Oliver Awards finalists 2025: Every Leeds restaurant and bar shortlisted for top prizes by the YEP

With hundreds of restaurants and bars applying to be recognised for their contribution to the Leeds food and drink scene, we can now reveal who is up for some of the top awards in the city.

Now in their 16th year, the prestigious awards were set up in 2008 to celebrate the food and drink sector. Industry experts had the difficult task of judging the entries, picking a shortlist of finalists for each of the 16 categories.

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The winners will be announced at a ceremony at on March 10, with tickets available on the Oliver Awards website. This year, there are three new categories to get excited about: Best Street Food; Employee of the Year; and Best Local Restaurant.

Here are all the finalists for 2025 -

Best Bar (sponsored by PPS)

• Below Stairs
• Distrikt Bar
• Farrands
• Fibre
• Green Room
• Tabula Rasa Bar
• Viaduct Showbar

Newcomer of the Year

• Fern Modern Sushi
• Galleria
• Hickory's Smokehouse Adel
• Hooleos Mexican Cafe-Bar
• Ottimo Pizza
• White Cloth Hall
• Woodside Neighbourhood Bar & Eatery

Sustainability Award (sponsored by ReFood UK Ltd)

• Bavette Bistro
• Below Stairs
• Harewood Food & Drink Project
• Karobar Horsforth
• Residence Cafe Bar
• The Box Tree, Ikley

Best Cafe or Deli

• Galleria
• Gray's, Rothwell
• Moss & Moor
• North Star Coffee Shop
• Residence Cafe Bar
• Sonder
• The Cheesy Living Co.
• The Pavilion, Rothwell

Best World Restaurant

• Dastaan Leeds
• Fern Modern Sushi
• Prashad
• TADA
• Tharavadu
• Viva Cuba
• Zaap Thai Street Food Leeds

Best Takeaway

• Homeboy Pizza Co
• Indian Fusion Leeds
• MYTHOS
• Singhs

Best Hotel Restaurant (sponsored by LHVA)

• Dakota Hotel
• Malmaison Bar & Grill
• Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa

Best Family Friendly Award

• Aarti Bar & Restaurant
• Hickory's Smokehouse Adel
• Meanwood Tavern
• Roxy Lanes - The Light
• Punjabi Heaven
• The Pavilion, Rothwell

Employee of the Year (New for 2025)

• Tarun Singh - Dastaan
• Wendy Howgate - Forde
• Josh Flesher - Harewood Food & Drink Project
• Daniela and Melisa Skurova - Oxford Place
• Kristian Darby - Sonder
• James Hutchinson - Restaurant Manager - Chef Jono at V&V

Best Pub

• Granville's Beer and Gin House
• The Brunswick
• The Head of Steam, Leeds Park Row
• The Moot Hall Arms
• Whitelock's Ale House

Best Speciality

• Bundobust
• Flat Iron
• Ottimo Pizza
• The Cheesy Living Co.
• The Oxford Place

Best Street Food (New for 2025)

• Amazing Gyoza Ltd
• Bundobust
• Karobar Horsforth
• MYTHOS
• Punjabi Heaven
• Singhs
• Zaap Thai Street Food Leeds

Best Customer Service

• Below Stairs
• Farrands
• Flat Iron
• Fleur Restaurant & Bar
• Fourth Floor Brasserie - Harvey Nichols Leeds
• Tharavadu
• The Cheesy Living Co.

Rising Star Award

• Shyamal Kumar - Aarti Restaurant
• Chef Fern - Fern Modern Sushi
• Josh Whitehead - Finer Pleasures @ The Melbourne
• Liam Callaghan - Forde Horsforth

Best Local Restaurant (Public Vote) - please vote for your favourite local restaurant HERE

• Bavette Bistro, Horsforth
• Cafe Deli Margaux, Farsley
• Dastaan Leeds, Adel
• Forde, Horsforth
• Gray's, Rothwell
• Grumpy's Pizza, Farsley
• Karobar, Horsforth
• Lalas Restaurant, Pudsey
• Moss & Moor, Ilkley
• MYTHOS, Chapel Allerton
• Punjabi Heaven, Roundhay
• Sukhothai, Chapel Allerton
• TADA, Headingley
• Zucco, Meanwood

Best Fine Dining Experience

• Chef Jono at V&V
• Dale Spink - Cafe deli Margaux Tasting Menu
• Empire Cafe Leeds
• Fourth Floor Brasserie - Harvey Nichols Leeds
• Harewood Food & Drink Project
• The Box Tree, Ilkley

Chef of the Year (sponsored by Chef Works)

• Sandy Jarvis - Bavette Bistro
• Dale Spink - Cafe deli Margaux
• Sam Pullan - Empire Cafe Leeds
• Louis Taylor-Bolshaw - Forde Ilkley
• Minal Patel - Prashad
• Harvinder Singh - Singhs
• Mandie Chan - TADA
• Chef Rajesh Nair - Tharavadu
• Chef Jono at V&V