Leeds workers could get a free lunch for keeping fit – thanks to award-winning Keralan restaurant Tharavadu

Leeds workers are being given a very good reason to get away from their desks at lunchtime – and it involves curry, cocktails and a rooftop with a view.

Forget eating a soggy sandwich over your keyboard. Forget “just grabbing something quick” from the shop downstairs.

Leeds independent restaurant Tharavadu is on a mission to make lunchtime in Leeds something to look forward to – and if you’ve managed to clock up 10,000 steps before lunch, you could even get your meal for free at its newest venue UYARE, the rooftop restaurant and cocktail bar located in Victoria Gate, Leeds.

Step right up for South Indian cuisine

Tharavdu and UYARE are proudly independent Leeds businesses which began with the first family-run restaurant – Taravadu near Leeds Railway Station - over a decade ago, bringing traditional Keralan food to the city.

The much-loved South Indian restaurant recently opened a second venue Uyare, which is now offering diners the chance to prove their daily step count on a Fitbit or other tracking device – and if it hits 10,000, lunch is on them!

It’s a promotion that feels made for Leeds: a city packed with office workers, fintech and financial businesses, media companies, universities and shoppers, all looking for somewhere good to eat in the middle of the day.

And the message from Tharavadu is simple: get out of the office, get some fresh air and make the most of your lunch break.

Because this isn’t just about food. It’s about having a proper break from the working day.

Leeds has a rich history and heritage, a proud past, but has retained it’s roots whilst adapting into a city fit for the modern age, and is looking to the future. It’s something that is mirrored by Tharavadu’s story in the city.

Tharavadu has been serving up its take on the food of Kerala for more than a decade and has become one of Leeds’ best-known, and much-loved restaurants. From its early days it’s original Mill Hill restaurant which started as a 70-seater, has grown into a 120-cover city-centre favourite – without losing the friendly, welcoming feel that helped make it such a hit.

The accolades have followed too, including a place in the Michelin Guide and numerous awards and recommendations. But perhaps the biggest compliment comes from the customers who keep coming back.

It’s still welcoming diners every day, but now there’s another way to experience the Tharavadu name – and it comes with a view.

Rooftop bar, cocktails, views and amazing food

UYARE by Tharavadu, in the Victoria Quarter, takes the same much-loved South Indian food and puts it in a spectacular rooftop setting, with sweeping views across Leeds and a 360-degree bar serving cocktails and drinks.

It’s the sort of place that works just as well for a lunchtime escape as it does for a post-work drink, client meeting, celebration or gathering with colleagues.

And despite the smart surroundings, there’s no sky-high price tag.

The food might be seriously good, but it doesn’t have to cost serious money.

That makes it a pretty good fit for modern Leeds – a city which has transformed itself into one of the North’s great destinations for food, drink, culture and business, while still retaining plenty of its historic character.

Tharavadu co-founder Siby Jose says the restaurant has always had a special relationship with the city and the people who live and work here.

Leeds has given us so much since we first opened Tharavadu. People have brought their families, celebrated with us and recommended us to their friends. That support made UYARE possible, and we’ve never forgotten it.

So, Leeds, here’s your lunchtime challenge.

Switch off the computer. Get those steps in. Swap the laptop for a rooftop – and see if you can earn yourself a free lunch. After all, there’s more to a lunch break than a soggy sarnie or sorry salad at your desk!

Discover more. Visit the UYARE website here