Cocktail Tasting and Pizza Making at Cuckoo in Leeds

Cuckoo in Leeds is probably my new favourite bar. It’s so colourful and 80’s/90’s funky. It was love at first sight! The vibe and interior reminds me a bit of closed down Fab Cafe. A place I loved going to on nights out. Similar to Fab Cafe, Cuckoo has the colourful pastel walls and the amazing playlist. Instead of geeky film props, Cuckoo is full of tropical and animal decorations. What’s not to love?

Cuckoo Cocktails

All the cocktails here are very easy to drink, some even dangerously so. I started off with a Lychee & Cherry Margarita; Tequila mixed with Lychee Liquor and sweetened with Cherries. It has a beautiful colour and is really smooth to drink. The lychee and cherry fruits compliment each other really well.

The other fruity cocktails are also easy to drink but a bit too sweet for me. My favourite cocktail of the evening is the Thriller in Vanilla; Chilli Liquor, Vanilla Vodka, Passionfruit, Lemon Juice & Pineapple Juice. A very refreshing cocktail with a nice kick to it. It’s not for everyone but if you don’t like cocktails very sweet, this is for you.

The statement cocktail is without a doubt the Royal Grape Margarita. It looks amazing with the mini bottle Prosecco upside down in the glass. Actually more like a goblet by the size of it. The price might be a little bit higher but you get so much more liquid and alcohol so definitely worth it. Tequila, Lime Juice, Cointreau and Grapes with Prosecco. A refreshing drink which will keep you going all night long.

Cuckoo Pizzas

In contrast to the colourful bar area, Cuckoo’s restaurant area has a darker vibe with lower tables and benches to sit on. The pizza oven runs hot until 9 pm and the best part, every pizza is free with every drink you order. The perfect after work snack during mid-week and tastiest party starter at the weekend.

During my visit, Lizi and I was tasked with making our own pizzas. Vegan pizzas even. Luckily for us, the dough had already been prepared and rolled out. All we had to do was choose from the toppings provided and two types of cheese; mozarella all the way for me. I started of with mushrooms and courgettes and really wanted to add cauliflower but it wasn’t an option so I went for butternut squash instead. A very unusual taste but nice nonetheless. I preferred Lizi’s pizza though because, who doesn’t love Mexican??!! Anyways, both are available for a month at Cuckoo so if you want to try them out, you know where to go.

Also, they serve sweet pizzas so that alone is a reason to go. We tried all four options; Blueberry Hill (blueberry and cream cheese), Wonka (chocolate and marshmallows), Blame Canada (maple peach and strudel) and Appealing (apple crumble and custard). Wonka sounds and looks nice but far too sweet for me. The one I’d come back for is Blame Canada. What a weird combination i’d never though of myself but so moorish.

Have you been to colourful Cuckoo yet? Will you pay a visit after reading this? Have you tried sweet pizzas before?

Jennie xx