It’s a Bundobust Christmas!

Anyone in Leeds who is worth their salt has heard of Bundobust. But for the unlucky few who haven’t, let me introduce you.

Established in 2014, Bundo (as the locals call it) is owned by friends Marko Husak and Mayur Patel, and perfectly blends craft beer with vegetarian Gujarati street food. After the two gents worked together on a series of sell out pop up events, they decided to bless the folks of Leeds with a permanent fixture, and the rest is history.

 Situated right in the centre of Leeds, on Mill Hill, Bundobust is hard to miss. Colourful frontage draws you in, and the smell of incense and warm spices floats through the air. Inside, exposed brick walls and long communal benches give a cosy canteen feel, signature screen printed art adorns the walls, and kitschy light boxes suspended over the bar display the tongue-in-cheek phrases “too much spicy”, “no beef” and “thank you please”.

We arrived on this snowy mid-afternoon and were welcomed by smiling faces and delectable scents. Partitions have been erected between tables for distancing, but the place retains its warm and cosy vibe. The waiter offered to explain the menu to us, but as this was not our first rodeo, so we politely declined, and dived in. 

Drinks ordered (a deliciously zingy non-alcoholic beer called Weird Weather, from Copenhagen-based brewery Mikkeller), we settled down to choose our food. All the dishes served at Bundo are small plates, perfect for sharing or, if you are like us, using that as a thinly veiled excuse to over order. The restaurant also offers a lunch express deal with 2 dishes for £8.50, but no dish from the main menu exceeds £7, which makes for a wonderfully reasonable lunch (or dinner, snack, elevenses….you get the picture).

We decided on a restrained (!) 3 dishes each, with a couple of the Christmas specials thrown in for festive good measure. The eponymous Bundo Chaat, crunchy and textural, arrived enveloped in chilli sauce and a tamarind yoghurt chutney. My partner likened it to spiced loaded nachos – take from that what you will, but the dish is a stunner. Next, the Paneer Tikka – two generous skewers of paneer cheese, mushroom, and peppers, kissed with the heady smoke of the barbeque and slathered in red pepper ketchup and spinach chutney.

A personal favourite – the Gobi Manchurian – never fails to impress. Hefty chunks of cauliflower and mushroom pakoras tossed in a deeply savoury umami hot sauce. We opted to try one of the newer dishes – the Sweetcorn Chevdo – fresh sweetcorn kernels with crushed peanuts, ginger, chili, and mustard seeds. It arrived piping hot, and was sweet, comforting, quirky and moreish. In keeping with the festive weather, we rounded off our meal with two of the Christmas specials. The first – sprout, broccoli, and onion bhajis – came studded with fragrant fennel and warming chili, and were nestled in a piquant cranberry chutney. The second – a rich tomato and coconut curry – was packed with warming winter root vegetables and served with aromatic rice. Both dishes were unmistakeably Christmassy, but not without that quintessential warming Bundo flair. 

Bundo chaat, gobi manchurian, paneer tikka, festive curry, sprout bhajis, sweetcorn chevdo, and rice.

For those not wishing to make the trip to Leeds (Ed: Ruby, why would anyone not want to visit Leeds?), Bundobust also has spots in Liverpool and Manchester, with the latter city also playing host to the venture’s first brewery and 150-seat taproom serving a rotating selection of beers, as well as food, seven days a week. And a word to the wise: if you happen to be just passing, the in-house off license sells takeaway beers at a gluggable 40% discount.

The staff were friendly and attentive throughout, the food was speedy, warming, and unbelievably tasty, and for two drinks and 6 dishes, the bill barely broke £40. If you’ve yet to visit this Leeds institution, what on earth are you waiting for?

Thank you please, Bundobust!
6 Mill Hill, LS1 5DQ, 0113 243 1248 https://bundobust.com

Photography by Asli Champion.

Do you have a story to tell?
We want to hear your stories and help you share them.