Review – Bird and Beast, Leeds

How could I not review Bird and Beast, the rotisserie which has popped up on my doorstep? So, yes, the restaurant resides around 20 paces from my flat. It serves rotisseried, marinaded, yorkshire-raised free-range chickens…and chips.  WHAT, I ask, is not to like?!

Bird may be a simple concept – basically,  an upscale, more tasty and more ethically acceptable Nando’s.  But it isn’t expensive; the succulent chicken and well-spiced chips are worth every penny!

You may be wondering why i’m calling it Bird.  Well, that is rather easy to explain – we have been awaiting the grand opening of this promising ‘rotisserie’ restaurant for months now.  They unfortunately ended up around a month behind their aim, of May – but the new opening came with a new offering – Beast.  That’s right. Alongside the rotisseried birds it does so well, Bird & Beast proffers a mixed meat rotisserie on a Sunday – crispy belly pork, or sirloin….YES PLEASE!  P.S the above may look like a scene out of Texas chainsaw massacre.  Rest in peace (no pun intended)  – it is just a horrendous photo.

Though there inescapably were errors when we visited (“your sweet potato wedges will take 15 minutes, but your chicken and salad are both ready now.  Would you prefer plain chips?”  – yes, we would, rotisserie doth not a whole day take), they were MORE THAN compensated by the most lovely (and also, dedicated) staff.  We were offered 50% off, presumably because of these hiccups.  I would happily have paid full price and left a tip.

Here comes Leeds.  Whether you’re a fan of the fantastic pizzas at the Belgrave, the authentic Italian fare at LivinItaly or a free-range, succulent piece of rotisseried chicken from Bird, Leeds’ tasty yet unpretentious grub with a smile is without doubt a rising star in the culinary world – and with none of the snobbery of some London locations.

Have you visited?  What did you think?  Are there any up-and-coming Leeds restaurants we’ve missed?  Let me know x