The Wardrobe: So Much to Celebrate! Such a Cool Place to be!

Mussels, fries and spicy mango margaritas on a weeknight? Sign me up. 

Leeds Living was invited down to The Wardrobe to help celebrate the venue’s 25th birthday, its re-opening and its new drinks menu and kitchen. A city that has recently been awarded best independent coffee shops (which I absolutely agree with), Leeds thrives on these perfect little indie spots for food and drinks if you want to stray from the chain life. 

Being a multi use venue, The Wardrobe offers an abundance of spaces – for live comedy shows and music events, a great spot for food and drinks. You can even hire it out for your own private events. It’s a perfect mixture of intimate seating through the venue but still having plenty of space for a good social with your pals. Simple but wonderful interiors with eye-catching, NY subway-esk bold greens and oranges in a classy meets industrial setting, The Wardrobe is just a very cool place to be. 

Starting the night off with some cocktails, we went for the Rhubarb Spritz and a Spicy Mango Margarita. The rhubarb was really refreshing, perfect for summer and a flavour that doesn’t often come up. The mango margarita packed a gorgeous spicy punch with a salted rim. It’s so great when a venue really experiments with different flavours, I have friends who instantly came to mind to recommend this drink to, as a good margarita is something that should never be kept to oneself. 

For starters, we were presented with a selection of what is on offer over the next few months for canapés: a gorgeous tomato bruschetta, a bruschetta where no corners were cut. We had capers, a lovely pesto base and the bruschetta itself gave such a satisfying crunch. Also featured were some seafood vol-au-vents. So fabulous and giving a fun 80’s nod to the evening. 

For the mains, I wanted to find the dish that people were instantly reaching for, so looking around, I saw a sea (pardon the pun) of mussels. Mussels, in Leeds, a city that is quite central in the north of England with no coastline anywhere close, is a bold move in my eyes. I will say, The Wardrobe pulled it off! The dish was delicious, accompanied by some thick, well-cooked chips and bread. It was a great meal that felt (again like the starters) very bold and elevated.

The establishment itself invites that level of fun and a bit of fancy dining. It would be a great place for a date night, celebrating good news with pals or to do what I did and take your mum out for a meal to have a catch up and gossip over cocktails and lovely food.

The food and service was so great at The Wardrobe. We ended our night with a half of Birra Moretti, served in a lovely chilled glass, then headed on a scenic walk back to Leeds Station, taking time to admire the ever-changing, ever-evolving City.  

Wishing The Wardrobe a very happy 25th birthday and all their team many more years of success, which if they keep going the way they are, will be a breeze. 

https://www.thewardrobe.co.uk/

6 St Peter’s Square, Leeds LS9 8AH
Phone: 0113 383 8800

The Wardrobe Opening Hours

Kitchen11 am–9 pm

Main image: Modernlove at The Wardrobe in 2023. Photograph by Emma Gibbon for Leeds Living.
Unless otherwise indicated, photography is by Charlotte Staunton Gill.