Here I am sitting in a coffee shop in Leeds, my laptop and a cappuccino before me. I’ve lived in Leeds over three years and I often come out to coffee shops to write, have breakfast, and socialise. The aim of this post is for it to be a straightforward guide to what I deem the best places to go for a coffee in the city centre, and why. Each post will link to their Instagram, images telling a better story than my descriptions will.
5. Stage Coffee
Near the Central library is Stage Coffee. This place nails what it does well. The coffee tastes good, it’s an outstanding people watching spot, and the atmosphere is the most relaxing on my list. Stage has the right level of people and you never feel under pressure to vacate your seat. There’s also a bonus of a doggo that roams the establishment and once came and joined me.
4. Fettle
Fettle is one of the few coffee shops to have embraced a daytime and evening experience. During the day a variety of breakfast options are all excellent. The coffee is satisfying (a highlight in the red velvet latte) and the staff are some of the friendliest about. Not just wonderful customer service, it’s clear the staff all like working there, and it translates into the experience. What Fettle succeeds in is not being scared to try something new with Vegan taster evenings and other such events. If you want to try a coffee shop Fettle is a good bet.
3. La Bottega Milanese
There’s two La Bottega’s in Leeds, one in the light and one and one on Bond Street. My favourite of the two is the Bond Street one serving baked goods, pasta and snacks with the option of alcohol too. In the summer my girlfriend and I sat in their deck chairs outside getting drunk on Aperol Spritz in the sun. In winter we often pop in as the place is right in the centre of town. The service is good, the place bright and an enjoyable pit stop. A little like Fettle, it’s maybe not the best place if you’re after somewhere to work, but perfect for a socialise. With outdoor seating in a courtyard that shows Wimbledon, the place is at its peak in summer when you can sit outside in a suntrap location.
2. 200 Degrees
Not technically independent anymore, there are several 200 degrees coffee shops popping up in other city centres. The coffee is my favourite in Leeds, strong and value for money. I co-host my weekly writing group here, plenty of space to socialise or work. Actions speak louder than words; there’s a reason I’m sat in here now typing this blog. Whereas the likes of Fettle and La Bottega are better for socialising, they’re not environments where you can hog a table for a few hours to work; 200 degrees allows for both. I’ve brought family, friends and worked solo here in the past. It’s a decent option for all.
1. Wolf Fox
My girlfriend and I enjoy going for a coffee on Saturday mornings and you get used to paying three quid for a cappuccino wherever you go. Discovering Wolf Fox has a bacon butty and coffee deal for £4.50 was a game changer. This isn’t any bacon butty, this is a fucking class bacon butty. Look, I just swore for the first time in my blog. That’s how good this bacon is. In addition, the coffee is top notch; the place is spacious allowing us to write and work. Every time I go I marvel that more people don’t go, it’s two minutes from the train station, yet we’ve never struggled for a table. It’s bright, clean, and in a big premises.
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