Tiled Hall Cafe, Leeds

For half a century they were hidden behind shelves of books, but in 2007 a massive refurbishment programme at Leeds City Library (also linked to the Art Gallery) revealed a roomful of magnificent tiles that has since become the Tiled Hall Café.

The 80-foot Reading Room has floor to ceiling in Victorian tiles, hexagonal mosaics across the arched ceiling, marble columns and parquet flooring. A fairly workaday café the Tiled Hall serve soup and a hot dish – beef goulash maybe – and sandwiches, salads and cakes. It’s all pretty good value in a lovely buzzy setting. Above all, the Tiled Hall Café is a great city rendezvous. Open until 8pm Monday to Wednesday, 5pm Thursday to Sunday.