The corn exchange, the elliptical, the 1864, the Cuthbert Brodrick (the same architect who built the Leeds Town Hall), the dome that lets in the northern light, the 22 metres high, and the moment when you step inside on a Tuesday morning (the independent shops in the arcades around the circumference, the vinyl, the vintage, the jewellery, and the café in the centre where the corn traders once shouted bids for the wheat), and realise that Leeds is not the post-industrial city of the cliché, Leeds is the vibrant, rapidly growing city with the best shopping in the north of England, the thriving food scene, the Victorian architecture that rivals any city in the UK, and the cultural quarter that has transformed the city in the last 20 years. Here is your guide.

Leeds, A Vibrant, Lively and Ever-Growing City

• The city centre, the essential Leeds: The Victoria Quarter (the most beautiful shopping arcade in the UK): the 1900, the Frank Matcham (the theatre architect), the marble, the mosaic floor, the stained-glass roof, the largest stained-glass roof in Britain, and the Harvey Nichols (the first outside London, 1996, and the moment Leeds announced itself as a retail destination). The essential: the Victoria Quarter at Christmas, the lights, the decorations, and the best Christmas shopping experience in the north. The Kirkgate Market (the essential Leeds experience): the 1857, the largest covered market in Europe, the Marks & Spencer started here, Michael Marks opened his “Penny Bazaar” stall in 1884, and the original stall is marked with a gold plaque. The essential Kirkgate lunch: the Fisherman’s Wife, the fish and chips, £7, and the best market lunch in Leeds. The market is open Monday–Saturday, and the essential: Saturday morning for the full atmosphere. The Royal Armouries (the national museum of arms and armour, and free): the 1996, the Clarence Dock, the 5 floors of armour and weapons from across the world, the Henry VIII’s tournament armour (the 1540, the most elaborate armour in existence), the elephant armour from India (the 1600, the only elephant armour on display in the world), and the daily jousting and falconry displays (the free, the outdoor tiltyard). The essential: the Royal Armouries is the best free museum in the north of England. More UK →
• The food, the drink, and the culture: The food scene, the essential Leeds dinner: the Tharavadu (the Keralan, the £15 for the thali, the Michelin Bib Gourmand, and the best Indian restaurant in Leeds, the essential: book the 2 weeks ahead for the weekend), the Ox Club (the grill restaurant in the Headrow House, the £25 for the steak, the open kitchen, the industrial, and the best steak in Leeds), the Bundobust (the Indian street food and craft beer in the basement, the vada pav, the bhel puri, the £5–8 per dish, and the best-value dinner in the city), the Friends of Ham (the charcuterie and craft beer bar, the £10 for the meat-and-cheese board, and the best pre-dinner stop). The bars, the essential Leeds evening: the Belgrave Music Hall (the rooftop terrace, the street food from the Dough Boys pizza, the 3 floors of the bars, and the best night out in Leeds), the North Bar (the first craft beer bar in the UK, 1997, and still the best), the Water Lane Boathouse (the canal-side, the £4 pint, and the best summer evening in Leeds). The Leeds day itinerary: the 10am Kirkgate Market, the 11am Victoria Quarter, the 12pm Royal Armouries, the 2pm lunch at the Bundobust, the 3pm Leeds Art Gallery (the free, the Henry Moore, the Barbara Hepworth, the best collection of 20th-century British sculpture), the 4pm Corn Exchange, the 6pm Friends of Ham, the 8pm dinner at the Tharavadu, the 10pm Belgrave rooftop.