Coffee Duran

I had lunch here one Sunday as I was at a talk at Leeds College of Music and needed to eat somewhere near by.
I kind of wished I hadn’t come here in a way, but I did that thing where you walk into a café that’s quite quiet and you feel like you’re commuted and you have to stay there.
I didn’t want to spend much money but it’s quite difficult here. It’s not that it’s really expensive, but you can’t just get a sandwich. You have to get a sandwich and a huge mountain of chips to go with it. I didn’t really want to get chips but the sandwich was the only thing I could get that was less than £5 (yet only just)
I got the sandwich and hot drink deal, or else I thought I was, however the man who served me who even seemed to be the owner didn’t honour it. I let it slide because I wasn’t in the mood for making a complaint.
The food was aright, the atmosphere was strange. The owner was actually really friendly and the service was fair, but this place simply lacks character. It feels like a chain although it’s independent. I don’t think I’ll be in any rush to go back.

I was in need of a place to get a decent coffee and chill for a while and, as I was passing, I ended up here.
It seemed to be a quiet time with only a few customers in yet it took a long time to get served mainly to the speed of the single staff member.
As I mentioned it was quiet so I’m wondering why the table I sat at hadn’t been cleared, this gives rather a poor impression.
The coffee was fairly good although not the best and it was priced competitively (for town).
I didn’t eat here and I have to say i wished I’d had time because the food looked rather nice.

I LOVE this little eatery, I have never had any food here only ever bought take away tea. The man who i think runs the place is really friendly and always exchanges a kind and sociable word. The cups of tea are great and was a life saver late one night when i was stage managing an event and was desperatly in search of a take away cuppa, which i have to say is pretty much non existent in Leeds city centre. I would really recommend this place and hopefully i will get to write a great review when i get chance to eat here so watch this space.

If you’re headed past the market and out of town, as it were, you might be on a mission homeward and so pass up the opportunity for a decent coffee in this airy, spacious and bright independent café. But should you be in the need for caffeine in town, and not due to head home, consider taking two minutes walk down the road to this lovely little spot.
The large glass windows make the space incredibly light and pleasant, most especially if there’s a hint of sunshine to come through and warm you as you sip. With an array of tables, a few cosy seats, and a whole range of bites you can commit to making this a lunch time destination or alternatively sit and enjoy a freshly made coffee to boost you for the day. Service, of course, was with a smile.
An added bonus is of course the free wifi, which makes this lovely café and excellent spot for those who work on the go. Pretty much if you’ve your laptop you’re set — coffee, lunch (or what ever you please), and wifi. Having been only once, and simply for a coffee, I can’t profess to know what the food is like but I’ll certainly be back at some point to see having discovered this hidden away gem. Certainly part of the appeal is in the off-​centre locale, away from the hub-​bub, and so all the more peaceful and pleasant as a result.
If you’ve not yet been it’s really worth taking a wee wander down and escaping the busy city centre for a while!

I stumbled across this place whilst loosing my way between the city market and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. It has a big glass window front and says coffee on the outside. Yes! Just what I needed. It was the quietest coffee shop I have ever been into and whilst coffee was clearly it s forte — there are bags of beans decoratively spilling out in the window display — the coffee machines did not look like that had been in use all day. It had the feel of a chain coffee shop (but I have never come across it before) with generic ‘leather’ sofas around tables and high stools/​tables lined up in front of the window to watch thew world go by from. But at 95p for a packet of crisps I shall not be returning. You may call me over discerning but its the little things that make the difference.

Coffee Rand is located on New York Street, adjacent to Leeds Kirkgate Market. As the name suggests, they serve coffee of all types, along with the expected range of hot drinks.
The café has a decent selection of sandwiches, paninis and a sumptuous range of cakes, which are moist and tasty. Coffee Rand provides free WiFi access and there is a collection of toys, should any children require entertaining.
Everything about Coffee Rand is perfectly adequate, therein lies the problem. There is no trace of any personality, no hint of individuality within the café. It is decorated with subdued colours and has the overwhelming anonymity of an chain, there to satisfy the masses. Which is ironic because the place is frequently almost empty, with few customers to create a buzz, despite the friendliness of the staff.
Coffee Rand may be a convenient place to rehydrate or pick up a snack if you happen to be in the area. But with the huge amount of alternatives nearby, my personal preference would be to go somewhere unique to Leeds, somewhere with a character of its own.