We headed to Gusto, Leeds to try their new Bottomless Brunch menu, “inspired by Italy.” The menu offers two courses with bottomless cocktails and Prosecco for 90 minutes on Fridays and Saturdays until 3pm.
In the middle of Greek Street, Gusto offers a unique dining experience that is perfect for celebrating, catching up over brunch or a dinner date.
As soon as you step inside Gusto, you’re immediately surrounded by beautiful decor, stylish lighting and a true feeling of sophistication. Think indoor foliage, fairy lights, leather seating and marble tables – just beautiful.
We were greeted on arrival and escorted to our table before being told all about the bottomless brunch menu and the drinks that were on offer. To begin, we opted for a Passion Fruit Spritz – vodka, passoa, pineapple juice, passion fruit, vanilla, lemon and soda. This one is definitely for those with a sweet tooth! We’d also been eyeing up the Limoncello Sangria when we were browsing the menu before we arrived – and it did not disappoint. Limoncello, white wine, pink grapefruit, orange juice, lemon, elderflower cordial, basil strawberries and Sicillian lemonade. It was like having a taste of Sicily, right in the heart of Leeds. Refreshing, well balanced and moreish.
To start, the bottomless brunch offers a portion of delicious ‘Dough Petals’ served with garlic butter. Although a small portion, they were the perfect bite to nibble whilst waiting for the main course. The food menu has something for every taste, whether you’re looking for a balanced dish or to indulge in a real treat. To reflect that, we chose to try the Pan-fried Fillet of Sea Bass and Gusto’s Classic Burger.
By the time we’d chosen our food and enjoyed our starters, we were already being asked if we’d like a refill on our cocktails. As we wanted to make the most of the ‘bottomless’ offer we ordered another Limoncello Sangria (yes, it was that good!) and a classic, Italian, Aperol Spritz. The cocktails offered a very summery feel – despite the prevailing British weather!
When our mains arrived, the eyes definitely ate first! The sea bass especially was presented beautifully. Fresh sea bass fillet served with spring greens, chillies, potato gratin and a tomato and balsamic dressing made the perfect afternoon lunch. The fish was delicately cooked with a great balance of flavour, so you could really taste the freshness. The potato gratin was a unique choice of side that worked well with the dish and offered something different from the usual rice or salad.
The burger was also extremely impressive, stacked high with caramelized onion, pecorino cheese, tomato, lettuce, relish and gherkin. It was served pink and was extremely juicy and flavoursome. We added pancetta to our burger for even more flavour and texture. Served with skin on fries (we opted to upgrade our fries to truffle and parmesan – and wow! What a treat. Definitely worth the upgrade!) It’s obvious that all of the food is lovingly prepared, with every detail considered.
Portions were extremely generous, so much so that we had no room for dessert. But the sweet cocktails hit the spot as a post-dinner treat. We left feeling extremely satisfied and ready for the rest of the evening. 90 minutes of delicious Italian goodness.
The service at Gusto was fantastic, the team are attentive and nothing is too much to ask. They made sure our glasses were full throughout our bottomless brunch, while keeping our water topped up, too. The atmosphere in the restaurant was amazing – bustling, with busy tables, birthday celebrations and even families enjoying a spot of lunch. There was truly something for everyone to enjoy.
Bookings can be made here: https://gustorestaurants.uk.com/brunch/
Photography by Paige Clayton.
