A Vital Shot in the Arm — The Highland Laddie, Leeds

Set in the shadows of several blocks of student accommodation, The Highland Laddie is hidden from view as I approach from the adjacent Kirkstall Road. A twenty minute walk from Leeds station, it feels like I’ve left the creature comforts of the city centre well behind me, as painfully overused phrases like “tucked away” and “hidden gem” begin to fill my head. The thing is, this pub is distinctly lacking in obscurity. Everyone has been talking about The Highland Laddie. Even someone with even a semblance of interest in the goings-on within the Leeds hospitality scene has no doubt seen the flurry of activity the pub has generated on Instagram. Writing for the Observer , restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa described it as a place of “thrilling finesse” with food that is “spectacularly enjoyable.” And it’s only been open in its revamped form since April. In its previous incarnation, the pub—called The Highland, but known affectionately by regulars as “The Laddie”—was forced to close after four

by Matthew Curtis · source ↗