Learning to love Leeds: Bar Baby Jupiter

Temporarily setting the navel gazing aside now to talk burgers and bars. Both are things of which I am very fond.

I’ve worked in Leeds for…goodness, nearly seven years now, but I’ve never particularly warmed to it and have always been glad to escape back home to York. York feels much more me somehow. But now we are looking to move here, it is high time that I took more of an interest in the city, and by the city I mean primarily its hostelries and restaurants. If there are more around like Bar Baby Jupiter then perhaps Leeds and I will rub along alright.

BBJ!

BBJ is…cool. There is no other word for it. It’s in a basement so dark and a little bit murky, the soundtrack is kind of funky, the décor retrotastic. I doubt very much that I, prim in ballerina pumps and understated jewellery, am the type of clientele that they are looking to attract. I am not cool. I can’t carry cool off, I never have and I never will. The absolute height of my teenage rebellion was getting a second piercing in my left ear and to this day I’m surprised at myself. Anyway. BBJ. It’s cool. I’m not. But they let me sit there and pretend which is one compelling reason to like it.

Another is this: they do a frankly miraculous burger. I’m not kidding – this was the nicest burger I have had in ages. On D’s recommendation (this is a regular haunt of his and we were there at his post exam request) I opted for Cajun beef; to his slight chagrin I opted to add a slice of cheese (I think a burger is naked without one) and oh, my it was lovely. It was properly meaty – I’m no expert but I suspect that this is top quality beef, and the spicing was spot on: enough to leave your mouth humming slightly, not enough to detract from the burger itself. Chunky chips and a lovely, creamy coleslaw on the side and all for the bargainous price of £5 (well, mine was £5.50 because of my dairy product addiction). Oh my. It is not yet half nine in the morning as I type this and I am salivating at the thought of that burger.  They also serve a selection of rather tasty looking sandwiches, along with a good range (so D tells me) of draught beers.  Good news all round.

You MUST try this burger!

They only serve burgers on Thursday and Friday, although sandwiches are available all week. Perhaps they think that the good people of Leeds can only cope with so much beefy deliciousness.