Keighley Restaurant Guide

Seemingly “sailing on unperturbed by changes in ownership and chef” – Adam Frontal has owned it only since 2022 and Aussie chef Brayden Davies was appointed in early 2024 – this ‘Gavroche of the North’ inspires ratings in line with its historical performance, and one regular notes that “if anything, it seems to be harder to get a table these days: I‘ve tried a couple of times recently without success”. Located in one of the town’s oldest buildings, it has operated as a restaurant since 1962 and – unlike the cooking – the interior is very “traditional” if with some updating that’s not universally popular (“It might seem a bit fuddy-duddy to moan about tablecloths, but in such an old-fashioned environment, polished table tops seem out of place”). Foodwise, though, it’s ever-more “contemporary” and there’s a feeling that recent innovations are for the better (“new chef, new tasting menu, very much to our taste”). “As well as the inevitable hike in prices, the style seems to have changed, with only one main course (but served in 2 or 3 parts)”. Service is generally “good and knowledgeable”, particularly from sommelier Didier Da Costa (who has been in post since 2009). Top Menu Tip – “the traditional Box Tree soufflé for dessert is still superb”.

This “elegant” hotel dining room (FKA The Burlington) in a “beautiful Daleside setting” at the Duke of Devonshire’s country getaway is a bright and relatively relaxed – given the poshness of the surroundings – spot overlooking the gardens and wider Bolton Abbey Estate. Chefs have come and gone over the years (including notables Michael Wignall and Peter Howarth), as have the Michelin stars, but for “as good a Full English as you can enjoy”, fancy afternoon tea or their new summer seafood tasting menu, there’s much to like – and “staff are happy to show the open-plan cellar” that fuels their “very extensive wine list”. The premises also hold a more informal brasserie and bar.

“Whether it’s a quiet meal for two or a large family celebration, it’s always a treat” to eat at this Bradford institution, which has grown over 45 years from a tiny Kashmiri shop into a vast restaurant accommodating 500 guests. Founder Mumtaz Khan based his original menu on his mother’s recipes, and has entertained guests including the late Queen. He now has a branch in Leeds, a national brand of ready meals and a halal baby food brand with global sales.

“Lovely surroundings and great traditional food” have won a large fan club for this well-known former mill, which has ‘only’ been a pub since 1890. “Nestled in a valley in West Yorkshire, it caters to those wanting something a little extra-special and those loving traditional Yorkshire value” with “elevated pub cooking”. It’s a particular favourite for those who stay the night.

This “buzzy, busy” subcontinental started out here as a tiny 28-seater, but its waistline has expanded over the years in sync with what is now a ten-strong national chain (the most recent offshoot of which, opened in early 2024, is the flagship of Blackburn’s £50m Cultural Quarter). The “seriously yummy food” (“always cheers us up!”) features epic naans, baltis and a special section of old-school classics; if you can’t get enough of it, try the ‘Chef’s Challenges’: the quantitative ‘For the Big Man’ and qualitative ‘For the Brave’ (you face a plate ‘hotter than a dragon’s breath’). Breaking news… RIP the founder of the chain, Shabir Hussain, who passed away aged 56 in October 2024.

“Truly innovative tapas” (from crab and miso chips, to pulled pork gyoza with apple and gochujang mayo) has won a loyal band of followers for Mark Kemp’s “beautiful” converted pub, which, even half a decade on, is “so consistently good” (and excellent value to boot). Even though they’ve extended the opening from Wednesday to Sunday, the venue remains distinctly oversubscribed (“I really shouldn’t be posting this because it‘s always hard to get a table!”).

This “Headingley institution” has provided good-quality pasta, pizza and Sicilian specialities for almost 50 years. John & Gip Dammone were both awarded MBEs last summer, having spent their entire working lives at the restaurant their father Salvatore founded in 1976. They sold up in 2023, and the new owners are not making big changes.

“How lucky are the good folk of Fence and thereabouts to have such a wonderful restaurant on their doorstep – a go-to when in this neck of the woods”. Fans say chef Tom Parker offers “possibly the best-value Michelin Star food in the country”, served in a proper pub from a nine-course menu (in the evenings) for £85 per person.

Launched in February 2024, this welcoming, unpretentious bistro in Horsforth is the work of Yorkshire-born chef Sandy Jarvis, returning after a successful decade at kitchens in London. Low-intervention wines are also a major focus, as his partner and co-founder Clement Cousin grew up on a biodynamic vineyard in the Loire Valley, and his family’s wines are on the list. Early feedback in our annual diners’ poll suggests it’s doing an excellent all-round job as a superior local bistro (but its early PR coup of being declared the best local restaurant in the UK by The Good Food Guide may be over-egging matters a bit).

Just like its much-loved Epsom elder sibling (est. 2016), this spin-off from chefs Nand Kishor & Sanjay Gour has quickly raced to the top of the Trip Advisor ranks, with an offering that includes a five-course tasting menu, alongside weekend thali brunches. It hasn’t yet elicited the same reams of feedback as the original in our annual diners’ poll however, but reports are encouraging, if well below the full-on raves of its cousin ‘darn sarf’.