Dijon Boys at Number 8 Cocktail Bar in Meanwood provides the perfect outing for foodies in Leeds, as they offer up a diverse ever-changing menu with electrifying flavours, sourced from local products.
Some of our plates were simply exquisite and the service was warm and welcoming. We were served by one of the young co-owners Jamie, who spoke with heart and passion about his business.
Dijon Boys began as a pop-up, formed by a quartet of 22-year-old chefs who worked in Chapel Allerton gastro-pub The Mustard Pot. Since September the business has taken up permanent residence in the Stonegate Road cocktail bar, the venue offers up fine-dining small plates, their menu includes seafood, meat dishes, veggie options and dessert.
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The beauty of Dijon Boys is the relaxed casual vibe while the food remains of high quality and ornately presented. This laid-back unpretentious vibe goes hand in hand with the small plates concept, as a menu designed for dishes to be shared amongst your party.
Plus, the cocktail bar provides a perfect compliment as there’s also a range of high-quality cocktails on offer along with reasonably priced bottles of wine.
Even though the restaurant and bar was on two levels, when we visited on a Friday night it was very busy, completely packed. The décor was chic, the exposed brick walls set an ambience, mounted wall mirrors accentuated the space, original wooden beams added a touch of sophistication and feature walls added to the character.
Unfortunately, our pre-booking hadn’t been noted down and there were some difficulties in finding a table. However, the service, food and trendy atmosphere more than made up for it. I would advise those wishing to visit to book ahead and ring up on the day to double check the booking is definitely there. Plus, book for an earlier time in the evening because the food does run out. I wish I’d had a chance to try their char sui duck with kale and pac choi as that had proven very popular.
To while away the time to get seated, we decided to try something from the bar’s cocktail menu – which is a long and diverse list. We landed on a couple of Caiprinha cocktails, Brazil’s national cocktail, a green thunderbolt of a drink made with cachaça, sugar, and lime. There was a sweet and sour mix to the drink with a smooth finish. A good wake-up call on a Friday evening.
As we finished up our drinks, our friendly host Jamie showed us to our seats upstairs – the designated restaurant area which is very cosy. The venue was full of young professionals. A really lively chatty clientele, there was a real buzz in the air at Dijon Boys.
During our meal, we shared a bottle of the house Punta de Vacas Malbec which had a sweet citrus flavour and was reasonably priced (£23).
Now onto the food. Due to there being no duck, Jamie offered us an off-menu dish. This was sea trout crudo with blood orange dressing and turnip. It sounded nice on paper but we weren’t altogether pleased with the dish.
The fish was served underneath a layer of cut turnip, made into wafer thin sheets. The ratio of trout to sheets of turnip seemed slightly meagre. And the orange sauce had the consistency of orange juice, it needed a higher viscosity.
Next we had smoked bone marrow butter with baguette slices (they had run out of focaccia). Again the butter was far runnier than I would have liked and was expecting a more solid texture – but there was potential for a great dish in there as the flavour of the runny butter was rich and enveloping.
We were advised by a neighbouring table to try the celeriac gnocchi with sage and walnut. I’m not usually a fan, as I find the texture quite stodgy. But this dish was an absolute knockout with a creamy rich flavour. Other than the steak, this is the dish to go for (if it remains on the menu during your visit).
Due to another dish running out, Jamie treated us to pasta dish balanzoni al baisamico. The dark green tortelloni filled with ricotta, Mortadella, PDO Parmigiano Reggiano. This was far larger than the other small plates – in fact it was a full size plate. The pasta had a creamy rich flavour with a piquant zing.
Next we shared the bavette steak with artichoke and verde. This was an outstanding dish. It was cooked perfectly, the meat had a pink hue and was so very tender.
The flavour was electrifying and we savoured every single bite. An absolute feast for the taste buds.
At the very end of our meal, host Jamie again treated us to another dish, the mini choux, as the dish was missing its pastry bun. Jamie bent over backwards to ensure our visit was a success even though the restaurant was missing some ingrediants. We’d spoken for a while of how he and his friends had started the business and how they source their ingredients locally fresh on the day. I really do hope they continue with their success. He said they eventually plan to expand and branch out.
We were given the black coconut ice-cream and mango sauce. An ice-cream which was totally unique with a chic appearance. Delicious.
I can’t sing Dijon Boys’ praises enough. A phenomenal restaurant which introduced us to a lot of new dishes. Foodies in Leeds should put this Meanwood eatery on the top of their list.
The bill
- Caiprinha x2 - £18.50 (£9.25 each)
- Punta de Vacas, Malbec - £23.00
- Steak - £14.00
- £1 Supplement x 13 - £13.00
- Celeriac Gnocchi - £10.00
- Punta de Vacas, Malbec - £23.00
- VAT - £10.74
Total: £101.50
To find out the latest food and drink news in our city you can visit our Best in Leeds homepage. There you will also find a guide to great things to do in Leeds.
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