The Alchemist

On the recommendation of a friend, I visited The Alchemist, Leeds Trinity this week with my mum for some lunch and cocktails. I’ve been pestering my partner for the past year to go to the Manchester branch, but we’ve just never got round to going, so when I discovered there was one in Leeds I jumped at the opportunity.

When you walk in, the aesthetics of the restaurant are striking and classy; copper décor with low hanging lights. The place was bustling with couples and 'ladies that lunch', and we had to make reservations to return a couple of hours later because it was so busy - I’d recommend booking in advance before visiting!

The staff were fab, really friendly and completely non-pretentious which was a pleasant surprise. Before we ordered any food, we checked out the famous Alchemist cocktail menu and both chose “The Bubble Bath”.  The drinks arrived with accompanying conical beakers, which the waitress poured over our glasses causing the cocktails to start to foam! The drink itself was very sweet, like sour apple sweets.

Bubble Bath cocktail: Bombay dry gin, Chambord, Aperol, apple juice + sugar syrup.

There are a few veggie things on the menu, I went for the spicy bean, guacamole + sour cream wrap which was amazing! For dessert, my mum had a twist on an Eton mess, made with peaches and whipped cream.

Peach Melba Mess; whipped cream, peaches + raspberry coulis.

Spicy bean, guacamole + sour cream wrap with fries.

Instead of a dessert, I went for a second cocktail: Lady Marmalade. This drink was a lot more tangy and zesty than the first, however the theatrics were just as phenomenal. Served over dry ice, this marmalade vodka-based cocktail emitted a fog across our table! 

Lady Marmalade: Chase marmalade vodka, Belsazar red, lemon juice, sugar + bergamot drops.

You can definitely see where The Alchemist gets it's name from, with the decoration and creative cocktail menu giving the restaurant a medieval + transformative vibe. I'll definitely be back, and will hopefully get round to checking out the one in Manchester!

http://thealchemist.uk.com/

xo