Leeds Food and Drink: There's A Mr Nobody In Town

And the award for the coolest name in restaurant branding goes to... 

Another new addition to the circle of eatery and cocktail fuelled places in Leeds City Centre, Mr Nobody replaces the popular Rare steak restaurant that located on Lower Briggate, directly next to Lambert's Yard and if the launch night I was so kindly invited to last week is anything to go by; this friendly scene ideal for all ages, families and all, will prove to be just as welcomed. The logic behind the name was pretty straight forward - John Farrar, the chef who has worked for no less than 11 Michelin starred restaurants hated the idea of featuring his own name in the title and replied to a suggestion with the response "Who am I? I'm Mr Nobody!" - and there you have it, problem resolved plain and simple. 

Upon arrival I was greeted with two casino style tokens entitling a free drink of your choice; I went for the easy option of a glass of wine, of course, but there were all kind of spritzers and mix ups being served up in an instance (kudos to the speedy and skilled bar staff). With an eating area downstairs and a casual, funky space for the drinker and the dancer types, it fits all the needs. On the night of the launch, the crowds were piling in left, right and centre so it was hard to get a proper vision (and I ended up unavoidably resembling a stalker by photographing random people generally interacting, I do apologise) but luckily, I managed to spot a couple of lovely, fellow bloggers and relax on the sofa dead opposite the window, soaking in the informal, fun, enjoyable atmosphere and the earthy tunes whilst the public on the other side watched along as they walked past.

I was obsessed with the interior of Mr Nobody; it has been completely re-worked into an airy, scandi design with exposed brickwork, a fruity bar, wooden booths, planted flower beds and patterned artwork. They also have a courtyard which I imagine would be wonderfully ideal in the summertime, but as the event took place in the middle of March on a cold and near dark evening, I didn't manage to take advantage of the full outdoor experience (hopefully when I head back there it will be warm and sunny. Pfft, who am I kidding?! This is a Yorkshire based venue, after all)

Mr Nobody class themselves as a bar and restaurant concept that aims to break the boundaries of taste and the social focus on cocktails to extensive non-spanish tapas menu definitely reflects their ethos. They wanted to think out of the box and break the rules of your typical tapas but with fine dining still remaining. We did get the chance to sample some seafood inspired canapés last Wednesday (well, that's if there were any left by the time they reached us at the bottom end), including the cutest baby potatoes and unusually tasty Thai dish. Obviously, fussy old me didn't go all out because the fish life just isn't for me and it was too dark in there to capture any decent photographs but by the sounds and the look of the wide range of amazingly appetising choices available on the menu, it's worth a trial. You can check out more over on their website or Twitter page. 

With their cocktail list ever changing to reflect the seasons, the finest liquors and beers on hand, and fresh food made at your service, Mr Nobody is a breath of fresh air and a great extension to the rapidly evolving food and drink territory in Leeds. Whether you want to feast, drink, party, or even just zone out, it's certainly the place with huge potential that appeals to all fab bunches of average nobody's.

Are you planning on heading down there?

Bridie x