The Station House Garforth

The menu leans into traditional Puglian and broader Southern Italian cooking, with everything from antipasti and fresh pasta to wood-fired pizza and chargrilled mains. Starters set the tone: bruschetta N’duja e burrata pairs warm, spicy N’duja salami on toasted Altamura bread with a whole burrata, while the antipasto misto brings together Italian cured meats, pickled olives, mozzarella, rocket, and shavings of Gran Moravia with a balsamic glaze.

The hot stone steaks are a signature feature — ribeye and butterfly fillet arrive seared from the kitchen on a heated lava stone, allowing you to finish cooking at the table to your preference. It is an interactive, theatrical centrepiece that draws consistent praise.

Pasta dishes include king prawn linguine tossed in white wine, garlic butter, and chilli flakes, and the agnolotti D’astice alla Thermidor — fresh pasta parcels filled with lobster in a rich Thermidor sauce, crowned with king prawns. The lasagne casareccia is a homemade classic layered with Bolognese, Italian roast ham, boiled egg, béchamel, and parmesan.

Wood-fired pizza runs from a simple margherita through to the Volcano — a folded pizza loaded with N’duja, pepperoni, jalapeños, chilli flakes, and Luigi’s homemade chilli oil. The kitchen also runs monthly pizza specials, rotating seasonal creations alongside the core menu.

Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are threaded throughout. The parmigiana layers aubergine with homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella, the Girasoli Rossi offers sunflower-shaped vegan pasta with a chickpea and vegetable filling, and vegan pizza and gelato are available on request. A children’s menu features scaled-down portions of pasta, pizza, and lasagne.

Desserts lean classic Italian: tiramisu in both traditional and pistachio versions, a delicate Delizia al Limone dome filled with lemon cream, and a rotating gelato selection that includes fig and walnut, pear and ricotta, and Amarena cherry.

The drinks list is entirely Italian in character. Wines are sourced exclusively from Italy, with Puglian producers taking centre stage — the Primitivo Di Manduria and Salice Salentino both come from Le Vigne Di Sammarco, a producer from the Baranelli family’s home region. A Verdicchio from the Marche and Pinot Grigio from the Veneto round out the whites, with all wines available by the glass, carafe-style measure, or bottle.

Three Italian-themed cocktails anchor the list: an Aperol Spritz with fresh orange, an Espresso Martini shaken with coffee liqueur and agave syrup, and a Limoncello Spritz garnished with fresh lemon. Bottled beers stick to the Italian theme — Birra Moretti, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, and a Mastri Birrai Umbri craft blonde ale — alongside a dry Angioletti cider.

A grappa selection includes the aged Riserva Invecchiata, and traditional Italian digestifs and Vin Santo dessert wine close out the spirits offering.

Non-alcoholic options are well covered: Moretti Zero, Rekorderlig alcohol-free fruit ciders, alcohol-free prosecco by the bottle, and alcohol-free gin. Soft drinks include Galvanina sparkling juice, an Italian premium brand.

The restaurant occupies a two-storey Victorian red-brick building within the historic Station Buildings, its white-framed sash windows and hanging wicker basket planters giving the façade a warm, established character. Amber string lights draped along the frontage set the mood for evening service, while a dark-painted entrance door carries seasonal decorations — a rose heart wreath for Valentine’s Day, garlands and tinsel through the festive season.

Inside, the dining room follows a cohesive deep forest green and gold palette. Dark green upholstered chairs sit around white-clothed tables dressed with teal-and-white chevron placemats and teal-tinted wine glasses. Small yellow flower posies serve as centrepieces, and vintage-style floral-bordered crockery adds rustic Mediterranean texture. Pizza arrives on blue and yellow Italian ceramic plates, while hot stone steaks come on lava stone boards set on wooden bases.

A ground floor dining room seats most covers, with an upstairs room offering a more intimate space for smaller groups and private dining. The wood-fired pizza oven — its glowing amber chamber visible from the dining area — is a focal point that reinforces the kitchen’s Italian identity.

Garforth is a suburban town in east Leeds, well connected by rail on the Leeds–York line. The restaurant sits directly adjacent to Garforth train station, and the proximity means you can watch trains pass from inside — a distinctive and surprisingly charming feature of the setting. Station Road and the surrounding town centre offer a quiet, residential contrast to the city centre dining scene.

The venue is wheelchair accessible.

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 12:00 – 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 12:00 – 8:00 PM
Thursday: 12:00 – 8:00 PM
Friday: 12:00 – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 – 8:00 PM
Sunday: Closed