Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine when I was a toddler and my mum used to lift me up to post letters to her friends in the large brass mailbox at the city’s main post office that one day, decades later, I would be dining inside that very building in one of the smartest restaurants in town.

It’s easy to understand why, over the years, The Restaurant Bar and Grill in City Square has become a firm favourite with lovers of good food, wine and relaxed and sophisticated dining.

Situated in the old G.P.O., as my gran used to call it, the restaurant is always busy and has become a fashionable place to be seen in.

Always an impressive building, the restaurant has recently undergone a £2 million renovation which has also extended to its popular al-fresco dining area.

The restaurant itself is more than spacious, and the wonderful gold-embellished ceiling and pillars of the old G.P.O., Gran, forgive me for using your words again, are still as magnificent as ever.

It’s a light and airy place with lots of glass, a marble floor, art deco light fittings and olive leather banquette seating with a new, well-designed and stunning bar area. Just sitting inside is an experience in itself.

We settled down as I explained the history of the building to my partner – a Londoner and now self appointed Yorkshireman whose job takes him round the world on a luxury cruise ship. He was quite interested and agreed what a good idea it was  to preserve such a part of the city’s history.

It took time for us to peruse the menu filled with so many tantalising dishes, but finally we were finally ready to order.

My partner chose the Dirty Martini Prawn Cocktail.  The wild red prawns languished over the glass in a spiced tomato and horseradish sauce, white vermouth with a touch of lemon and spring onion.

The prawns were very large, and the strong taste of horseradish gave them an out-of-the-ordinary but delicious kick that ordinary prawn cocktail sauces and you could really taste the vermouth.

I chose the tempura king prawns, which came with a chilli jam and lime. It was quite a large portion, and the batter that encased the large succulent prawns was crispy. The chilli jam and lime was the perfect accompaniment and not too spicy.

My partner opted for the Sirloin Steak and he was not disappointed. The meat was tender and succulent and the steak was cooked to perfection he said he couldn’t have asked for a better steak offering.

I decided to opt for a traditional British offering – Fish and Chips. This dish can often be a disappointment in a restaurant but the Bar and Grills take on this traditional dish was perfect.

The fish was white, succulent and  moist and encased in a crispy batter it could just have come from the local chippie. It came with a large portion of traditional thick chips and of course some tasty mushy peas.

Now its not often my partner is tempted to a pudding but he fell hook, line and sinker for the Apple and Blackberry Crumble – one of the new desserts on the menu. It was he said just like his mum used to make. The fruit was plentiful in the bottom and tangy and the crumble on top crisp and tasty. The vanilla custard he said made it all.

I was temped by the Cheshire Farm Ice Cream Menu and for my three scoops had a medley of Pistacio, Blackberry and Bilberry and Honeycomb. A good choice which went down well after the fish and chips.

As darkness fell over the square, we made our way to the station. I couldn’t help but cast my mind back in time to when a curly-haired toddler was lifted by her mum to post those all-important letters through that big brass letterbox.

The Restaurant Bar and Grill, The Old Post Office, 3 City Square, Leeds LS1 2ES
Open Mon, Tues,Wed,Thurs,Fri 12 noon to 10.00pm; Sat 12 noon – 11.00pm; Sunday 12 noon – 8pm