Continental coffee culture has arrived in Morley – and in some style, writes Ross Heppenstall

Morley is a small market town on the outskirts of big-city Leeds and not readily associated with cosmopolitan café culture. But in recent years this historic corner of South Leeds has been transformed and become home to a growing number of cafes, bars and restaurants.

Nesso Morley, on Queen Street, lies opposite Morley’s hugely impressive town hall and is an increasingly popular part of a thriving social scene.

Nesso is an Italian-inspired breakfast and brunch restaurant serving a wide range of dishes as well as award-winning Afternoon Tea, coffee, cocktails and prosecco. Plus Moretti beer on draught.

The cosy establishment opened in the heart of Morley in October 2023 with the aim of offering something new to the residents of the town. 

The menu is designed by renowned Leeds restaurateur and MasterChef star Bobby Geetha, who was brought on board as a consultant chef.

From training at the three Michelin-starred Noma in Denmark to working in Dubai, where he was named United Arab Emirates’ Best Indian Chef in 2018, Gheeta’s CV is impressive to say the least.

He runs Fléur Cafe at The Light in Leeds along with owner Zack Issak, redefining the city’s thriving brunch scene. 

In January, Gheeta opened Kerala Canteen, a new Indian restaurant on St Peter’s Square in Leeds, bringing affordable Keralan cuisine to the city.

Meanwhile, five miles away in Morley – the town built on seven hills – Nesso is thriving. The hope is that by expanding their coffee and food offerings in smaller towns in Leeds, the team behind Nesso can expand into other areas of the city.

Named after the village in Lake Como, Nesso also serves authentic Italian food. On the menu, there is crostone toasts, an Italian version of an open sandwich toast with a variety of fillings available.

Italian desserts are also available including the traditional tiramisu made with freshly-made ice cream.

On a bitter late Wednesday morning in mid-February, my dining partner and I head out of the cold and into the warmth and comfort of Nesso, which is already pretty full. There is a nice vibe to the place and it offers plenty of space too, giving it an advantage on some of its neighbouring establishments.

We have a table reserved for us and start by surveying the extensive drinks menu – we both opt for a latte at a reasonably priced £3. There is a great choice with a Spanish Cortado – Marcelo Bielsa’s drink of choice during his time as Leeds United manager – at £3, Hot Chocolate for £4.25 and a Baileys Mocha for £5.50.

Plenty of iced coffees are available too with the Biscoff Frappuccino particularly tempting at £4.50 along with a range of smoothies and milkshakes. Teas, prosecco and draught beer ensure a huge choice of drinks, with caffeine-free organic latte also available.

Our lattes were delicious and we scanned the menu to choose our food.

I went for the Nesso Eggs Purgatory, a delightful dish inspired from classic Italian eggs in tomato sauce.

Consisting of two poached eggs cooked in tomato, hollandaise sauce, cheese, anchovies, grana padano and toasted Pugliese bread, this was delectable and was priced at £8.75. That represents outstanding value for a dish that feels a bit special, such was its succulent taste and beautiful presentation.

My partner went for the Olive Foccacia Mortadella ham, which cost £7.50 and was basically tantamount to a small mountain of delicious food! The baked Olive Foccacia was topped with creamy ricotta cheese, huge slices of Mortadella ham and bathed in pesto drizzle.

The menu really is amazing with dishes such as Bacon pancakes, Ham Benedict, Nesso Loaded Nachos, Focaccia Pizza, Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Falafel and Hummus all very reasonably priced at well under £10 per dish.

It is hard not to feel that prices would be considerably higher if Nesso was based in Leeds city centre.

There is a growing customer base here and a real buzz as midday approaches.

After two more lattes, we eye a range of mouthwatering desserts which include Cheesecake of the Day at £5, Tiramisu at the same price, authentic Sicilian Cannoli, Chocolate or Lemon Tart, and ice cream on a waffle cone. 

I opt for a tasty Lemon Tart at £4.75 while my partner orders the Cannoli at £5. Both are lovely and the wide range of dishes at Nesso should ensure their customer continues to grow and grow.

Their Afternoon Tea offering looks pretty special and will set you back £34.95, although that is for two people. For that you get two giant scones, clotted cream and jam, two cup akes, two pistachio cannoli, two hazelnut cannoli and two crostone or bacon bap/breakfast bap.

It also includes a tea pot to share or a cup of Americano and two soft serve gelato on a cone to finish off. Food for thought ahead of my next visit.

Nesso Morley

87 Queen Street, Morley

Leeds, LS27 8DX

Tel: 0113 322 0237

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