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Best Local Restaurant
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Bavette

West Yorkshire, Leeds - French - Restaurant - ££

The very model of a genuine neighbourhood bistro

Overall Rating: Very Good

Uniqueness:Does the establishment stand out in the context of the local area? Good

Deliciousness:How delicious is the food? Very Good

Warmth:How warm is the service and the hospitality in general? Very Good

Strength of recommendation:How enthusiastically and widely would you recommend the establishment? Very Good

Opened by Sandy Jarvis and Clément Cousin in spring 2024, this lively French bistro has garnered spirited praise for its food, wine, service and atmosphere. The couple arrived with a wealth of hospitality experience in London – Terroirs (where they met), Brawn, Culpeper, Fera at Claridges – yet they chose suburban Horsforth, some five miles north of Leeds city centre, to open their first restaurant. For Yorkshire-born Jarvis it's a coming home, and for Cousin, who hails from Anjou in the Loire Valley, it's the opportunity to channel good Gallic hospitality into a convivial bistro where everyone is welcome. The unfussy interior has dark-green walls hung with mirrors and artwork (including a tribute piece by a customer), spindle-back chairs, round tables and a long banquette. Cousin oversees a warm, attentive team front of house, while in the open kitchen, Jarvis works to a menu of French bourgeois classics such as steak tartare with beef-fat toast or j...

Opened by Sandy Jarvis and Clément Cousin in spring 2024, this lively French bistro has garnered spirited praise for its food, wine, service and atmosphere. The couple arrived with a wealth of hospitality experience in London – Terroirs (where they met), Brawn, Culpeper, Fera at Claridges – yet they chose suburban Horsforth, some five miles north of Leeds city centre, to open their first restaurant. For Yorkshire-born Jarvis it's a coming home, and for Cousin, who hails from Anjou in the Loire Valley, it's the opportunity to channel good Gallic hospitality into a convivial bistro where everyone is welcome.

The unfussy interior has dark-green walls hung with mirrors and artwork (including a tribute piece by a customer), spindle-back chairs, round tables and a long banquette. Cousin oversees a warm, attentive team front of house, while in the open kitchen, Jarvis works to a menu of French bourgeois classics such as steak tartare with beef-fat toast or jambon persillé pâté en croûte (with Earl Grey jelly and pickled walnut). Bavette steak from Swaledale is a mainstay of the menu and on our visit was served with sauce vierge and ratatouille, while the excellent crème brûlée came with a peach roasted in olive oil.

However, the cooking isn’t resolutely French: there’s a nod to Spain in a simple dish of Cantabrian anchovies and shallots on buttered toast, while ray wing (from Cornish waters) is served with warm buttered shrimps, capers and dill – just add green beans and Jersey Royals for a plate that’s big on generosity and flavour.

The wine list is patriotically (if not exclusively) Gallic, and the low-intervention Baptiste Cousin ‘family specials’, produced on the Cousin's organically run vineyard in the Loire, are worth checking out. The fact that Bavette has been so lovingly embraced by Horsforth and beyond is testament to its status as the perfect model of a neighbourhood bistro.

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S Lawrence

5 June 2024

Fantastic staff and atmosphere. I had anchovies with shallots on toast that were to die for, as well as the most amazing Crème Brûlée. The wine selection is outstanding, and you can tell that a lot of love, passion, and work has been put into this restaurant.

C Preston

21 May 2024

Not only does this bistro have incredible food, but the service is absolutely spot on. It’s a place I love to bring my friends and tell people about. It has such a cosy, homely vibe to it, and the staff go above and beyond to make sure you have the best experience.

J Kelly

20 May 2024

Disgracefully delicious, such good value and exquisite service. The kind of place you could go to every week and be extremely happy. Can’t imagine it’ll be easy to get a table soon.

J O’Brien

13 April 2024

A neighbourhood bistro serving incredibly delicious food using the most seasonal and high-quality produce. Warm and generous hospitality with an exciting wine list celebrating the best winemakers. Sandy and Clément care deeply about what they do, which shines through in every aspect of Bavette.

VENUE DETAILS

4-6 Town Street, Horsforth
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS18 4RJ GB

0113 258 2900

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OTHER INFORMATION

Wheelchair access, Family friendly, Dog friendly

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