White Cloth Hall, Leeds – Review
By Kirsty Reid, August 2024
We’ve all been there… out with friends or family trying to decide where to dine. One person wants Italian, another is craving Mexican, and before you know it, everyone’s starting to get hangry…
Enter White Cloth Hall.
Just a stone’s throw from the Corn Exchange, the recently renovated Grade-II listed building has reopened as a vibrant food hall.
Invited to its pre-launch event, I couldn’t wait to sample the goods and see whether this place could be the answer to group dining dilemmas.
Originally built in 1711, White Cloth Hall was the hub of Leeds’ textile trade. After years of being forgotten, it’s now been beautifully restored into an inviting yet stylish space for socialising and dining.
“Intimate seating”
Stepping inside, the buzz of diners fills the air. Some there for casual drinks, while others tuck into mouthwatering dishes from one of the hall’s four kitchens.
High ceilings and large windows allow natural light to flood the space, creating an airy and open feel. The decor is a mix of modern and rustic elements, with exposed brick walls and industrial lighting.
Set across two floors, seating is ample. Long wooden benches in the main hall encourage communal dining, with intimate seating dotted throughout.
We opt for a cosy set-up on the mezzanine level, overlooking the main hall.
Placing our order is easy, we simply scan the QR code on our table to browse each of food vendors and order in one go. With no need to visit each vendor separately and queue, this is ideal for group dining.
Morty’s Focacceria
“Service is swift”
As we peruse the menu, we are spoilt for choice. From small plates to mains there is plenty on offer…
Salma serves slow-cooked meats and tacos; Morty’s Focacceria is home to Italian dishes; Kuala Lumpur Cafe offers Malaysian meals; while Lupton’s Chophouse boasts a meat-heavy menu, alongside fresh fish and oysters. While the bar has a tipple for every taste – from wine and cocktails to craft beers.
Keen to sample a variety of the food offerings, we decide to order a few items to share.
Service is swift and it’s not long before we’re tucking in.
Morty’s Focacceria offers a taste of Italy, with briny olives (£5) and mouthwatering Sicilian-style pizza.
The thick-crusted, rectangular slices are surprisingly large, yet light and fluffy.
The vegetarian grandma pizza (£6.50) is a taste sensation, smothered in rich marinara sauce and melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella. Equally irresistible is the double pepperoni (£8), featuring burnt lemon hot honey and topped with crispy pepperoni slices.
Kuala Lumpar Café
“New lease of life”
Kuala Lumpur Café’s gulai beef curry (£13.25) is divine. Tender beef strips in a creamy, aromatic sauce, paired perfectly with fragrant coconut rice and crunchy prawn crackers.
The roti canai (£9.95), a soft and flaky paratha bread, comes with a fiery curry sauce that’s ideal for dipping.
A standout for me, though, is Kuala Lumpur’s chicken satay bao bun (£6.50), a delightful blend of sweet and savoury.
Salma’s salty padron peppers (£6.50) and Lupton Chop House’s morish skin-on fries (£4) complete our feast.
White Cloth Hall’s recent revamp has given this once-forgotten building a new lease of life, with a diverse range of food in a stylish setting. After sampling a small portion of what the hall has to offer, I’m already hungry for more.
White Cloth Hall, Kirkgate, Leeds, LS2 7DJ
For more information visit: whiteclothhall.co.uk
This place looks delicious! I will definitely visit it someday!