Empire Cafe Leeds: This is what I thought of the intimate cocktail bar that's just opened in the city centre
It’s not very often I find myself sitting in the same bar for the third week in a row.
Normally both me and my partner go out of our way to try something different; switching from cocktail bars to breweries for any mid-week drink we head off to try. Yet there we were, sitting in Empire Cafe again this week, talking about the magical hold this place already has on us despite its recent opening.
Our first visit here was over the Easter weekend after a friend recommended it. We headed over to the cafe in the middle of the afternoon, confident we’d get a table if we aimed a little earlier than the evening crowd. Now, having visited this intimate city centre bar a handful of times, I know how foolish we’d been.
The hype around Empire has not been short lived; no matter what time of day it is you’ll struggle to get a table without a booking. That first time we were lucky, snagging a booth by the kitchen to give their Woodford Old Fashioned a whirl. Our most recent trip saw us seated at the bar, and for those considering an evening at Empire – this is certainly the best choice.
With our bartender, Sam, just a few paces away from us at all times, he went out of his way to chat with us and learn about our tastes. The menu here changes regularly, but if the cocktail list doesn’t pique your interest the staff are more than happy to tailor-make a drink just for you. After requesting something fruity, Sam served me the latest addition to their menu – a Manga Lada.
Inspired by a traditional Pina Colada but infused with mango instead, this drink hit all the right notes with its rich flavour and creamy consistency. Later on in the night came another drink highlight: an off-menu cucumber spritz Empire is considering for their summer listings.
In spite of the rain outside that evening, this crisp spritz made both me and my partner look forward to the warmer months; the intense cucumber flavour giving the drink a refreshing hit that would mesh perfectly with the al-fresco dining experience soon hosted on Fish Street.
Small but mighty, Empire has burst onto the bar scene with a quality offering to city centre dwellers.
