Distrikt

Distrikt is a bar/tapas bar/restaurant/live music venue slightly hiding on Duncan Street in Leeds City Centre. Do not mistake these multiple identities for a lack of direction, as this is intentional and pulled off spectacularly, if you haven't found it yet do so now because the creative kitchen deserves a wide audience.


First thing you notice on entering is the funky interior with its underground bar, lit up alcoves and cool artwork. Then you open the menu. The focus is on tapas but not the usual Spanish or Latin American fare, the menu at Distrikt is very much modern British cooking drawing influence from the Mediterranean and Middle East.


The provenance of food is particularly important at Distrikt as everything is fresh and local as possible, to the point that the menu names particular stalls of the Leeds Kirkgate Market where the ingredients are sourced. On Mondays in the season they focus on foraged ingredients which you can taste at £5 per dish.


We visited Distrikt on a Wednesday when all the tapas dishes are half price, which averages them at about £2 each. This must be one of the very best midweek dining deals that Leeds has to offer, we will be back and we will be back on any day as the food is definitely worth its full price.


Distrikt also has a very very nice drinks menu, as you would expect, with a good selection of wines, beers and cocktails.

Carpaccio of Yorkshire beef with fresh beetroot, basil, cherry tomatoes and orange reduction

Crayfish tails & cockles with lime, coriander and tomato salad

Smoked haddock ceviche with tomato, caper salsa & crispy tatas

Rare poppy seed tuna with endive, mandarin & crispy shallot salad

Med veg stack with goats cheeese, rocket & balsamic

Field mushrooms on sour dough with kentish truffle & pinenuts

British pork belly with roasted peaches & wood sorrel

Salt & wild pepper squid  with spiced ragu & cous cous salad

Roasted banana with amaretto & cream

Strawberries with balsamic & licor cream

For an introduction to Distrikt half price Wednesdays is a great idea, to put it in perspective the full price of Distrikts tapas is around the same as you will pay for tapas at certain tapas chains and the quality  of the food at Distrikt is obviously far superior in every way, on a Wednesday to pay on average just £2 a dish for food of this quality is just ridiculous.


I haven't really mentioned anything about the individual dishes because everything was so good, a truly local, independent business with a definite sense of style, that has a chef like they have who cares about the provenance of the food they serve deserves the support of this city.


Distrikt
7 Duncan Street
Leeds
LS1 6DQ
Web: http://distrikt.co.uk/