Thursday 15th May 2014 saw the opening of a very exciting new place to hang out in Leeds - Roxy Lanes. The younger sister of Roxy Ballroom on Boar Lane, Roxy Lanes is a brand new boutique bowling alley, bar and pizza place that I was very excited to go and investigate as soon as it opened. There was a launch night on that Thursday, that had ran out of places by the time I'd heard about it, but I was invited to a VIP night the next day on the Friday evening instead. Well, me and Martin arrived for the event and it turned out that it was nonexistent! I felt very stupid, if I'm honest and for once it wasn't me getting the dates wrong. Still, we were there and we intended to make the most of it - and make the most of it we did!




It took me a while to figure out where Roxy Lanes actually is - it's well hidden, that's for sure. It's located above the Tesco Express on Upper Basinghall Street (Sort of opposite Boots if you're familiar with the area), and the entrance is on a street that no one really walks down. It's a hidden gem, but I'm sure that it won't be for long once word gets out about it! You walk up a flight of stairs, with "welcome" signage reassuring you that you are not in fact somewhere that you're not meant to be and you arrive right into the middle of all the action. We got ourselves settled straight away and ordered some beers from the bar; we went for their own beer, Roxy Lager and it was light, crisp and refreshing - perfect for the atmosphere. The drinks, although an excellent selection were a little on the steep side in terms of pricing, but I would happily pay a little extra to drink there as the place has so much more to offer than your regular bar.





It was dinner time, so we looked through the menu to see what was on offer. They have a good range of starters/sharers, pizzas, sandwiches and desserts - more so than I was expecting. Martin was just about to head to the bar to order food when a member of staff came to our table to take our orders, which took us by surprise! I don't know if that was because it was the first day of opening, but I hope they keep that up as it was a nice touch. We ordered two small pizzas at £6 each; Shredded Pork and Meat Feast, and two portions of their Cracked Pepper Chips, £4 each. Having not yet had the chance to eat at Roxy Ballroom, we weren't expecting all that much to be honest. Oh, but how we were very pleasantly surprised! The pizzas arrived, with crispy crusts, gooey melted cheese and a generous amount of toppings, followed quickly by the chips, in metal cones with cajun tomato and garlic mayonnaise dips. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that they were some of the best pizza and chips that I've ever had. The chips reminded me of ridged McCoy's crisps, and they were satisfyingly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The cracked pepper was an added bonus, along with the dips, making them full of flavour. If we'd known that the portions were going to be as big as they were, we could have easily shared one cone between us. The pizzas were extremely tasty indeed, and I had a hard time deciding which one I preferred! Again, the portions were generous and ended up being just the right size for both of us.





Roxy Lanes is actually much bigger than I had expected - but not so big that it is overwhelming, and it still manages to feel relaxed and welcoming. It is decorated in the same style as Roxy Ballrooms, with exposed wood, metal walls and bare brick everywhere you turn. Glowing neon signs were also in abundance - my favourite being the one above - and even the light fittings looked achingly cool. It had the American edge that I was expecting but it was altogether much more tasteful, although the animations on the bowling screens were still appalling cheesy! The lanes were raised up and away from the bar and kitchen area, which as Martin pointed out is probably something to do with all the soundproofing that they needed (I imagine the staff in Tesco Express are glad about that), but it also served the purpose of keeping these two areas separate. From the lanes area you can actually see out onto the street, which I liked.





After we had both eaten and were happily full, it was time for some bowling. Martin was absolutely dying to get onto those brand new, shining bowling lanes! It is £6 for one game off peak, and £8 on peak. We swapped our regular shoes for bowling shoes (I have to admit that it was nice to be putting on a brand new pair!) and we got straight to it. All of the bowling balls look like giant pool balls, which I thought was a nice touch as it ties it in with Roxy Ballroom. There was also a bowling ball that lit up and flashed as it moved that looked awesome, but we didn't get a chance to play with it that day! The lanes themselves had actually been shipped across from the US, so we really were getting the real deal and they looked superb. It was interesting to note that unlike most bowling alleys, there are no barriers on the lanes, which I see as a good thing - it encourages you to try and bowl properly! Considering that Martin bowls regularly in a team, he actually only ended up beating me by a few points and on my very first go, I managed to get a strike! I was quite impressed, if I do say so myself. As we were bowling, members of staff unobtrusively made several appearances, asking if we had enough drinks and offering free slices of pizza. Even though I was quite full, I managed to squeeze in another two slices and although I don't know exactly what pizzas they were, I can say that they were both equally as delicious as the ones we had earlier.




I was very, very impressed with Roxy Lanes and I'm pleased to say that it lived up to my expectations. I like the fact that there are only four lanes, as it makes it feel a bit more exclusive and special compared to your average bowling alley. Combined with excellent food and drink, good music and an all-round good atmosphere, Roxy Lanes is onto a winner and I know that I will be making many more trips in the future!

Roxy Lanes are not currently taking bookings whilst they are getting up and running, but from June they will be. So, if you plan on visiting within the next couple of weeks or so, just turn up and the staff will give you a time slot from there. For more information, check out their website or their Facebook page!