We are very, very blessed up north to have a huddle of properly brilliant cities all sitting side-by-side.
There is, of course, our gorgeous home of Greater Manchester – but from here, within an hour, you could be soaking in the culture and beauty of Leeds, Sheffield or Liverpool, not to mention all the towns and villages in between.
The quick trip across to Leeds in West Yorkshire makes for a stress-free weekend break without having to travel halfway across the globe for a change of scenery.
So we asked the experts over in Leeds to plan us the perfect weekend in their beautiful city (the experts being our friends at The Hoot, along with Visit Leeds) – and boy did they deliver.
So here is the ultimate guide to how to spend a weekend in Leeds.
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Breakfast
As literally everyone’s mum says, breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and the fact you can order your brekkie inside a Yorkshire pudding makes this the most important breakfast in the north.
Wapentake is as proudly Yorkshire as it comes, a higgledy-piggledy cafe and bar on Kirkgate.
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If the full baked-eggs-in-a-Yorkshire-pudding isn’t for you, they also whip up an excellent full English – with Hendo’s baked beans, black pudding and crispy hash browns.
There’s also a secret sun trap out the back, complete with two seats on the balcony that have got to be some of the most sought-after in Leeds.
Culture
Now you’re fuelled up a bit, it’s time to soak in some of the culture in Leeds, with loads to do within walking distance of Wapentake.
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That’s another one of the beautiful things about Leeds – there’s a lot of vibrancy jammed in to its relatively small city centre, so you’ll always find something to do within a 10 minute wander.
You’ll be just a short stroll from Kirkgate Market, where you can visit the very first Marks and Spencer store (it started life as a Penny Bazaar), plastered with historical memorabilia.
Then nip across the road to marvel at the impressive Corn Exchange, where independent shops and brands are packed in beneath the beautiful domed ceiling.
Whether you like a bit of retail therapy or not, the arcades around the city centre are a must-visit – they’re just stunning.
And then of course there’s Leeds Library, a cosy spot that just so happens to be one of the oldest buildings in the city, dating back to 1768.
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Lunch
Now it’s time for the sandwiches worth travelling for. Trust us.
Things in Bread is a tiny little lunch spot which sells… well… things in bread. When they launched this year, demand was so high they kept running out of bread before lunch.
The fish finger butty, laden with tartare sauce, is a must.
Snacks
Doh Hut
Anyone who comes to Leeds and bypasses a trip to Doh Hut needs to take a long hard look in the mirror.
These fluffy, pillowy doughnuts are the best around, with new specials luring in customers every week.
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Their staples include classic jam fillings, vanilla creme patisserie, and chocolate ganache, but the special on our visit was packed with a Caramac custard, complete with a perfect golden blondie jammed on top.
Check in
By now it’s mid-afternoon and time to get checked in to a pad for the night.
There are loads of brilliant hotels around Leeds, like the first-of-its-kind (and affordable) Art Hostel, where each room has been designed by a different artist.
Then there’s the ever-reliable The Marriott, which is in a perfect spot for exploring.
It’s got big bouncy beds, great views, and gorgeous interiors, so you can take a breather and chill out ready for an evening of fun.
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The Marriott is also home to a brand new restaurant from Gino D’Acampo himself, which leads us neatly onto our next activity…
Pre-dinner drinks
Gino’s new restaurant in Leeds has a stunning bar attached, with cocktails poking fun at the man himself with names like ‘If My Grandmother Had Wheels’.
You could sit here and sip on the show-stopper ‘Main Character Energy’, a blend of gin, Aperol, elderflower, pink grapefruit and lime, which is served with a huge bubble on top that releases a cloud of rosemary when it pops.
Or you could bid farewell to your hotel for a few hours and have a pit-stop at Headrow House, which has a truly phenomenal rooftop space that Manchester should be very jealous of.
Drinks done, and we’re now just a short walk from dinner…
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Dinner
Three’s A Crowd is a new opening in Leeds
For dinner, you’ll be spoiled for choice, but the newly-opened Three’s A Crowd is causing quite a stir in Leeds.
They serve modern British dishes with a sophisticated twist, from sharing small plates to bigger plates (the homemade gnocchi with wild garlic and pea puree is a must).
We devoured a table full of vibrant, fresh plates, like hummus with za’atar flatbread, grilled asparagus with green tahini sauce, and salt baked celeriac with caramelised onion and Old Winchester.
All with huge windows that are great for people-watching, and served alongside a decent wine and cocktail list.
After-dinner drinks
Cocktails at Below Stairs on your weekend in LeedsThe best espresso martini in Leeds at Roland’s
If you’re after a truly special drinks experience, you need to seek out Below Stairs, a hidden gem of a cocktail bar beneath South Parade.
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Their menu is full of interactive drinks, like The Individualist, a rum-and-gin-based cocktail served with edible paint – you can paint different flavours onto the rim of your glass to hone your perfect serve.
There’s also Hope, a creamy apple-hued cocktail topped with a disc of white chocolate, which is lit by the bar staff to resemble a candle.
Moving on for another drink, and no trip to Leeds would be complete without a visit to Roland’s.
We have it on good authority that Roland’s serves the best espresso martini in the country – and it’s pretty hard to argue.
Caffeine
North Star Coffee
Alrighty, it’s the next morning, and if you’ve nailed the after-dinner cocktails, you’ll be wanting a pick-me-up.
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North Star is a must-try, providing beans for a lot of the coffee shops around town as well as running a few of its own venues.
They prioritise people and planet before profit, and what’s not to love about that?
We nipped into their Kiosk on Sovereign Street for a flat white, an iced latte and a pastry, then hit the road for another day of exploring Leeds.
Walks (or rides) along the water
The south side of Leeds city centre is built around the River Aire, which makes for a beautiful walk on a sunny day.
Or, if it’s running, the Leeds Water Taxi is an absolute bargain and such a fun way to see a city centre from a new perspective.
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The Water Taxi will whisk you down to Leeds Dock, where there’s a floating book shop, Hold Fast, and where you can visit a pretty remarkable attraction…
Royal Armouries
A weekend in Leeds wouldn’t be complete without a walk to Leeds Dock
Spanning five floors and packed with more than 4,500 objects, this purpose-built museum shows off the UK’s national collection of arms and armour.
There’s a huge sweeping staircase where the walls are lined with swords, spears and armour, a display that features the ‘pulse rifle’ from the Aliens film, and all sorts of other fascinating items dating back hundreds of years.
Sunshine drinks and lunch
Canary Bar in Leeds
If the sun is still out (and you’ve got a much better chance of blue skies in Leeds than you do in Manchester), you’ll be right beside Canary Bar.
This two-storey bright yellow shipping container has a rooftop terrace that looks right across the water, though you can duck inside if the weather turns.
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But sipping on an Aperol Spritz on top of the container feels a bit like sitting on top of the world.
Olicana Park – The log cabins near Manchester that capture apres-ski magic all year round
Daisy Jackson
Roaring fires, bubbling hot tubs, stunning views, and even pairs of skis strapped to the walls – but this isn’t the French alps… it’s Yorkshire.
Olicana Park is a beautiful holiday park right on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, just an hour’s drive from Greater Manchester.
Here, scattered around the banks of the River Wharfe, you’ll find a collection of luxury wooden cabins, traditional cottages, and classic static caravans.
But for us, it really is all about those cabins, which capture all the best bits of the apres-ski culture loved by snow-worshippers, all year round.
In winter, you can whack on your own log burger and cosy up on the sofas with a glass of red wine and a good book, while in summer you can throw open the bi-fold doors and sit out with a cocktail on your own gigantic roof terrace.
Each cabin has its own theme that plays in around the tasteful decor, which usually involves incredible wooden beams and stone floors.
The one our friends at The Hoot stayed in had an apres-ski theme, from the subtle (vintage wooden skis and piste markers used as wall art) to the clever (an old chair lift that had been turned into patio furniture).
The luxury apres-ski cabin at Olicana ParkA sauna inside the cabinThe view from your own terrace
There’s a huge hot tub perched on your own private decking too, where you can soak in the warm water while watching the river burble past at the end of your own driveway.
Upstairs in this particular cabin were two enormous double bedrooms with modern en suite bathrooms, one of which also had an enormous terrace attached with a view down to the river.
And then – wait for it – the cabin also came with its own sauna. Talk about luxury.
If you can’t tear yourself away from your own space, each cabin has a kitchen that’s perfectly kitted out with everything you need to whip up a tasty tea (or, if you’re like us, a cheese board for dinner).
Lunch dishes at Hamilton’s the on-site restaurant at Olicana ParkBreakfast at Hamilton’s the on-site restaurant at Olicana Park
But if you do venture out, there’s an on-site restaurant called Hamilton’s, where you can dig in to fresh salads, gyros, and burgers, and when you come back in the next morning you can feast on a menu of banging breakfasts and brunches.
Olicana Park actually used to be a traditional caravan park, but has been given some serious TLC since the new owners took over in 2016.
It was this team who decided to split the park into zones, with four cottages in one, five luxury cabins in another, and 29 static caravans in the third.
The cottages and cabins were all refurbished or constructed from scratch using British suppliers and local tradesmen.
The living rooms in an Olicana Park cabin. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
It’s just a short stroll from Addingham village, and that’s only a short bus from the bustling town of Ilkley, which itself is only a short train ride from Leeds.
That means excellent pubs, restaurants and cafes within easy reach, as well as gorgeous countryside walks like a riverside amble to Bolton Abbey.
Surrounded by a plethora of long walks and country pubs, Olicana Park really is a perfect gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, and if you’re looking for something to kick off holiday season then we couldn’t recommend it more.
You can get 10% off your June holiday at Olicana Park with the code “THEHOOT”.
Whitworth Locke hotel review: This historic Manchester building is home to one of the city’s most beautiful hotels
Abbie Bartlett
Set in a beautiful 19th Century building in Manchester’s civic quarter, Whitworth Locke aparthotel is right in the middle of all the action.
As someone who works in Manchester but lives over in Leeds, this hotel couldn’t be more ideal for me. Less than 10 minutes from both Piccadilly and Oxford road train stations and St Peter’s Square Metrolink station, the ease of getting to the hotel set off my stay to a flying start.
While the beauty of the building is astonishing, it’s almost one of those hidden gems you might miss if you weren’t looking.
Nestled in between the two sides of the building a stunning conservatory marks the main entrance with comfy seating outside I imagine to be an absolute sun trap when Manchester’s weather decides to be kind to us.
As you walk through the glass-roofed bar to get to reception you literally can’t help but be in awe. New York architects, Grzywinski+Pons, embraced the cotton mills’ original features and designed a space to show off bricks and pillars but softened them with pastel paints.
A stunning conservatory marks the main entrance. Image: Whitworth Lockethe glass-roofed bar with cobbled floors. Image: Whitworth Locke
The bar area has an inside-outside feel, cobbled floors and covered in plants with light beaming in from all angles. Even if I wasn’t spending the night, I could see myself spending the afternoon enjoying some cocktails in this space.
I immediately had a cheery welcome as I approached the reception to check in, which I think really does make all the difference. I was asked about my day, if I needed any help finding my way around Manchester (actually incredibly useful for someone who gets lost as much as I do) and talked through all of the hotel amenities.
The hotel hosts a large gym, perfect for yoga, which is free to use over your stay but I opted out as I wouldn’t have the time. There’s also a lovely coffee shop, Foundation Coffee, serving breakfasts, toasties and of course a lovely cup of joe.
The main attraction though, in my eyes, is the free to use co-working space which takes up a huge part of the ground floor. Happily being used by throughout my visit, the Wi-Fi was great, the seats were comfy and although it was busy, it was nice and quiet.
A large seating and working area.Comfortable king-sized beds.
Now let’s get onto the rooms, I had the privilege of trying out one of the suites and what a treat it was. Rooms are decorated with blush pink and pastel green with brass finishes, very chic and brings almost a holiday feeling even on a rainy day in Manchester.
It’s not all about style though, there’s a fully-equipped kitchen with a huge fridge, lovely comfortable king-sized beds and loads of space to unpack your things. An added touch that really made me feel special was the hand written note hoping I enjoy my stay along with a bottle of red wine and chocolates. Safe to say, you know the way to my heart Whitworth Locke.
The fully-equipped kitchen.
My handwritten note and bottle of wine.
Overall, I woke up feeling very refreshed from a good night’s sleep and even more so after a long waterfall shower. It was really easy to check out, they even looked after my luggage for the day, and with the great location I was out and on a train to my first meeting of the day with pure ease.
The moment we’ve all been waiting for, let’s talk money. Double rooms are from £99 in low season, and from £199 in high. Competitively I think it is good value for money, the facilities and location matched with the service and cleanliness there isn’t really anything I could knock.
If you’re after a really central Manchester stay with a lovely team and a super cool aesthetic, you won’t go wrong with this one. Book your stay here.