Four of us decided that Wednesday seemed like as good a day as any for tapas at Pintura Leeds, and we were looking forward to trying somewhere new for a couple of midweek drinks and nibbles. We arrived quite early, but the place was buzzing with friendly staff and a few of the booths already had diners occupying them.
We were shown to our table by a very friendly waitress, who then brought us a jug of water to enjoy while we decided on our drinks. In the end, we settled on two Estrella Damms, a Mahou, and a Maria, Maria cocktail – all of which were delicious.
Pintura Leeds Mouthwatering Menu
As we sipped our drinks, we took a look though Pintura Leeds mouthwatering menu, and although we really wanted to order one of everything, we decided on a selection of different tapas dishes. We went for the Spanish tomato bread, assortment of meats and cheeses, smoked-cheese croquettes, corn-fed chicken, chorizo sausage, Iberico pig cheek, crispy belly bacon, fried potatoes, tiger prawns, and Basque black pudding.
We didn’t have to wait long before the tomato bread and assortment of meats and cheeses came out, and the Pintura waitress very kindly went through everything on the platter for us. There was a selection of different meats including duck, mutton and ham, and some delicious cheeses including manchego and a ten year old blue. With a couple of pickled elements, a giant caper and olive, and some crackers to go with it, this assortment was a big hit with everyone.
The tomato bread came out warm and had a lovely thick layer of tomato salsa on top, resulting in many appreciative noises around the table. Each serving comes with two slices of bread, so we had two between the four of us and it was quickly devoured along with the meats.
As we finished the platter, a couple more plates came out every couple of minutes, until we had a delicious spread of tapas across our table. It was hard to decide where to begin, but once we had started, there was no stopping us.
All the dishes were absolutely incredible, but for me, the real highlights at Pintura in Leeds were the smoked cheese croquettes and the pork belly bacon. Every dish was beautifully finished with a sauce, puree or dressing, and the tiger prawns came with their own little finger bowl to stop everything becoming too messy.
We, unusually, managed to order the perfect amount of food for four people, and once every plate had been scraped clean, we felt completely satisfied, without feeling too full. The service was great and our waitress checked on us a couple of times while we ate, but the only thing we asked for was more drinks.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for dessert on this visit, but the options did look delicious and I would have ordered the cheesecake as it’s my favourite – just one of many reasons to go back again soon. Another part of Pintura is their Gin Bar in the cellar, something else we didn’t try on this trip. They have a huge selection of gins from around the world and a Spanish-inspired cocktail list including 6 different gin and tonic “Copas”.
Pintura Leeds – Our Verdict
By the time we left, the Pintura restaurant was very busy, which was great to see on a Wednesday night. It gets a very big thumbs up from us in terms of both food and service. We will definitely be returning, and I look forward to trying out the other few options on the menu that we didn’t get round to. Pintura also just introduced a Brunch menu, so that may be next on my to-do list!