Issho — Leeds, UK

Restaurants in retail malls can be tricky propositions, but it certainly helps the cause that Issho has opened on the roof-top of the newly minted diagrid-formed Victoria Gate. Designed by architectural practice Acme with interiors by Brighton-based DesignLSM, the building is Leed’s latest landmark, an homage to the geodesic silhouettes of Buckminster Fuller and the city’s manufacturing traditions.
Issho’s airy perch is a treat particularly as the weather turns towards summer and patrons start flocking to the al fresco timber-decked patio that’s lined with low-slung furniture and strategically placed potted trees that frame Leeds’s skyline.
The restaurant’s main dining space features a mix of charred timber, oak and porphyry stone. The centrepiece though is the open central kitchen where Zuma and Sexy Fish alum Ben Orpwood’s menu of sharing plates scattered with Yorkshire produce is layered with Japanese inflections, a conceit probably reflected in the restaurant’s name which apparently means ‘together’ in Japanese.
And so, there are lamb cutlets flavoured with barley miso, tomato salad drizzled with tofu cream, smoked beef tartare scented with yuzu, and sweet soy-glazed duck hearts from the robatayaki (or slow grill charcoal) menu.
Meanwhile, the bar offers intriguing oriental fantasy tipples such as a yamazaki highball, and a bellini of lychee liqueur, grapefruit juice and peach bitters.
ADDRESS
Victoria Gate
George Street
Leeds LS2 7AU
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yet
The newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
The Wallpaper* Design Issue comes with our Salone del Mobile must-sees
The May 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is on sale now, taking in Milan Design Week, the Venice Biennale, and a very stylish tea party
By Bill Prince Published
-
Aboard Gio Ponti's colourful Arlecchino train in Milan, a conversation about design with Formafantasma
The design duo boards Gio Ponti’s train bound for the latest Prada Frames symposium at Milan Design Week
By Laura May Todd Published
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yet
The newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
For a taste of Greece, head to this playful new restaurant in London’s Chelsea
Pachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, dishes up taverna flavours in an edgy bistro-style setting
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
A buzzy Korean pop-up becomes a permanent fixture in East London
Chef Joo Won has turned his Calong pop-up permanent in the arty enclave of Stoke Newington
By Ben McCormack Published
-
New London restaurant Alba is a sun-soaked affair
Its name meaning ‘sunrise’ in Italian, Alba is a new Amalfi-inspired restaurant set to shine in Knightsbridge
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Now boarding Air Anya: Anya Hindmarch’s ode to aviation’s golden age
Anya Hindmarch’s new London concept store and travel accessories collection celebrate the glamour of 1970s air travel
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
La Môme London finds its home at The Berkeley hotel
All the razzle-dazzle of Cannes and Monte Carlo is wrapped up in this one fabulous dining room and terrace in London
By Ben McCormack Published
-
The new dawn of the London sandwich shop
The appeal of a quick meal between two slices of bread has long held sway in the UK. We look back on the rise of the sandwich shop and explore the new wave of London venues that are making it a more stylised experience
By Toyo Odetunde Published
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
There’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
By Sofia de la Cruz Published