their best on your feet — systematically popping and cupping all that dead skin, and quickly and effectively turning your feet from barking dogs to purring kittens. And with a glass of either wine, juice, tea, or hot chocolate in hand and some 40s music softly sound-​tracking the experience, I relaxed much more than just my feet in 15 minutes!