Classic British dishes with cultural twists in an ever-changing menu
Cafe Patisserie on Bakerend Road is a charming little eatery where diners can sit by an open fire whilst enjoying the finest delicacies in BD3.
Started up seven years ago by Sajid Ilyas -who wanted a place where he could eat the same high-standard of curries that his mum made at home – the establishment has become one of the best places to eat in Bradford.
Although curries do feature on the menu, Cafe Patisserie offers a whole lot more for the discerning diner.
Sajid said: “Whenever I’ve gone out, I noticed menus are often restricted to vegetarian and fish. I noticed there was a gap in the market for English, traditional food.”
A hot favourite is the traditional English breakfast, with eggs yolks so yellow they literally bring the sunshine inside.
“We also do paninis, sandwiches, quiche… they’re all homemade. In the evening we do steaks; ribeye and sirloin. Sometimes we’ll even cook venison – meats that are difficult to get hold of when halal.
“Everything’s cooked up fresh in-house. We do traditional pies and a huge range of cakes and desserts.”
Their menu is varied and everything looks delicious. It’s hard to pick what to try out.
In the end, the Asian Express team opted for watercress and lettuce soup followed by the Romana Chicken with spicy Lyonnais potatoes, salad and roasted vegetables – finished with a creamy garlic Romana sauce that was simply to die for.
Rounding off the meal was a portion of gorgeous French toast, covered in lashings of chocolate sauce and sprinkled with colourful marshmallows. It was comfort food at its best.
Thanks to the Grade II listed surroundings, a roaring fire and the added cosy aesthetics of bookshelf wallpaper, we experienced a moment of magical dining.
“We change our menu two to three times a year,” Sajid added. “Truth be known, it’s more of a reflection of where we’ve travelled that year. We’ve got a lot of Middle Eastern food going on at the minute – like lamb tagine.
“Cafe Patisserie tries to keep the menu focused on traditional English but at least a third of it is ever-changing and adds a twist to the proceedings.
“This year we focused on Oriental dishes like noodles and stirfrys.
“This place used to be a pub. It was closed for a number of years. When we came here we gutted it and renovated it all. It now looks modern and funky.
“Opening this place was the best thing we have ever done,” Sajid smiled. It is no doubt that the residents of Bradford and beyond would agree.
