#mrsathas

[rachel0812-blog]

Mrs Atha's was such a cute little place to relax whilst I waited for my disposable camera photos to be developed in town. Why do anything but eat cake and drink coffee on a Wednesday afternoon?

[unknown-leeds]

Cafe Life - Mrs Athas

Nestled between vintage stores and tucked behind the city’s main shopping streets is Mrs Athas; a one-of-its-kind independent coffee shop in the heart of Leeds. Quirky, pretty and tranquil, Mrs Athas provides the perfect getaway from the busy and bustling Northern town, with its mouth-watering array of cakes, brownies and chocolates alongside rich roasted coffees and a wide-ranging selection of teas. Named after the creator’s grandmother and inspired by his brother’s love of coffee shops as a professional writer; the atmospheric café has a homey quality, creating a lovely, comfortable place to work, meet and eat.

Perfect for students wanting a change of environment and an alternative to Eddy B and Essentials, Mrs Athas has free wifi and laptop charging. Contrasting this envisaged student productivity, Mrs Athas also serves an all-day breakfast and advertises a ‘hangover cure’ coffee making it the perfect meeting point to discuss last night’s antics with friends. The reasonable prices are comparable to that of any of the big chains, Costa, Starbucks or Nero but the food, coffee and atmosphere are significantly more exiting.

The coffee shop’s character is established through an eclectic mix of 1960's Italian Castelli chairs, gold guilt wall art frames and classical chandeliers contrasting modern posters, shelves of books and industrial-looking coffee machines. The mix of artwork from the owners own home and car boot sale sourced furniture and crockery give the coffee shop a cool vintage kitsch, classically British vibe.

Don’t be put off by the café’s unexciting exterior. Once you step foot inside, the warm glow from the low hanging light bulbs and the exposed brick walls create an unperturbed, warm ambiance that attracts all kinds of customers from “old people to hipster kids” as the café’s creator quoted himself. Being passionate about his shop, he talked about not wanting to target a specific clientele or niche of people, but rather to establish his own brand for the enjoyment of everyone. The friendly staff and fabulous food is why we have returned as many times as we have and why we would recommend it to any student keen for a few hours away from the hustle and bustle of everyday university life.

18 Central Rd, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6DE

By Emma Russell