Oliver Awards Leeds 2026 winners announced at New Dock Hall, with Empire Cafe, Uyare, and Sandy Jarvis among those recognised

The winners of the Oliver Awards Leeds 2026 were announced at a ceremony at New Dock Hall on Monday 16 March, crowning 15 of the city’s best food and drink businesses across categories ranging from best restaurant and chef of the year to new awards for social media, community impact, and drinks curation. Now in their 17th year, the awards are run by the Yorkshire Evening Post and are the longest-running celebration of Leeds’ hospitality industry, with hundreds of businesses putting themselves forward for recognition each year.

What Are the Oliver Awards Leeds?

Open to any business with an LS postcode or within the Leeds City Council district. This year’s judges included YEP Editor-in-Chief Laura Collins, Deborah Hindley from Leeds Hotels and Venues Association, Michelin star award-winning chef Adam Degg from Fifty Two at Rudding Park, and Tom Finnon, Director of Operations at Palagander Limited. Two categories, Best Customer Service and Best Takeaway, were decided by public vote.

The Full List of Oliver Awards Leeds 2026 Winners

Category	Winner
Leeds Best Restaurant	The Empire Cafe
Chef of the Year	Sandy Jarvis — Bavette
Best Fine Dining Experience	Uyare
Best Hotel Restaurant	Azotea Rooftop Bar & Restaurant
Best Bar	Green Room
Best Pub	The Highland Laddie
Best Cafe/Deli	The Cheesy Living Co.
Newcomer of the Year	The Victoria & Commercial
Best Pop Up / Street Food	Bundobust Leeds
Best Takeaway	Homeboy Pizza Co
Best Customer Service	Hooleos Mexican Cafe Bar
Best in Glass	Latitude Wine
Best Social Media	CrowdedHouse
Community Impact Award	Viaduct Showbar
Sustainability in Action	Below Stairs

Names to Note

Several of this year’s winners reflect the evolving shape of Leeds’ hospitality scene. The Victoria & Commercial won Newcomer of the Year after a major renovation of a landmark building. The Highland Laddie took Best Pub after a phenomenal first year of trading. Chris Hill from Latitude Wine won the inaugural Best in Glass award and also received the Outstanding Contribution to the Industry prize, recognising 18 years running the wine store and bar and three decades working in Leeds hospitality. Azotea, the 12th-floor rooftop bar that opened in the city centre in March 2026, won Best Hotel Restaurant in its first year.

The Oliver Awards Leeds 2026 also featured two public-voted categories for the first time alongside the judged awards: Best Customer Service, won by Hooleos Mexican Cafe Bar, and Best Takeaway, won by Homeboy Pizza Co. The Community Impact Award — another new addition this year — went to Viaduct Showbar, while Below Stairs took the Sustainability in Action prize. Bundobust, was named Best Pop Up / Street Food, and The Cheesy Living Co. won Best Cafe/Deli. The ceremony was followed by an after-party at Uyare, this year’s Best Fine Dining winner.

Why this matters for Leeds

The Oliver Awards are the most established recognition of hospitality businesses in Leeds, and the winners list doubles as a snapshot of where the city’s food and drink scene is right now. For business owners in hospitality, an Oliver Award is a tangible accolade. For the wider Leeds business community, the awards are a reminder that the city’s food and drink sector is a serious economic contributor and employer.