About Forde
Matt Healy grew up in Horsforth and came back to open Forde on Town Street, a fifteen-minute drive from Leeds city centre and a deliberate distance from it. He was the 2016 runner-up on MasterChef: The Professionals, and Forde has held a Michelin Plate for three consecutive years through 2024. It is a small-plates bistro, not a tasting-menu room: you order three or four plates, the wine list is short and well chosen, and the whole evening is built to be relaxed rather than reverent.
The Kitchen
Healy's cooking is northern and unfussy with serious technique underneath: Marcus Wareing once called his sauces some of the best he had tasted, and the sauce work is still the tell. The chicken and leek stew over pearl-white mash is the dish to order, with the pig cheek bourguignon, all tender meat and earthy mushrooms, right behind it. Bread comes with Marmite butter at £4.50, which sets the register: refined food at pub prices. Individual plates run from a few pounds to around £11 for the cod, and on Wednesday and Thursday three plates go for £18, the best value of any kitchen at this level in the city. Find it at 7 Town Street, Horsforth, LS18 5LJ.
The Room
The room is a converted Town Street unit done simply: warm, low-key, conversation-easy, with none of the hush of a tasting-menu dining room. It seats a small crowd, so it fills, and the noise sits at an easy hum rather than a roar. Dress is casual and nobody is checking. For a date or a quiet catch-up, ask for a table away from the pass and the door; the format means a steady stream of plates, so you want to actually hear each other.
Best for a First Date
Book Forde for a first date because the small-plates format does the heavy lifting: shared plates keep the conversation moving, the £18 midweek deal takes the financial stakes off the table, and the cooking is good enough to talk about without demanding silence. It is an equally easy team dinner or birthday for the same reasons. Reserve a week or two ahead through OpenTable or the restaurant directly, aim for Wednesday or Thursday to catch the three-plates offer, and you have a low-risk, high-return evening fifteen minutes from the centre.
Not For
Not for a formal, dress-up occasion or a long tasting-menu night. Forde is a casual Horsforth bistro built on shared small plates, and it is a drive from the city centre.
Frequently Asked
Is Forde worth the trip out to Horsforth?
Yes. Forde is one of the best-value kitchens in the Leeds area, a Michelin Plate three years running from MasterChef runner-up Matt Healy, fifteen minutes from the centre. The cooking, especially the sauces, punches well above the casual room and the prices. For a relaxed dinner or a first date, the short drive to Town Street is easily worth it.
How do I book Forde, and when should I go?
Book through OpenTable or the restaurant directly, ideally one to two weeks ahead; the room is small and fills on weekends. Go on a Wednesday or Thursday to catch the three-plates-for-£18 deal, the best value on the menu. It is open Wednesday to Saturday and Sunday afternoons, closed early in the week, so plan around that.
What should I order at Forde?
Order the chicken and leek stew over mash and the pig cheek bourguignon, the two dishes that show Matt Healy's sauce work best. Start with the bread and Marmite butter at £4.50, and build a meal from three or four small plates per person. The wine list is short and well chosen, so ask the floor for a pairing.
What does dinner at Forde cost?
Forde is genuinely affordable for the quality. Small plates run from a few pounds to about £11 for the cod, and on Wednesday and Thursday three plates cost £18. A full dinner with a couple of glasses of wine lands well below what a Michelin-listed kitchen usually charges, which is much of the appeal.
Is Forde good for a first date or a group?
Yes to both. The shared small-plates format keeps a first date's conversation flowing, and the casual, conversation-easy room and low prices keep the stakes down. The same setup works for a team dinner or a birthday. Book a week or two ahead, aim for the midweek three-plate deal, and ask for a table away from the door.
Also in Leeds
Beyond Forde, see the full Leeds dining guide, the best first-date tables, and nearby Ox Club for wood-fired Modern British. Our editorial journal covers Britain's restaurant scene in depth.