All Bar One / A Late Valentine Dinner

I hate Valentine’s day. Not necessarily the day itself, but the constant bitching and nastiness that people feel compulsory to post, tweet and shout about. Yes, Valentine’s day is just a big marketing ploy to get your money but newsflash, so is every other holiday. The jolly Santa we know and love is 110% a Coca Cola creation.

And yes, we shouldn’t need a set day to tell our other half we love them, but with everything that goes on in life, it is easy to take them for granted so why not pick a dedicated day to make an effort? It doesn’t have to be Valentine’s day, I personally couldn’t think of anything worse than going out on Valentines. Why pay more for a set meal you don’t really want, in an overcrowded venue you would never normally go?

Read more for All Bar One photos and review

I spent Valentine’s day with my friends watching X-men and me and the boyfriend went out on Saturday. First up was ice skating in the annual Leeds Ice Cube in the millennium square, after three years of saying we are going to go, and then for dinner in All Bar One, conveniently located in the Electric Press, also in millennium square.

I have only ever been ice skating twice, once in London’s Winter Wonderland (it snowed, we had Belgian waffles, life was good) and now. I stepped on the ice, slipped and screamed before anyone had even got on the ice! Luckily, I managed to stay upright the whole time and even though I was wobbling all over the place, we had a laugh. I definitely won’t be skating in the next Disney On Ice but it’s nice to do something different!

I’ve been to All Bar One before and loved it (tapas amazing, burgers equally amazing). It’s a very ‘after work drinks’ environment, with the average group either suit wearing business men drinking beer and whisk or middle aged woman catching up over wine. I’m pretty sure I was the youngest there, although I did see a Madonna aged lady dressed in attire appropriate for a fifteen year old.

I wasn’t too impressed by the drinks menu (who doesn’t serve southern comfort!?) as I hate wine, but the vodka lemonade was a decent size. I tried a Smartini, lured in by the shot of smarties, but wasn’t a huge fan. The food is reasonably priced: not cheap, but it isn’t expensive either. It’s higher end of average, with a burger main meal costing about a tenner. Last time I came we got tapas starter (tempura prawns, halloumi skewers and chorizo bruschetta, all to die for) but this time we went for pulled pork nachos and garlic mushrooms. The garlic mushrooms were to die for! An intense mix of olive oil, rosemary, charred garlic and earthy mushrooms on chargrilled ciabatra bread. Actual smoky garlic heaven! And the nachos were gorgeous, giant tortilla nachos, rather than the crisp version, dusted with spice and topped with creamy guacamole, sour crime and freshly chopped chives, tender pulled pork and chunky fresh salsa. By the end of starters, I was so full. Which did not stop me ordering a chicken and bacon burger, with tempura prawns to share. Scott got the camembert and beef burger, which I had last time and is lovely.

The burger was lovely, extremely stacked and cooked to perfection, and the chipotle jam it came with was gorgeous! Sweet, smoky with a hint of spice. The chips were amazing, imagine how McDonalds could be if it wasn’t a tacky fast food chain, and add extra loveliness. The onion rings were huge, but the tempura style meant they felt a bit greasy on the lips. I prefer battered but that’s just a personal preference, they are nice just not to my taste. I came out feeling completely overstuffed as the food was so nice I kept pushing myself to have more.

All Bar One has a really good, lively vibe and is the perfect place for tapas and drinks. The music means it is equally good for drinks on a night out, and the food means it is perfect for dinner. This is definitely not my last time visiting!
Have you ever been to All Bar One? If not, have I convinced you?

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