Ox Club

Ox Club lives on the ground floor of Headrow House, a converted Leeds mill that also holds a beer hall and a cocktail bar. The room is built around a ten-foot solid-fuel grill in an open kitchen, and you smell it before you see it — charcoal, beef fat, woodsmoke. Head chef Andy Castle cooks almost everything over that fire, and the result is primal and precise at once.

The flat iron steak and the beef tartare carry just enough smoke to remind you where they came from; the 1kg côte de boeuf is the order for a table feeling flush. But Ox Club is not only a steakhouse — grilled seasonal vegetables, boards of aged charcuterie, and a precise Sunday roast show a kitchen with range. The midweek steak-and-chips deal lands under £16, which is the value tell. The room has been in the Good Food Guide since 2019 and sits in the Michelin Guide.

The wine list runs to several hundred bottles, deep in Burgundy and the Rhône, and the cocktail bar upstairs is there if you want to stretch the night. Inside, the room is warm and a little loud, lit low against bare brick, the open fire doing the theatre. This is the table Leeds reaches for when it wants to impress, and it holds up.

Ox Club is Leeds's strongest table for a team dinner. The grill menu is built for sharing, which keeps the conversation moving; the beer hall upstairs takes the pre-dinner crowd; and the cooking pleases a mixed table without ever being dull. Book two to three weeks ahead for a weekend group.

Who is the chef at Ox Club?

The head chef is Andy Castle, who cooks almost everything over Ox Club's ten-foot solid-fuel grill at Headrow House. The restaurant is a live-fire kitchen first and a steakhouse second, working dry-aged beef, seasonal vegetables and charcuterie across the same flame. It has been listed in the Good Food Guide since 2019 and appears in the Michelin Guide.

What should I order at Ox Club?

Order from the grill: the flat iron steak and the beef tartare both carry a light smoke, and the 1kg côte de boeuf is the centrepiece for a table sharing. Grilled seasonal vegetables and aged charcuterie boards round it out, and the Sunday roast is worth planning a visit around. Most people build a meal of several plates to share.

How much does Ox Club cost?

Ox Club is mid-priced for the quality. The midweek steak-and-chips deal comes in under £16, which is the value signal, while a full à la carte dinner with the côte de boeuf and wine runs higher. Budget for a proper dinner rather than a quick bite, and expect fair money for serious live-fire cooking in central Leeds.

Do I need to book Ox Club?

Yes, especially for weekends and groups. Tables at Headrow House go two to three weeks ahead for prime evenings, so book early, particularly for a team dinner or a Sunday roast. Walk-ins are possible midweek if you are lucky, but a reservation is the safe approach for this much-loved Leeds room.

Beyond Ox Club, Leeds's dining scene rewards deeper exploration. See all restaurants in Leeds or discover our Team Dinner guide for the best tables across every city. Our editorial journal covers Britain's evolving restaurant culture in depth.