"We’ve eaten at La Bistro a good 20 or 30 times now, and as the title suggests, it’s our favourite restaurant in Leeds, not just Horsforth. For context, we are a family of four with two young kids, aged 10 and 7 at the time of writing. Given that background, the things we tend to look for in a restaurant are good food, a nice environment, solid service, consistency and a tendency to cater well for kids (and for me, that’s not simply about having a kids menu; I’ll come back to that later . La Bistro ticks every single box, every single time. First and foremost, the food here is fantastic. For all of us. Personally, I’m a lover of Mediterranean food, though as much as I do try to mix things up, I struggle to get past the meat platter; it’s delicious. The menu leads with a selection of Turkish dishes, everything from hot and cold mezes to Ottoman style seafood, and this is my personal favourite section of the menu. But there’s a lot more on offer beyond that, including a wide choice of pizzas and pastas, steaks, burgers, plus a smattering of Greek favourites like stifado and moussaka. For this reason, it’s always been a go-to whenever we’ve been looking for somewhere for a big family group. We’ve had tables of around 20 adults and children, some fussier than others, and everyone has gone away happy and full. There is something for everyone, even those with certain food intolerances. Kids can choose from a smaller portion of any pizza or pasta (they’re still generous, btw! , or a selection of other options like chicken nuggets. One final word on the food, the early bird deal (which runs from Sunday to Friday until 5pm, I think! , offers two courses for something like £19 is fantastic value. Whilst I’m partial to a calamari starter, my wife loves the desserts! There’s a good selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. From a personal point of view, I prefer a draft beer as opposed to bottled, however the 500ml bottles of “Efes Draft” are the next best thing. The restaurant itself is modest in size and has a modern, cozy feel. Though the restaurant isn’t massive, there’s ample space between tables, and you don’t feel like you are a top of one another. It’s a nice, relaxing place to be, even when the place is busy. As good as the food is (and it truly is brilliant , what makes this place is the staff. To a person, they are absolutely fantastic. Welcoming, friendly, helpful and attentive. Again, no matter how busy it is. Our young daughter gets on like a house on fire with the owner, who is brilliant with both of our kids. Some time ago, my daughter drew a little sketch of him while at the table; to this day, that picture remains pinned on the wall at the back of the restaurant. Just a lovely touch, that delights our little girl every time we go back. Whenever the kids’ birthdays come around, La Bistro is always the place they ask to go. Not TGIs, not Nando’s, not Five Guys. That in itself speaks volumes, for me. A visit to La Bistro is like a warm hug from family. Every single time, bar none, we’ve walked away having thoroughly enjoyed not just the food, but the whole experience. It is consistently excellent. It’s what eating out as a family should be all about."
Fried Calamari
