Mumtaz - Bradford

In 1979, a tiny family-run café run began turning heads on the Bradford dining scene. Three decades, an extensive renovation and a new restaurant in Leeds later, and you'll be hard-pushed to find anyone in the Bradford or Leeds area who hasn't heard of Mumtaz. Indeed, the restaurants' reputation reaches beyond the locale - many well-known names from across the UK have dined at the Mumtaz restaurants, including David Cameron and even Her Majesty The Queen, who said of her dining experience: 'The food was beautiful and the atmosphere was delightful.'

This justly celebrated restaurant has flourished, grown and changed. However, although it may be considerably larger, more elegantly designed and now have an additional branch in Leeds, at its heart Mumtaz is still the same as it was 34 years ago, and the Kashmiri dishes remain true to the family's original recipes. Upholding the culinary traditions of the past, while continuing to evolve and innovate, is the secret to Mumtaz's continued success. Mumtaz has also created a popular range of ready meals, sundries, sauces, salad dressings, marinades, lassi and halal baby food, which are stocked in supermarkets and exported to 37 different countries.

The Bradford restaurant seats up to 500 diners, and boasts a conference suite, delicatessens and a takeaway service, and offers catering services for weddings and other functions. A second restaurant - which won the Hungry House 'Restaurant of the Year' award in 2011 - was opened on Clarence Dock in Leeds in 2009 and offers an elegant dining experience and wonderful views across the water. Those who have parked at the Clarence Dock NCP car park will have their ticket paid for when they dine at Mumtaz.

The menu features Indian favourites, exciting new dishes and Kashmiri classics. Perhaps begin with keema pratha - chappatti with spicy minced meat and fresh coriander. Next, try one of the novel main courses - perhaps the karahi chicken masala desi, comprising chicken cooked on the bone with fresh tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and spices, and paya, a traditional slow-cooked dish of lamb trotters. Mumtaz was one of the first to bring mango and strawberry lassi, a delicious yoghurt-based drink, to the UK, so don't leave without ordering a glass. Mumtaz is world-class and has certainly won our seal of approval