FIND YOURSELF IN SOPHISTICATED MANHATTAN

AT EAST 59TH ROOF TOP BAR AND RESTAURANT

Sitting on a roof top terrace watching the sun go down surrounded by tropical plants and shrubs whilst lights twinkle against a back drop of the night sky. Sipping a delicious cocktail in the serene night air never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine that I am right in the centre of Leeds.

But I am, I am at the top of Victoria Gate at East 59^th – a beautiful hidden gem in the city’s bar and restaurant scene.

This New York styled rooftop garden and grill pays homage to contemporary American dining. East 59th is a sophisticated Manhattan-style roof top bar that takes in wonderful views of the city.

Take the elevator to the top floor and what comes into view will literally take your breath away. A marble staircase takes you to the tropical garden restaurant where a large trailing tree takes centre stage and the room is adorned with tropical plants and classy modern art-work hugs the walls.

Venture out on the terrace and its another world. Here you can enjoy a cocktail or dine at one of the comfortable tables – and don’t be put off with any inclement weather as the staff will be quick to product heaters to keep you toasty as they did for us so we could show off our rather fetching summer dresses.

The menu at East 59^th is easy to understand and clearly marked with calories and if dishes are Vegan or Vegetarian.

As a starter I chose the Mac and Cheese bites. The portion was large and the bites were very generous in size. They were encased in a crispy crumb case and came sizzling hot and were very tasty. Served with a Sriracha mayonnaise these were quite a dish.

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My colleague decided on the Focaccia with spinach, semi dried tomato and buffalo mozzarella with a demi glaze p-shoots. The spinach was very juicy and the buffalo mozzarella was cooked beautifully so it melted in your mouth.

Mains were a difficult choice for us such mouth-watering dishes. I opted for the tiger prawns and was certainly not disappointed. There were 8 large shell-on prawns cooked in chilli, house butter and lemon. They were grilled to perfection but not rubbery. And joy of joys I didn’t have to ask for a finger bowl or a bowl to put the shells in – both came automatically to the table.

To accompany my dish I ordered a side salad – this was a meal in itself with so many different salad items from Avocado, Peas, Carrots, Cos Lettuce as well as the usual salad items and with a really tangy home made vinegarette dressing.

My colleague had the Chicken Salad with Caesar dressing, shaved parmesan, gem leaves and herb croutons. The portion of chicken was more than generous and grilled to perfection. The croutons were obviously home made and the dressing was light and full of flavour.

To share we ordered some onion rings – these are a must if you are dining here. The batter was light and crispy whilst the onions inside were cooked as they should be – and the rings were served sizzling hot.

We decided to take in the wonderful view from our table between courses and started guessing what the buildings were around us until eventually it was time to order sweets.

My colleague’s heaven on a plate as we say must have come from the Angels Kitchen. This was an amazing waffle sandwich served with salted caramel syrup.

The waffles were warm and obviously home made and served with two scoops of salted caramel ice-cream.

I opted for the ice-cream sundae and was over the moon with the flavours of ice-cream – chocolate, coffee, honeycomb and vanilla – how did they know my favourites – had they looked in my freezer.

The staff at East 59^th are friendly, very knowledgeable and attentive and they dispense great service and cannot do enough for their customers.

East 59^th can be exactly what you want it to be great for girlie and colleague nights out or a celebration meal. But for a great date night or a truly romantic meal nothing beats dining on the terrace in the moonlight – you could be a million miles away.

Do discover East 59^th you will be glad you did.

East 59^th Victoria Gate 3^rd Floor Roof Top, George Street, Leeds LS2 7AU. Website https//east59th.co.uk. Phone: 0113 4265050