Azotea — Restaurant in Leeds

We dined here on the 13th April as a group of 6 for my baby shower meal. When I booked the table via phone call I specifically told them it was a special occasion to celebrate my upcoming birth. On arrival the place is very impressive, clearly a lot of thought and money has been invested in the decor which shows. When we were seated a young lady serving us asked if we wanted to hear about the items that were unavailable so we said yes expecting it to be one or two dishes. First she listed a number of cocktails not available, and then listed almost half the food menu that was unavailable. Even simple things like potatas bravas! My friend tried to order prosecco and was told they had non! It was extremely disappointing and also very awkward as I had a number of vegetarians in our group and almost all vegetarian options they wanted were not available. We really struggled to find suitable food for them. I can’t believe that a restaurant can have almost half the menu unavailable and not think to ring and pre warn guests. Had we known we would have cancelled the booking and gone elsewhere but by this point it was too late. It put a downer on what should have been a special occasion and the whole group were really shocked. We also had a drink on the terrace which was windy so we asked them if they could out the fire-pit on where we were sat, to be told they don’t have the health and safety to be able to use it! So I do not think the place is ready to provide the level of service it requires. From the food that we did eat some was very disappointing. The beef skewers were meant to be fillet but they were so tough it was hard to even get the beef off the skewers. The Mexican rice was also so bland it tasted like dry microwaved brown rice. The chicken tacos were nice but lacked flavour everything was a bit bland and not worth the prices they charge compared to other places. The only saving grace was the manager, I think called Matt. He was very nice annd understanding and clearly embarrassed by the situation and he took our drinks off the bill and the beef skewers and service charge. I understand it’s not the staff's fault but it puts them in a very awkward position which is unfair. The company need to sort it out and support the staff. All our group said they would not return for food but maybe a drink on the terrace in summer. A huge shame really as it has...

There's no doubt that this is an impressive location, as the same suggests ("Azotea" is Spanish for "Rooftop"). Azotea is a welcome addition to Leeds, with a spacious restaurant, 2 roof terraces and a menu which tries to provide an authentic Mexican (and South American) food experience. This was the 2nd visit for my friends, and my first time. The staff were so warm and friendly, and this was so nice to experience mid week.

We started with some nachos and guacamole, the latter was prepared at our table. Absolutely delicious, and went down well with a bottle of red wine (again, of a great standard). We followed with a beef dish, some chicken tacos, some pork tacos, an artichoke dish, and a fish dish. My friends told me the fish dish was very good. We all agreed the tacos were tasty, although the pork tacos had quite a lot of liquid which meant they struggled to hold their integrity. My friend commented they had been slightly different on their first visit. The beef dish was very tender, and everyone enjoyed it. Unfortunately the artichoke dish was a bit of a disappointment and appearing to be different from the menu description (e.g. it contained tomatoes which the menu didn't mention). The staff were great in that they took the dish away and asked us if we wanted something else. We asked for some more chicken tacos. There was quite a wait, and after 2 members of staff checking up, we eventually got them. Credit where credit's due ... they addressed the small problem and didn't charge us for the delayed tacos. These hiccups did not spoil our visit. We came away pleased with our choice of mid week "pick-me-up".

In summary, I enjoyed my visit. The food was good. The location is great. The restaurant hasn't been open that long, and I think it's experiencing a few teething problems, which is to be expected. However, this has not put me off and I definitely intend to go back … hopefully...

Disappointing Experience at Azotea – Style Over Substance

We recently visited Azotea, a new restaurant in town that initially impressed us with its beautiful ambience Unfortunately, our experience quickly took a downturn due to poor service and a lack of professionalism. Upon arrival, the restaurant was relatively empty, with only two couples seated. Despite this, we waited over an hour for our food. During that time, we were only served nachos, and there was no communication or update regarding the delay until we asked. When we inquired, the head waiter told us it would take another 20–25 minutes due to a “large table order,” which was puzzling since there were no such tables present when we arrived. This raised serious concerns about the lack of order priority and customer management. We also requested to speak with the manager, only to be told by the head waiter that he was the highest authority available. His dismissive attitude and lack of accountability added to the frustration and felt highly unprofessional. The disappointment didn’t end there. We ordered four cocktails, but the drinks had a strange aftertaste and lacked balance—something we pointed out. Again, we were met with a simple “sorry,” rather than any attempt to replace or adjust the drinks, which is generally standard practice in any hospitality setting. Ultimately, we chose to cancel our main course due to the excessive wait time, but were still charged £60—mostly for subpar cocktails and a long wait with barely any food. The only redeeming quality was the ambience, but unfortunately, aesthetics don’t make up for inadequate service and poor food and drink quality. Azores might have potential, but unless the service improves and the staff receives proper training, we wouldn’t recommend it. A nice atmosphere is important, but without substance behind the style, it’s just not...