Issho — Leeds, UK

Restaurants in retail malls can be tricky propositions, but it certainly helps the cause that Issho has opened on the roof-top of the newly minted diagrid-formed Victoria Gate. Designed by architectural practice Acme with interiors by Brighton-based DesignLSM, the building is Leed’s latest landmark, an homage to the geodesic silhouettes of Buckminster Fuller and the city’s manufacturing traditions.
Issho’s airy perch is a treat particularly as the weather turns towards summer and patrons start flocking to the al fresco timber-decked patio that’s lined with low-slung furniture and strategically placed potted trees that frame Leeds’s skyline.
The restaurant’s main dining space features a mix of charred timber, oak and porphyry stone. The centrepiece though is the open central kitchen where Zuma and Sexy Fish alum Ben Orpwood’s menu of sharing plates scattered with Yorkshire produce is layered with Japanese inflections, a conceit probably reflected in the restaurant’s name which apparently means ‘together’ in Japanese.
And so, there are lamb cutlets flavoured with barley miso, tomato salad drizzled with tofu cream, smoked beef tartare scented with yuzu, and sweet soy-glazed duck hearts from the robatayaki (or slow grill charcoal) menu.
Meanwhile, the bar offers intriguing oriental fantasy tipples such as a yamazaki highball, and a bellini of lychee liqueur, grapefruit juice and peach bitters.
ADDRESS
Victoria Gate
George Street
Leeds LS2 7AU
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
George Lucas’ otherworldly Los Angeles museum is almost finished. Here’s a sneak peek
Architect Ma Yansong walks us through the design of the $1 billion Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, set to open early next year
-
A local’s guide to Atlanta
Drawn by the city’s diversity and queer community, life coach and writer Cator Sparks returned to Atlanta after 25 years away. He shares his favourite haunts
-
Wael Shawky explores a theatrical moment in history in Edinburgh
Pull strings to get there if you can, as the Egyptian artist presents the third film in his ‘The Crusades Cabaret’ trilogy, at Talbot Rice Gallery
-
Industrial chic meets Thai heat at the new incarnation of a beloved London restaurant
Singburi 2.0 brings all the hot and sour thrills of the original haunt in cool Shoreditch surrounds
-
Here’s how Heathrow is reimagining airport chaos as ambient music
Grammy-nominated Jordan Rakei turns travel noise into a meditative soundtrack by sampling everything from baggage belts to jet engines
-
Is this London’s slickest burger joint?
Already proven in Paris, Dumbo’s smash-hit formula of precision, confidence, and simplicity arrives in Shoreditch – and yes, it’s worth the wait
-
Canal is a new west London restaurant with a suntrap terrace
At Canal, the new restaurant at Mason & Fifth’s Westbourne Park hotel, expect modern European breakfast, lunch and dinner from the team behind Crispin and Bistro Freddie
-
This hidden London culinary haven is a refreshing take on the steakhouse
Mr Porter, a new steakhouse, bar and lounge in central London's swish Mayfair, is a hidden haven of strong flavours and minimalist dining
-
A European-style café opens next to London’s Saatchi Gallery
Designed by Dion & Arles, Cafe Linea serves fresh pâtisseries, global dishes and sparkling wines in a stunning Grade II-listed setting
-
Ready to unplug? Sign up for this digital detox retreat in Cornwall
Offline escape provider Unplugged has partnered with Cabilla Cornwall to offer a phone-free, nature-immersive group experience on Bodmin Moor
-
Anya Hindmarch’s Ice Cream Project is London’s tastiest (and weirdest) summer tradition
The cult pop-up has returned, transforming a Belgravia corner into a sleek, steel-clad shrine to British pantry nostalgia