Yes, tonight Josephine – at Chez Mal

French flair in evidence as restaurant relaunches

- BY YEP REVIEWER

This Leeds brasserie is raising the stakes with a reimagined menu that takes classic dishes and serves them with the kind of flair you'd expect from a place named after one of Napoleon's favourite party palaces.

Chez Mal, the restaurant at the city's Malmaison hotel in Swinegate, has relaunched under chef director John Woodward, pairing brasserie staples with modern techniques and fire-fuelled cooking.

Tucked inside the stylish riverside hotel, Chez Mal manages to feel both relaxed and occasion-worthy, with décor that's moody and contemporary.

The cocktails were where our evening began, with a welcoming lemongrass margarita - El Jimador Reposado tequila, Cointreau, lime and lemongrass-a tangy, fragrant twist on the classic.