PERFECT FOOD SERVED IN THE PERFECT AMBIENCE

Restaurants come and restaurants go but The Lost & Found in Albion Place is firmly one of the city’s best and its most certainly here to stay for many years longer judging by its popularity. One can almost say its one of the fixtures and fittings on the Leeds City centre restaurant scene.

The restaurant has an atmosphere and avant-garde feeling like no other because it’s been an integral part of the city’s history. Situated in a Grade 2 building that dates back to Georgian times The Lost & Found Leeds Club has a remarkable ambience and proudly displays a blue plaque on the outside as a testament to its remarkable history

Built as a private residence in 1820 in 1849 it was given a new facade and became an exclusive private gentleman’s club which it remained until 2013.

With the passage of time it still retains its beautiful 19^th century interiors with high plaster carved ceilings and coved borders, a wide wooden staircase, a tiled floor and wonderful gold embellished marble pillars.

The restaurant has been carefully and lovingly restored so as to lose non of its charm or history with potted palms, lots of polished wood and marble fire places.

Enter The Lost & Found Leeds Club and its like stepping back in time – you expect to see an Edwardian gentleman sitting in one of the arm chairs in the foyer, smoking a huge cigar and perhaps reading a copy of The Leeds Mercury.

On the lower floor is a large bar with lots of breakout areas that has a rustic feel or you can choose to sit in the former hall-way with its sinkable chairs. The lower floor also has a beautifully crafted restaurant with comfortable seating.

You can chose to sit in the window where the large windows overlook the street. There’s a real atmosphere of nostalgia with a large marble fire place and potted palms.

Yet the glory of the past is wonderfully retained with the beautifully original coving that wraps around the room.

.If you climb the stairs you will find another restaurant with large windows looking out to the street below still as beautifully nostalgic.

The menu is well chosen and there’s something for everyone. For starters my colleague’s choice of Baked British Camembert did not disappoint. The Camembert was oozing with flavour and very tasty. The ideal accompaniment was the red onion marmalade – a nice contrast to the cheese flavour. The dish came with hot toasted sourdough bread which was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside – just as it should be.

I opted for the Crispy Squid and it lived up to its name it was so deliciously crispy and piping hot. The squid was tender and didn’t have that plastic consistency one sometimes gets in certain establishments. The dish was piping hot and the seaweed tartare sauce was a wonderful contrast.

For main course I decided on the Maple Glazed Port Chop. This was a very generous portion of meat. The chop was beautifully cooked to the requirement I asked for – very well done and was succulent and tender and the glaze was oozing with flavour. It was served with chorizo and cheddar croquette which complimented the flavour of the pork beautifully. Also accompanying the dish was charred Tenderstem broccoli and a delicious potato terrine and a mustard sauce. A great combination for a pork dish.

My colleague’s choice of Pan-Roasted Sea Bass was a very generous portion and cooked to perfection – flavoursome, moist and succulent. The crushed new potatoes made an excellent accompaniment as did the Tenders broccoli with a sala Verdi butter.

When it came to choosing our desserts there was a great choice. My colleague chose the Burnt Basque Cheesecake. This was no ordinary cheesecake but a definite work of art in its making in fact it tasted home made. It came with a mango sauce with fresh mango chopped into the sauce, plus a mango and mint salsa such a delicious combination. Topping off the desert was Madagascan vanilla ice cream.

For dessert I decided on the Dark Chocolate Brownie. This was a rarity for me to choosing a brownie but I had heard about this wonderful dessert from a friend and I was determined to try it. The brownie put this particular sweet treat into a class of its own. Served with salted popcorn, cherry compote – which gave a tang to the dish and chocolate and blood orange ice-cream this was my real heaven on a plate.

As dusk began to fall in the street outside it was time to leave The Lost and Found and its knowledgeable and polite staff for whom nothing is too much trouble to make your evening one to remember.

Descending the stairs at the Lost and Found Leeds Club I almost imagined a tailcoated doorman opening the doors so I could climb into my horse drawn carriage such is the ambience of The Lost and Found Leeds Club.