Nesso Leeds review: I tried an Italian-inspired afternoon tea brunch at this new city centre cafe
Already a firm favourite in Morley, this stylish Italian-inspired cafe has just branched out into Leeds city centre.
Nesso, the brainchild of MasterChef: The Professionals quarter-finalist Bobby Gheeta, opened on Queen Street almost two years ago, and has become famed for its Italian afternoon tea and prosecco brunch.
Following the success of the neighbourhood cafe, Nesso opened a second branch on Merrion Street last month, below the Scape student accommodation. The upmarket cafe and bar serves all-day brunch, a wide range of drinks - from matcha lattes and smoothies to wine and spritz - and afternoon tea, which we went down to enjoy as a Friday lunchtime treat.
Nesso is an interior-lover's dream, blending an industrial style with Scandinavian-inspired decor and warm Mediterranean lighting. There were students enjoying cups of coffee to fuel their study sessions, ladies enjoying a boozy Friday afternoon brunch and others popping in to grab a takeaway from the counter.
The cafe takes its name from a village near Lake Como, and its afternoon tea has a distinctly Italian twist. For £39.95, the deal-for-two includes a glass of prosecco each and a pot of tea to share, or a cup of americano. We went for the latter, and the coffee - which is always 100% single-origin Arabica - was beautifully smooth and aromatic.
You can choose one focaccia pizza to share or any two brunch dishes, followed by baked giant scones with clotted cream and jam, pistachio and hazelnut chocolate cannoli and cupcakes. The olive focaccia takes inspiration from the Puglia region and is made with semolina - gorgeous, light bread baked to perfection with a crispy crust. It was topped with tomato sauce, sun blush cherry tomato, garlic butter, jalapeno and a generous topping of mature cheddar cheese and mortadella ham.
After devouring the focaccia, next up were the sweet treats, served on an attractive afternoon tea stand. The baked scones were wonderfully soft and melted in your mouth, although that did make spreading the clotted cream and jam a bit of a challenge. Including cannoli in an afternoon tea is inspired, and the pistachio one was the standout treat - crunchy pastry filled with an indulgent pistachio cream.
Once you’ve finished the feast, the afternoon tea ends with soft serve gelato in a cone. We didn’t think we could possibly manage any more food, but it was light and refreshing, and the perfect end to the meal.
As well as the afternoon tea deal, Nesso serves a range of all-day brunch dishes including eggs purgatory (Italian baked eggs with tomato, hollandaise, cheese, anchovy, jalapeno and grana padano), a breakfast hash, baked meatballs and smoked salmon and avocado toast. Desserts include a Dubai-style croissant, cheesecake of the day, and the soft-serve gelato, which Nesso Loyalty Club members can enjoy for just £1, as well as getting points on every order that can be used to grab free treats.
We can see why this cafe has been a hit with the Morley community, and we’ll certainly be back to work our way through the rest of the brunch menu.
Factfile
Address: 42 Merrion Street, Leeds, LS2 8JG
Telephone: 0113 322 0237
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 9am-7pm; Sat, 9.30am-9pm; Sun, 9.30am-7pm.
Website: www.nesso.coffee
Scores
Food: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Service: 8/10