Le Pain Quotidien may not be a familiar name for some northern folk. I only know them from time spent in St. Pancras in London (frankly their rich, smooth coffee and warm pain au chocolat has been the only thing to make the wait for the Leeds train bearable on a couple of occasions) but the good news is that we’ll soon be hearing a LOT more of them up here.

The Belgian restaurant and boulangerie, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, will open its doors in Leeds this October. The branch will be their first in the north of England and the city is the perfect place to embrace the ‘good food that does good’ philosophy that Le Pain Quotidien holds dear.

The new branch will occupy Unit 16 in the new Victoria Gate Arcade (more on that in future blogposts). There will be an organic wine bar alongside a retail area selling fresh food and pastries to take away.

For those of you unfamiliar with the offerings of Le Pain Quotidien, fresh breads and pastries are its speciality, but you can also sample exceptional salads, tartines, frittatas and seasonal (and healthy!) hot dishes.

We also love the philosophy of communal dining that Le Pain Quotidien has, with guests able to grab a chair at a communal table, a centerpiece seen across all their restaurants.

So, as we look forward to another exciting new opening in Leeds, a final word to Peter Jenkins, Managing Director at Le Pain Quotidien: “We are very excited to be opening in Leeds. With a burgeoning food scene and a fantastic, engaged community full of vibrant people of all ages, we are delighted to be part of the Leeds neighbourhood and can’t wait to share our seasonal, fresh and organic food with the local community and beyond”.