So you may have noticed that the Hedonist bar on Lower Briggate keeps changing.The Hedonist Project has seen three talented Leeds bar staff (Epernay, Sandinista, Smokestack) combine to turn out a permanent bar, with ever-changing themes.
We’ve had a whiskey bar, gin palace and the Rum Shack so far. The Christmas incarnation sees all you want to see at this time of year – the alpine/chalet theme.

In league with skate and snowboard brand DC, it’s no twee red-and-white gingham upholstered, pine-smothered, open fire-filled wooden shack full of lederhosen, sticky tables and overpriced chips (think I just successfully amalgamated everywhere you can ski in Europe in one insulting and stereotypical sentence…).

This is the kind of venue you’d want to be in if you were actually skiing. With its mix of fab cocktails (I may have sampled a few sips of the alcoholic ones, and their non-alcoholic variations were ace) including the Matterhorn (a sort of gingerbread syrup-spiced mojito) and the Grindelwald (a short drink that has an excellent name and tastes of nutmeg and gasp *spirits*), what else could you need?

CHEESE.

You need cheese.

Cooked, cheesey, cheese goodness.

We’re talking tartiflette and toasties. I didn’t realise I was missing something from my life until I ate tartiflette in a cool bar. No, I do not consider olives the perfect foil to copious cocktails. Salted nuts? A mere snack. Why not bring the after-booze munchies right into booze o’clock? EVERYTHING about this is a good idea.

Don’t get me wrong, they have classy meats and cheeses too if you want to feel more traditionally civilised (not that I sampled many. I’m sure this advice for pregnant people to not eat cured meats is absolute crap…and I will cry when the NHS guidance changes a month after I pop…). And of course these are legit mountain fodder too. But bringing tartiflette out of its natural gingham+antlers comfort zone won it for me.