Chino Latino, Leeds

2007 saw h2b journal’s first ever restaurant awards. Amongst the very carefully selected winners were Chino Latino. Winning the COOLEST RESTAURANT award, it was also a big contender for the best restaurant.

Set on the first floor of the Park Plaza, just off City Square and cleverly hidden from sight, you will find this truly monumental restaurant serving modern Pan-Asian food. The best comparison I have for Chino’s is the famous Nobu in London. Widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in the country.

The entrance to Chino’s leaves something to be desired. Grim, stark concrete steps direct you to a dark wood door at the summit. When you walk through it’s almost like entering another dimension. ‘Wow’, ‘Cool’, ‘Trendy’, ‘Sexy’ and ‘Lush’ are just a few adjectives that describe this amazing bar and restaurant.

Chain mail curtains, black tables with a clean red stripe through the centre, super cool bulbs and light fittings adorning the walls, ceilings and shelves make Chino Latino the hippest restaurant in town. Then there are the cocktails. I believe they are the best in Leeds, especially the mojitos.

The atmosphere soaks into you like a hot bubble bath on a cold day, making you feel part of the environment. The staff are young and very professional; indicative of this kind of venue. The clientele are eclectic, ranging from the hyper fashion conscious to the pin-stripe solicitor, as well as the very well heeled. Actually a really good mix.

The tables are a little close together and the acoustics are not fantastic. If you get some woman with a loud squeaky voice on a nearby table it would frustrate the hell out you. We did and I was. Fortunately, she left early.

For the un-initiated the staff ask if you have dined there before, they are more than happy to explain how the menu works. Use their expertise; it’s well worth that extra five minutes.

The food here is more of an experience than anything else. Don’t be fooled by thinking that ‘Pan-Asian’ is anything like ‘Japanese food’, and absolutely don’t think ‘Sushi’. It’s more like a cross between the best Chinese and best Japanese you have ever had, with a handful of South American food thrown in. It will be amazing, be very sure of that.

All this does come at a price. Chino Latino is not cheap. The Mojitos are £6.90 each. Realistically, a meal for two can range from around £60, with a carefully selected menu (and little or nothing to drink), to around £200. It is worth every last Farthing.

Our menu choices were:
Pork and Prawn Dumplings £8.00
Crispy Soft Shell Crab £9.00
Shredded Duck £12.00
Thin Slices of Sea Bass £9.00
Sashimi Fish £18.00
Thin Slices of Yellow Tail £14.00
Black Cod Tempura £12.00
Chino Latino Roll £10.00
Fresh Water Eel and Avocado Roll £9.00
Seared Fillet of Beef with a Trio of Sauces £19.00
Black Cod Three Ways £20.00
Jurassic Prawns £22.00
King Crab and Lobster Curry £25.00
Coriander Rice, Sticky Rice and various other sides

The menu is extensive. Five of us were dining and all of us could have stayed all night, including my 11 and 14 year olds. The in-house D.J was playing really cool tunes that worked perfectly with the venue and got gradually louder as the night wore on.

We sat down to eat at 8pm and left at around 11.45pm. We all thought we had been there around two hours. At no point were we rushed. Everything was outstanding. Yes, the food could have been a fraction hotter and the acoustics a little better, however I am nit picking.

Chino Latino is a definite must for everyone that wants, or demands, great food. The bar is in itself a fantastic stand alone bar, that for some bizarre reason only the privileged few appear to know about.

I have a special affinity with Chino’s because I took my then girlfriend for our first ever date to this special restaurant. Helen is now my wife.

I review a lot of restaurants and picked this one to make an impression!

Category over £30

Review Summary

Atmosphere ♦♦♦♦♦
Food ♦♦♦♦♦
Service ♦♦♦♦♦
Value ♦♦♦♦

Contact Details

Chino Latino
Park Plaza Hotel
Boar Lane
Leeds LS1 5NS

Tel: 0113 380 4080
Website: www.chinolatino.co.uk