Wakefield's restaurant scene is small but improving, with most of the better places clustered on Westgate and around the Hepworth. The pub food is generally reliable; for a more substantial meal a number of independent restaurants now do good modern British cooking using produce from the surrounding farms (including, in season, the celebrated forced rhubarb).
The cafe at the Hepworth Wakefield is one of the best lunch options in town. For Sunday roasts, several of the village pubs around Sandal and Crigglestone are worth the short drive.