Piazza by Anthony

Inhabiting a remarkable piece of Victorian architecture, Piazza by Anthony is not exactly understated. If you’re looking to make an impression, though, it might well be what you’re looking for.
Quite probably the best-​presented meal I’d eaten in the previous year, the classy, modern look made us feel like we were getting a truly special experience. Considering this and consistently excellent quality of the food, it doesn’t feel expensive. You could easily spend more and get less in Leeds.
The design of the restaurant allows the waiting staff to keep an attentive watch on the tables without seeming overbearing, and the night we dined there they were superb.
The wine list is extensive without being overwhelming, and the 2011 Delas Viognier was impressive, as was the service; ice bucket on stand, placed just out of reach; our glasses were refreshed periodically by passing waiters.

After a disappointing experience at Anthony’s proper I arrived at the Piazza with a degree of concern the following day. This was magnified when I saw the sheer scale of the operation — taking over the entire ground floor of the corn exchange. It seemed to be almost too big to be any good.
Thankfully I needn’t have worried. Service was prompt and pleasant and the food was spot on — straightforward in terms of flavour combinations but spot on in terms of flavour delivery. In short it is almost everything that Anthony’s was not.
My sole gripe is that eating on the ground floor of the corn exchange means that you are constantly on display for all of the shoppers on the floors above. It was therefore anything but intimate but if the food is this good who really cares.

Admittedly, I’ve not eaten proper at Anthony’s in quite a while. However, I’ve been back a few times since to partake of their cupcakes and their coffees, and it has to be said, I’m a fan.
Injection cupcakes. My understanding of this is that a delicious, moist piece of cake is taken, smothered with a mountainous crown of more ish icing, and that is injected with a burst of flavoursome jam. Those three elements combined make the triumvirate of an excellent cupcake experience. Do the cherry one.
The bar booths are excellent to cosy down and catch up with friends. Be careful what you giggle over, there was a knowing glint in the bar man’s eyes as he served my second coffee. I think he now knows all my secrets. And my friend’s. He didn’t comment, and for that I’m grateful…
All in all, the Corn Exchange Anthony’s remains a lovely little escape from the drollery that is out current Leeds weather.

This may surprise you. No really, it may. Beneath my moderately militant red flag waving exists a woman with four stomachs, each hungry for exotic and rare new culinary delights on a nearly hourly basis. You can take the girl out of the Bourgeoisie, but you can’t take the Bourgeoisie out of the girl.
So, much as it pained my pretentions for a fairer world where a cup of coffee doesn’t cost more than it takes to feed and educate five children in Africa for a week, I found myself way too easily led down the swirly stairs to the opulent depths of The Corn Exchange to buy ‘fancy cheese’ for our cheese and wine night.
In my defense, I bought MY cheese contribution from Kirkgate Market just moments before.
And that’s where my defense ends.
The boyfriend clasped my hand and dragged me not unwillingly into Anthony’s Cheese Hole. It’s not actually called that, but it should be. There’s not a huge amount of cheesy goodness on offer but what there is nestles on rustic wooden shelves in its own personal temperature controlled fromagerie at the back of the shop… swish open the glass doors and prepare to take yourself on an olfactory crack-​a-​thon.
Just be prepared to pay through those same olfactory passages for the privilege of actually taking some home to eat.
Once we had our overpriced and gloriously delicious cheesy gear in our hands we drifted as if on wheels to the cupcake stall next door and committed terrible sins of indulgence. The cupcakes were rather more reasonably priced considering their beauty and the veritable mega splot of topping you get for your money. We plumped (literally) for one double chocolate fudge and one cookie dough… the latter was a little too much sugar even for my mighty maw so I’d definitely recommend the former if you need to hit yourself up after a long day.
The wheels then had us in their embrace again and we found ourselves buying tomato bread in the bakery– served for the third time by the same charming young man who really REALLY earned his money that day and I hope gets the love, cuddles and respect he deserves as a genuinely awesome employee.
The cheese and bread went down a treat at the party, fragments of cupcake are still swirling around my lymphatic system a fortnight later and all in all I can’t argue with the notion that if you have the means you can come to Anthony’s and access some of the very best.
Oh that last bit hurt to type.

We did not have the birthday cheesecake, but I did let the waiter know during the reservation call that it was a very special birthday night. They brought the most amazing dessert I’ve ever had. Yeah yeah, dinner is always good there, the portions can be a little small, yadda yadda. Let’s focus on the dessert. As a novice, I had no idea if he was saying it was some sort of «nest» or some sort of «mess». All I know is it was some sort of wonderful. There was honeycomb, meringue, toffee… pure heaven on earth!
Oh yeah I forgot to mention the baked Camembert– it was lovely and nice and garlicky.

Excellent food, lovely surroundings, vibrant atmosphere!

Piazza by Anthony is one of my favourite restaurants in Leeds, The Staff are Always fantastic, the food never disappoints and the building is a pleasure to eat in! Not to mention all of the little specialist shops in the arches.
Firstly about the building, the restaurant is in the base of Leeds Corn Exchange, if you have never eaten in Piazza at night time its amazing! You look up at a domed ceiling covered with lights! This building for many years was somewhat lost yes it did have cool indie shops but it was little a granny wearing hot pants –something just didn’t feel right, a few years ago now the transformation was amazing and the building is now more like a sophisticated grandmother! It took a while for the shops to be taken on again but now there are lots of small indie boutiques! Yay!
Food; the menu is always pretty classic in choice but served in a contemporary guise, I have never had a bad dish. :)
The staff are always helpful and knowledgable and do their upmost to serve the food without having to ask who ordered what.
The little specialist shops are always worth checking out, the bakery always has really good bread, and some awesome cheeses in the fromagerie! Its also worth noting that if you get bread with your meal its been made on site in the bakery, cheese from cheese shop etc…
Coffee! it might seem strange to mention this but they have their own coffee blend and its awesome i’m sure they sell it by the bag too so you can enjoy it at home!
They even have bread making course days with their baker! :)

I recently visited Anthony’s Piazza on a work night out with a special set menu. From the start I was not sure how I felt about the space. It is very large and not that warm, to be honest it reminds me a bit of a church. As Rowena said, it is not very loud, and to remain that way with a party of thirty plus people is quite an achievement. However, I did enjoy the food. The starter was chicken and wild mushroom terrine, and when it arrived I was a little apprehensive. I can’t put my finger on what it was, but something about it looked unappetising. Nonetheless it was delicious, and I really enjoyed it.
Next up was sea bass with chorizo and some veg. I love love love fish, and the only bit I usually leave is the skin. I know it is nice, but somehow it makes me feel a little icky. The skin was so crispy on this though I ate every bit without a qualm My only sadness was that I would have liked a bigger portion, but that is often the case in such establishments.
Finally, sorbet! This was the real star of the meal in my opinion. I had three flavours, elderflower, apple cider and blood orange. All three were marvellous, concentrated flavour without being too cloying. Absolutely delicious.
I think it may also be worth noting that there seems to be some exciting little rooms around the edge, including a fromagerie. I don’t know if it is just for storage or if you can buy from their, but it looked very exciting and I would happy buy from there given the chance.
All in all, I really enjoyed my food. I am hoping to get another chance to go and experience the full menu, although I sense I may need to save my pennies before I do so!

Piazza by Anthony is an off-​shoot of the famous ‘Anthony’s’ restaurant, which is, oddly, only a 5 minute walk down the road. Situated in the old Corn Exchange, it took the place of many independently run shops. The Corn Exchange is a fantstic and awe inspiring piece of architecture, but I couldn’t help but have the niggling feeling that Piazza was a bit of a waste of such an enormous space. All the old shops above the first floor are now empty, with the restaurant spanning the entire of what used to be something between a basement and the ground floor. Though ever so swanky, and trying to live up to the original Anthony’s, I think my dining experience was always going to be slightly dampened by ‘what a shame’ it was that the Corn Exchange I used to love so much had been replaced by something I can barely afford. It is a restaurant for special occassions, and the food is irritatingly infallable, serving a French-​british fusion menu. For this reason, I feel I have to give it four stars, especially as the service is also fantastic. But it is far too large a venue for a restaurant of this kind, offering top quality cuisine. I felt as though I was dining in the centre of the Royal Albert Hall, alone.

Just had a fantastic weekend in Leeds including dinner at Piazza.
The food was ‘outstanding’, well presented and very tasty. The service was excellent and friendly making it an altogether great experience. Thanks!

Anthony’s Piazza in the corn-​exchange (perhaps Leeds’ most famous and iconic building) is more than just a classy restaurant. The business, which encompasses the entirety of the ground floor of this grand building also includes an an all-​day café, a bakery, a ham and cheese deli, a patisserie and a chocolate emporium. I am yet to experience any of these auxiliary pleasures, which lie of the periphery of the restaurant itself, but they look to have the same standard of class about them that the ‘Brasserie’, which lies in the centre of the building, does.
Because the restaurant is located in such a huge space, the tables are amply spaced apart from one another, enabling you to engage in discussions with your friends about how good the ceiling looks. The high glass dome is now decorated with classy lighting, inviting you to look upwards so much that you may strain your neck.
Onto the food (which you can see being cooked round the outskirts of the restaurant in a unit that probably used to be a tattoo parlour) — an eclectic menu ranging from pastas and salads to fish and meat dishes that just smacks of class. I shared the charcuterie and cheese platter to start, followed by a sirloin steak which was cooked to perfection, and was very happy with my choices. My family were similarly delighted with their fish dishes (the hake is apparently superb), with no-​one finding anything to complain about.
At around £35 per head, you may wish to save Anthony’s for special occasions, and you’ll be going to the right place — any occasion at Anthony’s is special.

Schönes Restaurant in wunderbar restauriertem, alten Kornspeicher von Leeds. Beeindruckende Architektur, leckers Essen und preislich okay.