Full Circle

I love how Full Circle keeps growing and growing.
Having had one of those «how did i end up there» moments years ago i was actually there when Full Circle was first dreamt up. Having been conscripted by friends of the owner i ended up painting, clearing, moving (admiring Matt’s car… sorry but its cooool).
Anyway when you go (cos you’ll read this and conclude you must), when you go: talk to thems that run it, have some food, have a drink, find out whats on. When you’ve done all that and popped to the loo for the call of nature and to let this info sink in. Don’t be surprised when the innovative paintwork within gives you pause. The delicate brush work, the extensive use of the colour beige. Behold my works ye mortals.
Anyway stories of labours lost aside. Full Circle is great. It has the kind of ethos shared by other greats of the leeds area like Brudenell and Hub. That the friendly down to earth approach sells good vibes as much as it sells anything else.
The food is great, the drink is great (the fridge is great), the venue keeps looking better and better with every innovation thats added. And to cap it all they keep putting on amazing nights!
I haven’t been in a while and the longer fate conspires to keep me away the more curious i get, what will it look like when i finally get pulled back into this wondrous little place.

I was at Full Circle for the launch of the Cosmic Cow Café and Cabaret Review evening.
Take a look around this space and it is immediately obvious that there is a whole lot of shaking, making and mold breaking going on and, because of that it’s impossible to review the entire Full Circle experience.
I loved the space and the whole laid back, beatnik vibe of the place, I felt immediately comfortable and jolly relaxed. In an attempt to be even more relaxed I headed for the bar for a glass of wine, just two reds on offer and at £3 a glass I was relieved that I was driving and would only be having one.
For this event there appears to be a set menu with one veggie option and one non-​veggie for starter and main and widely acceptable desserts (in a dietary sense). The service was, shall we say, relaxed and laid back. Although it’s possible that some might call it slow I prefer to acknowledge the managements sensitivity in allowing plenty of conversation gaps. I’m told that the Carrot and Coriander soup was good but I tried the mussels and as it’s the first time I’ve eaten mussels I have no idea what they are supposed to taste like :)
My marmalade glazed gammon was acceptable as were the dauphine potatoes and carrots but I couldn’t honestly say that the meal was outstanding which is a pity as I’ve heard that the roasts and breakfasts here are brilliant.
I enjoyed the entertainment but felt that all the performers needed more space to really shine as all the performances involved movement and the small stage really became their biggest enemy. I particularly enjoyed Allegra and her hoops and I was more than a little disappointed that she was cut short with hoops unused.
I really like the concept of this place and, as I’ve said, with everything that’s happening here more than one visit is required to get a true overview and to that end I will definitely be making some return visits.

There are too many reasons why I love this place to put down here, and many reasons I don’t think I can even put into words.
This is exactly what I want some other places to be like, but don’t quite cut it (I’m thinking Nexus Art Café in Manchester). When I arrived here for the first time yesterday I was delighted.
I had been meaning to come here for months and months, but the location meant I had simply not gotten around to — even though I can get here on the 33,50 and 49 from my house pretty quickly! Now I have no excuses, in fact me and my bestie are gonna try head down this evening to try their yoga class. Yes, yoga! Could I love this place anymore?
So yesterday we were hungover in a way that only a hearty sunday dinner could resolve. I live in Kirkstall so the West End Pub was suggested. I was in fear that this place might just suck the final dregs of positivity out of me cancelling out any said Sunday dinner saviour.
I remembered how much I have wanted to try Full Circles Sunday dinner, and one of the members of my party had been before so was keen!
We rolled in hoping we hadn’t missed it, as it was about quarter past 5 at this point, but alas we were just in time! They serve Sunday dinner between 12−6pm.
We were greeted by the owner who is sensational! Genuine, welcoming, passionate, positive, EVERYTHING you want from an owner and more. He made us feel right at home and before we knew it we had mountains of hot, british goodness before us. 3 of us opted for the veggie roast, which was a huge seller for this place, and they have vegan too, and my friend had turkey. Our food was pretty much inhaled before you can say ‘more gravy?’, which was being offered in a huge pot — in, love. It really is like going to your mums for dinner in that they will feed you with love until you burst. And only £7.50!
I was defeated, and my boyfriend by some force of nature managed to finish my leftovers, I must admit I was impressed.
We relocated from the dining table to the soft sofas which face the stage. **WARNING** once you sit here apres Sunday dinner you will not, I repeat NOT be able to move. Ever again. Especially when the owner comes round with chocolate cake which even my secondary dessert stomach only managed a forkful of (I know I don’t know, maybe gravy had seeped in there? That place is usually always vacant for chocolatey goodness no matter how large the meal) The chocolate cake was great though, and vegan! I wondered if those genius’ from That Old Chestnut had supplied it.
We then manage to use our legs for the owner to show us around the place. And wow, it’s like the creative version of the big bang had occurred in there, resulting in an universe of wonder. That’s all I am going to say on the matter, because you must go see this gem for yourself!
If you head here on a Sunday — which you MUST do — get there early, we missed the live jazz :(and the veggie roast would have been fresher. But we loved it all the same, and there is so much more to this place than dining which results in Full Circle excelling at the 5* in my eyes. I will be back, soon. And I will be fat, soon.

The Sunday dinner here is fantastic.
The people are passionate about this place.
I really like it here.
11 of us turned up for Sunday Lunch and tables and seats were dragged and re arranged until we had our own cosy corner of the room.
There was a jazz band playing. Great music but because I am hard of hearing and wear hearing aids the music did have an impact on me following our conversation sometimes.
But did I mention the food is fantastic?
This is Yorkshire Soul Food at it’s finest. I had beef. The veg was fresh and lots of it.
Row asked for extra gravy and she was duly supplied with what must have been half a litre of steaming hot gravy.
There was also a plentiful supply of sauces too.
I was first to finish as I was ravenous. The owner came up and asked if I would like an extra roast potato. YES PLEASE, THEY WERE HUGE!
Then we started playing cards games and the owner even came over and gave us some chocolate/​ginger cake to try.
I like this guy!
There is also a little gift shop and there are pieces of art on the walls you can buy.
I would definitely come here again.
But I do have a couple of gripes.
The beers weren’t cold, it was a really warm day and they had no ice!
I know this is a work in progress and like I said, I will definitely be back.
So no 5 stars from me. Yet!

It goes to show that in a city that can be a tad centre-​centric that if you just take a moment to look beyond the borders, there are a pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. Quests are often rewarded in bountiful treasure, and with a little Unilocal from my friends I’ve been very lucky to set out on these adventures armed with prior knowledge: the knowledge that I’m set on the hunt for good things. I won’t go on too long about how fantastic it is to read recommendations, set foot to discover for myself, and then be rewarded for the effort, but you get the idea. This is the sort of place that not only needs word of mouth, given the location, but deserves it also.
Anyway. I came here many moons ago when the project was in its early days, and had always adored the space. It’s a huge warehouse of sorts, the back wall being lined by the service counter, the entrance with local artists craftings, and the hang out area a number of cosy sofas with cushions (hand made by the owner) and a staging/​band area for all the arts that occur within. Since that virgin visit this place has really come into its own. It’s not yet reached full potential, but this is by no means criticism — there’s so much more it can be, and that’s exciting.
The upstairs used to be shared artist space but I’m unsure if that’s still the case. Regardless, the ground floor has all you’ll need for a good time. And since they do various evenings, including live music, intimate theatre, life drawing sessions, and more, so there’s enough on to make each visit unique. However, it’s the Sunday lunch that I’m about to wax lyrical over. Having read Melissa’s and Saz’s reviews, I knew that my lunch quest should take me here.
For starters, you’ll be hard pushed to find more generous portions, save a carvery. But if you’re like me, you’ll be of the opinion that a carvery just doesn’t cut it. (Fair enough you can eat mountains for a fiver, but it’s never really that good, right?) Here, you can enjoy a plate of kings, loaded with gargantuan broccoli, a hearty Yorkshire pud, hunks of beer, swede and carrot mash, roasties, cauli cheese and more. For the princely sum of £7.50! And you know what? It’s gooooooood. I’d suggest heading over earlier in the day, as you’ll get to listen to live jazz whilst it’s on, and the meat will be fresh out of the oven. Another worthy mention is that even vegans can partake — you have not been overlooked my eggless friends.
Essentially, this place is run by a team of creative and artistic folk, and has that warming collective vibe reminiscent of Wharf Chambers, OYC and Munro House. The people aren’t just adding a touch of their personal flair, they’re passionate to boot, so get yourself involved. It might be just off Kirkstall Road, possibly the least attractive part of Leeds that comes to mind right now, but once inside the hub you’ll barely remember where you are, ensconced in the folds of a secret space.

Id recommend this place. Really not what I expected! its really quirky. it basically looks like a guy has found an abandonded warehouse and made his very own den! The staff are really friendly and it is really relaxing. You wouldn’t feel like you would have to make a massive effort to go there and you would have a great time chilling out to the live music. We went for Sunday lunch and for £6.50 was great value for money, the veg wasn’t fantastic but lots on the plate under a heap of crispy potatoes! this might actually become my new local drink hole.

They also do the best full English in Leeds by a country mile!!!

Full Circle sells itself as an Arts Café and Creative Hub. It is hidden away at Aire Place Mills — which is a group of buildings directly opposite ITV on Kirkstall Road (a stones throw from the city centre.)
It’s an ex-​industrial unit which has been converted into a café/​restaurant, music venue, bar/​party venue & crafty arty hub. The interior is lovely, very relaxed and gives the impression that it has been lovingly put together. It is very DIY/​arty but quite charming really.
They serve hot food throughout the day, from what I can see a mixture of classic British and world foods — all with a veggie and vegan option too.
They host art classes, live music, craft markets, vintage fairs and a book club — and probably a lot more besides!
On our first visit I was absolutely amazed. I’d called in at Seagulls for paint and decided to check out Full CIrcle. I got chatting to the owner who seems to be a lovely guy, he describes himself as a ‘tiffin pusher’ which made me laugh. We had coffee & lunch, which was a huge portion of really tasty thai lentil curry. I also sampled some peanut butter tiffin which was really nice.
There had been an 18^th birthday party at the venue the night before, and the staff were setting up for a craft fair that was going to be there the following day.
The owner told me he set up the business from scratch ‘on a pound’ which is partially responsible for the name. He also showed me an impressive collection of vintage clothes and nick nacks awaiting sorting for a vintage fair. I inquired about the Sunday roasts — a choice of 3 locally sourced meats, veggie or vegan with home made Yorkshire puds and all the trimmings for £6.50. The owner mentioned that they offer it at a good price in order to encourage people who may not have very much money to come in for a good meal. We vowed to go back and try a roast ASAP.
A few weeks later, I went back to try the Sunday roast — it was AMAZING. I had beef, everyone else had lamb. The portions are huge and all home made, including some epic Yorkshire’s and proper roasties — both are my pet peeves when it comes to pub roasts etc, as they are often ‘aunt bessies’ style frozen ones which aren’t a patch on the real thing. None of those to be found here! There was also 5 different veggies — carrots, parsnips, leek & cauliflower cheese, cabbage and lots of gravy.
I wish I’d taken a picture to be honest but I couldn’t wait! I was amazed at the size of the portion and the quality of the food, all for £6.50.
Sunday is also live jazz at Full Circle — I am not usually a fan but I enjoyed it as it isnt overbearing and the musicians were having a really good time too.
Overall my 2 experiences so far have been amazing and I can’t wait to go back — I would say that the sunday roast is the best I’ve tried in Leeds, as well as being the cheapest.
I am now telling everyone I know all about it — it’s a fantastic place, check it out ASAP!