I tried the Indian restaurant that's just been named best fine dining experience in Leeds

We had just spent four hours at Uyare, enjoying what can only be described as a journey through Kerala - our taste buds treated to delightful flavours, our bellies to an astonishing amount of food, and seven glasses of wine to top it off.

The rooftop Indian restaurant - run by the team behind Tharavadu - has just scooped Best Fine Dining Experience at our Oliver Awards 2026. Although my love for Tharavadu borders on obsessive, I did question whether Uyare fit the fine dining brief when I heard they’d won the award.

This visit changed my mind entirely.

Arriving at Uyare, I was reminded of how gorgeous the space is. The bar is a destination in itself, with a large terrace overlooking Leeds’ rooftops. In the dining area, the decor is stylish and modern - a posher version of its sister restaurant.

We were there to try the Sunday Feast menu, inspired by the elaborate banquet traditionally enjoyed by Christians in Kerala after church during Christmas, Easter and other family celebrations.

Uyare has broken down this grand tradition into a thoughtful seven-course tasting menu, priced at £45 per head. We added the wine pairing for an additional £20 each - seven glasses in total.

The feast begins in traditional fashion, with a glass of wine and fruit cake wrapped like a sweet. This was seen in Keralan shops in the early 1900s, staff told us, bringing each dish to life with anecdotes and stories behind the food.

The cake was beautifully crumbly and moist, almost savoury, paired with a sweet, fragrant white wine bursting with lychee and rose notes - our favourite glass of the evening.

Next came a beef cutlet with spicy beetroot sauce and challas (a Keralan pickled onion salad). The golden shell gave way to tender beef, paired with a rich Malbec that wrapped around the spices. A fiery, peppery chicken rasam soup followed, warming us through, before the delicately flavoured appam and mutta roast, a coconut egg curry served on a thin, slightly sweet rice pancake.

The fifth course, paal konju, showcased Kerala’s love of seafood. Juicy prawns sat in coconut cream with ginger, garlic, tamarind and citrus notes, balanced perfectly by a crisp, fruity Chilean Chardonnay.

Remarkably, given the generous portions so far, the sixth course was a full-sized thali. We tore into buttery, flaky paratha, dipping it into coconut-spiced duck, fiery beef, aromatic fish curry and a spicy chicken fry. Paired with a tangy mango pullissery, crunchy thoran and perfectly fluffy rice, this was the crescendo of the experience.

After so much food and six glasses of wine, we doubted we could manage dessert. But the final course - ari payasam, a creamy rice kheer served with mango ice cream - was so good we finished every mouthful.

Yes, Uyare is a stunning venue, but the food remains the star, matching the high standards of Tharavadu. We couldn’t fault the cooking, the thought behind it, or the passion staff poured into the experience.

If that’s not fine dining, I don’t know what is.

Factfile

Address: Victoria Gate 3rd Floor, George Street, Leeds, LS2 7AU

Telephone: 0113 460 1797

Opening hours: Mon-Weds, noon-2pm, 5pm-10pm; Thurs, noon-11pm; Fri-Sat, noon-11.45pm; Sun, noon-8pm

Website: uyare.co.uk

Scores

Food: 10/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Service: 10/10

Value: 10/10