A NEW Syrian cafe and restaurant which is run by refugee families has opened its doors in Bradford.

Kunafa Tea Cafe and Restaurant, on Thornton Road, started off as a business selling kunafa, a traditional Middle Eastern dessert from home, but after huge success and recognition in the community, has now grown into an established cafe and restaurant offering a full menu.

The opening event, held last Friday, kicked off with traditional Syrian dancing in the restaurant, as customers tried the cuisine for the first time.

Anas Alhabi, 23, one of the three owners, came to the UK eight years ago after spending 14 years in Syria.

She said: “I love food, I love cooking, I was always behind the kitchen instead of my mum. I joint together with the other partners to make very good homemade Syrian food. We tried just selling it to people from home and we let everyone try our food and everyone loved it. Everyone in the community said why you don’t open a restaurant your food is amazing.”

Hisham Mahayni and Abdulrahman Mkia co-own the restaurant and are also British Syrians originally from Damascus, the capital of Syria.

The owners and their families prepare all of the food, and aim to use their culinary skills to present restaurant quality food with an authentic, homemade taste.

The dishes range from starters such as hummus and falafel to mains such as shawarma and grills, and desserts including kunafa and baklawa.

Anas said: “The idea for the restaurant was put on hold during lockdown, as we struggled to find a suitable venue to operate the business, but after the lockdown we got lucky, the restaurant looks amazing.”

The picturesque interior of Kunafa Tea combines the old and the new to imitate Syria, but with a modern twist.

The striped walls, straw chairs, climbing plants and white jasmine flowers are all reminiscent of the old streets of Damascus and the neon lights, gold cutlery and marble tables add a modern touch to the restaurant.

Shadim Hussain, board member of Bradford Race Equality Network and Bradford Foundation Trust (BFT) attended the opening event and said: “The business owners are well known and respected and some of the family members have worked with BFT to help new families who have recently moved to Bradford.

“Many refugees are highly skilled and educated and very capable of establishing new enterprises like Kunafa Tea and working in skilled professions to contribute to the local economy. Therefore it is important that the people of Bradford support them to become independent and successful.

“In return they will further enrich the diverse tapestry of amazing food places we have, just as many before them have done, they will attract more visitors and add value to our bid to become the city of culture in 2025.”

He described Bradford as a ‘city of sanctuary’ for refugees, and emphasised that it has a long and proud history of supporting new arrivals.

Bradford has one of the largest Syrian refugee communities in England with many organisations working to support the community.