Before we get any further I strongly advise that you don’t read this post on an empty stomach. We attended an evening where we got to sample most of the culinary offerings of Bossa Leeds and to learn more about the restaurant concept itself. The creator behind Bossa (Tomas Maunier) explained to us that In Brazil, to do something with “bossa” is to do it with particular charm and natural flair, as in an innate ability. Bossa brings the culinary delights and the cool vibe of the city and its people to the heart of Leeds. Bossa is not a tourist type restaurant, Tomas describes it as “simple and from the heart”, it’s like the restaurant in Rio that you would only know about if you had a friend there who took you. We were greeted with glasses of prosecco and some down time to take in the surroundings of Bossa, set on Cloth Hall street in the space where Zizzi’s used to be. I’m a sucker for good restaurant decor, in fact, I think it’s almost as important as the food itself because it adds to the overall dining experience. Bossa decor is definitely eclectic in style, with a range of textures and colours at play which certainly helps to achieve the laid-back, cool vibe of Rio. Now the bit that you’ve all been waiting for, the food. Bossa is an all you can eat kind of place which offers a selection of seven cuts of meat cooked on skewers, brought to your table and sliced onto your plate. Work up an appetite before making your way down because trust me you will want to try all of the meats. You can also specify how you like your meat cooked. Now I know I might receive some judgement from fellow meat lovers but I like my meat to be medium to well done. The other diners that I shared the experience with all wanted it much rarer than I choose to eat. The staff were really helpful, they brought out separate cuts of meat that were cooked to my liking, which I was really pleased about. So whether you like your meat rare, medium or well done they cater to all. The seven cuts include picanha (which is cap of rump), sausages, chicken thighs, pork belly, slow cooked pulled beef and a special which changes. I’m proud to say that I tried every meat on the menu apart from the lamb (I don’t eat lamb) and all of the meats were beautifully tender, juicy and full of flavour. My three favourites were the picanha, pulled beef and the sausages. I’m actually getting really hungry again just writing about it. The all you can eat meat costs £17.90 at dinner time and only £12.90 at lunch. The price includes two sides, chips and coleslaw. Both of which I rate very highly, I absolutely love good, well cooked flavoursome chips and Bossa’s chips lived up to my expectations, although it was actually the coleslaw that was the show stealer. It was pretty inventive as far as coleslaw goes and had olives in it and accompanied all of the different meats very well. There’s no salad bar as such but instead you can purchase additional sides which are only £2 each. I got to try most of the sides during my visit and I can conclude that they are all delicious but my absolute favourite was the Feijoada Black Bean Stew served with pulled beef, which I’ve recently learned is a Brazilian national dish. I’m not surprised that it’s a national dish, it was hearty, creamy and delicious. You must try it if you visit Bossa because it was simply outstanding. The runner up for best additional side goes to the Sweet Potato Wedges with Avocado Mayo Dip, it’s sweet potato and avocado, need I say more? Another thing that I must mention is that every table has a selection of sauces to go with the meat, they seem to be unique to Bossa as I’ve never seen them anywhere before. The one that I lathered pretty much everything that touched my plate was called Gaucho. I’m not entirely sure what was in it but it was the perfect combination of garlicky creamy goodness and I must insist that you try it if you visit Bossa. If somehow like me you manage to save space for dessert I highly recommend the Salted Caramel Ice Cream, It’s incredible. The Passion Fruit Panna Cota was also really nice and the sorbets were very refreshing. Unfortunately due to my gluten intolerance I didn’t get to try the cheesecake or the churros but I was told that they were both very good. We washed the food down with a variety of cocktails, which were the perfect combination of sweet and refreshing. The staff serving us seemed to have tried all of the cocktails and were happy to make recommendations. We even got to try a peanut butter porter, which received mixed reviews on the night but I personally loved it. Not sure if it went that well with the meat but it’s definitely worth a try if you like porters and peanut butter. I think Bossa is an awesome new addition to the Leeds restaurant scene and I’ll definitely be coming back and taking my friends with me! When not eating food or drinking copious amounts of tea I can be found at www.sunnydei.com