Restaurant in Horsforth, United Kingdom
Neighbourhood quality, no city-centre premium.
A Michelin Plate-recognised Mediterranean bistro on Horsforth's Town Street, Forde delivers consistent small-plates cooking at a £ price point that is hard to match in the Leeds suburbs. Two or three plates per person is the format; booking is easy with a few days' notice. The informal wine-bar atmosphere suits relaxed dinners rather than formal occasions.
At the £ price point, Forde delivers more than its postcode suggests. Two or three small plates per person is the format, and for that spend you get Mediterranean-influenced cooking backed by back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025 — a signal that the kitchen is consistent, not just having a good run. If you want this kind of quality in a relaxed, wine-bar-adjacent setting without crossing into Leeds city centre, Forde is the right call. If you need a formal occasion venue with white-tablecloth service, look elsewhere.
Chef Matt Healy, a former MasterChef: The Professionals contestant, returned to Horsforth to open Forde on Town Street, and the format suits the suburb well: a rustic bistro with a wine bar dimension, built around sharing plates that draw on Mediterranean technique. The menu is designed for two or three plates per person, which keeps the bill accessible and the pacing relaxed , you're not locked into a set menu, and you're not paying for courses you don't want.
The wine list is deliberately curated rather than encyclopaedic, with craft beers and cocktails alongside to cover the full bar clientele. That breadth matters here: Forde functions as both a dining destination and a neighbourhood wine bar, so the service tone is warm and informal rather than scripted. For some diners that's the draw; if you're spending money and want attentive, structured service, the informality may read as under-resourced. At the £ tier, it earns its approach , the service style is appropriate to the price point, not a shortcut around it.
Two consecutive Michelin Plate awards tell you the kitchen has clarity and technique. The Plate (rather than a star) positions Forde as cooking that Michelin considers worth eating but not destination-grade , honest recognition for a neighbourhood bistro, and the right level of expectation to carry in. Google reviewers back it up: a 4.6 from 192 reviews is a strong local consensus, not a spike driven by a single press moment.
For diners who have visited once: the small-plates format rewards return visits because you can work through the menu progressively rather than committing to the same order. The wine and cocktail list gives you a different entry point if you want to eat lighter on a second visit. Healy's Mediterranean influences cover enough ground , think shared plates built around seasonal produce and technique rather than a single regional cuisine , that the menu has room to shift without feeling repetitive.
Horsforth is a residential suburb northwest of Leeds city centre, and Forde's address at 7 Town Street puts it in the middle of the local high street. That context shapes expectations: this is not a destination restaurant in the way that Moor Hall in Aughton or L'Enclume in Cartmel are destination restaurants. It's a well-executed local spot that happens to have external validation behind it. For anyone based in or around Leeds, that's a better proposition than driving further for something only marginally better. For anyone travelling in from outside, pair it with a wider Leeds stay rather than making it a standalone trip. You can find more options in the area through our full Horsforth restaurants guide, and if you're planning an overnight, the Horsforth hotels guide covers your accommodation options. For pre- or post-dinner drinks, the Horsforth bars guide is a useful reference alongside the venue's own wine bar offer.
For Mediterranean-focused dining at a comparable price tier internationally, La Brezza in Ascona and Il Buco in Sorrento show the broader category range; Forde's northern English neighbourhood context is its own distinct proposition within that tradition.
Booking difficulty is Easy , Forde does not require weeks of lead time. A few days' notice is typically sufficient for weekday tables; aim for a week ahead on weekends to be safe, particularly Friday and Saturday evenings when the wine bar trade fills the room. The format is relaxed enough that walk-ins may be possible on quieter evenings, but calling ahead removes the risk.
Reservations: Easy to secure; a few days to one week ahead is sufficient. Budget: £ per head , two to three small plates per person. Address: 7 Town St, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5LJ. Cuisine: Mediterranean small plates. Drinks: Curated wine list, craft beers, and cocktails available.
Forde operates as both a bistro and a wine bar, so bar seating is part of the venue's identity. It's a practical option if you want to eat informally or haven't booked ahead , though confirming availability before you go is worth a quick call, particularly on weekend evenings when the bar trade picks up alongside the dining room.
Booking difficulty is easy. For weeknights, two to three days' notice is generally enough. For Friday and Saturday evenings, book a week out to be safe. Forde does not have the reservation pressure of a destination restaurant, which is part of its appeal as a neighbourhood spot.
Within Horsforth, Bavette is the most direct comparison , a French steakhouse at a similar price tier and neighbourhood scale. For wider Leeds dining options, the Horsforth restaurants guide covers the full picture. If you're willing to travel slightly further for higher-end cooking, Moor Hall in Aughton is the regional benchmark but operates at a substantially different price and formality level.
The small-plates format is designed for sharing: two to three plates per person works well according to the venue's own guidance, which aligns with how Michelin describes the menu. Let the kitchen's Mediterranean influences steer you toward the more produce-led plates rather than treating it as a conventional starter-main structure. The wine list is deliberately chosen rather than filler, so asking for a pairing recommendation is worth doing.
At the £ price point with Michelin Plate recognition, Forde works well for a low-key celebration , a birthday dinner with a small group, or an anniversary if you prefer relaxed over formal. It is not the right venue if you need white-tablecloth ceremony or a private dining room. For high-formality occasions in the wider region, Moor Hall or, for a destination trip, L'Enclume would be more appropriate.
Forde is not structured around a tasting menu. The format is an à la carte small-plates menu where two to three plates per person is the intended approach. This gives you more control over spend and pacing than a fixed tasting menu would , which at the £ price tier is the right call. If a tasting menu format is what you're after, Forde is not the venue for that experience.
Yes, at the £ tier with consecutive Michelin Plate awards and a 4.6 Google rating from nearly 200 reviews, the value case is clear. You're getting Michelin-recognised cooking at neighbourhood prices. The comparison to make is not against starred restaurants but against other neighbourhood bistros in and around Leeds , on that basis, Forde sits above the category average. The informal service style is appropriate to the price point rather than a limitation of it.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forde | Mediterranean Cuisine | £ | Experienced chef Matt Healy – a onetime 'MasterChef: The Professionals' contestant – has come home to Horsforth to open this rustic bistro and wine bar. His appealing menu features appetising small plates with Mediterranean influences; two or three per person works well, and there are some well-chosen wines, craft beers and cocktails too.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | ££££ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
How Forde stacks up against the competition.
Forde operates as a bistro and wine bar, so bar seating is part of the format. It is a practical option for solo diners or a couple wanting a more casual arrangement with drinks alongside small plates. Confirm availability when booking, as the room is compact.
A few days is usually enough for a weekday table; aim for a week ahead for Friday or Saturday evenings. Forde is not a hard reservation — this is a Horsforth neighbourhood bistro, not a city-centre destination with queues. If your date is flexible, you have options.
Horsforth has a small but decent independent dining scene along Town Street and the surrounding streets, with several cafés and casual spots. For a step up in ambition within the Leeds suburbs, you would need to head closer to the city centre. At its £ price point and with two consecutive Michelin Plates, Forde is the most credentialled option in the immediate area.
The format is Mediterranean-influenced small plates; two to three per person is the recommended approach and represents good value at the £ price point. The drinks list covers well-chosen wines, craft beers, and cocktails, so pairing a couple of plates with a glass of wine is a reasonable way to eat here without over-ordering.
It works for a relaxed celebration — a birthday dinner with a small group or a date night where atmosphere matters more than formality. The Michelin Plate recognition gives it enough credibility to feel considered without the pressure of a fine-dining booking. For a landmark occasion requiring a private room or ceremony, a city-centre restaurant would be a better fit.
Forde's format is small plates rather than a structured tasting menu, so the question does not directly apply here. Order two to three plates per person, add a drink, and you control the pace and spend. That flexibility is part of the appeal at the £ price point.
Yes, clearly. Two Michelin Plates in consecutive years at a £ price point is a strong signal: you are getting chef Matt Healy's Mediterranean small plates in a Horsforth bistro, not paying Leeds city-centre prices for equivalent quality. For the spend, the value case is straightforward.
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