Saltaire Restaurant Guide

“Hockneys in view” as you dine are the most famous attraction of this noisy but atmospheric venue: a large, post-industrial space in the UNESCO-listed Salts Mill complex, open from breakfast on for a coffee or fuller meal (Saltburger, Caesar salad, etc).

“Still going strong after 20 years” [er, make that 43, Ed], this Kashmiri chain has long since conquered the north, with a catering division and a dozen-odd branches across Yorkshire; on the menu, “good value” and “reliably authentic cooking” in “large portions” (downstairs serves the full menu, upstairs is a carvery beloved for its buffet).

“What a (pleasant) shock! A good modern British restaurant in my home town of Bratfud!” – Ian Johnson and son-in-law (and chef) Paul Huddleston’s bistro sits on the banks of the Leeds & Liverpool canal, and wins strong praise last year for its “precise, at times witty, dishes with well sourced ingredients, helpful, informative service… and we were even able to bring our dog! Marvellous”. “Prices are pretty reasonable for this quality of cooking, and the wine list has a lot of reasonably priced bottles too: highly recommended!”

This Kashmiri institution started life 40 years back as a street stall but nowadays is a proper brand with its own line in ready meals. The secret of their success? “They have a magic formula and it’s all to do with the herbs and spices they use to produce such excellent dishes”.

“The food is superb” at the “always full” flagship of Shabir Hussain’s northern curry house group. “If you like a buzzy setting with ‘all human life’ bustling around – this is for you”.

This “bright and welcoming” branch of the legendary Yorkshire tearoom empire, which has just celebrated its centenary, has a real sense of style. Breakfast is almost as popular as afternoon tea, and “to have their full English with Swiss rosti (a nod to Swiss founder Frederick Belmont) is a very special treat”.

Joel Monkman’s “fusion-esque flavours” from a selection of ‘eclectic, British seasonal plates’ win consistently high approval ratings for this stylishly decorated, December 2018 two-year-old.

“A family-run Italian restaurant, with authentic food” – at a “beautiful location on a weir of the River Wharfe” – Alessandro and Sofia Elena’s converted paper mill wins consistently good ratings after 21 years in business. “Sitting by the water on a sunny summer day could not be bettered” – and it helps that “the owners are always there”.