Last weekend I went out for breakfast, pancakes to be precise, and I literally haven’t been able to stop thinking about them ever since… Olive & Rye is a hidden Leeds gem, quietly tucked away in the Queens Arcade. And it serves up one damn good breakfast.
This place is the sister site of Leeds favourite Hepworths Deli, and if the brunch, lunch and dinners don’t instantly catch your eye… the mouthwatering display of cakes adorning the window certainly will.
Brunch was on my agenda, and I certainly made sure I indulged… Halloumi fries with your breakfast? Olive & Rye have got you. Buttermilk blueberry pancakes with vanilla creme fraiche & maple syrup, a latte, and a side of halloumi fries made up my order – and okay, technically the halloumi fries aren’t actually on the brunch menu – they’re listed as a lunch side – but I had to order them, obviously for testing purposes; and I may or may not have got my friend to order them, pretending they were a side for the sandwich she ordered… They were cracking by the way.
The food was served up quickly, and apart from obviously politely checking everything was okay with the food – we were left to our own devices. They seem to have got the service spot on here, attentive, but no hassle – which made for a super relaxing Sunday morning. We actually ended up in here chatting away for a good few hours; we were never bothered, but every time we needed anything, the staff were at hand straight away.
To my delight, my latte came with a beautiful little heart on the top – can’t beat a bit of latte art; but it was the pancakes that really stole the show. Oh. The. Pancakes. Beautifully thick (think American style), yet light, and so so flavoursome. The vanilla & creme fraiche accompaniment was gorgeous too, it really made the dish – and if I’m being honest, I did think that bit may be a bit pants when it first came out. I think sometimes it’s hard to get pancakes right, they’re often one of those novelty breakfast choices that I can find myself regretting, and getting food envy from whoever I’m dining with; therefore to get them so right, and leave me dreaming about them for the entire week afterwards, well I’d say that’s something pretty special. I honestly couldn’t recommend the place more.
Obviously, I also got a slice of cake as well to finish – yes, it was quite the feast… but you can’t not a slice when you visit here – I challenge you to try. There’s so many innovative flavours to choose from, but I went with an old favourite – red velvet. Portions are super generous and I could have easily and quite happily shared a piece… but you know testing purposes again and all that… The cake again, like the brunch, was lovely and flavoursome; however I got the latter end of the red velvet cake and as such it was ever so slightly dry – not a huge deal as it was still nice, but perhaps cake domes would be a good idea for the displays to prevent that happening again.
I can’t wait to return to this place, in fact I very nearly did again this weekend, right now it’s my top spot for breakfast & brunch in Leeds, and I’m excited to try even more of what this delightful little deli has to offer.
Olive & Rye: 18-20 Queens Arcade, Leeds LS1 6LF
