The Canary — Restaurant in Leeds

Hmmmm..where do I begin? From the beginning The Canary can be quite hard to get ahold of. No one answers the phone at the actual restaurant and you are put in touch with someone from their corporate office (not located in Leeds) to assist with arrangements and at least 5-6 business days would pass before you would receive an email back. We finally met with a manager a couple months from the event who was lovely and we started to become more helpful. Further, I had an email from Jay who confirmed our details regarding the event- a good sign! We had booked the upper floor as we have upwards of 45+ guests coming, so needed use of the terrace as well to accommodate this capacity. It is England, so even though my event was in August I know rain is a possibility. However I was assured the terrace could be covered in case it was raining to continue to accommodate the capacity.

ISSUE 1: Upon arrival (30 minutes from when guests were due to arrive), I was informed the terrace covering was broken and there was nothing that could be done. I pushed back that the space inside was not big enough and this was unacceptable. So eventually 1 of the staff went to get duct tape which fixed the solution (temporarily, though this was still being worked on when guests arrived-quite unprofessional. Why couldn't they have thought to do this, it had been raining all day, they knew our event was happening and knew the capacity issue without the covered terrace!).

ISSUE 2: In addition, as they waited until last minute to cover the terrace, the benches and chairs were absolutely soaked and the staff just left it to me to wipe down. I asked for towels and they shrugged their shoulders so I had to get toilet paper out of the bathroom to wipe down the tables- quite ineffective, but I was the only one willing to do anything and the staff were not offering any other options. The staff sat by and watched this happen.

ISSUE 3: In addition, I had asked for Prosecco to be passed around upon guest arrival and beer to be put in buckets dotted around the tables. However, I was informed this was also not an option (with no explanation as to why) and they would have the pre-paid drinks simply poured at the bar. With the terrace essentially closed due to the weather and broken terrace cover, this made it difficult to have drinks reachable for any of the guests as the room is quite limited in space inside. People were having to hold back and some just gave up, as too difficult to get to. The staff did not offer to pass it around so I then had some of my guests start to pass out drinks.

ISSUE 4: In addition, there were empty boxes and rubbish stacked in corners and I had to ask if that could be cleared away. Again, the terrace was essentially incapable of being used due to the broken terrace cover and without that space, and then empty boxes and rubbish stacked in every corner I couldn't believe I had to request this. Nonetheless, I found myself bringing such items to the bins alongside the staff after I made the request-again, as paying customer this shouldn't not be on me to organise and then assist with!

In summary, I would not recommend. Though the food was okay and the staff behind the bar were friendly enough, there did not seem to be anyone making any calls which I ended up having to make as paying customer (taping up the terrace cover, passing out the drinks, wiping down the wet tables with toilet paper I found, clearing out the rubbish)...This was the night before my wedding day and could have really done without the stress in trying to fix such a mess. I...

I had my 50th party at The Canary. As a venue it is spot on, location, size etc. my personal view however is the establishment is not great at catering for parties. Specifically for the following reasons: The pre planning and communication was not great. A change in personnel meant details were different / needed re establishing / confirming when I checked in a few weeks or so before the party. The biggest issue was the (new) need to get a license extension (beyond 11pm) which was never mentioned at time of booking and which caused a lot of stress. The room layout was never discussed and therefore when I arrived 5 minutes before my party there was work to do to organise the room (tables / chairs layout) The bar tab required to be met / achieved on the night of the party had a number of issues….. firstly unrealistic amount based on a) originally only a 3.5 hour window until I extended it to 5.5 hours b) not enough bar staff to cater for the party size thus forcing party guests to either wait or purchase drinks from downstairs (which was not part of the ‘tab’ and which in theory weren’t part of the license extension I had secured) c) see no.4 Very junior bar staff member, thus not knowing how to make cocktails and slow service (all contributing to no.2) Lack of understanding from the establishment that evidence was required ie a till receipt / itemised invoice of what drinks had gone through the till to demonstrate the spend on the night. Instead I was demanded to pay an outstanding amount at the end of the evening without any confirmation of what had been purchased. It was 1.15am and it ruined my evening……

Based on the above and following direct feedback from my party guests re service, their spend on the night (£££) I would not recommend the venue as a party venue.

I appreciate we all have different experiences, I’m sharing mine, having already shared with the establishment (to give an opportunity to respond positively) however their reluctance of acceptance or taking feedback as a learning was very disappointing. Thus contributing to my poor experience as a venue.

I don’t have any food thus haven’t rated it. I haven’t rated atmosphere as this is not relevant to the establishment on this occasion….. more my party vibe, with my own DJ that I paid...

Set away from the hustle and bustle of Leeds City Centre, in a modern and cosy setting at Leeds Dock (close to the Royal Armouries Museum), we absolutely recommend you give The Canary Bar a chance for some mouth-watering and finger-licking good food and drinks.

Perfect for a gathering – Whether you be taking a partner or mate date, you’ll find lots of beers, cocktails and spirits to choose from alongside a concise food menu that consists of some great staple dishes packing LOTS of flavours, so the choice is an easy one.

We enjoyed;

Wings with Buffalo sauce – WOW. Big wings and great tasting, some of the best wings we’ve ever tried actually (6 for £7) Mac & Cheese Bites (V) served with chilli jam – very nice (£5.50) Buttermilk Chicken Burger; Spiced buttermilk chicken breast, Swiss cheese, gem lettuce, tomato & spiced slaw, served on a brioche bun with House Fries – a decent portion, very tasty, not too messy but still hits the spot (£12) Halloumi Salad (V, GF); Grilled halloumi, avocado, tomato, cucumber & mixed leaf salad, dressed with balsamic glaze. I also added Garlic & Herb Chicken – SO MUCH halloumi and chicken!! The chicken was reallllly garlicky (we do love garlic so that didn’t hinder our date haha) it was fabulous. A really fresh meal (£10.50+£2) Washed down with pints of Peroni, French Martini and a Cosmo (cocktails are £9 or 2 for £15 4pm-6pm)

The menu also includes Loaded Fries and a small selection of Desserts. We loved the food here and the setting and we had the chance to watch some football after our food as they also show live sky sport. Something for everyone!

The Canary Bar also offer a bottomless brunch available Saturdays 12pm – 5pm including 90 mins of unlimited Prosecco, Mimosas, Cocktail of the Week & Coronas as well as a Main Meal for £32pp. As well as this, there is a £10 lunch offer Tuesday – Fridays, bargain!

OPENING TIMES; Monday – Sunday: 11am – 11pm. Kitchen closes at 9pm....