The Ivy Asia Leeds

Dan Curley
The Ivy Asia

The Ivy empire grows ever larger with the recent arrival in Leeds of an Asia branch, bolted onto the main brassiere on Vicar Lane in the Victoria Quarter. Furnished to the impeccably high standards The Ivy is famous for (with on-brand green onyx flooring and cherry blossom trees), this is a stunning place serving only the highest quality of food. It’s not cheap, but the best things rarely are. We’re here on a Tuesday lunch when it’s relatively quiet.

To kick things off, I order a plate of prawn tempura with a chilli, lime and coriander dip. The prawns are huge, big enough to hit a home run with, and the tempura is delicious and crisp. My guest goes for the spinach and mushroom gyoza with fragrant ginger dashi and black truffle, which surprisingly comes as a broth. The gyoza are fragrant, tasty, and my guest’s only gripe is he wishes there were more.

For the main event, I go for the salmon teriyaki, a medium-sized premium fillet with a thick sticky sauce coated over the skin. The fish is premium and the sauce moreish. My guest has the salt and pepper beef fillet with lime, which according to him was “much larger than expected, with about eight sizable chunks of meat that were crisp on the outside and succulent and juicy on the inside”. We both go for the kimchi egg fried rice which is packed with flavour and has a kick like Conor McGregor – if you order this, keep your water within reach.

At this junction, I feel fuller than a ferret that’s swallowed a bowling ball, but the desserts look too tempting. I opt for the Samurai, a giant bowl of dark chocolate, chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie chunks and chocolate pearls with a dash of vanilla ice cream decorated with helmet horns and a little moustache.

This might be the nicest thing I have ever eaten, richer than Rishi Sunak and denser than Nadine Dorries. My guest has a portion of six passion fruit and coconut doughnuts that come with a yoghurt dipping sauce, all wolfed down with a big smile.

This was a weekday lunch, so the venue wasn’t rammed, but we hear they’re booked out for months ahead for peak times so you’ll have to plan far ahead if you want a weekend evening meal here.

55-57 Vicar Ln Leeds LS1 6BA View map
Visit Now

What's on near The Ivy Asia Leeds

A black woman sat down looking to the left.
MusicLeeds
Sound Out Leeds 2024/25

Leeds International Concert Season is on a mission to push boundaries, expand horizons, and ask the question: ‘What haven’t we heard?’ as it presents its city-spanning Sound Out Leeds series.

from £10.00

Where to go near The Ivy Asia Leeds

Victoria Arcade
Leeds
Shopping Centre
Victoria Arcade

Leeds’ go to place for premium shopping, Victoria Arcade, has both style and substance in abundance.

The Man Behind The Curtain
Leeds
Restaurant
The Man Behind The Curtain

Man Behind The Curtain is a stylish, exclusive fine dining restaurant in the Victoria Leeds shopping centre, with a flair for the weird and wonderful.

HOME Leeds
Leeds
Restaurant
HOME Leeds

HOME is a fine dining restaurant in Leeds, launched in 2017 by Masterchef semi-finalist Elizabeth Cottam and Michelin-starred Head Chef Mark Owens.

Wapentake Leeds
Leeds
Restaurant
Wapentake

Wapentake is a café bar in Leeds, with freshly-baked bread and plenty of sweets cooked onsite. Its decor is rustic and and busy, crammed with bottles and other oddities, giving a pleasing artistic feel.

Wapentake Leeds
Leeds
Restaurant
Wapentake

Wapentake provides freshly-baked bread and plenty of sweets cooked onsite. Its decor is rustic and and busy, crammed with bottles and other oddities, giving a pleasing artistic feel.

Leeds
Music venue
Headrow House

This former textile mill in one of Leeds’ historic yards is a labyrinthine four-story venue that boasts three bars, a restaurant, three outdoor spaces and a 150-capacity event space.

Asian Bazaar Leeds
Leeds
Asian Bazaar

In the heart of Leeds is also an Asian market held every Wednesday, featuring a vast array of fabrics and spices from the Indian subcontinent and beyond.

crash
Shop
Crash Records

Crash is a yellow beacon of taste, located on Leeds’ central Headrow. With vinyl, tickets and in-store gigs it’s a must visit for indie and rock fans.

Record Shops in Leeds wall of sound
Leeds
Shop
Wall Of Sound Records Leeds

Wall of Sound is an independent record shop stocking second hand and rare Records, CDs, DVDs, Books and Memorabilia, located in the the heart of Leeds.

Little Tokyo Restaurant
Leeds
Restaurant
Little Tokyo Restaurant

Little Tokyo is a Japanese restaurant in Leeds featuring cushions in the ground for diners to sit on while eating.

Best Leeds
Leeds
Shop
Best Leeds

Reworked clothing and old-school designer pieces, Best offers two floors of style in the heart of Leeds.

Culture Guides