Midnight Bell, Leeds

Leeds Best Battered Haddock, Pea Puree, Handmade Tartare Sauce and Home Twice Cooked Chips £11.95

A meeting of friends and family brought me to Leeds for a late Sunday lunch and we ended up at the Midnight Bell. The pub used to be the Leeds Brewery tap, but their official tap is now at another pub near to Leeds station. And very near to the fabulous Friends of Ham.

It’s a little out of town in the urban village of Holbeck. It appears every city needs to have an urban village these days.

We arrived just in time to order and therefore the Sunday lunchtime crush had settled down and we were able to grab a quiet corner at the back of the ground floor. The staff were brilliant and made sure we were all sorted and could enjoy the afternoon in the pub.

The fish was lovely and the batter was outstanding. The big chunks of fresh fish were elegantly surrounded by a perfectly seasoned beer batter. Really pleased to have a beer batter that had been cooked with such care.

The chips had a fantastic taste and were definitely twice fried but not quite as crispy as I had hoped. Although they has been pre salted, this wasn’t over the top and I did add a little salt and vinegar.

The pea puree had been generously distributed on the plate and formed a base for the fish and chips. It had a good depth of flavour and a texture that worked well.

The green leaves didn’t need to be on the plate and just served as a distraction especially when a stray leaf made it onto my fork. This sadly happened more than one.

The tartare was good in terms of both flavour and texture and had big chunks of gherkins.

No lemon – and I did have to ask for the vinegar.  

The meal was washed down with a pint of Leeds Pale which was just OK.

Good friends in a good pub with good fish and chips and some fantastic music in the background on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Perfect.