Kendells Bistro

I came here with friends on Friday evening. We had luckily made a reservation, as the restaurant was full. The menu is written on large chalk boards on the wall. As they run out of dishes, it is then wiped off the board. Genius.
Prices are on the more expensive side, but the quality was there. Service was top notch. Staff were very attentive and always seemed to be apologizing for the wait, even though we did not feel we had been waiting long at all!
I skipped the starter, but my fellow diners tried the duck liver pâté and bacon salad and both enjoyed it. For the main course I had venison with ox cheek in a bitter chocolate sauce. I was very impressed when it came out, it looked great. It was a risky combination of flavors, but I enjoyed it. It was also a large portion size, so I couldn’t fit in any dessert. My friend was ecstatic about his lamb dish and my other friend loved her beef.
My only disappointing observation was that my friend and I both felt extremely bloated after the meal, which continued through to the next day for both us. We couldn’t identify what it could have been down to but we both felt like we could pop!

If you google «best restaurants in Leeds» Kendells Bistro is always one of the first to pop up, so obviously I had to try it for myself.
The food itself was very good — I got french onion soup, followed by the duck and my friend got pâté (she said it was amazing) followed by the salmon. For dessert we got macarons — a little hard but not too bad.
The problem was the service. It started a little slow and the waiter initially brought the wrong bottle of wine. Then as more staff members went home for the night, the service literally disappeared. We had to wave our hands at a lonely waitress in order to find out what had happened to the dessert we’d ordered 30 minutes ago. Getting the bill was a nightmare.
Nice food but definitely won’t be going back late in the evening.

Having heard nothing but good to amazing things of Leeds’ apparently ‘best’ French restaurant, all I can say is that Christmas must not be the time to go (as it probably isn’t with anywhere really, given the need to mass produce the same 3 dishes over and over again)…
Ambiance wise it really conjures up a sense of France and whilst it doesn’t quite pull off the bijou beauty of La Grillade, it is a lovely place. Moving beyond that it all gets worse real quick… Again, the food was at best okay (until we hit dessert which was fantastic), and nothing at all to write home (or to France) about. And the tiny wine list had at most 10 wines on. And the red we chose (the malbec) whilst being perfectly quaffable was far from the best glass of vino I’ve ever tasted — at £60 a bottle it maybe should have been better than it was.
The staff were all lovely and did their best to help and I’m sure that the service is usually brilliant (I hope to one day try it when it’s not Christmas service, and there are a few more people in the restaurant) but as it was, the quiet nature of the time we went in made what are probably very good waiting staff seem worse than they probably are.
All in all a completely passable Christmas lunch experience in a restaurant that I’d held out so much better hopes for; maybe it’s a 5 star on a Saturday evening in June, but on the Christmas lunch in December, no better than 3.

You know when you are really, really, REALLY hot. Back drippingly hot. Brows have ceased to work as an effective conduit due to the sheer volume of sweat pouring down from your forehead kind of hot. Hands failing to grasp anything vaguely rubbery kind of hot. All you can think about is how completely hot and uncomfortable you are kind of hot?
That’s how hot I was when we went for a meal at Kendell’s on one of the hottest days of the year.
I’d cunningly had a couple of glasses of wine beforehand, which hadn’t helped the heat control and had plumbed for a) wearing my long hair down and b) donning a floor length vintage wrap dress… that was 100% polyester.
DURR BRAIN!!!
So as we entered the charming, pretty, chouchou interior of Kendell’s I was already barely able to take anything in as it was even HOTTER in there than outside and I was acutely aware that whatever seat I was about to be proffered I would in mere moments literally be stuck to.
I decided, having failed to use the quirkily offered binoculars to view the far away wall menu due to a) my hands being sweatier than a hippo hiding in the boiler room of steelworks who has stolen something REALLY valuable and b) the sensation of anything being anywhere near my face causing a sudden reactive outpouring of hot moisture, that it would be best to excuse myself and go cool down in the ladies loos.
But this being all charmant and francais there was of course a huge mirror in there, surrounded by light bulbs to give you a chance to preen old Hollywood style by the brilliance of 100 tiny suns. Or, to put it more accurately, for me to stand in front of and perfectly illuminate my bright red face contorted into an expression of utter horror as the Oven-​Bake style heat from those fiery orbs made me nearly pass out. So back into the restaurant I ran. Hotter and redder than before. If that was possible.
Now you’ll have noticed Kendall’s still gets 5 stars because how on earth could I score them lower just because I’m stupid enough to wear a dress made from petrol when it’s 30c outside? That would be completely unfair– so put the vision of a hot/​wet beetroot, shaped like a lady and draped in layers of 70’s fabric out of your minds and get yourselves down to Kendell’s for SUBLIME classic French cuisine, luxurious wine, perfect service and out of this world charm.
You can even pop in on a lunchtime or weekday evening and haul in some fantastic meal deals on 2 or 3 courses that will completely outshine any other offer around in terms of quality for your £‘s.
For what we ate see Adrian’s much more fabulous description below (he does write good food porn) and take my threefold advice:
1) Go to Kendell’s– for romance, to please your mum, to treat yourself and your friends or to seriously impress on a date.
2) Polyester is made by Satan’s unholy army of demon tailors. Don’t wear it. I don’t care if it’s vintage. Don’t wear it.
3) If you have very long hair you may want to consider carrying an emergency hair elastic with you when it becomes apparent that Leeds has turned into planet Crematoria for the afternoon.
And yay \0/​for my first Chronicles of Riddick reference in a Unilocal review.

I took my girlfriend here for our 14 (month) anniversary and we had a fantastic evening. The restaurant looks lovely, we were greeted by a friendly lady at the door and shown straight to our choice of table. The starters of Pâté Maison — smooth Duck Liver Pâté — Cognac — Cornichon, and Croustade — Mushrooms — Pastry Case — Poached Duck Egg –Truffle Oil — Béarnaise Sauce were beautiful, tasty pâté, beautiful pastry filled with mushroom duxelle topped with poached duck egg and Béarnaise Sauce.
For mains we shared the Côte de Bœuf — a beautifully cooked ribeye, sliced and presented served over the bone on a wooden board, served with both peppercorn and bearnaise sauces, duck fat chips and a great salad of iceberg with parmesan. Along with a lovely bottle of white wine everything was perfect. We were so full we couldn’t manage dessert, probably due to the hot weather. That makes a perfect excuse to visit again as tere is so much I would like to try from their menu. From the service to the food to the atmosphere I cannot fault Kendells at all. Heres to going again as soon as possible.

Great place, food spot on very nice would recommend. Came he for our Anniversary and the brought us champagne. Very friendly.

Once again, Kendells has delighted me with their delicious menu, gorgeous décor and fantastic staff. Funnily enough, I can barely update with new information, as reading over my previous review I basically ordered the exact same meals as before-​the French Onion Soup, Preserved Duck, and Crème Bruleé. All three dishes were as delightful as last time, my particular favourite being the soup. It’s just mouth wateringly tasty, and has the perfect amount of cheese –I’m always delighted and surprised to find an extra helping at the bottom, once I think I’ve had it all. Their early bird deal is too fantastic to miss out on, and such good value given what you get. One day I’ll stop being such a greedy penny pincher and try their a la carte…
The staff, although not all the same as before, were fantastic. They take your coat, they check everything is alright, they have plenty of suggestions, and they really make you feel welcome. Whilst the food would still be of the utmost quality, it’s definitely the warm welcome and friendly demeanor that makes this a 5 star place to dine. Take into account the gorgeous setting, romantic candles, and temperate vibe and it’s my highest recommendation for a special date, meal with friends before the theatre and even just a treat for oneself. It’ll charm the pants off you, and thank you for visiting. It’ll serenade you with flavour and splendour, and make you wish you could stay for sweet nothings the night long. If you’ve not been, you’re missing out.

So it seems that Leeds does French restaurants very well. From the moment we walked in there was a great atmosphere and I knew we had made a good choice (two of my friends were visiting from Manchester so keen to impress). The menu changes every day an is written on the blackboard (for which you are presented with binoculars to peruse at your leisure). We got there just in time to take advantage of the «early bird» set menu, which is great value.
A good range of starters to choose from, followed by delicious coq au vin /​duck confit for mains then tarte au citron/​crème brûlée/​chocolate goodness for pudding. Plenty of fresh bread throughout and the house wine washed everything down a treat.
I’d definitely recommend it– either for a small group, outing with parents or a romantic dinner for two!

If you’re familiar with popular astronomy concepts, you might appreciate the following statement: Kendells Bistro exists almost wholly within the Goldilocks Zone of the restaurant universe, a phenomenon that’s expected to be possible, but only encountered an infinitesimally small fraction of the time.
The restaurant’s interior is cosy and charming, dark and candlelit. It borders on being romantic, but doesn’t take itself so seriously that it’ll dissuade diners who aren’t coming in as a couple. Its location is central, but not –in– the city centre. A mere handful of minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Briggate and Leeds’ shopping meccas, one can readily walk to this bistro, but it’s offset enough to deter the masses.
And during the early evening hours (I believe from opening time until 2000 the night we visited), you can take advantage of their 2-​course, 3-​course, or 3-​course and a half bottle of wine offers for between £17−25; it’s a bargain, no matter how you slice it.
The only thing that’s absolutely excessive is the portion size for each of the dishes. My salad with rich, hearty bacon chunks and a perfectly poached egg on top was enough to sate my hunger. Then, when the cassoulet main arrived, I got –maybe– halfway through it before deciding I was completely stuffed. The cassoulet (featuring duck leg, sausage, –and– pork loin) was hearty and richly flavoured. By itself, it was a monstrous serving. That’s ignoring the delightfully piped and plated potato mash, carrot mash, and mounded broccoli.
From start to finish, I couldn’t think of a single thing to improve about the experience. Kendells was readily the most noteworthy dining experience I’ve had in Leeds yet, and ranks highly amongst any gastronomic adventure I’ve embarked upon throughout Europe, generally!

I think I might be a lone voice in giving three stars to Kendells.
The food served was nice, not amazing, but for the £18.95 paid for three courses I can’t argue that it’s good value for money.
It was however a little lacklustre, the beetroot and chevre tart consisted of an over-​baked, slightly bitter pastry basket, stuffed to the gills with beetroot, but a little stingy on the chevre. It goes without saying in a French restaurant that a tight hand with the cheese is equivalent to a slap in the face.
The mains of coq au vin and porc boulangere were generous in size, but the pork lacked any depth of flavour and the garlic and rosemary were lost in a thin broth.
The other problem is the ambience, which aims for rustic French bistro but is so overpowering I half expected to be provided with a complimentary beret to wear during the meal. Every inch of the place is covered with faux-​Parisien posters and the soundtrack is an endless loop of stereotypical French chanson
While I know I should not complain that (sacre bleu!) a French restaurant aims for a French ambience it was all so contrived it actually deducted from the meal. While candlelit meals are nice, when it’s so dark everyone keeps banging their glasses into one another you know you have gone a bit too far!
On the whole I’m probably been a bit knitpicky, it’s a good meal for the price and the staff are lovely. But if they put the same amount of attention into their food as they do their décor then I think it would warrant an extra star.

C’est tres bon!

The Food is outstanding but wait, read on…
I was really looking forward to returning to Kendall’s again so soon as the perfect opportunity arose (my colleague was visiting the Leeds office from London for 2 days). I booked a table for 18:30 and we were prompt arriving
The restaurant was a third full when we arrived and we received a welcome greeting whilst being escorted to a table. We took a while to order the beverages as we were deciding on menu options and meals (we had planned to take advantage of the set-​menu but there was only x1 course on starters and mains that would suit me being dairy intolerant and I didn’t feel like either. Therefore, we went A La Carte and had only main course as I knew that the style of cooking and portion sizes are indulgent and substantial. Bread is complimentary (I am bread obsessed so we had x2 baskets!) and was a great substitute for a starter.
When we were ready we ordered drinks and food together. I asked our Server for butter and olive oil when placing the order (they had forgot the butter which they historically have brought with the bread) but neither arrived as the Server was busy programming in the order then obviously forgot whilst having a group ‘social’ meeting at the bar with the other 8 Servers on the shift! So I went to collect the butter as we had nearly finished the first basket of bread and was told the olive oil would follow. The olive oil did follow eventually after asking repeatedly (unbelievably it took 3 of them to decant it into a oil bowl). When our main courses of roast duck and braised oxtail arrived they looked amazing and as usual they tasted superb! However, my side dish of potatoes (I didn’t have mash and as last time they offered new potatoes separately) followed 5 minutes later, along with the condiments which was a shame. The empty glasses and additional ‘starter’ cutlery wasn’t cleared at various opportunities so I made a point of calling someone over (there were plenty of available staff which made the scenario unacceptable in my opinion). We didn’t stay for coffee so I request the bill. which was wrong as the potatoes were charged as a side dish. I informed the Server it was not chargeable and gave them the reason but they insist they check which of-​course undermines the customer and wastes our time.
Our experience was unfortunately, a repeat of when I visited 2 years ago. and as a result I never returned… until my visit a couple of weeks ago (I reviewed it on Unilocal) which successfully re-​installed my faith and admiration for unique establishment. However, after this visit it may well be another couple of years again. What is so frustrating is I know they have so much potential and they can do it if they invested a touch more on their overheads they could employ full-​time/​career Servers which would easily take the restaurant to the top of the table in Leeds. The food is amazing and the owners (Head Chef and Restaurant Manager) are very good hosts. The Chef’s are so very talented and create /​execute the most delicious food in Leeds if not Yorkshire but food alone does not make a restaurant :-(
Emma Fletcher

Kendell’s is a family run restaurant outside the city centre around the same turf as the Wardrobe club. Not many people know about this place, but those who do make a regular appearance!
With a forever changing menu, you are not presented with anything printed on paper as you’d normally expect. Instead, all the options and the entire menu is written on blackboards on the wall. If you are short of sight, they give you charming little binocular style magnifiers to aid you. Amazing. The type of quirk that sets this place apart from any other French/​British restaurant.
The food is fantastic, overall a very enjoyable evening! Unlike other similar restaurants, though pricier than your average restaurant in Leeds, it is cheaper than its direct competitors.

if you go here, make sure you try the Supreme de Volialle L‘Estragon. It’s a really lovely dish that is part of the tea time menu. As they state ‘Everything stops for tea.’
The menu is priced at £21.95 — if you include half a bottle of wine into the menu (which of course, you will!) and you can pick from starters like, Gratin Lyonnaise, Saumon Marine A’ la Aneth and Pâté Maison. The mains consist of; Porc Boulangere, Confit Du Canard, Saumon en Croute and the likes. One of the best parts is of course dessert… pick from Petit Pot au Chocolate, Tarte aux Citron, Crème Brulee and Fromage. Nobody does Crème Brulee like the French so I’d recommend this!
This is a great place to go before going to the theatre to see a show or even just to kick back and relax after a hard week.

Kendell’s is one of those classy joints that, like the Wardrobe, cluster around the West Yorkshire Playhouse, creating their own little smart-​bohemian enclave. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however, and Kendell’s is proof that this formula can work well. Instead of feeling exclusive it feels warm and welcoming, giving you the feeling of discovering a secret rather than crashing a private club, and the restrained, intimate atmosphere makes a pleasant change from some of the rowdier restaurants in town. Ideal for a date, this French bistro is romantic and candlelit inside, with rustic looking décor and service that’s just the right side of discreet. The unpretentious atmosphere is the perfect compliment to the food, which is simple, delicious French cuisine cooked well using the best of ingredients. Their Roquefort salad is a must, as is their generous menage aux trois vegetarian plate consisting of three small dishes, but — it being a French resturant — most of the dishes are aimed at carnivores and seem to go down extraordinarily well — my friend’s duck confit was so popular he was literally licking the plate. If you go in the evening, expect it to cost — dishes from the ‘plat principal’ menu start at £12.50 — but you can save money by going, as I did, for the tea time menu, where you can choose 3 courses for £15.95. Considering the quality of the cooking justifies even the high evening prices, this deal represents very good value indeed.

Excellent little French restaurant that never fails to deliver excellent food. The restaurant can be found by the BBC building in Leeds Centre. The restaurant offers a selection of simple food with a twist.
I have been to this place twice now and both times thoroughlly enjoyed the atmosphere and freindliness of the staff. Not to mention the excellent food! The menu changes often dependent on the produce that the restaurant has. There is always a great variation in choice and all for a reasonable price.
I had King Scallops with crushed new potatoes, peas, mint and crispy smoked ham pieces. This was followed by a delicious lemon tart with cream. My friend opted for the Duck used in three ways. She had duck leg, with duck fat potatoes — which are the best roasties ever! and smoked duck pieces. They opted for a coffee and we shared a house bottle of white wine.
As you are waiting for your meal to arrive the staff provide you with endless pieces of assorted warm, freshly baked bread.
All in all, the bill came to £53.42 for two mains, two sides, a bottle of wine, coffee, and a lemon tart. Excellent value for money the standard of food which could easily rival the better known establishments in Leeds centre.