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Leeds Live
Leeds Live
National
Jasmine Norden

Life in Leeds' takeaway capital with 'the best food in the city'

Leeds is a great city for all kinds of food, with restaurants and takeaways of all cuisines to be found across the city. But one residential area of the city in particular outshines all the others for takeaway options.

The city centre has the most takeaways, but in terms of more residential areas, the most takeaways and mobile food stands can be found in Harehills North.

Just the area around the A58 is estimated to have more than 20 takeaways in a population of 7,955. This is a rate of 251.4 takeaways per 100,000 people.

Read more: Rate My Takeaway's Danny Malin spotted at TikTok famous Binley Mega Chippy

There's plenty of independent shops, takeaways and restaurants in Harehills, where you can get anything from authentic Ethiopian cuisine to a full English delivered to your door.

To find out what it's like to live among so many takeaways, LeedsLive headed down to Harehills North to chat to residents. There was a booming trade going on on a sunny day on the A58, where residents were in and out of Harehills' numerous food venues.

There were bakeries, kebab shops, cafes, and supermarkets that also do takeaway food open for business, with barely a chain in sight bar one KFC on the high street. And from speaking to residents, the variety is much appreciated.

Farid, who works in Leeds City Stores in Harehills, said he loves being able to get a variety of different foods where he works.

"It's so good for food around here. You can order anything," he told LeedsLive.

"I love living here and being able to order anything from Afghan cuisine to Indian whenever we fancy. Obviously we don't order in all the time but if we do it's from somewhere here. If we're going out for food too we go to Harehills or Chapeltown, or head over to Bradford.

Some of the takeaway venues on Roundhay Road in Harehills North (Jasmine Norden)

"We sell lots of different produce here at Leeds City Stores, and we also have chefs who cook fresh food for takeaway. They do different days, from chicken, to other meats - today is a veggie day. We get a lot of orders, it's definitely a popular service.

"My mum helps out too - she's a really good cook and sometimes she'll cook things at home that we deliver."

Farid was also very quick to recommend the best spots for getting a takeaway or eating in in the area - his recommendation was the Afghan cuisine at Mazar Restaurant on Roundhay Road.

Like Farid, other residents were keen to praise the community's diverse array of takeaway spots.

One man, who lives between Harehills and Chapeltown and didn't want to give his name, said he "wasn't surprised" Harehills North had more takeaways than most areas of Leeds.

"It's great, we have so many options," he said.

"We don't order too much but there's no better Indian takeaway than the one closest to us. We wouldn't go anywhere else.

"It's lovely to have so many independent businesses and I don't see any drawbacks at all to having all this choice at your fingertips."

At lunchtime, several takeaway venues were already open on the A58 and attracting people in with the delicious smell of food cooking.

Harehills South also has a large selection of highly-rated takeaways. Abyssinia Café and Restaurant on Ashley Road has been absolutely raved about by visitors in TripAdvisor and Google reviews.

Harehills resident Brendan lives just off Roundhay Road, and was waiting for a bus with his dog when LeedsLive caught up with him.

He said: "I don't really go out or order food in at all, though I agree I would have lots of good choices here if I did. I like to cook, so I usually go to the Tesco on Roundhay Road rather than get takeaway, though I always end up eating the food while I'm cooking!

"For me, it would be nice to have a bit more variety in what we have on the high street here, since I don't get many takeaways. I remember a lot of this here used to be accommodation and now it's all takeaways and barber shops."

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