If you’ve never been to All Bar One then its time you did – and I can personally guarantee you will be more than pleasantly surprised.

All Bar One is much more than a stylish cocktail bar or a place for after work drinks, or to catch up with a glass of wine with friends or as a place for starting a night out in the city – its also a very desirable dining venue in its own right.

Their new menu encapsulates a world wide dining experience with small and large sharing plates and sides plus all their regular favourites.

The Leeds All Bar One sits on the corner of Greek Street in the middle of the city’s prestigious bar and restaurant quarter. Its location is perfect with a large outdoor area with comfortable chairs and tables.

The interior is light and airy with large picture windows and a selection of seating options from banquette to seating at individual tables.

Enter All Bar One and there’s a wonderful vibe – it can be anything you want it to be. Once seated our server came over and introduced herself. Whilst we perused the menu we ordered a bottle of Tres Gigantes Portuguese Vinho Verde which was well chilled , good quality and very reasonably priced.

For our first wave – as they say – we ordered three small sharing platters – Serrano Ham Croquettes, Humous and Flatbread and Nachos.

The Serrano Ham Croquettes were very tasty. They were smooth on the inside with a generous filling of tasty ham and beautifully crispy on the outside. They came with the perfect accompaniment of a Chipotle Mayo that was more than flavoursome.

A very large and interesting portion of Nacho arrived at the table. It contained  cheddar cheese, pica de gallo – a salsa used in Mexican dishes made from chopped tomatoes, onions, Serano peppers, lime juice and salt, There was smashed avocado that diffused the taste of the candied jalapenos and a smooth sour cream. This was a feast in its own right but quite spicy.

Our third choice was Humous and Flatbread with radish, grains and a smoky, spicy harissa oil that made it very interesting and gave it a special taste.

After venturing to the outside seating area with our glass of wine before savouring our main course it made a pleasant sojourn watching the world go by.

For our main course as we named it we ordered large plates from the favourites section of the menu.

I chose ,what for me, as a restaurant reviewer is a real treat, The Classic Cheeseburger.

Now there are burgers and burgers but this one was nothing short of perfection. The Beef Patty was smooth and cooked as I requested – extra well done – but it was smooth, succulent and tender. The bun was very tasty and there was a wonderful crisp salad accompanying the burger. The seasoned skin on chips were amazing – smooth and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

My colleague chose the Bang Bang Salad and was overawed by its beautiful presentation. A mixed leaf salad it consisted of slaw, red chillies, lemon, spiced mixed seeds and mango – the latter being a refreshing contrast to the spices. The salad was dressed with a ginger and soy dressing and accompanied  by warm bread – perfect for dipping into the dressing.

We weren’t very sure whether we could manage a dessert but we did.

Churros was my colleagues choice and when it arrived we were literally overcome by how beautiful it was presented. The Churros were warm and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside – just as they should be and the dark chocolate sauce a real example of chocolate decadence.

The dessert menu at All Bar One has some playful twists on the classics. My heaven on a plate consisted of the Lemon and Blueberry Sheezecake. It had a real buttery taste and yet a delightful tang and the mixed berry coulis and coconut crème were great additions to the dish.

As we sipped our last glass of wine we realised we were the last customers in All Bar One – no one tried to rush us but looking at the clock it was one minute to closing time. As we made our way to our taxi these two seasoned restaurant reviewers decided this was to be our ‘happy place’ for food and vino in the future.

All Bar One, 27 East Parade, Leeds LS1 5BN. Tel: 0113 245 2485

Tel: 0113 245 2488.

Open: Mon to Thursday 10.00am to 11.00pm; Friday 10.00am to 12 midnight; Saturday 9.00am to 1.00 am and Sudau 9.00am to 10.00pm