Woodlands

Woodlands is a luxury Hotel set in green tranquil landscaped gardens, only 3 miles from Leeds city centre, yet it would be hard to believe. The hotel has a seventy seat restaurant, voted "Best Fine Dining restaurant in Leeds 2005", and eighteen individually designed bedrooms. The interior has been lovingly restored with a blend of classical elegance and contemporary style, featuring rooms with high ceilings, dark leather chairs and large colourful abstract paintings by Brit artist Sammy Dent.

Woodlands is a persuasive blend of the old and the new where sumptuous comfort is the order of the day. The bar is a pretty funky sort of place too. Whether you want to live it up or wind down, the welcome is always warm. Woodlands is a great place to stay on a trip to Leeds, which has a lively night life and superb opportunities for retail therapy.

The eighteen bedrooms are luxurious as befits the former home of a wealthy textile millowner who clearly did not believe in concealing his status. The Penthouse suite is very special, with a separate dressing area and lounge, but all rooms have individually designed décor and are fitted with flat screen TV, DVD player, library of movies, bespoke toiletries, complimentary broadband, well stocked personal bars, a heavenly pillow menu, sumptuous bathrobes and the best of beds.

The Penthouse has a dining area which can be used for private dinner parties, with a range of freshly cooked gourmet dishes from which to choose.

The restaurant comprises of a bar, 3 dining rooms and a cool terrace. Head Chef Rob Corless's menu might offer such tempting choices as grilled mackerel fillet with celeriac and horseradish remoulade, Yorkshire asparagus in season with a poached local hen's egg and Hollandaise sauce, or mozzarella with pea shoots and pea and mint vierge.

Main courses follow a largely classical pattern with an 8oz 28 day aged English fillet of beef in the lead. Baked fillet of cod from the Atlantic assumes an oriental touch with miso broth, pak choi, spinach, noodles and prawn wonton. Closer to home the saddle of Bolton Abbey Estate lamb is served with a warm niçoise salad and salsa verde.

There is an Early Bird three or two course menu, and the only reason this does not appear as excessively good value is that all their prices are impressively easy on the wallet. A typical meal could include risotto of confit hare with St Emilion sauce, roast cod, velouté of cockles, kidney beans and avocado purée, followed by chocolate tart, raspberry sorbet and passion fruit.

A wine list of around 142 bins explores the world with a good selection between the main growing areas and enterprising forays into some of the newer regions.

From the impressive array of testimonials it is very clear that Woodlands strikes the right note at every turn, quite an achievement for a hotel in a city that prides itself on the quality of service and attention to detail where visitors are concerned.

Click on their elegant Website for regular updates in all departments, particularly for weddings and private dining parties.