Named after a Roman goddess, Veritas has a lot to live up to, and tucked away on Great George Street it can be easily overlooked when searching for somewhere nice to have a bite to eat or a quick drink.
With wooden floors, big floor length windows, and a laid back and friendly décor, Veritas is often full of customers dining, drinking, chatting, and playing games. While it may look like a casual wine bar from the outside, the menu certainly says otherwise.
I have been to Veritas before, but on this occasion we were looking for somewhere to grab an early dinner before heading over to Leeds Civic Hall to watch Theatre Mill’s production of “Witness for the Prosecution”. We wanted somewhere that would still have a good atmosphere, even though it was only 6pm, and Veritas delivered.
We started off with a half pint of Warsteiner each – not that we had much choice as it was the only lager they had on draught. It was delicious though and served us well while we looked over the menu.
Veritas’ menu is more than just posh pub food, they offer a range of delicious meals, including Steak and Oyster Stout Pie, Goats Cheese, Basil & Red Wine Risotto, and Harissa Crusted Swordfish Steak. You can also order a charcuterie platter from their deli and pay per item if you just want something smaller to nibble on.
They had a fantastic range of specials on when we were there and we were instantly in agreement that we both wanted to try their Soft Shell Crab Burger, and I’m glad we did. The crab came in a soft bun with a layer of shrimp, lettuce and tomato, and there was a generous portion of potatoes wedges to go with it. I was a bit wary about eating soft shell crab, as I had never tried it before and wasn’t sure how I would feel about biting into a whole crab with the shell intact. It was absolutely delicious though and we both gave it 10/10. It was a good portion size too, as it left us feeling satisfied but not too full.
All the deserts looked fantastic, but we thought we would finish our meal with another Warsteiner before heading off to watch our play. The meal was really good value, and when we left at 7pm there were only a couple of tables still free, and this was on a Tuesday evening.
We headed up to Leeds Civic Hall, excited about the performance we were about to watch, as we knew it would be like nothing we had ever seen before. Taking place in a real courtroom, the audience had to sit around the room in either the Barrister’s Circle, Jury’s Circle, Judge’s Circle or public gallery.
Before the play had even begun it was fully immersive, with a policeman meeting us at the door and secretaries dressed in their 1950s attire showing us to our seats. The atmosphere in the courtroom was electric with all the members of the audience waiting to find out what lay ahead. Everyone was asked to stand whenever the judge entered or left the room, adding to the incredibly realistic feel of the whole thing.