Where to eat in Bradford this Valentine's Day - district's top 10 restaurants

The city is rightly famous for its outstanding curry, but discerning diners are boosting the city's reputation for the diversity of its cuisine.

The city's top ten eateries, according to reviewers on the TripAdvisor website, include two Thai restaurants, a coffee house, a country pub, an Italian coffee bar and a restaurant offering a taste of Persia.

Also featured are British Asian specialists My Lahore, South Asian eatery Dhesi Grill and the ever-popular Indian restaurant Akbar's.

According to TripAdvisor users, Bradford's finest restaurant is Bangkok Thai in Little Germany which has only been open for 15 months.

Manager See Pang, 36, is delighted with the accolade and thanked customers for their feedback.

He said: "A lot of customers go online and read the reviews and then post their own reviews. It has helped us a lot."

Mr Pang said the restaurant had been in the top spot for several months and had previously been at numbers two and three.

The secret of success is good service, great food and attention to details such as how the food is presented, says Mr Pang.

"The competition is mostly from curry restaurants," he said. "We give something different to Bradford. It gives the city more choice. Thai food is up-and-coming, with restaurants opening everywhere.

"There is definitely more competition now in Bradford. In the top 50 on TripAdvisor there are plenty of Indian restaurants and lots of choice.

"Being at the top of TripAdvisor gives us a chance that more people will come but it also gives us added pressure."

In second spot in the top ten is Classic Persian Restaurant in Little Horton Lane.

Ali Sarparat, spokesman for the Classic Persian, said he was delighted that customers had taken the time to post reviews.

He said the restaurant had only been open around six months.

"We were in first place but now we are second - I am not sure how that happened," he joked.

"People have posted quite a lot of different comments and we have read the reviews. It is great to have such kind customers and reviews."

Mark De Luca, owner of Emily's by De Luca Boutique coffee house in Thornton, said he was "humbled" to be third in a list of 557 Bradford restaurants, particularly after being open for only 19 months.

"Due to our coffee shop being off the main road (on Market Street), review sites such as TripAdvisor, together with social media sites have given us the opportunity to market ourselves far and wide, with people following and visiting us from all over the globe."

He said Thornton village now boasted five restaurants in the top 30 on TripAdvisor.

Mr De Luca said Bradford city centre had also improved its food offering.

"There has been an incredible amount of investment, with a significant amount of independents and chains committing to the city centre.

"This provides the consumer with choice, something which has been lacking up until recently."

A spokesman for fourth placed My Lahore, in Great Horton Road, said: "TripAdvisor is an excellent channel to drive people in and to let the world know who is the best in town.

"We provide excellent service and food in a very relaxing environment and it's good to be featured at number four as it gives a lot of good word of mouth for us for people who haven¹t tried us yet."

Simon Dunn, the owner of the Yo Yo Bar & Restaurant in Shipley - number seven on the list - said it was good to see a diverse range of cuisine within the top 10.

"As a city, we do have other things to offer than curry. We still lack a lot of High Street chains in Bradford. We do struggle in getting them."

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, portfolio holder for education, skills and culture, said it was good to see a range of restaurants receiving a high profile.

"I'm really pleased to see that Bradford restaurants are getting positive profile on TripAdvisor.

"Internet location finders like this are increasingly influential with visitors and we have to make sure Bradford attractions and eateries are featured.

"The variety of restaurants listed is also interesting. We’re nationally famous for being the Curry Capital of Britain but looking at the top ten you can see that we have a good range of quality restaurants to choose from across the district."

Trevor Higgins, chief executive of lobbying group Bradford Breakthrough, said the city's restaurant scene was rapidly expanding.

He said the group's A Taste of Bradford campaign had helped to encourage restaurants to open in the city centre.

"It's all about having a range of different restaurants to ensure that people don't just come into the city and visit Broadway and go home after shopping.

"We want people to see Bradford as a venue to go out in. Many people are now saying to me that they are now going into Bradford again. It is a good place to go and you don't have to pay Leeds prices."

Mr Higgins said the restaurant and bar scenes were picking up right across the district, from Little Germany and North Parade to villages on the outskirts.

Bradford's top ten eateries, according to TripAdvisor reviews:

1. Bangkok Thai, East Parade, Little Germany
2. Classic Persian, Little Horton Lane
3. Emily's by De Luca Boutique, Market Street, Thornton
4. My Lahore, Great Horton Road
5. Dhesi Grill, Lilycroft Road
6. My Thai, Keighley Road, Frizinghall
7. Yo Yo Bar & Restaurant, Rosse Street, Shipley
8. Christophe's Coffee House, Thornton Road, Thornton
9. Ring O'Bells, Hill Top Road, Thornton
10. Akbar's, Leeds Road