Ox Club
West Yorkshire, Leeds - Modern British - Restaurant - £££
Chargrills and small plates given an imaginative twist
As soon as you walk through the Ox Club's door, the smell of smoke preps you for the unplugged open-fire cooking that lies ahead. Mid-century furniture and houseplants soften the industrial feel of the brick and concrete room, while some clever landscaping partitions it out to give the whole place a cosy ambience. Heading the kitchen is Tom Hunter, a former sous-chef at the sadly departed Reliance – an influence that can be seen in dishes such as blister-skinned grilled sardines with a refreshing tangle of fennel, black olive and blood orange. There’s a subtle char and smokiness to everything here: watermelon is grilled slowly until even the rind is tenderised, while beef tartare (served with gherkin ketchup and a veil of shoestring potatoes) also gets a whiff of smoke. The steak offering is focused – a 400g sirloin or 1kg côte de boeuf sharer are mainstays – but regular ‘chop nights’ cater to more specific tastes, with specialist c...
As soon as you walk through the Ox Club's door, the smell of smoke preps you for the unplugged open-fire cooking that lies ahead. Mid-century furniture and houseplants soften the industrial feel of the brick and concrete room, while some clever landscaping partitions it out to give the whole place a cosy ambience.
Heading the kitchen is Tom Hunter, a former sous-chef at the sadly departed Reliance – an influence that can be seen in dishes such as blister-skinned grilled sardines with a refreshing tangle of fennel, black olive and blood orange. There’s a subtle char and smokiness to everything here: watermelon is grilled slowly until even the rind is tenderised, while beef tartare (served with gherkin ketchup and a veil of shoestring potatoes) also gets a whiff of smoke.
The steak offering is focused – a 400g sirloin or 1kg côte de boeuf sharer are mainstays – but regular ‘chop nights’ cater to more specific tastes, with specialist cuts from regular Yorkshire suppliers R&J Butchers. Rare-breed pork is grilled to give an almost impossible crackling and, like a hulked-up carnitas taco, is served with tajin, chipotle and pineapple ketchup, while a sour cherry-glazed kofta is made with lamb reared at local Harewood Food & Drink Project – headed up by former Ox Club sous-chef Will Campbell.
Sunday roasts are praised and the whole show is enhanced by laid-back but well-informed service. As for drinks, there's a fair selection of around 20 (mostly organic) wines from £28 a bottle, with plenty available by the glass from £8.
A Clayton
5 October 2024
The Porchetta is incredible, beef perfectly cooked, pommes anna were crisp yet buttery and the cauliflower cheese was out of this world. Just make sure you go there hungry, as the portions are generous.
VENUE DETAILS
Headrow House, The Headrow
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS1 6PU
0113 485 1814
OTHER INFORMATION
Separate bar, Counter seating, Wheelchair access
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