Leeds

Why you will love Leeds!

I couldn't believe how beautiful this city is! It has retained so many of its gorgeous old buildings in the city centre that I spent my whole first trip there marvelling at them. Perhaps they were lucky enough to avoid heavy bombing in WWII; either way, it's super lovely place to walk around. And this city is thriving! So much great stuff happening. It's the UK's third-largest city and these people definitely know how to have fun. From rooftop bars to drag queen cabaret to chic cocktail bars, it would be hard to have a boring trip here.

Watch out for:

• I Predict A Riot - yup this is your warning song! The nightlife ‘up North’ can apparently get a little scary by our soft Southern standards, so take care of yourself after dark.
• Call Lane - it is probably best to avoid this area on weekends. This strip has some nice bars but it gets all kinds of crowded carnage on Friday and Saturday nights.

Don't miss:

• Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen - big bar with a big roof garden, plus good pizza, burgers and coffee. You basically could spend your entire day/night here.
• Coffee at Laynes Espresso & Mrs Atha's.
• Cocktails at The Alchemist and The Maven.
• Gluten-free goodness at 2 Oxford Place, Filmore & Union and Pinche Pinche.
• Queens Court & The Viaduct - start your night with the most incredibly cheap Happy Hour at Queens Court and then finish the night across the road with some drag queen action at The Viaduct. Both venues have large beer gardens to boot.
• Chapel Allerton - once you've explored the city centre, head up to this pretty area that is a fave for locals with cafes, shops and restaurants.