Grey Street. 300 yards or so of Richard Grainger's sweeping, neoclassical architecture possessing an aura to rival any street in the country, often prompting a moment of pause and reflection in even the most frenetic of working days.
Its myriad bars and restaurants contribute to the vibrant buzz of the city and felt even more special falling on the week of the long-awaited return of Britain’s bars being back in business. One of the street’s premier eating and drinking establishments is Leila Lily’s which has carved out a fine reputation for itself in recent years with its eclectic menu, creative cocktails and stylish décor.
The restaurant received a whopping £1.5 million facelift and without Covid restrictions really looks the part. My son Jack and I however would have to make do with the restaurant’s sun-soaked outdoor area – a lovely space to sit and watch as the world woke back up. We were fortunate enough to arrive on an afternoon of glorious sunshine yet the restaurant’s new, canopied pavement terrace is equipped with lounge seating, blankets and patio heaters, to ensure customers’ comfort whatever the weather. Leila Lily’s describes its usual offering as “Visionary reimagined British food” and also boasts the only Mibrasa grill in the city. Jack and I however were dining from an equally appealing al fresco menu which was punctuated by a number of summery inflections.
To kick off, we ordered an excellent bottle of ‘Old World’ Sancerre as recommended by our server Michael who alongside colleague Rosie, looked after us superbly well all afternoon. “Scorchio…” we agreed whilst clinking glasses and kicking back for what would be an afternoon to remember.
Main courses arrived shortly thereafter and to complement the wine, carried a seafood theme. Jack tucked into an epic medley of seafood tempura – Nobashi prawn, squid and mussels – each battered expertly and served with a pickled Asian salad of lettuce, kale and broccoli with a sweet and spicy Wasabi Mayonnaise. My main was a perfect combination of flavours old and new. Coronation Crab and more Nobashi prawns crowned a pillowy breakfast crumpet, embellished with chilli pickled cucumber, mango salsa and crispy chicken skin. A quirky take on the retro fish supper. Whilst the restaurant’s al fresco menu may lack the breadth of its usual indoor offering, the team have really excelled at creating a string of different dishes perfect for the open air. Other eye-catchers included Leila’s Spring Salad featuring a parade of leafy greens and the open char-flamed steak sandwich with garlic toasted sourdough, smoked red pepper, tenderstem broccoli and spiced Vietnamese mayonnaise.
Sweet-toothed diners may also rejoice as Leila Lily’s serves up three of the best desserts: mango, passion fruit and white chocolate cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding and chocolate and orange torte. Great credit must be given to the Leila Lily’s team for the smoothness of the operation on their grand reopening. A classy bar & eatery befitting of the best street in the city.