Hundreds of guests attended a glitzy ceremony at New Dock Hall last night (Monday March 16), as the winners of 15 categories were announced. Celebrating the crème de la crème of the Leeds culinary scene, the 17th annual awards celebrate the very best restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, hotels, chefs and more across the city.
Since the very first Oliver Awards ceremony in 2009, hundreds of businesses have been crowned with a coveted award - propelling some into the spotlight and recognising others for their long-serving dedication to the city’s food and drink industry.
This year was one of the toughest yet, and saw the first winners crowned for new awards, including Best in Glass and Best Social Media.
Here are our 2026 winners - and the finalists for each category.
1. Best Hotel Restaurant - Azotea
Finalists: Dakota Hotel Leeds; Cinnamon Kitchen; The Calverley Grill | Simon Hulme
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2. Best Bar - Green Room
Finalists: The Domino Club; Sela Bar; Below Stairs; NoNo Wine Bar | Simon Hulme
3. Best Customer Service - Hooleos
Finalists: Bundobust Leeds; The Cheesy Living Co; TADA Japanese; Tharavadu; Oulton Hall | Hooleos/Tripadvisor
4. Best in Glass Award - Latitude Wine
Finalists: The Empire Cafe; NoNo Wine Bar; Hoc Loco; Sous Le Nez | Jonathan Gawthorpe
5. Newcomer of the Year - The Victoria & Commercial
Finalists: G-Wu; Beyond The Red Door; The Maple Cafe; NoNo Wine Bar | Chris Holt
6. Leeds Best Restaurant - The Empire Cafe
Finalists: The Cut & Craft; TADA Japanese; Fern Modern Sushi; Kerala Canteen; Azotea Rooftop Bar & Restaurant; Chef Jono at V&V; Forde; Bavette; CrowdedHouse | National World