Épernay

What’s not to love about Leeds’ première champagne shop! Friendly, helpful, well dressed, awesome staff and wine which has bubbles in it… all served up in a suitably moody and stylish interior — and exterior too if you count the not quite beer garden.
You’re right, it’s not the cheapest place ever, but it’s champagne we’re talking about, and £55 for a bottle of well named fizz isn’t eye watering to my mind.
Much recommended if bubbles are what you’re in the mood for!

They do THE BEST Old Fashioned.
Not too much sugar. In fact the bar tender asked me if I would like it sweet or a little sour, which bourbon or whiskey I wanted. Then it was prepared to perfection.
For me on my budget it is only a one or 2 drink visit but worth every penny.
Treat yourself or better still, treat the one you care about. Partner, Mum, Dad, sibling, dog.
No better not take your dog. Don’t think they serve drinks in dog bowls!
Fish bowls? Who knows!
Any hooo.
Try it or die unfulfilled!

have often thought about visiting this place when I’ve been in the surrounding bars but never quite made it so Saturday night I had the experience in my sights.
We were celebrating my Mr’s birthday so tried to encompass the ‘high end’ type of bars hence our trip here.
We were on a cocktail kind of night so as well as being impressed with the Champagne selection here, the extensive cocktail menu also offered great choice.
It’s a shame that they allow people to get packed in here like sardines and the bar staff also have ‘selective skill’ in terms of who they serve when, usually the women with the low cut tops it would seem while I was waiting!
The bar man took my order and then continued to serve two other people when he should have been making our drinks!!!
I’d ordered a Pornstar Martini– you may see from my review history that these feature highly on my favourite drink shelf, and an ‘Old Fashioned’ for the Mr.
When they were eventually presented to me, and it was some wait… the Old Fashioned had a bottle cap in the bottom! Maybe if the bartender had paid attention to making my drinks instead of taking other people’s orders he would have got it right in the first place.
Anyway, they tasted good even with a £17 price tag and no apology for having to wait so long.
We managed to get a table to sit at but sitting among such posers didn’t do much for us and we didn’t hang around for a second drink.
I’d maybe consider going here for a girly lunch or similar but for a weekend drink-​forget it– the place holds no appeal.

I am a little biased when it comes to Epernay as I used to be a manager there, thus the 4 stars for balance, but i do spend a lot of time there still so I feel it justifies a review. Epernay has currently been open in Leeds for around 6 years and continues to sell epic amounts of champagne, other bars self labelled as a champagne bar can often only dream of selling that much.
To start it is worth a mention the variety of drinks available, yes it is a champagne bar with over a hundred different bottles, from big houses and small, available from a standard size bottle (750ml) to the epic Nebuchadnezzar (15 Litres), saying that its worth going just to have a cheeky peak in the giant fridge. I love champagne and the best thing is at Epernay you can grantee that you will always find something tasty, with the prices being very competitive I wouldn’t order a bottle anywhere else in Leeds.
Not a champagne fan -(my true answer would be that you ha vent tried the right one yet, champagne comes in lots of different styles…) but they do have other drinks, around 200 spirits, a strong cocktail list, wine and beer, really there should be something for everyone!
On arriving at the bar you find a covered courtyard area with parasols, fairy lights and sexy drippy champagne bottle candles, inside you will see more of the same, (well… no more parasols but you get the idea) a baby grand piano adorned with more candles… exposed brick work and pictures from the epernay family album taken on trips to the champagne region — this is how the guys and girls really know their stuff!
Ive always seen epernay as having a split personality, at the weekend it can be hard to get a seat as its so popular, but during the week you can enjoy being looked after at the table having your champagne poured all night.
Food is also available antipasti meat and cheese boards and great with a tipple or three.
Santé!

been back to Epernay twice since the Champagne event and both times i just asked for a coffee. Both times i was told the coffee machine was broken. Being a retired Copper, i’m naturally suspicious so i’m beginning to suspect that they don’t encourage people to pop in for just a coffee as i was asked if i’d like a look at the drinks and food menu. This won’t put me off however and i fully intend going there for an afternoon tea one weekend as i love the venue and the staff are great. I bet the coffee machine is working then.

So I might be a little biased as I was lucky enough to attend a champagne tasting here organised by the fabulous Rowena H, but my oh my, this place oozes class and not just by the glass. Epernay manages to give you that feeling of being somewhere exotic, right in the centre of Leeds. Outside there are tables with giant parasols, inside there are twinkly lights and bare brick walls. It’s deliciously sophisticated and at the same time, not in any way corporate, bland or overly sleek.
The staff are friendly and characterful, and once you’ve had your warm welcome it’s time to wade through that bible of a cocktail menu. Their champagne cocktails are exemplary but they also have plenty which don’t incorporate the fizz too, classics like zombies, mojitos and martinis, all with various twists on them. I was most excited by some of the signatures like the San Francisco (an ode to one of my favourite cities in the world), but wow, the London 1875 really was *my* kind of cocktail. Tangy, sharp and packing a punch, one sip of this and you’re instantly eased into a mellow evening.
As Row has already affirmed, it’s not in any way pretentious or over-​the-​top, and while the champagne list might contain some wallet-​shockers, to be fair the cocktails are some of the most affordable I’ve seen for their sheer quality. Delectable. I’m certainly making a beeline for its sister bar in Manchester as we speak!

I really enjoyed my evening at Epernay, this was mainly due to the staff and the way they would bend over backwards to help you.
I’m not really a champagne fan but was willing to give each champagne on the testing list a chance due to the way the staff were so knowledgeable about each bottle they opened. It made me feel like I new the champagne personally and that it would be offended if I didn’t have a little sip.
By the end of the night I not only got to test some rather nice champagnes I also learnt a lot about the history of each one and what makes them all so individual (something that really interested me).
To accompany the champagne Epernay had arranged canapes from a local business these were truly amazing, they really did go well with the champagne.
The whole experience was wonderful and I will return to Epernay, possibly for an afternoon tea, or I may surprise myself and become an avid champagne drinker just so I can go back in and learn more about each and every champagne they sell.

If you want a little bit of that New York glitz and glamour in Leeds I think I’ve found your venue. By some great fortune I discovered that Epernay were putting on a free Champagne tasting the other night and so, having not been along before, I popped along with a friend to sample the delights of their fizz. Oh my goodness. It must be some kind of crime that I’ve not visited this heavenly venue before.
As you enter through the glass doors to the indoor-​outdoor courtyard great glass windows depicting waxen champagne bottles, candles and rustically beautiful décor promise of the decadence to pop forth. As my friend and I wandered in we were greeted warmly and immediately offered to discard our coats and replace them with a glass of the Henriot Brut. (Forgive me if I’ve misnamed this, we tried several!) The staff were all incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their fayre, which only made the bubbles seem sweeter, and we took a seat to chat and indulge in some high class Champagne.
In all I think we sampled about three from the Henriot range, including a 100% Chardonnay number and a rosé, all of which were sweet, palatable and incredibly moreish. I’m told they have a range that changes monthly, I believe, which you can purchase by the glass. This is excellent as it’s not every day that you can afford to go a whole bottle, whereas a treat of a glass or two is rather more affordable. Mind you, when the bubbles go to your head you’d be sorely tempted to sip some more as the range is simply delightful.
We chose to stay for one more night-​cap after the event and decided it would rude not to try out some of the champagne cocktails. I’m not much of a cocktail drinker, nor a champagne drinker, but this was no problem as the staff were simply fantastic at suggesting which ones to try. The passion each of them has for their craft is evident and a million miles away from your standard bar. Having several staff suggest the London 1875 and the Elderbubble we went for those.
As they were being crafted we had a wonderful chat with the staff, again cementing the quality of the service as friendly, welcoming and efficient. At £6.50 per drink it’s certainly not somewhere I can envisage affording all night long (Lionel Richie, now playing in my mind!) but for a few seriously special drinks it seems there is no other venue. Now, for the cocktails. Oh my goodness me.
Trying to articulate the delicious flavour is going to be a feat — all I can say is that they infuse the Beefeater gin on site with Earl Grey tea (one of the staff’s concoctions I’m told) and it was utterly delicious. The delicacy of the Elderbubble was equally as delightful, both being sweet, soft and subtle on the palate. Both are a drink that you will want to indulge in again and again and again. I’m certain ‘ll be back, I just need some kind of excuse — perhaps my birthday can come once a month rather than once a year.
Quite simply a true delight in Leeds and if you’ve not yet been I urge you to visit. You’ll find all the decadence, delight and divinity of a fantastic Champagne bar, with not a sniff of the pretense. Glorious!

I associate Epernay with achievement, as it is frequently the venue I have visited to commemorate a special occasion. Whether it has been a personal triumph or educational success, Epernay has provided a fantastic celebratory atmosphere.
Whilst I am not a connoisseur of champagne, I do appreciate sampling its different varieties and learning the individual characteristics of each. I commend the bar staff at Epernay for offering their expertise on numerous occasions without patronising me, in what can be an industry steeped in pretentiousness. With champagne from more than 21 houses, the amount of varieties is staggering.
Epernay have decorated the venue to be fairly understated, yet stunningly beautiful. The exposed brickwork and contemporary furniture contrast magnificently with the more traditional appearance of dripping candles in champagne bottles. A covered balcony in the attractively developed Electric Press building, provides the atmosphere of drinking al fresco, without having to rely on the temperament of the British weather.
This charming little haven offers a selection of antipasti style nibbles, their flavoursome olives are a regular favourite. I do find the venue a little unpalatable on evenings during the weekend, with significantly more punters out to impress, but I think that is the reality in many city centre bars. I will always consider Epernay to be a superior venue to celebrate, congratulate and generally appreciate good champagne.

For those who like a bit of the bubbly stuff, Epernay really is a fab place about town. With over 100 Champagnes sourced from a wide range of large and small houses throughout Champagne and a well chosen wine list of some 30 tipples, the hardest part is choosing which one to drink next. It’s also pretty impressive on the spirits front, with over 70 cocktails using ingredients not always seen elsewhere in the city.
The ambience is swanky and chilled out too, with candles setting the mood and table service if so desired. The other bonus is that because they buy in such bulk, the cost is passed onto the customers so you won’t be paying ridiculus prices for a bottle. Or if a bottle is pushing it, you can buy fizz by the glass which a winner for me. They also offer private tasting sessions but that doesn’t come too cheaply. However, when we’re talking high class indulgence it’s a great place to while away those lazy hours or get into the party spirit. It’s also the perfect place to impress that special person.

We came here last night for a pre-​dinner drink and sat in the courtyard bit, which was all atmospheric and lovely with the candles in bottles and big parasols and that. Two bottles of beer (Fruli and something belgian beginning with V) came in at £6, which is more than reasonable, and I was pleased that even though the place is a champagne bar, we weren’t made to feel cheap for not ordering any bubbly, and there were plenty of other drinks to choose from.
What I wasn’t pleased with — in actual fact, what I was pretty disgusted with — were the toilets. Absolutely minging. They stink of damp, they’re grubby and they’d look more at home in a skanky McDonalds somewhere than in a swanky bar like this. And because I’m a stickler for a nice loo, I’ll not be going back here. Or if I do, I’ll use the loos in Ha-​Ha instead.

love this place, has a fabulous range of champagne, as you’d expect for a champagne bar! nice ambience and makes a lovely start or end to an evening, or a treat after shopping in town. nibbles lovely accompaniment to chilled glass of bubbly. would take clients and friends here. toilets high quality.

A great bar, but make sure that you have plenty of cash on you. Essentially a champagne bar, but it does serve other drinks too. It can be busy on the weekend, and most people in there are very dressed up, it’s not the kind of place you’d get in dressed in trainers.
It sometimes has live piano music on, played on the baby grand which is in one corner. There is an outside seating area which is in a covered courtyard and shared with other bars. A really nice place to spend an evening or to go on a date.

Fabulous Champagne bar in the Elecrtic Press building north of the City Centre in Leeds. A vast menu of different drinks and cocktails, awesome décor and atmosphere. Also an indoor/​outdoor area which is really nice to sit in on an evening. The Bar is very popular and can get really busy on weekend nights. I prefer to visit on a weekday evening and soak up the atmosphere with friends!!! Dress to impress!!!

Three very enjoyable visits so far on three very differing occasions.
First visit was towards the end of a works night out, nothing can prepare you for the sight of male work colleagues with their multiple glasses of pink champagne. Needless to say it was a very informative evening!
I was then fortunate enough to stumble across a very palatable deal for a champagne afternoon tea at Epernay which i enjoyed alongside 5 others one Saturday.
Finally a gin-​fuelled visit was made; on a school night no less. Now I am certainly not a gin connoisseur nor has it previously been my drink of choice but I felt I needed educating.
Bulldog gin was on the menu and after sampling an expertly made G&T and working through the ingredients of this drink, my appreciation levels were on the rise. With heightened senses I explored a gin & cranberry and a couple of gin based cocktails with the realisation that it maybe was not gin I had previously not enjoyed.
Epernay is a grand setting, maybe more so for a special occasion, but definitely one not to be missed.