Bar Soba full of eastern promise

PAN-ASIAN bar and restaurant Bar Soba is fast becoming a staple on the Leeds scene since it opened last year, and is set to take over the rest of the North, opening in Manchester and Liverpool imminently.

We spoke to Glaswegian businessman, entrepreneur and connoisseur of the finer things in life, Brad Stevens, at his refurbished, multitasking venue on Merrion Street.

Work on Bar Soba was a labour of love for  Stevens and the team at Bar Soba, involving many local businesses, and with the recent introduction of a corporate Black Card – which which diners can get 40% off their food bill – a new type of people is heading to north Leeds for its pan-Asian fusion menu.

Mr Stevens himself left school at 15 years of age and started his working life in sales and advertising in newspapers including The Scotsman. Following this, he set up his own magazine and made the jump from advertising to bar owning.

In 1999 he started the Bar Soba chain which was launched on Mitchell Lane in Glasgow, branching out to Edinburgh and now with several sites on offer, serving a mix of Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian cuisine.

Back in 2003, his old haunt The Scotsman called him ‘one of Scotland’s wildest party boys’ but it seems he has settled down a bit since then. The same article also said ‘expect big things’ and big things are certainly what Mr Stevens has delivered.

Having cited the amicable Leeds City Council as a factor behind choosing Leeds as his first venture outside Scotland, Bar Soba was opened last year, a two floor bar and restaurant.

He said: He said: “Over the years I have seen how diverse the city’s bar and restaurant culture has developed making Leeds the great city it is today.

He said Leeds was the “perfect home” for the British launch of bar Soba, and he is now moving out to the North West.