I visited Meanwood in Leeds ranked one of the coolest places to live in Britain - and I can see why

Meanwood, a suburb in north-west Leeds known for its bucolic green spaces and thriving high street businesses, was named among the 10 coolest neighbourhoods in Britain last week.

The list, curated by The Telegraph, described the area as one of the most creative in Leeds - and also one of its leafiest.

Having lived in Leeds for just over a year, I visited Meanwood for the first time to speak to some of the people who are said to be making the neighbourhood cool.

One venue to be singled out by The Telegraph was Number 8 Cocktail Bar, on Stonegate Road, which has been run by owner James Ince, 35, for the last two years.

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“Meanwood has everything you’d need,” he said. “It has great independent restaurants and bars – and the people are friendly and down to earth.”

Another to be praised by the broadsheet was Marcels Cafe, described in the article as “endearingly old-fashioned” and “a favourite spot for a wallet-friendly hangover fry-up”.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon – the first hot day in Leeds this year – owner Victor Samuel was busy serving customers. Leapfrogging between the kitchen and the till, he chatted away and appeared to know all the little details of their lives.

He’d not had a chance to read The Telegraph’s article yet, but had heard his establishment was included.

“I try not to concentrate on things like that, because ego can get in the way,” he said. “I want to impress people who walk through the door with nice meals and good service, rather than saying I’ve got a write up here or there. I treat everyone the same.”

Having worked in the area for almost three decades, Victor described Meanwood as “lovely” and “vibrant”, but said it has evolved hugely since Marcels opened its doors in the early 1990s.

He described a boom in independent businesses post-2010, when national retailer Waitrose set up shop on Green Road.

“Then came the bars and all the developments,” he said. “People tell me that the house prices went up too.”

It’s a theory shared by Janet Matthews, 71, the chair of Meanwood Valley Partnership, an organisation that works to protect and enhance the area. I bumped into her on a walk through the expansive Meanwood Park, which was filled with dog-walkers enjoying the unexpected sun.

“I really like some of the cafes and independent shops in Meanwood,” she said. “It’s all linked to Waitrose, I’m sure.”

Having lived in the area for the last 40 years, she has seen it metamorphose into the eclectic community it is today. But there is criticism, too. She spoke about the roadworks that I had noticed earlier in the day, almost immediately after stepping off the bus.

Loud enough to simulate a lobotomy, I couldn’t imagine the drilling was doing anything to attract al fresco diners on Green Road.

Leeds City Council has said the junction works will allow for wider footpaths, signalised junctions and crossings, and a cycle lane, all to the tune of £700,000. They’re scheduled to last until September.

Janet said: “It will be interesting to see what it does to traffic. I don’t know if you’ve managed to have a look at the chaos there at the moment. They assure us it’s going to be alright, but I have my doubts.”

Also to get a mention in The Telegraph were Terminus, a taproom hidden within a fairy-lit terrace in an old warehouse courtyard, Zuccos, a “classy neighbourhood Italian that everybody wants on their doorstep”, and the Michelin-recommended Japanese restaurant Hana Matsuri.

But inexplicably absent was Three Cottages Cafe. I called into the venue, that sits at the edge of Meanwood Park, and was wowed by the ‘summer of spritz’ cocktail menu and the eatery’s gorgeous outdoor seating area.

Later, I chatted to Matty Logan, the general manager of the Meanwood Tavern, which is one of the neighbourhood’s newest arrivals. He summed up the atmosphere well.

“Meanwood is cocooned with lots of lovely green space, it’s like a village but it’s only a stone’s throw from the city centre,” he said.

“It’s a nice place to be. And it’s not pretentious – it’s quite modest in its goodness.”