Aarti Indian Restaurant Leeds

You'll walk past this narrow unit on Swinegate thinking it looks a bit cramped, but squeeze inside anyway – the food here is exactly what Leeds needed. While other Indian restaurants in the city centre focus on flash interiors and Instagram-friendly presentations, Aarti just gets on with proper cooking that actually tastes like it should. The menu reads like a love letter to regional Indian cuisine, with dishes that feel considered rather than thrown together for the post-pub crowd. Service moves at a decent clip even when they're packed, which they usually are – especially at weekends when word spreads about places doing things right. Book ahead or you'll be disappointed.