Saimah's in Bradford

Great food, staff efficient and friendly and perfect for 'before show' food and drink

Great curry 😋 it was a Thursday, so understandably a little quiet.

Highly recommend to eat in - lovely food

the food was absolutely amazing! made mine and my boyfriends night, staff were so lovely and it was very calm and quiet

Great food a in cosy setting. Very good value for money.

Been coming to this restaurant since the late ’00s. Even though it’s changed owners a couple of times since, the service has always been top drawer, with friendly waiting staff and a lovely intimate eating atmosphere. The food quality exquisite with a varied menu, not to mention great value for money. Best curry house in Ilkley!

Best curry in the area, and has been since it was Seemas. Food doesnt disappoint (except for the chips which always seem greasy and soggy :( ) and is the best balti around.

Rang and booked a table for the following evening and I was told by a friendly gentleman no problem. Rang again an hour later to ask if we could have a certain table and I was told fine and we discussed exactly which table we preferred. On the following evening, as my husband is disabled, I arrived 10 mins early and the restaurant was open but empty. I was told we had no booking at all. The man was quite unfriendly, didn’t seem concerned we had driven quite a way to get there - just said it wasn’t in the book. He said we didn’t have a booking because the table was already booked by a larger party and he couldn’t fit us in. Eventually he grudgingly said he might be able to find another table but there was no apology, no empathy, no friendliness whatsoever. I didn’t like his manner as he didn’t seem to care at all - so we didn’t stay and I’m afraid we shall not be returning. We went to a restaurant nearby, which was excellent. It was their loss because we were actually trying it out as we were hoping to book a birthday party of 9 in the coming weeks.

Takeaways from here have gone downhill. Had a takeaway yesterday evening (24/08/23) yet again the food was cold,overcooked and extremely greasy. Have been having takeaways from here for years, but over the last six months, the quality of the food as gone downhill. Won't be using it again. Very disappointing

Rude staff, dirty table even after it was wiped. This activity had to be requested even though it was obvious and was conducted with a dry paper towel, not really good enough, sticky glass rings remained on table from previous guests. The food, without question was the worst of its kind, I have eaten this type of food all over the world. Stale poppadoms (reheats) dark ghee sauce on a Dansak which was thick and tasted old. Poor quality chicken chunks better suited for feeding a cat, some cat lovers would probably wish for better. In short, if you really don't care and will accept rubbish and poor standards this is the place for you.

Great value for excellent meal. Well looked after by Folik

Best curry house in ilkley! Try the Wednesday and Sunday deal Highly recommend

Truly Not Sure What Has Happened To This Restaurant... Restaurant Empty On A Saturday Evening...No Customer Service..Food Highly Disappointing...Greasy, Over Cooked. We Have Been To This Restaurant At least 7 Times..And Usually Very Good. And When We Complained, They Told My Husband He Was A Nothing.. They Didn't Charge Us...But Highly Rude. We Won't Be Returning...There Is Too Much Competition Locally.

Called in this small restaurant Sunday night to see if there was a table for 4. It was very busy with one table in the window spare. Lovely atmosphere, great service ,great food and very reasonable. Definitely recommend.

This is a wonderful little curry house in Ilkley where food is of a high, consistent quality. The staff are wonderful and always warm and welcoming. My husband and I have eaten in the restaurant on multiple occasions and always enjoy it. We will return time and time again.

Delicious meal, and extremely good value. Dropped in on a Sunday, and they do a very good 4-course meal for £11.95 which is a bit of a steal! We started with poppadoms and dips, and we then were able to choose our starters, main and sides. The onion bhajis and tandoori chicken were tasty light. We enjoyed the sizzling king prawn to follow as well as a lamb dish, plus naan and pilau rice. Service was quick and the staff were friendly.

One word - EXCELLENT!! Great service, great food and great prices , thank you for making us welcome, we will be back next time we are in the area!!

A great local place that has plenty of variety from across India and Bangladesh

Fantastic night out with friends. The food we all had was really good. Staff were very friendly, polite and patient. Only thing is the menu is too extensive so choosing what to have was difficult. But don't let that put you off as they cater for all tastes.

If you can't say anything good then don't say anything at all they say. I say the service is awful, food not much better and will be taking my money elsewhere.

Me and a friend went for the 4 course special (Wednesday and Sunday). The food was delicious and excellent value. The service was very good and all the staff were very friendly.

Possibly the best food in Ilkley. Not tasted food as fresh in 11 years of living in Ilkley

I really don't know how this place has such a high score. Food: C- (at best) Customer Service: E There's lots of better places about than here.

Delivered takeaway took an hour to arrive - they were busy on a Friday night. Ordered Special Karahi with lamb, chicken and king prawn £10.95 but ended up with something that featured big on cauliflower - Special Vegetable Bhuna (£7.50) so definitely overcharged. However, it was very nice indeed as were all the other dishes. Thought about it and rang to complain (just a little)! 30 minutes later, chap arrives with a fiver and apology (and exchanged the torn £10 note I had been given in change previously for a clean one)!! So, verdict? Really nice people doing their best to provide a great service. Food was excellent (perhaps I need to eat more vegetarian stuff anyway)! If you're in the Ilkley area, give it a try. I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone. They are very popular, so maybe book earlier.

Amazing staff food service good prices

Saimah;s had become our regular monthly haunt for a curry and drink post winter cricket nets, a minimum of 10 of us have attended each month . The food has always been a of a reasonable standard and service is generally good. Sadly, tonight is the last time we will go as a group as the restaurant got the bill wrong and over charged us. We challenged the bill and were told we were wrong, when we explained the error the wait staff went away for a while and then said that the boss had told them that if we didn't pay for the mischarged round of drinks, then it would be deducted from their wages. Emotional blackmail at it;s best. We all agreed to pay the enhanced rate, but we will never again darken their door.

Rip off merchants. They add drinks to your bill that you didn't order. Manager didn't even have the guts to front up to this. AVOID!!!

Saimah;s had become our regular monthly haunt for a curry and drink post winter cricket nets, a minimum of 10 of us have attended each month . The food has always been a of a reasonable standard and service is generally good. Sadly, tonight is the last time we will go as a group as the restaurant got the bill wrong and over charged us. We challenged the bill and were told we were wrong, when we explained the error the wait staff went away for a while and then said that the boss had told them that if we didn't pay for the mischarged round of drinks, then it would be deducted from their wages. Emotional blackmail at it;s best. We all agreed to pay the enhanced rate, but we will never again darken their door.

Hilarious. The funniest curry I've ever had. On entering the restaurant, the staff, visibly annoyed by our arrival, seemed as if they wanted to but could not credibly refuse our entry. This was partly due to us doing nothing wrong, but mainly because of the amount of free tables we could clearly see. Superb comic expressions on their faces of which the likes of Laurel and Hardy would be proud. A great start. My friends were all hungry, excited and looking forward to a big curry. I on the other hand, only a couple of hours prior had managed to sink a pretty hefty 3 meat roast. I told this to the waiter, explaining that because I wasn't particularly hungry I would only have a starter. The waiter, with impeccable deadpan comic timing, made it very clear that the only option was to have an £11 four course meal. In spite of this, I attempted to order what I wanted - a shared starter for 2. He said that I was not allowed to have this because I would not be able to eat all of it, telling me that "this is too much food" and insisting once again that I have a full four course meal. I tried to tell him that a £7 shared starter, although being for 2 people, must surely still be smaller than a full four courses. I also pointed out that £7 is cheaper than the £11 four course offer. A mastered look of confusion and incomprehension followed as the waiter contorted his face to quizzically scowl at me. I knew I was beaten. I would not be able to outperform this masterclass. After being told a 2 person starter was too much food, I was obliged to order 3 unwanted courses. It was nice though. The best novelty curry experience I've ever had. Another member of our party attempted to order a Chicken Tikka Massala on the grounds that he was slightly drunk and so wanted something uncultured and anglicised. When the food arrived he was presented with a Chicken Saag. Realising there must have been some sort of mistake, he politely explained that he did not order this food, expecting the usual restaurant protocol of the correct meal being apologetically brought out slightly delayed. Not here. Not this pro! Instead, the waiter informed him that the Chicken Saag was in fact a much better order than what he had ordered anyway, so he should just have it. My friend politely tried to ask again for the meal he ordered. But despite the menu praising the Chicken Tikka Massala as "the UK's best & most popular dish", the waiter continued to incredulously retort "but this is better", bewilderedly pointing at the Chicken Saag, unable to comprehend the notion that someone would prefer to have what they ordered, rather than what he personally preferred. As with myself, my friend knows when he is beaten. Realising his only option was to extend this impenetrable pantomime farce to a slower yet still inevitable defeat, he obliged and began eating the Chicken Saag. Only a professional comedian would have a chance. Another absolute masterclass from the waiter. Not content with a 2-0 victory, the waiter, now on a hattrick, came back 5 minutes later with yet more comedy gold. In the middle of eating his randomly allocated curry, my friend was interrupted to be informed that the curry he hadn't ordered but was forced to accept was not only better than what he wanted, but also healthier. The waiter, as if making the assumption that the only possible explanation for someone ordering a Chicken Tikka Massala must be some sort of error and that they must not actually know what it is, explained to my friend that a Chicken Tikka Massala contains lots of sugar and cream. Then with impeccable comic timing once again, he pointed towards the visibly oily Chicken Saag, championing its health benefits. Another member of our party ordered a Lamb Karahi which was unexpectedly accompanied by a huge jug of yogurt. A hilarious prop. The toilet blew me away. It was like entering a different dimension. It was both inside and outside simultaneously and was one of the largest vibe shifts I've experienced in West Yorkshire. A laugh a minute, would recommend to anyone. Fantastic.

Fantastic. Extensive menu and just the best garlic naan, super light, buttery and delicious. From start to finish a culinary delight and a superb deal on a Sunday evening, popular for a very good reason.

Horrible place and service. They did not get basics right. I booked table for 3 day before the visit the restaurant. When we visited the restaurant it was full and the staff / manager very rude saying that no table for us come back in1hour later. I mentioned i have booked table for this time but he keeps saying that no table come back in1 hour and pushed us out of the restaurant. I tried to explain that I telephoned yesterday and booked a table and his apply was we did not receive a phone call from me so I was trying to show my phone record on my phone but he pushed us outside of the restaurant. I don't understand how they carry on business like this I am sure there are other people treated as bad as us. If anyone has same experience as I am please put up the post.

Another fantastic visit, staff where attentive and helpful. The main meal recommendation was fantastic and the Sunday meal deal is unbelievable value. They never skimp on quality and it was great to see the staff back with a smile and the service as good as it has ever been. An intimate venue with a great atmosphere

Food was nice. They should work on their services

Attended this place to collect takeaway recently only to be disappointed by the quality of the product i.e the mix starter was poor to say the least , the Tikka was hard. The kebab was hard and crumbly what there was of it! The curries ,one looked like slop,and had little taste? the other was hot and oily. This was a pleasant establishment when I last visited but things have changed for the worst on this experience. I presume that standards and quality of food greatly improve when one dines in and that this only applies to take outs?

Given wrong order even after relaying what I ordered back to me, drove from Bolton Abbey to collect. Friendly, talkative and welcoming staff, they did offer to bring to us what we ordered, we declined due to how late in the evening it was.

Best curry I have ever had. Nawabi.. either chicken or lamb. The only place I have found that sells this truly remarkable Curry, and I have had a few curries in my time up and down the country.

Felt like home, staff were excellent and glad to be back. Whilst very busy the staff were very accommodating. Food was excellent as always, highly recommend the Chat starter and my partner loved the Punjabi curry. The IPA they sell is awesome, Malabar, well worth a try. Great food, great price, great staff and great atmosphere. Don’t forget to book or you may be disappointed

Always excellent food friendly good service highly recommend

We went out for a family meal of 5 adults and had super night. Great food , lovely atmosphere and great value and friendly staff, thank you Peter

I ordered the fish masala and I can confirm it was one of the best tasting curry’s I’ve had in a long time. In addition, the service was top notch - friendly, quick plus attentive. Overall a fantastic experience!

Great food, excellent service.

The Web site said OPEN it was shut Tuesday 3rd May 2022 most disappointed....

Absolutely gutted. I have been here throughout covid. Chose to eat here regularly on a Sunday. Then tonight walk in without a booking and then treatment was awful. No connection, no communication just a finger point of one hour. Given that we chose to attend during lockdown and keep a small business going I was hurt and gob smacked. We walked home and won’t be back again.

Cosy restaurant with very helpful staff, and the food was just amazing!!

Lovely staff, excellent food and service.Highly recommend

Stunning! Great venue, service and food - without question I will return here and therefore I recommend Saimahs 😁 Big thanks to everyone who cooked and served me 👍

Absolutely fabulous, lovely staff & wonderful, delicate, light, & delicious food.

I’m so sorry but the food was not very nice :( staff were lovely and delivery was on time but the Korma was very watery and not very flavoursome. The onion bajjis were very dry and again - not very flavoursome:( I don’t think we would be ordering again at this moment in time but maybe in the future, if things improve.

Following the previous 1 star review, it could have been worse - they could have been waiting for two hours inside. We had booked for 7.30pm and it was nearly 2 hours before we got our main course, due to the chef/boss making takeaways a priority over sit in diners, so we just watched a procession of takeaways and waited and waited. Yes, on reflection we should have got up and left, but we'd already had starters and at the time you keep thinking surely it will be us next. I'm sure that the takeaways are generating more income, but surely at the cost of poor service and reputation - it can’t be that difficult to prioritise take away orders around sit in bookings? Whatever the reason, make your mind up where your business priorities are and inform booking customers of the potential wait so that they have the choice of going elsewhere. The meals themselves were mediocre and we all left quite bit. The head waiter/manager did his best and apologised many times for the chef/boss, but clearly, he was a frustrated as we were, as he really seemed to take pride in his job, but couldn’t carry it out effectively as the decisions were made above him. It all got a bit embarrassing. Whilst the wait was reflected in the bill, it didn’t compensate for what was a special occasion with visiting family, but thanks at least to the head waiter for at least doing what he could to remedy a bad experience. It’s fair to say that we won’t be going back - there are plenty of other Indian restaurants in Ilkley.

I ordered a takeaway and was told it would be ready in 45 minutes. I arrived on time and my payment was taken immediately. I then had to wait for another 50 minutes for the food. They wouldn’t even tell me how much longer it was gojng to be. I’ll never go back.

I arrived on time to pick up a takeaway and then had to wait almost an hour. It was the longest I’ve ever waited for a takeaway. The eat in customers were all waiting forever as well.

Best curry I've had in ages... don't usually post anything but I'm making an exception in this case.... asked for it Asian style and they delivered fantastic meal

A gem of a curry house, beloved by me and my friends. Seemahs never disappoints. Be sure to order some pops n picks!

We last ate here over 15 years ago on a visit to Ilkley so we called in on Wednesday evening as we were staying in the town again. Very warm welcome and given a table straight away although we hadn't booked. They had a special offer on which we took advantage of, my test of a good Indian meal is lamb balti and this was one of the best I've had. The lamb was tender, melt in the mouth with lovely thick sauce, delicious. Lovely light, fluffy nan bread and tasty fried rice. Even without the offer, the prices were very reasonable. Perfect end to our stay, thank you Saimah's.

A real hidden gem, often overlooked in a quiet backwater of town. Unpretentious, genuine, authentic homely Indian restaurant. Freshly sourced & prepared food, outstanding service from very personable waiters who enjoy chatting to customers on a personal level. A clean, cosy & welcoming establishment. Seema's/Saimah's restaurant is highly recommended.

A real hidden gem, often overlooked in a quiet backwater of town. Unpretentious, genuine, authentic homely Indian restaurant. Freshly sourced & prepared food, outstanding service from very personable waiters who enjoy chatting to customers on a personal level. A clean, cosy & welcoming establishment. Seema's/Saimah's restaurant is highly recommended.

We went there for our anniversary. I love a curry but my wife can't eat anything spicy. Seema's use a separate oil for their English dishes so we can both enjoy a meal there, rather than going for Italian, Chinese etc. Afghani style chicken (one of the Chef's Specials) was recommended and indeed was absolutely delicious! Service was swift with accommodation to pause between courses. The evening was made particularly special by our meal being paid for over the phone anonymously, followed by a complimentary drink from the restaurant. Can't recommend Seema's enough.

Me and my wife went for a curry here after reading reviews and were delighted we did ,staff so friendly and welcoming, the curry dishes my wife and I had were both absolutely delicious (and spicy like we asked for) and the prices were good too,

Excellent value for money on a Wednesday nights.

Buon indiano, senza infamia e senza lode. Prezzi buoni.

Another great meal. Recommend the Haddock Punjabi.

Great curries with lots of spice! Friendly staff and always deliver on time.

when we arrived there were 7 people waiting in the restaurant nothing to protect staff or us from COVID. After 30 minutes waiting we asked how long and we will cancel they told us 15 minutes!!! They completely forgot about our order did not explain to us what was happening and we were the last people waiting in the restaurant after being told we were second... they claimed they said 50 minutes on the phone and that it was ready and cooked but it was not?? All we got in return was a free bottle of wine we would’ve wanted our money back they said they would make it up to us next time.... there will not be a next time. They took too many orders and didn’t tell people realistic times. Absolute joke will not be coming back.

Eat in, take out - it is all fabulous tasting food complemented by some wonderful front of house staff - life would be poorer without this great eatery!

Been coming to this for takeaway and meals In for years , never had a bad meal, amazing curry and lovely staff, never been disappointed, really really reccomend

As always we received a lovely warm welcome and were quickly seated and attended to. The service was timely and polite and our meal simply fantastic and delicious. Would definitely recommend!

Best food good quality good on PRICE.. very clean and tidy place..

Staff was rude, and pushy for us to leave before we even sat down

Four of us attended on a rainy, miserable Monday evening. The staff were most welcoming and helpful in menu selection. Superb meal. We have been before and will definitely be coming again.

Despite undertaking a slight name change from Seemas to Saimah's, some parts of the takeaway service still need to be honed to perfection.I can't fault the food because it is on point, as is the friendly staff. However, on the last 5 ocassions that I have placed a takeaway order as soon as Saimah's is open, and requested it be ready at least an hour after placing the order, I have had to wait at least a minimum of 15-20 mins.The staff have apologised and cited the delay as being due to being busy. However if I've placed my order an hour in advance, and have been waiting to collect, whilst a couple have been seated, ordered and served their meal whilst I still wait for mine.Also on 3 ocassions, food that has been ordered, has not been prepared, yet paid for, and I've had to note that in my phone to ensure if I order again, I get what was missing for free. I Have also had to return because of missing food.The worst part is ordering meals for two and one order you will get 2 bags of decent salad, letruce, onion, cucumber and tomato, 2 chilli sauces, 2 Raithia (all without paying) n the next time, you get one tiny bag of lettuce and a single piece of tomato and 1 Raithia (which I don't eat)You have to ensure consistency with the free sundries and also checking the takeaway orders before they leave the kitchen.It feels that staff regard and prioritise the dine in customers over the takeaway customers which is wrong.I did after a recommendation place an order at a restaurant in Shipley and this restaurant is almost 10 miles away, yet the order was ready exactly for the time stated, yet Saimah's is a mile away and never has my food ready on time.If you wish to takeaway, never arrive on time, as I was 20 mins late on purpose for my recent collection and was still waiting another 10!Always check your order, not that you should have to, because that is down to the staff and if you get home amd aomething is missing amd call them, they apologise and ask you to come collect the missing item!

Outstanding, amazing, unbelievably consistent. Service is great, the staff are fantastic. Literally can’t rate this place any higher. *Drops the mic, jumps in car to go to Saimah’s and eat...

Visited here with out friends at the start of our walk along the Dales Way and were not disappointed. Lovely well balanced flavours across all our dishes, just the right amount of heat and great depth of spices.Really friendly but not overly obtrusive service and a good range of dishes on offer.All in all a great evening and I would say we would definitely be back but as we live up in the North East sadly that’s not very likely.

Food is fantastic , staff are very nice and not too long a wait, all at a very reasonable price, the Sunday and Wednesday offer is a steal

Services was perfect loved the food defo coming back can’t ask for anything better.My kids loved it too.

This is the best Bengali restaurant i have ever been to. The food was fabulous, lots of choice and the staff were very helpful in deciding what to have. Prices were average but the food was fantastic. There are no desserts offered here, but to be honest you dont need them. Only down side is that its a long way from home. Would highly recommend this restaurant

We were staying with friends and decided to take them out for a meal. The food was delicious, and a reasonable price. There was a wide choice, even for vegetarians. Well worth visiting.

We had a thoroughly tasty meal. The staff were attentive, helpful and more generous than we have ever experienced! We will definitely be coming back with friends and family. Thank you for a very lovely evening.

Because it was local and the staff were very pleasant. The food was very tasty and filling There was great variety and the prices were reasonable. I really enjoyed it and would go back again, the next time I visit Ilkley.

Very enjoyable food and service. Can rely on Seema's

good service, but would not take cards.very suspicious when this happens.I pointed out we should be told prior to ordering.

Amazing food and such warm welcoming staff

Food was delicious and the service was amazing, one of the waiter has an amazing tash and was so lovely too. Thank u

Best curry I've had for a very long time, will definitely go back!

As to your complaint that the food was Vail we are disappointed that you dint let us know at the time of when you were eating your meal if you had said to us that you wasn't happy with the food we would have given you a replacement or something different we take pride in our food and the quality of the food served we do apologise and hope we can make your food experience better next time

Went to saimahs after a while. Food was vile but i must say the service was amazing. What the hell has happend to the food. All i can say is gutted. Atleast the last owner or name of buisness knew how to cook. Never again.!

Every time we come to Saimah’s it gets better. Fantastic service, the staff are amazing. They are always very friendly and welcoming. My mother in law loves the curry which was recommended to her.

As a big group we were very well accommodated. The staff were very helpful and advised us on what to order and the food was excellent and I could fault it!

Great meal at Saimah’s tonight - the Jaipur Spice takes some beating. You always get a warm friendly welcome from the team and the service is attentive without being intrusive . I’ll be back!

Imaginative and great tasting food, warm and welcoming, and excellent service make this a lovely place to spend some time dining.

I have been visiting Saimah's for many years and have always found the service provided by the friendly staff to be really good. And the food never disappoints either.

We always have the best service at this restaurant. Ahad is the best and is always full of recommendations or willing to help you adapt dishes. Friendly service all around :)

Discovered this gem after moving to ilkley. Great veggie options, fresh tasting and not greasy. If it’s not on the menu, Ahad and his colleagues are very knowledgable and can suggest or create a dish to your liking. We are moving to Hebden Bridge next week and will still return here on a regular basis. Cant recommend enough

It's been a while since we've been to Saimahs...the name has changed but still the staff there are excellent and very friendly.If you like fish and lamb dishes they are especially delicious and great Tarka daal too.Booking on a weekend is a good idea.

Since the change the food is as good as always but service has gone down due to not having enough staff for the restaurant. Its a small intimate place but due to the popularity of it's takeaway and delivery service there aren't enough staff to give the previously excellent service in the restaurant. We will continue to support Saimahs but please can we have more staff to go with the excellent food.

Great food. Good service. Reasonable price

Thanks in particular to Ahad who was chatty and informative about the food. We had a lovely, low key evening

Booked for a 6pm table. The restaurant cosy and welcoming and the staff are very friendly. We opted for the Weds menu deal. Popadoms and pickles, any starter( up to £3.20) and any main excluding seafood and lamb which is £2 extra) - excellent value. We had Onion bhaji and paneer tikka for starters followed by chicken handi and garlic chilli chicken. This was served with a naan bread and pilau rice.The food was delicious with good size portions. Drinks are reasonably priced and the service is exceptional. Would recommend booking a table as people were being turned away as fully booked.

We’ve eaten here for years and never once had anything less than stellar service. The food is always delicious, a combination of classic dishes executed perfectly and exciting, unusual and local meals available.

Called in at Saimah's on spur of the moment. Warm welcome - literally, it was freezing outside. Helpful staff - I arranged to have a dish that wasn't on the menu. My wife was pleased with the mild dishes on offer while I had a happy medium. All very reasonably priced. Recommended.

1st visit nice food .Very reasonable price.staff nice.onion Baha’i and salad fresh.Curry could have been slightly hot in temperature might be because I like food red hot