Yorkshire
Rainy day date ideas in Leeds
Updated
Leeds does a wet day well, starting in the city centre. Kirkgate Market is one of Europe’s largest covered markets, the Victoria Quarter’s arcades have glass roofs and mosaic floors, and Leeds Art Gallery is free. Walk along the river to the Royal Armouries, free and much bigger than you’d expect, or try the Thackray Museum’s recreated Victorian street. Hyde Park Picture House has been showing films since 1914 under gas lamps, and Roundhay Park’s Tropical World is a warm end to a walk round the lake. In the evening, there’s Opera North at the Grand Theatre, Keralan food at Tharavadu or the wood-fired grill at Ox Club, then cocktails below the pavement at Below Stairs, live jazz at the Domino Club or a candlelit last stop at Smokestack.
Our picks
Kirkgate Market
Vicar Lane, city centre
Address: Kirkgate Market, Vicar Lane, Leeds LS2 7HY- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Graze your way round one of Europe's largest covered markets, where Marks & Spencer started as a market stall, from street-food counters to fishmongers and bakers.
Why it's a good date: Split up with a small budget each, find the best thing you can to eat, then swap. It's closed on Sundays, so make it a Saturday.
Photo: Hullian111, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
See the free city collection, strong on 20th-century British art and sculpture, then call in at the Henry Moore Institute next door.
Why it's a good date: An easy hour in the middle of town, with sculpture to walk round and argue about. The exhibitions change, so check what's on before you go.
Photo: Chemical Engineer, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Royal Armouries Museum
Leeds Dock, on the River Aire
Address: Royal Armouries Museum, Armouries Drive, Leeds LS10 1LT- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Explore the national collection of arms and armour, from Henry VIII's armour to samurai swords, in the glass-towered museum at Leeds Dock.
Why it's a good date: It's free, much bigger than you'd expect and good for a wet afternoon. Walk there along the river from the city centre, and look out for the live demonstrations.
Photo: Mark Stevenson, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Roundhay Park
Princess Avenue, Roundhay, north-east Leeds
Address: Roundhay Park, Mansion Lane, Leeds LS8 2HH- Outdoors
- Cheap and cheerful
- Rainy day
Walk round Waterloo Lake in one of Europe's largest city parks, then warm up among the butterflies and meerkats at Tropical World.
Why it's a good date: A long, easy walk with somewhere dry and warm at the end of it. The park is free; Tropical World has its own ticket.
Photo: Chris Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
Hyde Park Picture House
Brudenell Road, Hyde Park
Address: 73 Brudenell Road, Leeds LS6 1JD- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
Watch a film at a cinema that has been showing them since 1914, believed to be the last in the world still lit by gas lamps.
Why it's a good date: It's small and full of character, and shows a mix of new independent films and classics. It reopened in 2023 after a restoration that added a second screen.
Photo: Simon Cobb, CC0 (resized)
Leeds Grand Theatre
New Briggate, city centre
Address: 46 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
Dress up for an opera, a musical or a touring show at the Victorian theatre that opened in 1878 and is home to Opera North.
Why it's a good date: The old auditorium gives the whole night a sense of occasion. Book dinner nearby first and keep the interval for a drink.
Photo: Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
The Victoria Quarter
Briggate and Vicar Lane, city centre
Address: County Arcade, Victoria Quarter, Leeds LS1 6BH- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Romantic
Stroll the Victorian arcades off Briggate, with their mosaic floors, marble columns and glass roofs, and the stained-glass canopy over Queen Victoria Street.
Why it's a good date: Window-shopping somewhere beautiful, dry when it's raining, with plenty of places to stop for a coffee.
Photo: Hullian111, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Thackray Museum of Medicine
Beckett Street, beside St James's Hospital
Address: 141 Beckett Street, Leeds LS9 7LN- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Walk through a recreated Victorian street and centuries of medicine, gruesome bits included, in Leeds's old workhouse building.
Why it's a good date: It's fascinating and a bit gruesome in places, so you'll have plenty to talk about over dinner. It isn't open every day, so check before you go.
Photo: Chemical Engineer, Public domain (cropped and resized)
Ox Club
Headrow House, The Headrow, city centre
Address: Headrow House, 19a The Headrow, Leeds LS1 6PU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Have dinner off the wood-fired grill, cooked with Yorkshire produce, at the restaurant tucked inside Headrow House, a converted old textile mill.
Why it's a good date: The smell of the grill hits you as you walk in, and the room feels like a treat without being stuffy. Book ahead, and have a drink in Headrow House's bar first.
Photo: Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Tharavadu
Mill Hill, near Leeds station
Address: 7-8 Mill Hill, Leeds LS1 5DQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Foodie
Share dosas, curries and Keralan seafood at the city-centre restaurant that brought the food of Kerala to Leeds.
Why it's a good date: It's warm and busy, the food's full of flavour, and there's plenty to share and lots for vegetarians. It's handy for the station, so it works before or after a trip.
Below Stairs
South Parade, city centre
Address: Consort House, 12 South Parade, Leeds LS1 5QS- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Romantic
- Cosy
Head down a discreet staircase off the street to a cocktail bar below the pavement, known for its inventive, carefully made drinks.
Why it's a good date: It feels like a secret the minute you go down the stairs, and the drinks live up to it. Ask for a recommendation and let them surprise you.
The Domino Club
Grand Arcade, off Vicar Lane
Address: 7 Grand Arcade, Leeds LS1 6PG- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Romantic
Go through a barber's shop in the Grand Arcade and down the stairs to a 1920s-style speakeasy with live jazz, blues and soul.
Why it's a good date: Live music on every night it's open, low lights and a proper sense of occasion. Weeknights are moodier jazz, weekends get livelier.
Smokestack
Lower Briggate, city centre
Address: 159a Lower Briggate, Leeds LS1 6LY- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Cosy
Sip New Orleans-style cocktails by candlelight to a soundtrack of funk, soul and blues, in a small bar on Lower Briggate.
Why it's a good date: Relaxed and late-opening, with good music and a menu of twists on old classics. A good last stop on a night out.
Photo: Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Bundobust
Mill Hill, near Leeds station
Address: Bundobust, 6 Mill Hill, Leeds LS1 5DQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share a table full of vegetarian Indian street food and a craft beer at the original Bundobust, a couple of minutes from the station.
Why it's a good date: This is where Bundobust started, and it's still busy and fun. Order a few small plates each, share everything, and order again if you're still peckish.
The Northern Market
Great George Street, city centre
Address: The Northern Market, 12 Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3ED- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Pick from the street-food stalls and the Northern Monk taps at this underground food and beer hall on Great George Street.
Why it's a good date: There's plenty of room for walk-ins and you can each order from a different stall. Good for a cheap dinner near the Town Hall, especially when the weather's bad.
Mommy Thai
Duncan Street, city centre
Address: Mommy Thai, 7 Duncan Street, Leeds LS1 6DQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share Thai street food at Mommy Thai on Duncan Street, right in the middle of town.
Why it's a good date: Quick, cheerful and full of flavour, so it works for a lunch date or a cheap dinner before heading out. There's a second branch on Vicar Lane if this one's full.
Zaap Thai
Grand Arcade, Northern Quarter
Address: Zaap Thai, 22 Grand Arcade, Leeds LS1 6PG- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Eat Bangkok-style street food at Zaap's busy, colourful restaurant in the Grand Arcade.
Why it's a good date: It's lively and quick, with a long menu that's easy to share. It's walk-in only, so expect a short queue at peak times.
Jino's Thai Cafe
North Lane, Headingley
Address: Jino's Thai Cafe, 38 North Lane, Headingley, Leeds LS6 3HU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Head out to Headingley for home-style Thai cooking at the independent café that's been on North Lane for twenty-odd years.
Why it's a good date: Small, friendly and reliably good, and Headingley has plenty of pubs for a drink after. Book ahead for a weekend evening, as the room fills up.
Thai A Roy Dee
Vicar Lane, city centre
Address: Thai A Roy Dee, 120-122 Vicar Lane, Leeds LS2 7NL- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Have a relaxed Thai dinner at the family-run restaurant on Vicar Lane, near Kirkgate Market.
Why it's a good date: Unfussy and good value, and there's Thai beer to go with it. Pair it with a morning at the market or an evening at the Grand Theatre up the road.
Noodle House
Merrion Street, city centre
Address: Noodle House, 20 Merrion Street, Leeds LS1 6PQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Cook your own hot pot at the table, dropping noodles, meat and vegetables into a bubbling broth, at Noodle House on Merrion Street.
Why it's a good date: It's hands-on and a bit of a laugh, which makes it a good date when you want something to do as well as eat. Ask for the plain broth if you're not sure about the spicy one.
Inlamentation
High Street, Boston Spa
Address: Inlamentation, 174 High Street, Boston Spa, Wetherby LS23 6BW- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Big night
Book one of the few tables at Michael O'Hare's tiny tasting-menu restaurant in Boston Spa, a short drive from the city.
Why it's a good date: The chef behind The Man Behind the Curtain cooks an ever-changing menu for a handful of guests, so it feels like a real occasion. There's no published menu and seats are scarce, so book as soon as dates open.
Chef Jono at V&V
New Briggate, Northern Quarter
Address: Chef Jono at V&V, 68 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Go upstairs on New Briggate for a modern British tasting menu from chef Jono Hawthorne.
Why it's a good date: One of the few proper fine-dining rooms in the city centre, small enough to feel personal. It's handy for the Grand Theatre, so you can make a night of it.
Gaucho Leeds
Park Row, financial district
Address: Gaucho, 21-22 Park Row, Leeds LS1 5JF- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Big night
Share Argentinian steak and a bottle of red in Gaucho's dark, glamorous dining room under Park Row.
Why it's a good date: Low lights, leather and a buzz in the room: it's made for a celebration. Ask the staff to talk you through the cuts if you can't decide.
Tattu Leeds
East Parade, city centre
Address: Tattu, Minerva House, 29 East Parade, Leeds LS1 5PS- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Big night
Dress up for modern Chinese food and cocktails beneath the blossom trees of Tattu's dining room on East Parade.
Why it's a good date: It's all about the setting, and it's a fun one for a birthday or an anniversary. Book ahead at weekends and leave time for a cocktail at the bar.
The Box Tree
Church Street, Ilkley
Address: The Box Tree, 35-37 Church Street, Ilkley LS29 9DR- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Take the train to Ilkley for a tasting menu at The Box Tree, one of Yorkshire's best-known special-occasion restaurants.
Why it's a good date: A cosy old stone building with a long history of fine dining, and the menu changes with the seasons. Go early and walk up towards Ilkley Moor before dinner.
Dakota Grill
Russell Street, city centre
Address: Dakota Leeds, 8 Russell Street, Leeds LS1 5RN- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Big night
- Romantic
Book a steak and seafood dinner in the moody, low-lit grill at the Dakota hotel.
Why it's a good date: A stylish hotel grill that feels like a night away without leaving town. Start with a cocktail in the hotel bar.
Shears Yard
Wharf Street, The Calls
Address: Shears Yard, 11-15 Wharf Street, Leeds LS2 7EY- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Foodie
- Romantic
Have a seasonal dinner at this smart independent restaurant on Wharf Street, near the river at The Calls.
Why it's a good date: Good cooking and a relaxed welcome, so it feels special without being stiff. Walk along the river afterwards to finish the evening.
Quick answers
What's free to do in Leeds when it rains?
Leeds Art Gallery on the Headrow and the Royal Armouries at Leeds Dock are both free. The Henry Moore Institute is next door to the Art Gallery.
Is Kirkgate Market open on Sundays?
No, it's closed on Sundays, so make it a Saturday.
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