8 neighbourhoods·47 cafés·last updated April 2026
North Star's roastery flagship at Leeds Dock runs a Q Grader and Cup of Excellence juror; Kapow, a Leeds fixture since 2013, roast their own beans in-house. Maude roasts on-site with named single-origins; Laynes has been pulling serious espresso since before it was fashionable.
The best of Leeds4 picks
01
Leeds Dock
“A Leeds Dock cafe pouring beans from a roaster co-founded by Q Grader Holly Kragiopoulos.”
North Star Roasters' cafe arm at Leeds Dock, pouring beans the brand roasts itself. Co-founder Holly Kragiopoulos is a Q Grader, the palate behind what's bought.
02
Kirkgate
A Sovereign Street kiosk pouring own roasts from a roaster co-founded by a Cup of Excellence juror.
03
Kirkgate
Leeds's destination roastery, where the tasting cards mean something.
04
Horsforth
The Horsforth roastery roasting to order, not to stock.
8 neighbourhoods
North Star runs their cafe arm and their Leeds Dock roastery flagship in the same neighbourhood; Laynes has been doing specialty seriously here since before it was fashionable.
Leeds's destination roastery, where the tasting cards mean something.
The roast is theirs, and someone walked 25km to prove it.
Leeds' own roastery, with Kirkgate as the place to drink the batches.
A market kiosk running Darkwoods Coffee, and Leeds knows it.
Kapow, a Leeds independent since 2013, roast their own beans in-house; Raw, 92 Degrees, and 200 Degrees all pour house-roasted alongside them.
The Nottingham roastery settles the question of whether this is a chain or a roaster.
A Leeds roastery with a café attached, not the other way around.
Roasts its own beans, and the baristas can tell you exactly why.
The Liverpool roastery that translated its standards to Leeds city centre.
Kulture Coffee roasts their own beans here, a rare thing for a neighbourhood this student-heavy. Bowery's AllPress bar and free upstairs workspace add a second reason to make the trip.
Better barista work than Headingley has any right to expect.
Solid coffee in a Scandinavian room where the bagels usually take top billing.
Headingley's brunch anchor, where the flat white is worth ordering even without the food.
Run by a competition mixologist who decided espresso deserved the same precision.
Rabbit Hole Coffee stocks Hardlines, Campbell & Syme and Cuppers Choice; PARIA adds a cycling and running community hub to the neighbourhood mix.
Batch brew and proper flat whites, in the neighbourhood that needed them.
The coffee holds up in a room that's already full without it.
Someone back there cares about extraction, and the flat white is the proof.
The coffee holds its own against the programme, which isn't always true of arts centres.
Ulterior Motives · 20 Jun
For one stretch of July, you can't move in York for early music or in Harrogate for livestock.
Richaro's Ramblings · 14 Aug
I am writing this from Ponta Delgada, where the coffee in front of me was roasted about four streets away. Normally that is the whole story.
North Star's roastery flagship at Leeds Dock runs a Q Grader and Cup of Excellence juror; Kapow, a Leeds fixture since 2013, roast their own beans in-house. Maude roasts on-site with named single-origins; Laynes has been pulling serious espresso since before it was fashionable.
Last updated April 2026
Leeds Dock
North Star Roasters' cafe arm at Leeds Dock, pouring beans the brand roasts itself. Co-founder Holly Kragiopoulos is a Q Grader, the palate behind what's bought.
Kirkgate
North Star's Sovereign Street kiosk, pouring the brand's own roasts. Co-founder Holly Kragiopoulos is a Q Grader; the kiosk format undersells what is behind it.
7 worth a detour
+6 Everyday picks
4 worth a detour
+5 Everyday picks
2 worth a detour
+5 Everyday picks
1 worth a detour
+4 Everyday picks
1 worth a detour
+3 Everyday picks
1 worth a detour
+3 Everyday picks
1 worth a detour
+3 Everyday picks
1 worth a detour
From The Journal
View all pieces →
Ulterior Motives · 20 Jun
For one stretch of July, you can't move in York for early music or in Harrogate for livestock.
Richaro's Ramblings · 14 Aug
I am writing this from Ponta Delgada, where the coffee in front of me was roasted about four streets away. Normally that is the whole story.