Cardigan Arms — Restaurant in Leeds

I honestly cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a Sunday roast as much as I enjoyed the Sunday roast at Cardigan Arms in Kirkstall. This was exceptional. As I walked in there were 3 people in front of me they had a table booked, luckily, it wasn't overly busy and one of the very friendly staff asked the chef if he would allow a walk in, (me) to which very thankfully he said yes. I ordered the Lamb Sunday roast, was served very quickly by another friendly and helpful member of staff, food came quickly (about 10 minutes wait) and I couldn't believe how much flavour there was. Looking at it, it didn't look like the sort of thing you'd get at say a Toby Carvery, and that was a very good thing, presentation and flavour 10/10. This chef deserves a Michelin star if he doesn't already have one or two of them, which would surprise me if he didn't. I enjoyed it so much, I did something I've never done before, I bought the chef a drink. I would highly recommend visiting Cardigan Arms, the staff are extremely friendly and helpful, and it's a very nice atmosphere inside. Amazing! (Edit. Just for the record, I'd already started tucking into the food before remembering to take a picture. Presentation was better than it looks in the...

The new and improved Cardigan Arms is a very nice place to have a beer with friends and unwind after a long day. I have had enjoyable evenings here multiple times since Kirkstall Brewery took over. The beer is good quality and while there has clearly been some significant work to improve the interior, it is very much still a warm and welcoming pub. I really like the different rooms providing slightly different atmospheres, the darker candle-lit room is nice for a late night drink, while the dog-friendly area is just the ticket for a weekend afternoon.

My only criticism of the pub is the food menu. I have been previously quite impressed with the same breweries offerings at Kirkstall Bridge down the road, but it feels like the same quality of offering has not been translated as well here. At the time of writing there has been a recent shake-up of the menu but I still feel it has some way to go to hit the mark.

I would however still highly recommend this pub and am very happy that there is now somewhere quality and local for me and friends to...

Obviously this place is notorious for its cask ales, and the couple of pints I had tonight, whilst not the best I have ever had, are certainly up there. The staff are very friendly, service is excellent & while this is an old, well used public house, it is clean & tidy, and even all the glass & mirrors in the place are spotless. I didn't eat here tonight but I saw plenty of people doing just that and I have to admit the food I saw being served looked good and the smell was very enticing. If you are expecting 5* Michelin star food and CAMRA award winning ale complete with costs in the hundreds of pounds, this place is not for you; however if you fancy excellent beer (I can't vouch for the lagers) and food of high quality and quantities above standard, and at prices such that eating here every day is a viable option, then to be honest, I can't recommend the place enough. Given that the "Aire of the dog", although now called something else, is about 100 yards away, I would choose the 'cardi' every time. It certainly beats all the food outlets...