AnimeSoc's
Guide to Leeds
So, you want to know the geek-friendly places in leeds? The coolest places to eat, pocky retailers, somewhere to find those elusive cosplay accessories? Hopefully this guide should be of some use!
If you know of a place that should be added to the guide feel free to email animesoc@gmail.com with suggestions!
Anime & Manga retailers
Forbidden Planet
A fairly decent sized store stocking the usual range of geeky merchandise, they have fair amount of anime merchandise, keyrings, figurines and the like as well as a good range of art books, anime and manga.
Website: http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk
Address:Forbidden Planet, 30 Eastgate, Leeds, LS2 7JL (map)
Directions:
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Travelling Man
A two-floored affair with manga and related merchandise on the ground floor, and a café hidden downstairs with the roleplay games and books. Staff are very friendly and Lisa here is responsible for the annual Leeds Thought Bubble convention!
Website: http://www.travellingman.com
Address:Travelling Man, 32 Central Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6DE (map)
Directions:
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OK Comics
OK Comics is more geared up for retailing western comic books and graphic novels but you can occasionally find Japanese releases here, plus the shop has an annual free comics day, where they give away samplers and old stock. OK comics holds various events and meetings around the year so it’s worth checking up on what’s going on.
Website: http://www.okcomics.co.uk
Address: OK Comics, 19 Thornton’s Arcade, Briggate, Leeds, LS1 6LQ (map)
Directions:Near the fancy chocolate shop in the victorian quarter
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Borders & WH Smith
The usual chain book retailers, worth a mention as they sell a small range of manga plus some good books about Japanese culture
Addresses:
Borders, 94-96 Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6NP (map)
WH Smith, 3/7 Lands Lane, Leeds, LS1 6AW (map)
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Cosplay & Clothing Supplies
The Haberdashery
Sells a good range of quality fabrics, ranging from silks to foe-fur, as well as selling the cheaper poly-cottons and synthetic fabrics. It’s a good idea to check the market for fabrics first, as you can often find things to be cheaper there. The haberdashery also sells a wide range of patterns, buttons, buckles and ribbons and best of all gives 10% student discount!.
Address:
Directions:
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Craftwise
Craftwise holds all sorts of useful tools and materials for making cosplays, such as modelling clays, fimo, and all the stuff you need to make & paint paper mache
Website: www.craftwiseuk.com
Address: Craftwise, 5 Merrion Way, Leeds, LS2 8DB (map)
Directions:Behind Morrisons & the Merrion Centre
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Kirkgate Markets
There are at least 4 places of major interest here, two large material shops, two selling ribbon and buttons, one selling various wools and yarns, and a couple selling cheap fancy dress accessories.
Finding the ribbon shops...
There are two places for bits & bobs such as ribbons, buttons, lace, stickers etc, which can both be found easily as they are just inside and on the left of 2 major entrances, the gamestation entrance and the memphis belles/natwest entrance.
Finding the material shops...
From the gamestation entrance to the markets head straight through, look out for a grocery place selling biscuits and a curtain/pillow place, then from there look out for a wool shop and head towards it, you should be able to see both material places from there!
The larger stall is the better - the people are extremely helpful and will often give you deals if you buy a lot.
Address: Kirkgate Market, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 7RQ (map)
Directions: Large attractive building near the Corn Exchange
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Culture Vulture
Clothes & kitsch shop stocking Japanese fashion inspired jewellery and accessories, plus some nifty printed t-shirts. Also sells a few fancy dress items like wigs, accessories and the odd bottle of fake blood.
Address:Culture Vulture, 7 Duncan Street, Leeds LS1 6DQ (map)
Directions:
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Amazing Party Co Fancy Dress
Fancy dress shop right in the centre of Leeds, run by an old white-haired lady and her harem. Fairly small but a decent selection of generic costumes and accessories to buy, decent range of cheap wigs etc.
Website: www.amazingfancydress.co.uk
Address: 9 Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 5ES (map)
Directions:
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Japanese Foods
Sesami Sushi
A small sushi place in the University Union, they sell a good range of ramen, sushi and salads along with some interesting drinks and of course- tea.
Website: www.ilovesesame.co.uk
Phone: 0113 3801253
Address:Leeds University Union, Lifton Place, Leeds, LS2 9JZ (map)
Directions: Near CATS in the union building, head down the main union stairs, turn right at the Pasty shop and it should be on your left next to the soup/salad place.
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The Union Shop (Essentials)
Essentials sells a bunch of international foods including decently priced instant ramen, pocky and other sweets around the back of the store near the drinks. You can also buy boxes of Sushi-San sushi from the fridges around the sandwiches, though you can get better quality sushi from Kabuki
Address:Leeds University Union, Lifton Pl, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JZ (map)
Directions:Right in the middle of the union building, hard to miss ;)
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Awesome Chinese Supermarket
A really awesome example of a Chinese supermarket, this one forgoes the usual warehouse style and goes for a far cooler approach, with tv screens around the shop showing amusing Chinese (I assume) ads for various products. They also have rather cool trolleys. You can get all the supplies you need to make Sushi from here, plus they sell a decent range of Japanese sweets (yes, pocky included) and a wide variety of noodles. Oodles of noodles as my mother would say.
Address:Vicar Lane, Leeds, LS1 6PJ (map)
Directions:
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Restaurants
Little Tokyo
A great little Japanese food restaurant easily mistaken for a café as it’s usually got a small amount of seating outside. They have an indoor Koi pond. Need I say more? The waitresses are always very well presented and look lovely in their Kimono uniform. The food always looks and tastes excellent, and you get good portions for your money. Definitely not to be missed.
Address: Little Tokyo, 24 Central Road, Leeds, LS1 6DE (map)
Directions: Just down past Travelling Man
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Spice Quarter
All you can eat buffet type dealio. The restaurant is based around a central square, which basically has a different cuisine on each side, Thai, Chinese, Indian and Italian. £15 per person but cheaper for lunch specials.
Website: www.spicequarter.co.uk
Address: Spice Quarter, Millennium Square, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 3AD (map)
Directions:Right on millenium square, opposite The Cuthbert Broderick
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Yo! Sushi
A popular chain sushi bar, Yo! Sushi offers the traditional conveyor-belt style presentation, and also takes orders for specific items from the menu. Items are colour coded by dish so it’s easy to pick out the more affordable ones! A warning though, it’s easy to get carried away when you’re faced with a seemingly endless supply of tantalising dishes, and even the cheaper ones get pricy when you have ten ;)
Website: www.yosushi.com
Address: Yo! Sushi 107 Briggate, Leeds, Leeds, LS1 6 (map)
Directions:Upstairs inside Harvey Nicholls in the Victorian Quarter
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Thai cottage
A really nice, affordable Thai restaurant with a huge menu and super-fast preparation times, the staff are very helpful and rice comes served from a heart shaped mould. Lovely!
Phone Number: 0113 245 9224
Address: Thai Cottage, 39 Great George St, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 3BB (map)
Directions:
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Bars & Pubs
Fab Cafe
An animesoc favourite, we’ve been coming here for a LONG time. Fab café is a retro kitsch sci-fi themed bar, holding cult tv and film memorabilia dating back from the 60s. They often have good deals on double vodkas and serve sweets til all hours of the morning! During the earlier hours they also serve TV dinners and pot noodles, useful on their free Sunday film nights.
Website: http://www.fabcafe.co.uk
Address:Fab Cafe, 46 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 8PL (map)
Directions:Right plop next to Morrisons
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D-Fusion Karaoke
Originally intended to be a restaurant, D-Fusion is one large main room with a bar and a stage at one end. Lovely range of (somewhat pricy) cocktails on offer, brilliant staff (known to give free snacks to good singers ^_^) and a fairly good selection of songs.
Phone Number: 0113 246 9997
Address: D-Fusion, 28 New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6NU (map)
Directions:
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OK Karaoke
OK has 8 private booths for hire all day and night. Each booth is immaculately decorated, with touch screen TV's to provide their song listings and choices. Following Japanese Karaoke bars, each room is also kitted out with random fun wigs and inflatable things! A little on the expensive side for drinks and bookings can be required.
Website: www.okkaraoke.co.uk
Address: OK Karaoke, 9 East Parade, Leeds, LS1 2AJ (map)
Directions: