Old Restaurants

Reginal Perrin · Post by **Reginal Perrin** » Thu 17 Jul, 2008 5:57 pm

Anyone remember Bistro %? It was downstairs where Country Casuals is (near WH Smiths) is now then moved to where the Observatory / Flares is now. Also the one downstairs round the back of the (now closed) Waterstones in Trinity Arcade. Was it Stephan's?

julesd · Post by **julesd** » Thu 17 Jul, 2008 6:59 pm

Think it was called Stefano's, used to go there quite often for lunch with my Mum many years ago on a Saturday when we went shopping. She also used to meet up with old friends from Matthew Murray where she had worked. Was a little italian style place with plastic bunches of grapes hanging around ceiling in the pub area and as you went in to the right there was more a restaurant area with lots of those huge, creamy gateaux/cake things (yuck). Remember thinking when I was watching Ashes to Ashes a few months ago how similar that looked to this place - very weird!!!

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Thu 17 Jul, 2008 9:12 pm

It was Bistro 5, run by Ron and Jane Murray. The restaurant was in the basement of the Church Institute building in the late 1970s, (5 Albion Place, hence the name). They moved to the Flares building in 1981 (taking over from the Yorkshire Crown), but this was fairly short-lived and Ron and Jane then moved to Headingley, opening a restaurant on North Lane in 1982. This underwent a few name changes and ended up the Ferret Hall Bistro, and they retired a couple of years ago.

weenie · Post by **weenie** » Thu 17 Jul, 2008 9:14 pm

when i was younger, we used to meet a this lovely restaurant/ cafe where square on the lane is now. it was on the corner a little italian family ran it. they were lovely people, my friend also got a saturday job in there until they closed.

Ruffarse · Post by **Ruffarse** » Fri 18 Jul, 2008 11:43 am

Bisto 5. Yeah, that was a cracking little joint in the late 70's.Used to do the best spare ribs I've ever tasted, even to this day.Didn't it used to be called Get Stuffed(Owned by Len Cohen) in a previous life? Used to do Whitelock's on a Sat aft, a load of ale and cornish pasty and peas and then on to Bistro 5 for spare ribs and Lasagne. Oh happy (and weighty) days!Anyone remember Pizza Romano on Boar Lane, opposite the Peel?This was a cheaper and less pretentious version of Bibi's when they were on Mill Hill. Best Aubergine Parmegano I've tasted. Used to a regular Fri night there. Can't remember the one opposite tho.

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Fri 18 Jul, 2008 1:20 pm

I thought the height of sophistication in the late 70s was the Carousel, at the top of New Briggate (it's now Al Capone's). I always had prawn cocktail, then sirloin steak, and black forest gateau to finish! They also had a Greek restaurant in the basement (the steps are boarded over now).

Si · Post by Si » Fri 18 Jul, 2008 1:25 pm

I hope it was a steak diane, Tasa! Washed down with a bottle of Mateus Rose!!! In the 60s/70s, our family used to go to Tiberio's on Galloway Lane in Pudsey. It was owned by a bloke called Ivano, and had a huge menu (variety of dishes, not shear size.)A favourite meal would be canneloni followed by Chicken Cordon Bleu (chicken breast stuffed with ham and cheese and deep-fried in breadcrumbs - coronary on a plate) followed by Neapolitan ice-cream. I couldn't eat that much now.I think Tiberio's is still going. Anyone know for sure?

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Fri 18 Jul, 2008 1:47 pm

Si wrote: I hope it was a steak diane, Tasa! Washed down with a bottle of Mateus Rose!!! It was plain old steak, with chips, peas, mushrooms and onion rings, and I had a pint of lager with it (before I discovered real ale)! That's destroyed the sophisticated image now, hasn't it?

Starbuck · Post by **Starbuck** » Fri 18 Jul, 2008 2:45 pm

Bisto 5. Yeah, that was a cracking little joint in the late 70's.Used to do the best spare ribs I've ever tasted, even to this day.Didn't it used to be called Get Stuffed(Owned by Len Cohen) in a previous life? Used to do Whitelock's on a Sat aft, a load of ale and cornish pasty and peas and then on to Bistro 5 for spare ribs and Lasagne. Oh happy (and weighty) days!Anyone remember Pizza Romano on Boar Lane, opposite the Peel?This was a cheaper and less pretentious version of Bibi's when they were on Mill Hill. Best Aubergine Parmegano I've tasted. Used to a regular Fri night there. Can't remember the one opposite tho. Pizza Romano - yes, did the best Calazone Pizza I've ever tasted. It was interesting if you ever went to the toilet as i thik it was on the site of one of the grand restaurants that had graced Boar lane early in the century. The tolets seem miles away and were very grand for such a small simple place

Ruffarse · Post by **Ruffarse** » Fri 18 Jul, 2008 3:36 pm

Remember Carousel very well, Tasa,Do you remember Costa's famous Steak House next door?I was once waiting for a bus there and a bread delivery man left a tray of bread rolls at the entrance up the alley. Next thing , a dog comes along, cocks its leg up and pees over the tray. Never ate there again I have to say.I think Tiberio's was still there, Si, when I moved abroard 3 years ago. Not sure if it still is, but the wife's lad lives up there so I'll check and post the result.