Bala Hissar in Bradford - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Lazy slow service and kept on having to ask to bring food and drink out. Starters were nice but mains were pretty poor. Unlikely to come back here in future.

Lovely food and amazing staff, accommodated for us at closing time! Thanks a lot to all staff and chefs for making us feel welcomed. Will definitely visit again

The dish was very bland, dry and the kebabs were undercooked. Looks like the used old oil to fry them in. The place was more or less empty for an evening.

Horrific! Elderly mother, single mother and young boy were clearly made to feel unwanted during their first ever visit to the restaurant. Despite the phenomenally brilliant efforts of the young lady at reception, the manager made it all too obvious that there was no space or want for us to be there. His side comments were loud and unnecessary with an over powering voice from behind the reception from another gentleman stating ‘what can we do not our problem’ when I said it was a long walk back to the car for my elderly mother with a walking stick in the cold and rain because they couldn’t accommodate us despite half of the restaurant being empty! They didn’t want us there. I will forever advocate for people to avoid this place. Such a shame because previously I’d encouraged so many people to visit here even though I had not been myself and now never will ever again.

Food is really good and pure desi tast especially Nihari

The food was amazing and I mean 5 stars the first time I went (when it had just opened) but upon revisiting although still amazing was not as good as before. Easy 4 stars tho.

Decor was great! Food was amazing! And staff were amazing. Would definitely return really enjoyed the experience here! Food was 10/10!

Lovely restaurant. Friendly staff. We when on new years day for my sons Birthday. They looked after us, gave my kids free ice cream and small dessert/cake on the house. Lamb Nihari the best iv ever had. Strongly recommended this place. Will be visiting very soon. Excellent service and food. Keep up the good work.

Beautiful place... decor is amazing!! Lovely service by Hasan.. food was absolutely delicious and definitely recommended this place for a lovely evening out.

Very quiet place for long sitting... Food is amazing

The place looks really nice and clean. The staff was very professional. It was my first time at this restaurant. My friend brought me there. The food was really nice and the price was very affordable. Highly recommended I will go definitely back with my friends.

I went to have breakfast/brunch on a Sunday with my friends, and we called them before we went in as on sundays they shut by 2pm. They were very kind to invite us over nevertheless, saying they did not want to disappoint their clients.. A very kind gesture, thank you!! It was our first time.. I must say the ambience and aesthetic was top notch.. So excited to have such beautiful looking restaurants in Bradford!! We ordered desi breakfast, a teapot and nihari with kulcha naan.. We weren't disappointed!! Probably if I'm not exaggerating, one of the best nihari's ive ever had.. Tho a minor ignorable complain .. We wanted the tea straight away before any of the food was served, instead it was the last item served after asking and reminding them repeatedly 😅. To be fair its quite decently priced too for very fresh and yummy food. The puris, the kulcha, the parantha was spot on! Cant wait to visit again with my husband soon!!

Delicious food Very friendly service Thank you

Beautiful interior, attentive staff and great food from start to finish. Pappadoms fried to order, most of dips from pickle tray made in house including best onion one I've had. Mixed starters platter - incredible kebabs and super tender lamb chops, everything else well executed as well. Their signature shinwari lamb karahi - amazing, you can taste quality meat and it's not overloaded with oil and spices, ask for extra spicy if you like your curry hotter than medium. Unique naan bread, different than in most curry houses.

Excellent food with taste of peshawar.

Food was absolutely amazing, Service was 5 star, Management team was very helpful And any queries were answered,suggestions were made which we were fine by have to thank everyone for making it a memorable evening . Thanks to all involved.

MashaAllah everything was perfect. The starters were just mouth watering and the mains were amazing. Lovely evening and great atmosphere. Thank you for the service. Will definitely be coming in again and recommend you all taste the amazing food. 👌

A beautifully run restaurant. Atmosphere and food are on point. All dishes are Afghan-Pakistan themed. Portions and prices in proportion. Highly recommended. One of my go to places now in Bradford for a quality dine out or takeaway experience

Well? My word! Oh man! + woman of course! Yes having drove past this restaurant so many times seeing it full? I decided gotta have a go! I feel guilty leaving my previous restraunt as they cook so delicious also! But I’m afraid this place “ “ Bala hissar “ has stole my heart and taste buds for ever! The food was really interesting? In that everything had such a spiced and lovely aroma! The herbs / spices etc and everything added were full of flavour and really different to what I’m used too! The names were hard to get my head round on the menu but fortunately the waiter was pleasant and spent time with us explaining the process and ingredients are unique and - the garlic Nan! Oh I could have just ate 2/4 of them alone! I was amazed that I ate everything and somehow could still get up and walk, the pilu rice was so good, I normally add salt! Nope not necessary? In fact it could have taken away the beautiful flavours of this dish, so be aware taste before you add any salt! I could go on and on ! You will not be disappointed! But do book in Advance At weekends inc Sundays ! Talking to another waiter he was saying They even start in a morning with desi breakfast or English with a twist! Can’t wait to try them! And We had such a laugh with him! Well obviously I’m a customer for life! Brilliantly decorated throughout! A lot of attention to detail! Just about warm enough despite the freezing cold outside! Well done to all staff and the chefs, great work !.

We went at 10am on Sunday morning for breakfast. We ordered nihari, chana puri and halwa, and fried eggs. I would highly recommend the nihari and kulcha, really delicious and very generous serving size. The staff weee very friendly and attentive, you could see they truly cared about making your experience positive. This is a hidden gem in the Bradford, Heaton area and more people should visit and try them out. We will be going back for dinner one evening as their dinner menu also looked very good.

A lovely new addition to our already extensive list of places to dine in Bradford. It's a celebration of very good food. We were greeted by the manager who offered us a complimentary cup of tea whilst we waited for the rest of our party to arrive. The food takes a while to cook (which it should because it's made fresh). it was well worth waiting for the rest of the party to arrive and the food - an absolute treat! Fantastic nihari, in fact i would go as far as saying the best i've ever had. Can't wait to return.

10/10 best food in the house 💈 Billubarber💈

Ma'sha'allah amazing, the food was delicious. I dont have one single complaint WOW!

A family atmosphere Great staff And best of all, food is 10/10

Been here a few times in the past. Food was great on many previous occasions but today the food was old and smelly. Such a shame. Won’t be coming back.

It’s such a shame because this could have been such a nice meal out. It’s a nice looking restaurant however the service was abit shocking. We had two children with us and we waited around 50 mins for our starters, primarily because there was a large private booking. It was difficult for the chef/ chefs to manage both this booking and the restaurant orders (it was pretty quite) When the food came out, the chicken for the kids was uncooked so we had to send it back. Flavour was pretty good- above average but service put us off coming again which is such a shame. We did get a discount because it was such a shocker

This rant is for the sole purpose of the Menu Item Spicy Chicken Tikka Boti.. I don't know where to start from the spices they somewhat there but the marination I have never seen anything like it was like super thick doughy/yoghurty texture. Not as described. The picture I have included is to show the thickness in the marinade with very tiny pieces of chicken. I can understand if this was Chicken Malai Boti.. however left today trying to enjoy Naan with Chips.. I certainly won't be returning anytime soon. I would add this was overpriced for basic quality level.

The food was soo delicious and the naan or crunchy i suggest the people to come with their people and taste their food

I absolutely love Bala Hissar brilliant customer service and friendly staff also the food that is provided here is high standard I would definitely recommend this place for anybody who wants to have a great night in with friends and family believe me the staff will make it a night to remember.

Very nice food and service very good staff

Tried Chapli and kebab and Kabuli pulao and both were absolutely amazing. Both items had authentic taste.

10 wings in 1/2 kg shinwari chicken karahi. Must change the name to wings karahi instead. Uncooked meat kebab should be called kacha keema crunch kebab. Staff just laughed when complained and brought complimentary kehva.

We are always looking for the best chicken Karahi and this place definitely delivered. Went there today with husband and 3 kids- we ordered the sharing platter which had a variety of delicious starters- and mains we had chicken karahi which was just right. Portions were good and everything came quick. Service was really good as the staff were really nice and welcoming. Place is a hidden gem and definitely recommend and will come again. Owais was really good and welcoming. Kids loved it. All in all a good experience. Thank you.

I can only think the positive reviews above are by the owners, their friends, and employees. The menu comprises burgers, nuggets, and bland, mostly creamy curries. No self-respecting Punjabi would suffer this travesty of one of the world's greatest cuisines. The sycophancy of the waiting staff merely compounds the abysmal inadequacy of the kitchen. You should avoid this place if you value your palate, stomach, or wellbeing.

Excellent food, great price. Staff are friendly and courteous. My new favourite.

I ate few time in this restaurant and I always had a great culinary experience. It is super tasty, product are of great quality, service is great and the place is very nice. I m very picky with the quality of food and I am never disappointed with Bala Hissar. I highly recommend the place. Also I have my best desi breakfast ever 😋. I leave full and happy 😊 Thank you

Have been waiting to come here since it has opened and we got a chance tonight and we were not disappointed, we had shinwari Karahi, kabule pilau and sharing platter with roghni naan, afghani naan. Food was second to none don't think we have been anywhere else that can beat this yet loved it 10 /10 will definitely go back there again

We ordered their breakfast online. It was amazing! From taste to packing it was all up to the point! Loved the nihari and the prathas. Tasted exactly like food from pakistan❤️

They serve the best authentic Shinwari karahi, however it's not t everyones tastes or liking, so if you're not sure go for the normal karahi or makani karahi curries. Once again the starters were awesome but the kabli pilau and mutton shank were a bit much for some of the younger members of our group. I would recommend the normal sharing platter for those people. The desi breakfast is as close as you will find to a proper desi breakfast with home style paratha's, chana and eggs. You must try the nehari with your breakfast if available. Overall the best and most unique restraunt in Bradford, yes it's a bold statement, but you will understand when you try thier dishes.

The food was tasty, and the staff was good.

One of the best places for Shinwari Karahi with Afgani Nan and Kulchas.

Friendly staff. Excellent service. Beautiful decor. Good for families and friends get together.

I've been here multiple times and always enjoyed my food and experience. 3 people dinning Today was a disgrace. Two portions of Dry Nihari. Returned and told no more Nihari left. Whilst my wife waited for us and didn't eat. Advised could order something on the house. Ordered two portions of Channa Puri , was told would take 2 minutes. Took 20 minutes. 2x desi tea went cold for my mum and my wife. Asked for fresh tea and Instead the young waiter just warmed it up. My orange juice turned to water because it was just sat waiting for food. Elder gentlemen advised he'd sort something out. I wasn't intending to pay for this poor service because I was shocked. Young female host followed me outside like I was a thief and said I can't just leave. Charged me £18 for drinks apparently at a discount. It's not even about money I'll always pay above and beyond when something hits the mark. Hope this £18 goes towards you improving your service. Today was terrible and ruined the morning.

Fantastic family restaurant. Nihari & Chapli Kebabs were the best I’ve had. 5 stars all round

Lovely and delicious food. Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. Would definitely recommend!

Lovely food and brilliant service 👌

A very poor experience at Bala Hissar today. The Nihari served was dry and hard. Followed by a 15 minute to be told that there is no Nihaari left. Therefore, we opted for the Chana Halwa Puri and asked several times before ordering if it was going to be a lengthy wait but was assured it would be a 2 minute wait. however a further 20 minutes passed before the food arrived which left the tea ice cold. when asked if we could be served fresh tea with the meal, it was simply reheated and served. Extremely poor food, slow service and customer service offered today. Will definitely not be going again.

It’s a home away from home ! I can’t recommend this place enough because from ingredients to service, it was top notch.

Ordered the Desi breakfast with Desi tea. The keema and achar combo was lovely. Tea was also surprisingly authentic. Very good quality

The lamb Karahi is excellent. The staff are very friendly and helpful

Starters weren’t on point, chicken karahi made up for it though

Visited Bala Hisaar due to the chef receiving an award recently. I must say I was not impressed. The atmosphere wasn't brilliant. Too quiet for my liking. An atmosphere can be changed if the staff/ manager has more of a personality. Don't get me wrong very polite but too quiet. Not engaging enough. Offered us a free chapali kebab then charged us for it on the bill. I will say I will not be returning here.

our weekend breakfast place. Delicious & mouthwatering food. Desi whichever option breakfast or nihari, both are as good. consistent delivery and it’s not pre-made food, freshly cooked as ordered. Mr. Sharjeel personally comes out and meet & greet the guests. service usually on par but on busy occasions a little slow, could be due to freshly cooking each order.

Wow the food was brilliant, samosa chaat, seek kebab, chaplis (the best), afghani, roghani naan and roti with karah desi chicken and sulemani lamb followed by desi chai. The service was first class. Will be going back as soon as possible

My family had planned a surprise 50th birthday party for my Dad at Bala Hissar on Friday 07 July. The private room upstairs was booked and comfortably seated us - with a guest count of approximately 35. The waiters constantly attended to us and ensured the evening went smoothly. Thank you to Trisha who was at-hand to help with the sparklers that wouldn’t light up for the birthday cake! In terms of the food, it was my first time for both dining at Bala Hissar and trying Peshawari cuisine… and I wasn’t disappointed. We shared the starter platters (consisting of seekh kebabs, mutton chops, chicken pieces, fried fish, chicken wings, chips and salad) and the Kabuli Pilau. The children were given individual cheese burgers. I’m not too certain what the total price came to, yet the menu shows the pricing to be reasonable considering the large portions provided. Overall, I was very happy with the service, food and atmosphere. I will definitely be returning again.

The food was good as a normal restaurant but not any exceptional not any traditional touch and rates are looking higher in comparison with quantity.

Very nice food. I would highly recommend that you try it out. Mash dhaal was very nice

Very nice food. friendly staff .Nice atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Amazing food, excellent service and beautiful themed restaurant - thank you from our group of 35

I would like to share my experience of dining at Bala Hissar today with 10 of my work colleagues. We ordered a range of different dishes and what can I say other than each one of us left very disappointed having had such high hopes from this restaurant. Other than the chapali kebabs and mutton lamb chops, all the other dishes were very mediocre as well as dry including the fish and chicken botis which appeared to be from the night before give the taste and texture. The service was extremely slow and the attitude of one of the waiters was far from satisfactory as I don't think he appreciated the criticisms of the quality of the food. The drinks were below average too..we ordered strawberry daiquiris..had better elsewhere. To finish off we were offered nimboo pani which had wilted black mint leaves in it. The smell of the drink was also unbearable. Sadly, none if us will be returning here.

Amazing food, service and decor, owners and waiting staff extremely attentive. Food was authentic, recommend afghani rice with lamb shank 👌

Drove all the way from Peterborough trust me worst it yummy breakfast nice deco and friendly staff 100% recommend by BIG MOUTH 😄

Food was lovely specially the nihari and kulcha naan. Even they prantha are proper not shop bought ones. My boy loved the 🥞 pancakes. Would defo recommend. Service jus needs to be a little faster. Staff were polite and considerate

Nice ambience great food and courteous staff who updated us about their authentic 5 star 🌟 chefs from original Peshawari restaurants in Pakistan. I have lived and studied in Peshawar . I can testify it is authentic Peshawar cuisine. Unlike many pretend cuisine, the taste aroma and presentation was 5 star 🌟

Really nice food, great service and lovely atmosphere. Will be back again.

Excellent service and mouth watering food. Can't wait to try their desi breakfast next time. Great Ambience and child friendly Resteraunt.

Best food in bradford especially their daal mash. Shinwari karahi is yammi and service is second to none.

I discovered this place only yesterday. Lovely place beautiful decor great atmosphere & food. Great service

A place like no other, best Chapli Kebab I ever had!

The Biryani was real Pakistani taste... love it.

Food Good, service was great , worth a try

Absolutely top restaurant. They were so patient with my children. The service was second to none, food was fresh and delicious. The staff were friendly and smiling with their eyes. The staff made you feel like a guest.

Beautiful Decor, Amazing Service, and Food is definitely tasty and fresh. Chapal Kebabs, Sulemani Lamb and Kabuli Pulao was on point! Definitely would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for quality food and ambiance. Staff is very friendly, helpful and polite. You won’t be disappointed.

Awesome establishment, very beautiful atmosphere for a comfortable dine in experience. Service was top notch. Manager was actively involved to make sure we have a great experience. Food was great, and quickly served. Everyone in our party had great words.

Had a wonderful desi breakfast on Sunday morning. Excellent paratha and desi omelette accompanied by a cup of lightly spiced desi chai.... just perfect. Great service too!

Absolutely delicious breakfast! Came with my siblings didn’t know what to expect but the food did not disappoint at all. Service was fab and the decor and ambiance was perfect. Can’t wait to go again! Keep up the good work guys!

Great decor, attentive customer service, delicious and authentic food.

Hidden gem in Bradford, delicious food, amazing staff and beautiful ambience. Nawazish made the best kulcha nan and the nihari was so authentic, beautifully cooked and presented. Overall really enjoyed it and definitely be going back again. I highly recommend.

Brilliant authentic food, chappal kebabs, Kabuli Palau and nihari were absolute delicious. Excellent customer service, throughly enjoyed it. Thank you..

Nice friendly staff and good service. Food is flavourful, something different from typical indian food. We will be coming back.

A very nice and relaxed atmosphere. Authentic afghani dishes. The staff were friendly and service was on point.

Had a great early evening meal at Bala Hissar. The food offered is not a cuisine we are used to to and our host was able to guide us and his suggestions were excellent. Our food came promptly and each course was piping hot when it arrived. Some of our selections were spicy hot, but not so hot that we couldn't enjoy the flavour of the underlaying meat. Alcohol is not available, but that did not detract from our enjoyment, the food and the service were as good as we have had anywhere and we shall certainly be back soon.

I went to Bala Hissar on Sunday, the staff there were so welcoming and friendly. We didn't book a table in advance and thought I would be waiting for ages but (Arshad) sorry if I got your name wrong sat us down straight away, I travelled from London to come and eat in bala hissar as been recommended by a friend and they didn't disappoint. Food was amazing specially the chapli kebab ,shinwari karahi and the mocktails rocked. Arshad was the best server we could have and he recommended all the amazing dishes 👌 we would for sure come back and eat in Bala Hissar.

Wonderful hidden gem! Visited this place twice and wasn't left disappointed. Food was all freshly cooked to perfection and lovely staff. Was served by Arshad and Asghar and both made it a nice dining experience.

I ordered Chapli kebab, they were freshly made, really tast, made of all lamb meat and priced low. I used to go to khyber kebab in Oldham, but now Bala Hissar would be my go-to place for Chapli Kebabs. I previously had Lamb Karahi, which was nice too....if you like traditional, ask for desi style.

Good atmosphere, brilliant staff and delicious food. I would like to go back. 5 star ⭐️

Amazing food! I’ve become put off with food from out but these lots food were amazing and fresh! Fully would recommend

Opened my roza today here and wow the service and food fantastic place to visit in Bradford a must go, service food and everything spot on can’t beat it

Excellent Iftar with my very close friend. The restaurant is really sweet and lovely from inside. Food was very good and loved the way they organised the iftar food! It was packed in small boxes or came on a platter and you can help yourself. Will definitely be going back Insha allah after Ramadan to try their normal menu. Special mention to the staff who made the experience excellent- Arshad was fantastic, and so was Aneel. Would definitely recommend it to family and friends.

I had an amazing time with the family. Both the food and service exceeded our expectations especially with our server Brother Ashad. We will definitely be coming back another time.

Came with my friends for iftar the food was excellent 10/10 had the starting platter that was awesome. The main dish was chicken and lamb that was banging. we was served by Arshad he was really nice and looked after us well service was excellent and thanks to the chef's hats off really nice food thanks keep up the good work

Visited yesterday for iftari menu and was very delicious . The portions were huge and food was so tasty cooked to perfection. The staff were all very attentative and friendly . Thank you for a great experience, we will be back after ramadhan for more !!

The whiff you get by driving past this place just drags you inside! Food was 110% was served by Ash! Really polite and respectfull. Family oriented and it was really nice experience! Ordered Desi kharahi, fried Daal, Nimbu lemon water,

Excellent service by Arshad Food is amazing consistently !!! Best curries I’ve had forever

it was such a great experience as we have been in Bala Hissar for dinner , really an Amazing restaurant. The food the staff and ambiance and the setting especially the beautiful decore evething was just perfect, balanced flavours and perfectly cooked, genuinely tastier food than so many halal restaurant, it was all tasty and fresh especially the chapli kabab we really enjoyed it, OH MY GOD "Mandi" was awesome the meat was so tender and the rice were delicious, shinwari karahi i never eat karahi elsewhere with so much tender meat and so fresh too, i never write reviews on any resturant websites but this time i can't resist myself to pen down about BALA HISSAR, definitely recommend it.

Girls night out party of 8. . Left at the table for a good 20 mins without anyone coming to take our order. When we finally ordered the waitress came with 3 glasses and the drinks. Asked for more glasses and eventually got more. The food took so long. Our order came out earlier than my friends’ order so half the table ate while the other half looked on. We asked for knives and forks and were given 1 fork and 1 knife to share between 8. Waited for another long time before the plates were cleared and the main meal was served minus 1 dish. She apologised and said the chicken would come shortly. Half hour later we had eaten our mains and the naans were cold and still no dish. Finally the waiter came and brought our dish but it was the wrong one. So he went back and brought our chicken dish 10 mins later. Not cooked thoroughly. All in all the starters were nearly warm and not as advertised. The main dishes were ok. The service was awful. Looking around it seemed that other patrons were in the same boat. The fact that the owner was sat eating with his friends on the next table didn’t seem to make a difference to the service.

Girls night out party of 8. . Left at the table for a good 20 mins without anyone coming to take our order. When we finally ordered the waitress came with 3 glasses and the drinks. Asked for more glasses and eventually got more. The food took so long. Our order came out earlier than my friends’ order so half the table ate while the other half looked on. We asked for knives and forks and were given 1 fork and 1 knife to share between 8. Waited for another long time before the plates were cleared and the main meal was served minus 1 dish. She apologised and said the chicken would come shortly. Half hour later we had eaten our mains and the naans were cold and still no dish. Finally the waiter came and brought our dish but it was the wrong one. So he went back and brought our chicken dish 10 mins later. Not cooked thoroughly. All in all the starters were nearly warm and not as advertised. The main dishes were ok. The service was awful. Looking around it seemed that other patrons were in the same boat. The fact that the owner was sat eating with his friends on the next table didn’t seem to make a difference to the service.

We ordered samosa chat , cheese chicken boti . Chat was good. The kabuli pulao and sulemani karhai was amazing. The cheese chicken boti was not up to the mark. Definitely going again for pulao and karhai

I ordered my usual chappal kebabs with naan off Uber eats. They were just as delicious as they are when I eat in. Best kebabs in Bradford! They take you back to Pakistan. You can’t fault most of the food from Bala Hissar and unlike most places their food doesn’t repeat on you nor make you feel bloated. Also love the rice and lamb shank, not forgetting the breakfast and Nihari.. something for everyone, it never gets boring!

This place is a little hidden gem. I can’t fault the service or the food. Chapli Kebabs are delicious, as is the Kabuli pilau and Shinwari. An absolute must try for Afghani cuisine lovers 👌🏼👌🏼