Authentic Latin restaurant, not fine dining, just good hearty food! Oh and come join them for dance classes too….

Overall rating – 3.5/5

££ = Approx £22-£25pp for a starter, main, side and drink.

Offering something a little different for diners in Leeds, and boasting to be the only authentic Latin restaurant in town, this independent offers the full Latin experience – food, drink, music & dancing! Although unfortunately I only got to try out the first two, but I’m always up for returning to one of the dance classes at the cocktail bar upstairs! Located within the up and coming Northern Quarter of Leeds, in the Grand Arcade, this place is easy to get to with cheap parking close by as well.

Greeted by friendly staff and a welcoming vibe, this restaurant feels like a great place for friends & couples to dine. The decor may be a little dated, and the menu is far from fine dining, but those things don’t matter if you’re searching for authentic, hearty and tasty food, then you’e come to the right place!

The drinks menu offers beers, wine and cocktails from the South America area including Colombian beers such as Aguila and Club Colombia. The food menu offers various traditional dishes such as Empanadas, Patacones (Fried Plantain), Chilli, various meats and rices with sides such as Guacamole and Chimichurri, all made fresh.

 

For starters we tried the Arepas Con Carne; Cheesy Corn Cake topped with Succulent Pulled Beef and the Empanadas De Carne; Colombian Style Juicy Beef Pasty. Both were really good, I particularly enjoyed the freshly made corn cake. The salsa on the side had a fabulous kick to it as well. Food was presented well to say this is far from fine dining. This is “messy hands” type food, and I really enjoyed it.

For mains we ordered the Bandeja Paisa; A most Colombian Dish featuring Minced Beef, Belly Pork, Chorizo, Rice topped with a Fried Egg, Fried Plantain, Beans, Fresh Salad and a slice of Avocado! For when hunger really strikes! – This was SO good! Meat, carbs, spicy salsa and a little bit of freshness, what more could you want? Very impressed. We also ordered; Llapingacho; Firm favourite of Grilled Beef Steak, Chorizo, Cheesy Potato Cake and Fresh Salad – the steak was cooked medium to perfection with a good amount of seasoning, and the potato cakes were a little bit of happiness! We also enjoyed the Guacamole and Chimichurri sides.

To view their full menu on offer, click here.

I would recommend giving this restaurant a go if you like to try something a little different. The portions are big, but the dishes we chose offered a bit of everything so I would recommend trying these to make the most of dining here. Definitely one to visit in Leeds!

Let me know what you think of this place if you get the chance to try. Share you comments & photos with me across my Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

Happy munching!

Jen

@jensfoodblog

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