LS6

Leeds’ students don’t know how lucky they are. There is an abundance of good food outlets in the densely populated, yet culinarily lazy, area, but LS6 (or the Clock Café, as it is occasionally referred to) is possibly the best option for a lively balance of good music, good food and a practically Parisian outdoor seating experience to enjoy in the warmer months. An otherwise ramshackle and bohemian decor of mint green walls and reclaimed tables contrasts with padded red booth seating and a quirky, hotchpotch bar area.

Those on the tightest loans may find it difficult to make a regular habit of eating at LS6, but for a once-in-a-while treat the café-bar provides a nutritious change from suspicious kebabs and cheap greasy spoon hangover breakfasts. Even on an early Monday lunchtime the dining area fills fast with students accompanied by friends or fussing parents.

Full English breakfasts start from £7 and combine interesting additions such as scurvy-staving sautéed spinach with fried eggs, crunchy toast and crispy bacon (or veggie sausages). As well as a wholesome soup of the day, the menu also includes burgers, salads and sharing platters priced from £5 to £10 for lunch and up to £14 for evening meals. The serving staff knock together a range of thick, sweet and delicious house milkshakes, while an impressive range of herbal teas has a blend for every mood and exam deadline, and freshly ground coffee is brewed with a barista machine.

Bottles dripping with candle wax lined up on the bar recall the café’s night-time guise as a music venue famed for its jazz and welcoming atmosphere. The bar is stocked with a wide range of world beers, craft ales and organic ciders, with a specials board advertising the current local brewery favourites.

A central table heavy with an array of glistening cakes dares you to sample a thick slab of chocolate tart or malt loaf at the end of the meal. Leeds may be prone to more than a little wind and rain, but LS6 is colourful and full of life even when the conditions outside are appalling.