A RESTAURANT is celebrating being named the best in Bradford for a second year in a row at a national awards ceremony.

Café J'adore, on Chester Street in the city centre's West End, beat off tough competition in the likes of SakkuSamba, Aldo's Italian and MyLahore in capturing the gong at the fifth edition of the British Restaurant Awards.

The event, held at Porchester Hall, celebrated the best eateries across the UK - breaking down the major cities into different categories.

Other winners on the night included Lala's which took home the Best Restaurant in Leeds award.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: The gong that Cafe J'adore collected at the British Restaurant Awards.The gong that Cafe J'adore collected at the British Restaurant Awards. (Image: Newsquest)

"It was absolutely amazing," said the manager of the Cafe J'adore Raja Sakandar.

"We had tough competition. We were up against some major players in Bradford who have been open a lot longer than us. 

"It is a good feeling when you know your hard work is paying off.

"It is a great achievement to retain the award and a pat on the back to say we may be doing something right.

"We can't thank our customers enough, without them we would not be in this position.

"It has been an absolute rollercoaster from the moment we started. It has been a very difficult journey but moments like this make it all worthwhile.

Café J'adore – which boasts breakfast, brunch and dinner options – only opened its doors in March of last year.

Mr Sakandar outlined why he thinks the restaurant has been so successful in such a short time frame.

"We made sure we went above and beyond for all our customers. I think that is what has given us the edge," he said.

"At Cafe J'adore we believe that providing a service to the customer is very important.

"We don't expect people to just come here and have a meal. We want to create an experience from the moment the customer walks in.

"We want them to come back not just for the food but for the atmosphere we have created here. It is the small details that we focus on."

Television Presenter Cait King hosted the awards ceremony along with Paris Smith, of Made in Chelsea fame, and Olympian Dwain Chambers.

Mr Sakandar added: "It was amazing to rub shoulders with restaurants and chefs you inspire to be.

"It is great to network and pick the brains of these people. It was a really good experience."