The Empire Cafe
City Centre, Leeds
Restaurant in Leeds, United Kingdom
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Casual
Why go
The Empire Cafe is a sensible Leeds city-centre pick for a relaxed celebration or date night, backed by The Good Food Guide 2025 recognition. Book it when the group wants an independent restaurant with credibility, not when the plan needs a confirmed private room, fixed budget, or highly formal format.
About The Empire Cafe
For The Empire Cafe in Leeds, the picture is useful but limited: it has casual dress, confirmed opening hours from Wednesday to Sunday, Good Food Guide 2025 recognition.
The strongest grounded reason to shortlist it is confidence rather than spectacle. The Good Food Guide 2025 listing gives The Empire Cafe a clear recognition point in a Leeds market with plenty of choices. If you are comparing options, Man Behind the Curtain The, Ox Club, Shears Yard, Eat Your Greens, Laynes are other Leeds names to research according to the kind of visit you want.
Better for relaxed occasions than high-control private dining
For group planning, treat The Empire Cafe as a casual Leeds option rather than assuming a private-dining setup. There is no private room, seat count, or group package in the available information, so the safer move is to check directly before planning a larger party or a tightly managed event.
That makes it easier to consider for relaxed plans than for occasions that depend on confirmed room layout, menu structure, or a fixed budget. If your group wants to compare other Leeds choices before committing, Shears Yard, Eat Your Greens, Laynes, Man Behind the Curtain The, Ox Club are natural names to include in the research.
Use it when the brief is Leeds ease
The practical case is direct: The Empire Cafe is in Leeds, has casual dress, is closed Monday and Tuesday, opens Wednesday to Saturday from 9 AM to 11 PM, opens Sunday from 1 to 8 PM. The missing pieces are also part of the decision. There is no price range, cuisine, menu format, or booking process here, so check directly before using it for a tightly budgeted or highly specific plan.
For planning a Leeds food weekend, start with our full Leeds restaurants guide if the group has mixed tastes; use our full Leeds hotels guide, our full Leeds bars guide, our full Leeds wineries guide, our full Leeds experiences guide to build the rest of the night around it.
Planning details
- Location
- 6 Fish St, Leeds LS1 6DB, United Kingdom
- Reservations
- Book on OpenTable
- Website
- empirecafeleeds.co.uk
The take
The Take
The Vibe
The Empire Cafe trades on a quietly assured personality: a compact street-level bar that feels like a thoughtful neighbourhood room in Paris, and a dim, inward-looking basement dining room that keeps the focus on food and conversation. Lamps on each table and Egon Schiele prints set a restrained, artful tone; bottles and glassware catching the light give the front room a lived-in polish. The effect is charming and sophisticated rather than trend-driven, a place that rewards curiosity and feels deliberately composed rather than designed-by-committee.
Best For
The Empire Cafe is best for intimate evening meals and neighbourhood drinks where the kitchen’s considered approach can be savoured. The split between small plates and large plates gives diners a clear choice about how to eat — a leisurely shared experience at the bar or a more focused dinner in the basement. The presence of an active bar and cocktails being prepared close to the seating also makes it a good spot for after-work drinks or a relaxed date night centered on well-crafted food and cocktails.
Ordering Tips
Decide whether you want to sample or sit down to a full plate: the menu is deliberately divided into small plates and large plates, so choose small plates to taste a variety or pick a large plate for a standalone meal. Try the more adventurous small-plate work — the choux-pastry éclair filled with duck liver parfait and finished with blood-orange glaze is called out in the writing — and look out for the venue’s signature items (rotisserie chicken and pastel de nata are noted specialties). Expect cocktails to be a strong accompaniment, given the compact street-level bar.
Venue details
Ambiance
Cozy and charming with quirky decor, lamps on tables, open-plan kitchen, and candlelit vibes in intimate dining rooms.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
Accessibility
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Standard
- Capacity
- Intimate
Signature Dishes
- rotisserie chicken
- pastel de nata
Planning details
Location
Recognition and awards
Also consider
If you cannot get in
Try Ox Club if the group wants a more clearly defined dinner around meats and grills, with a known £££ price tier. Try Shears Yard if the brief is another independent Leeds restaurant for a date or small celebration.
Restaurant context
How It Compares
Man Behind the Curtain The is the stronger choice for diners who want a more inventive, occasion-led meal where the restaurant is the point of the evening. The Empire Cafe is the easier recommendation for a less formal celebration, especially when the group wants city-centre convenience without committing to a more theatrical format.
Ox Club is clearer for value planning because its meats-and-grills identity and £££ tier set expectations before anyone books. Choose Ox Club when the table wants a defined grill-led dinner; choose The Empire Cafe when the priority is a broader independent-restaurant feel and the group is comfortable checking price details before committing.
Eat Your Greens, Shears Yard, Laynes are the useful cross-shops. Eat Your Greens and Shears Yard suit diners comparing independent Leeds restaurants, while Laynes is better for a daytime plan or casual meet-up rather than a dinner built around a celebration.
Explore Leeds
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full The Empire Cafe guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare The Empire Cafe
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Awards | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Empire Cafe | Leeds | ; | The Good Food Guide 2025 | ; |
| Man Behind the Curtain The | Leeds | Inventive | No published awards | ; |
| Ox Club | Leeds | Meats and Grills | Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2026The Good Food Guide 20252025 Michelin Plate2024 Michelin Plate | £££ |
| Eat Your Greens | Leeds | The Good Food Guide 2025 | ; | ; |
| Shears Yard | Leeds | The Good Food Guide 2025 | ; | ; |
| Laynes | Leeds | No published awards | ; | ; |
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How The Empire Cafe Leeds compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Empire Cafe good for a special occasion?
It can suit a relaxed occasion in Leeds if you are comfortable with the currently details: casual dress, Wednesday-to-Sunday opening, Good Food Guide 2025 recognition. For a highly formal plan or one that depends on a confirmed menu format, price range, or private space, check directly before booking.
Is The Empire Cafe good for solo dining?
It may still work for a solo visit if the opening hours suit your plan, but check directly if seating style or booking flexibility matters. Laynes is another Leeds option to compare for a casual visit.
How far ahead should I book The Empire Cafe?
No booking policy is available here. If you are planning for a busier time, a weekend visit, or a group, the safest approach is to contact The Empire Cafe directly rather than relying on walk-in availability.
Is lunch or dinner better at The Empire Cafe?
The hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 9 AM to 11 PM and Sunday from 1 to 8 PM, with Monday and Tuesday closed.
What should I wear to The Empire Cafe?
The dress code is casual. You do not need to plan for formal dress based on the available information, though neat casual clothing is a safe choice for most Leeds plans.
What are alternatives to The Empire Cafe in Leeds?
If you are comparing Leeds options, consider Man Behind the Curtain The, Ox Club, Eat Your Greens, Shears Yard, Laynes alongside The Empire Cafe. The best choice depends on the occasion, budget, preferred timing, any details you confirm directly with each venue.
What should a first-timer know about The Empire Cafe?
The main points are the hours and recognition: The Empire Cafe is closed Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday to Saturday from 9 AM to 11 PM, open Sunday from 1 to 8 PM. It has casual dress and Good Food Guide 2025 recognition.
