Restaurant Review: Engine House Café, Leeds

The magnificent Grade II listed Marshall’s Mill, once an integral part of the flax industry around which Holbeck grew, is undergoing a metamorphosis. Currently home to Chetwoods Architects, a further re-furb will create flexible office spaces to attract small growing companies.

The creative industries have colonised it, resulting in a number of good looking cafés, pubs and restaurants. I don’t know if working girls still walk the streets. If they are, it’s not obvious. There are plenty of people around though, mostly office workers looking for a drink, and cool young hipsters celebrating birthdays.

On a sharp autumn evening, the low light makes the most of the beautifully scrubbed up stone and it’s hard to imagine you’re a 10-minute stroll from the centre of the city – there’s something positively Italian going on here. If the temperature was a tad higher I’d fancy myself in Florence.

The Engine House is run by a brother and sister combo: Catherine English is front of house and brother Jeremy’s in the kitchen. They were born down the road in Birstall, and Jez worked front of house for 10 years at Heald Hall, whilst Catherine worked in marketing, then backpacked in Australia, where she got some ideas about how good cafes run, before their joint dream to run their own place was realised.

A handsome Grade II listed building in Foundry Square, it’s a respectful testament to its industrial past. Inside, bare brick walls, stone flagged floors, huge iron columns and a tall, raftered ceiling. Funky tunes and a friendly welcome dispel any echoey chilliness that you often get in buildings like these.

The menu is brief and to the point. Hurrah! Always a good thing, it generally signals that your dinner will be cooked to order and not heated up. It certainly seems to be the case here.

Seared king scallops, chorizo, sauté potatoes with garlic and herbs (£7.25) is a great looking starter, the fish cooked perfectly, the chorizo a punchy accompaniment. Seared Thai beef salad, bok choi, bean sprouts, toasted sesame seeds, chilli dressing is a revelation, the beef pink with a crisp coat fanned out over the crunchy veg – such a simple dish but faultlessly executed with all the flavours intact.

Mains-wise, Bangers and Mash hits the spot, the dark, rich gravy slurped up. Road rump of lamb, pan fried savoy, smoked bacon and chunky veg, red wine sauce is another absolute cracker of a dish. The lamb is pitch perfect, pink and tender, and sits on top of the cabbage beautifully.

Butternut squash risotto with gorgonzola is the only veg option. Grrr. You’ll be relieve to know that I’m not going into a rant; suffice it to say that I had a quiet word with chef and if he’s good to his word, another couple of options might find their way onto the menu any day now.

Everything’s on time (despite there being just the three of them here; Catherine, Jeremy plus one in the kitchen) – the wine’s nicely chilled, the vibe is sat-back; that comfortable cloak of wellbeing lands on my shoulders. Nice.

Why have they called it a café? Well, they’re open all day, and wanted to create the kind of atmosphere where you come and go as you please. They’ve certainly achieved that. Call in for a (very good) espresso and a slice of cake mid-morning or idle an hour away with afternoon tea or a cheeky glass of wine; a little bit of alchemy happens at night when it morphs into a hip eaterie.

The Englishes are thoroughly professional, the cooking is accomplished (though Jeremy insists he’s learned “by osmosis”). “Good ingredients cooked simply” is his mantra and you’re going to be well looked after. All I can say is thank goodness he swapped front of house for the kitchen. Our gain. Beat a path to the “Urban Village” – there are several treats in store, and the Engine House Café is one of the best.

Hours: Monday/Tuesday 8am-3 pm; Wednesday-Friday 8am-9 pm; Saturday 6pm-9 pm; Closed Sunday .

Meal for two (three courses each and two glasses of wine) £61.50 including tip.

Engine House Café, Foundry Square, Holbeck, Leeds, LS11 5DL. 0113 391 2980, www.theenginehousecafe.co.uk