Sous Le Nez (Leeds)

Sous le Nez is a lovely little french restaurant and wine bar in the heart of Leeds city centre. As you walk down the few steps into the warmth you feel the hustle and bustle of the big city disappearing. Inside is a feeling of comfort and unlike many french restaurant visited before there is little pretence and snobbery. People here are enjoying the enormous wine list as an afterwork drinks bar alongside dinners who are out to impress their dates. ...
...we had visited over 5 years ago and had enjoyed it then.
We arrived on a busy Friday night and even though we hadn't booked the maitre'd quickly arranged a spare table for us . Not the best table in the house but hey what do you expect for not booking.
The menu has many varying levels of excitement ranging form the well known moules marinere, to more extravagant fillet steak gateaux. I chose scallops and duck breast, my partner, blackpudding ... more

Sous le Nez is a lovely little french restaurant and wine bar in the heart of Leeds city centre. As you walk down the few steps into the warmth you feel the hustle and bustle of the big city disappearing. Inside is a feeling of comfort and unlike many french restaurant visited before there is little pretence and snobbery. People here are enjoying the enormous wine list as an afterwork drinks bar alongside dinners who are out to impress their dates. We chose to dine here as it was a place we had visited over 5 years ago and had enjoyed it then.
We arrived on a busy Friday night and even though we hadn't booked the maitre'd quickly arranged a spare table for us . Not the best table in the house but hey what do you expect for not booking.
The menu has many varying levels of excitement ranging form the well known moules marinere, to more extravagant fillet steak gateaux. I chose scallops and duck breast, my partner, blackpudding and pancetts to begin, the said fillet gateaux to follow.
The scallops were perfectly pan fried an lay on a bed of celeriac puree. The breast of duck was cooked to how the masses would like but I prefer mine to be more on the pink side than it was. The kumera mash that accompanied it did so to well and feel a less subsantial substitue would have been more appropriate. My partner was a very happy man with his choice of starters, the blackpudding being more meaty than greasy, I believe the words delicious may have passed his lips. He chose the fillet to follow and as soon as it arrived knew he had chosen poorly. Not because it looked poor but he knew it would be very rich and following a heavy starter may have difficulties eating it all. Very nice was his opion, but you could tell he was struggling, especially as he order a side of mash potato. The only draw back from his dish was the amount of raw garlic in the layers of meat. A little bit overpowering on the taste front as well as the taxi ride home!
We chose a cabernet sauvignon from Penleys Estate, Australia. It was reasonably priced at £26 and worth every penny. Smooth and seductive and a great compliment to the cuisine.
Even though by this stage we were bulging we decide to share a dessert. We chose a chocolate and praline pave. Light and airy with enough depth to satify a true choclate heaven moment. We followed with espresso which were hot and powerful.
The bill totalled £90, which could have been more and certainly could haver been less depending on your choices. We believe it was worth every penny as we has a lovely night although the garlic breath did add alittle bit of restraint to the evening! 

...less