Akbar's, Bradford, West Yorks

Occasion:                      Dinner

Party Size:                    2

Overall Rating:              *** Average/Good

Date Visited:                 November 2012
Price Per Person:           £10 Main Course

Akbar’s is a chain specialising in South Asian and Classic Indian cuisine, with eateries located throughout the UK from Sheffield to Scotland. In West Yorkshire there are 4 Akbar’s and we visited the Bradford venue located on Leeds Road, which was the very first restaurant they opened back in 1995.

This venue is easy to find on the main street and has the advantage of a private car park directly opposite the restaurant for customers. Obviously Akbar’s is well known in the area so tends to get busy, I would therefore recommend you book a table.

We didn’t book on this occasion but they managed to seat us quickly as we were on a tight schedule to dine before going to the theatre. With this in mind they rallied round, located us in a pleasant booth towards the back of the restaurant and we were immediately served. The staff were accommodating, pleasant and very helpful. The waiters are assigned approx 4 tables each so you get a personable service which is prompt and exceeded our expectations.

The restaurant itself has a good ambience it is modern with dark fixtures and fittings and glass chandeliers and mirrors. Akbar’s is classy yet comfortable with leather seated booths situated across the back and dining tables in the centre. As it’s a busy restaurant there is lots of chatter from the other diners which is good as it means you can relax and natter away with your companion without being self conscious.

Between us we ordered some poppadoms and pickles a beer and a sparkling water. The poppadoms were fresh and as you would expect these were priced at a reasonable £0.65 each and served with a pickle tray at £1.00 that included a mint & yoghurt dip, tomato and onion salsa, a spicier lime chutney and the classic mango chutney. The drink choices were good with the usual selection of beers, spirits and soft drinks available. A small beer cost £3 and a sparkling water £2.

Although we did not order starters there was a good selection and they were reasonably priced between £3-5 and included the usual Pakoras, Onion Bhajis and Tikka through to Shami Kebabs and Calamari. For vegetarians there were 7 choices of vegetarian starters from Pakora’s to Pori and for main courses you would be happy with the 19 vegetarian dishes on offer – pretty impressive.

For our main courses we both ordered a main dish and a side of Pilau rice priced at £1.95, there was a good selection of other sides available ranging from Nan through to Pratta all sides were within the price of £1.50-3.00.

For my main course I had the Chicken & Chilli Balti priced at £7.45 and denoted on the menu as hot & fiery. The curry came in a traditional Balti dish and was well presented and garnished with fresh coriander, chillies and lemon. The consistency was nice and rich and it contained plenty of chicken although I was disappointed in the quality of the meat. The chicken appeared to be off the bone with the majority of the chicken pieces being the dark meat. If I had known (it wasn’t stated on the menu) I would have picked another dish as I prefer chicken breast. I always find it off putting when you order a chicken dish and the meat is brown. As for the sauce I was also disappointed as it was very tangy and acidic. There seemed to lack a depth of flavour and given the consistency I expected it to deliver a better flavour. However, it was hot and nicely spiced as stated.

My partner chose the Rogan Josh priced at £6.95 and this was definitely the better dish of the two. The lamb was plentiful and tender, the consistency was saucy and rich and the depth of flavour was tasty, no complaints on this dish.

Overall my thoughts on the quality and taste of the meal is split 50:50 the Balti wasn’t the best but the Rogan Josh was good, so given the excellent service and relaxed ambience I think it’s only fair to rate Akbar's as "good" as there are more positives than negatives and hopefully the Balti was a one off disappointment!

Akbar’s is an ideal place for a curry if you are in the Bradford area and you want a nice venue with efficient and excellent service. I’d need to revisit again though to be convinced on the standard/quality of food though.

http://www.akbars.co.uk/bradford

The White Swan, Leeds

Occasion:                      Lunch

Party Size:                    3

Overall Rating:              *** Very Good

Date Visited:                 October 2012
Price Per Person:           £6-£10 lunch

The White Swan is a Leeds Brewery pub adjoining the world famous Leeds City Varieties and tucked up an alley off Briggate in the city centre. This place is ideal for those looking for somewhere to relax and enjoy a spot of lunch. If you are shopping in Leeds this would be a great place to take a break. It’s ideal to meet up here with friends as the atmosphere is traditional, relaxed and yet contemporary at the same time.

The venue successfully mixes old and new features with a piano in the corner and origami birds hanging across the bar. It certainly has a relaxed vibe with wood flooring, cream and green walls and the furniture is traditional so expect dark wooden tables and chairs and high stools propped against the walls. The White Swan retains the charm of a local pub whilst at the same time appealing to all with its modern twist.

When I visited here on a weekend it as very busy so expect to have to wait for a table or try to avoid peak times unless you book a table in advance.

The White Swan’s menu is varied but definitely traditional, selling great pub food classics such as Fish and Chips, Burgers, Chilli and Steaks. The starter’s selection is quite limited with 4 or 5 to choose from - expect to pay an average of £4-6 for this course. Main meals are pretty standard in terms of pricing £8-10 and side dishes £3.50. They do a set menu here which would be ideal for those wanting to dine before visiting the variety club next door this is priced at 2 courses for £10.95 or 3 courses for £12.95 (note this is only served between 5pm-8pm)

For those looking for lunch then I recommend the doorstep sandwiches served between 12pm-5pm and priced at £5-6 with various options from a Fish Butty, Roast Beef, Crayfish tails and Hummus to name a few. The portions were generous and the bread was delicious, soft and fresh, sourced locally from an Otley bakery. You get to choose from white or granary bloomer or a soft tortilla wrap and each sandwich is accompanied by a generous helping of hand cut chips and a side salad all of which was cooked perfectly and well presented so no complaints at our table. The menu does change here but it always tends to lean towards the classics which suit most people’s preferences so a good crowd pleaser.

Obviously this is not a restaurant so expect to find a seat and then place your order at the bar. The staff here are friendly and accommodating, efficiently taking our order. The wait on food was reasonable and surprisingly good to say that every table was taken, so very well organised. If you like your traditional beers then you’ll find plenty on offer here with a wide selection of drinks available.

I think this a charming pub that would be a safe place to go with anyone as the menu is varied yet traditional. It’s not pretentious and has a relaxed ambience meaning it’s a great venue to meet up with friends or family where you can actually talk without being drowned out by music.

http://www.whiteswanleeds.co.uk/