WHILE trading conditions were some of the toughest the High Street has endured in years, 2018 was a bumper year for Bradford's night-time economy.

Several new bars and eateries have thrown open their doors to the public during the year; some taking over space from empty retail shops to bring a new buzz to the district.

Despite the demise this year of the Sunbridge Lounge Tapas Bar and Alibi, the Sunbridgewells tunnels welcomed two new enterprises which help to encourage a steady flow of punters into its underground maze.

North Parade and Westgate has seen some new faces too and continues to attract people to the top end of town.

Nearer the centre there has been new activity in Ivegate and around the Wool Exchange.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport said: "Bradford's evening economy has really turned a corner in the last few years, particularly around North Parade but now recently spreading to Sunbridge Wells and Ivegate.

"Having organisations like Eyes Brewery and Kirkstall Brewery - which took of The Sparrow pub, in North Parade - invest in the city centre is a real vote of confidence and I'm expecting more moves in this direction in advance of Bradford Live opening in the former Odeon building and our new food market on Darley Street.

"A successful city centre needs a diverse range of things to do and places to go and bars and restaurants are a key part of that, we've got a strong offer of support for new and expanding businesses through our City Centre Growth Scheme and people wanting to find out more can contact our Invest in Bradford team who are ready to help."

Some of the venues which have opened this year include:

Pizza Loco, which cooks what it calls 'proper Neapolitan pizza' in a wood-fired mobile locomotive oven, set up a permanent base in a vacant unit in the Sunbridgewells tunnels. The Yeadon-based eatery reached the finals of the 2018 British Street Food Awards.

Bear's Den, Sunbridgewells, also made its way to the tunnels and is an offspring of an established eatery - Bear's Pantry - which has been catering for weddings and pop-up restaurants from its base in Farsley.

It opened up in the former tapas lounge offering sandwiches, cheese boards, charcuterie, craft beers and wine with most of the products sourced from Yorkshire suppliers, including cheese from Black Mouse in Pudsey and bread from the Edward Street Bakery, in Saltaire.

Rich Kendrick said: "Being part of this development is interesting. We will hopefully grow together.

Speaking just prior to the new openings, Graham Hall, of Sunbridgewells, said: "It should be really good.

"It always needed a food concept inside the tunnel. People like to eat and drink."

Bar 39, in Ivegate, near the Sunbridgewells complex, serves craft ales and cocktails across two floors.

The new watering hole is the brainchild of joiner Joseph Waite, 37, who has fulfilled his dream of opening his first bar.

He said: "We had a very good reaction from the people who came to the opening. It's nice to know people are open to what we are doing and they like what they see.

"We envisage it being a place for over-25s and a mature crowd, but we are certainly not limited to that."

Old Crown, in Ivegate, Ellen Boyle, who is heading up events and marketing, said the pub had been taken back to its original shell, while maintaining its old characteristics.

The Venue, in Ivegate, opened in August and hosts evenings of live music, in the busy historical street.

Drum Winder, in Ivegate, has been opened by Amber Taverns in the former Poundworld store. As well as changing the use of the building, the company also wanted to make the frontage more sympathetic to the historic street.

Noodle Sing, in North Parade, is a 40-seater situated next to the Record Cafe.

It replaces a vacant office unit which was used most recently as a training centre.

Bread + Roses Cafe, which took over the former Forks Cafe, in North Parade, is a cooperative cafe and workspace at Bradford’s ‘top end’ of town and opened its doors earlier this year.

Cafe manager Sonia Sandhu said: “I think it’s crying out for a food offer and there are lots of local businesses around who need a nice spot for lunch.

“Because of everything else happening in the building, I think it will appeal to a wide range of people. We’re planning on doing different events on certain evenings as well, ranging from poetry to music to stand-up comedy."

“A lot of different people have shown an interest so it should appeal to a wide range of people.”

EYES Brewery, in Rawson Road, describes itself as the UK's first and only wheat-focused brewery, stepped in to reinvigorate the former Bradford Brewery site and bring the building back into use.

While EYES has 'cuckoo brewed' around Yorkshire (brewing on others' equipment), it has chosen to lay down its roots in Bradford.

The Garden Shed, Wibsey. The former Wibsey Sport and Social Club re-opened as The Garden Shed after it was revamped by joint owners Kelly Shaw and former Bradford City Football chairman Mark Lawn.

The pair are also working on re-fitting and refurbishing the neighbouring Market Tavern, but that is not set to be open for business until the new year.

Exchange Craft Beer House, The Wool Exchange. The Exchange Craft Beer House, below the Wool Exchange in Market Street, is due to open this evening. It follows the closure of Bradford Brewery-run The Exchange earlier this year. Prior to that it had been empty for four years. The new venture is the brainchild of Matt Bell, of Mytholmroyd-based Nightjar Brew Co and the Nightjar bar in Hebden Bridge town centre.

It's a return home for Matt, 50, who originally hails from Shipley.

Venues due to open in the New Year include:

Bradford Bakery, Tyrrel Street (former KFC restaurant) and

The Rabbit Hole, Westgate, due to open at the end of January.