Hern

This produce-driven bistro in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, prides itself on cooking with the only finest ingredients. Headed up by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Rab Adams, who once worked under Michelin starred chefs Gordon Ramsay and Josh Overington, the menus at Hern reflect the fine dining roots that have shaped Adams’ career. Serving up organic meat, fish and vegetables alongside biodynamic and organic wines, diners can expect to find simple and classic dishes designed to show off the team’s carefully-sourced, premium ingredients. 

Tucked away in a row of shops with not even a sign to guide your way, Hern might be easy to miss at first glance but is home to a number of gourmet treasures that are well worth seeking out. Typically only open for dinner, the restaurant is always bookable from Wednesday to Saturday with a handful of different menus to choose from depending on the day of your visit. 

On Wednesdays, diners can enjoy a relaxed a la carte style of service with a wider selection of plates on offer, whilst Thursday to Saturday the kitchen focuses on carefully-curated fine dining menus, offering two different choices – a long set menu, or a short set menu. Priced at £70pp and £45pp respectively, these daily-changing selections reflect the very best that the kitchen has to offer. Guests can choose between the two, with the short menu designed to be more accessible for those with dietary needs, provided these are communicated in advance. 

For those who’d rather dine unrestricted, the a la carte offers the most freedom. A sample menu shows plates of wholemeal focaccia with butter (a throwback to when Adams ran his own bakery) and wild turbot with beurre blanc and curried cauliflower respectively, alongside dishes like cured trout with hash browns, and a turbot, monkfish, mussel and chickpea stew. The wine list, meanwhile, is short but solid, and all selected from top quality European vineyards. Diners can opt to drink by the glass or enjoy the restaurants’ wine suggestion pairing menu for between £25-£40pp. 

If you’re looking to experience something a bit different from the fine-dining for which Hern’s best known, you can pop down on Sundays to enjoy fried chicken sandwiches and sides washed down with special bottles of wine and beers from local Newbarns Brewery. This event, a local’s favourite, sees the team serving up more relaxed fare and has returned seasonally to Chapel Allerton along with the warmer weather for the last few years.