IF you had to create a menu that showed the typical fare offered in Burnley’s restaurants in 2016 it would cover the finest food from many parts of the world.

The town has attracted an eclectic band of eateries that range from Lithuanian to Indian and from Italian to good old English.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Probably the newest large restaurant to the town is The Palazzo, which opened last November in the former NatWest Bank building in Grimshaw Street.

A lavish refurbishment of the 19th century Grade II listed building not only created a grand restaurant in the old style fused with the latest modern comforts but also highlighted its architectural strengths like high ceilings and beautiful marble detail.

“It really is a wonderful place!” enthused owner Pino Cafasso.

Lancashire Telegraph:

He has been involved in the catering world all his life. “I was born into it in Napoli,” he laughs. “My parents were already in catering so I was bound to follow them.”

He met and married an English girl and moved to the UK. He then opened The Villa in Clitheroe – another establishment, like The Palazzo, which specialises in the best of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.

Burnley has happily embraced The Palazzo, which can seat around 150 with another 100 accommodated in the bar area, and it has been very busy since opening.

“We’ve put a wood-burning oven in what was the banking hall and that smells just fabulous when you come in,” explained Mr Cafasso.

As a result, pizzas are particularly popular along with a wealth of pasta, risotto and other traditional favourites.

“I feel I am among friends in Burnley - local people seem to have taken to us,” he added.

Another arrival in Burnley town centre is The Loom Makers Bistro where Jill Vernon and Moheb Frueh opened their restaurant in a former industrial unit.

Moheb used to have takeaway eateries and Jill, an English teacher at Nelson and Colne College, joined him after taking redundancy.

The couple saw the two-storey Bank Parade building and decided it would make an ideal restaurant.

A large refurbishment and some months later, they opened The Loom Makers Bistro last September “and it’s been doing really well,” explained Jill.

The restaurant specialises in classic French, Italian and British dishes so along with Lasagne, Pizza and traditional English fare on the menu, expect to see Lamb Navarin and, their best-seller, Beef Bourguignon.

Jill describes the restaurant as “intimate with a relaxed atmosphere” and this is one reason why, she believes, it’s very popular with local females. Another reason might be the large number of mostly Prosecco-based cocktails, like Bellinis and Rossinis that the venue serves.

So, has The Loom Makers Bistro settled well into Burnley’s busy eating out scene?

“Yes, it certainly seems to have,” stated Jill. “We’ve had some really good reviews.

“But we can always do better, and that’s what we’ll be trying for.”

Visitors from Manchester, Liverpool and Blackpool flock to another new addition to the Burnley dining out scene – the Baltic Homeland on St James Street.

This unusual restaurant in the former Garden Bar building offers Lithuanian food and drink.

It is owned by Nejola Karabickaja, who has a 15-year history in the catering industry both in Lithuania and in the UK.

She wanted to launch a showcase restaurant for her native food and Baltic Homeland opened its doors last October. The single story venue seats around 60.

“We have been very busy since opening,” said restaurant spokesman Diana Kvedaraite.

“Lithuanian food is not as spicy as Indian food or as exotic as Chinese but more traditionally tasty like English dishes, although we do use various spices.”

The menu is largely based around meats like chicken, pork and beef, and potatoes, and the restaurant also serves coffees of all kinds and a variety of alcohol.

This includes Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish and Russian spirits, Moldavian wines and Belgian and Latvian beers.

“Baltic Homeland offers something a little different,” added Diana, “and we are getting some very good reviews posted about it, which is lovely.”

Great reviews are also on offer for The Red Lantern restaurant in Bank Parade.

The owner, Raymond Chan, may be new to Burnley but his family has a long history in Manchester’s Chinatown where they opened the famous Charlie Chan’s restaurant way back in 1974.

Now, he is sharing his passion for the best in Chinese food with the local population, and proving an attractive addition to the town centre.

Certainly, he has found the right recipe with an extensive menu and positive reviews extolling its “very welcoming and polite staff”, “great service and the food is beautiful.”

A taste of the Mediterranean is on offer at Continentals in Keirby Walk. Here, Egyptian-born Mr Benjamin Ibrahim opened the restaurant four years ago as an extension of an already popular café.

The 70-seater restaurant specialises in barbecued meats of all kinds, especially chicken; this is something for which local people have a real appetite.

“We serve freshly made food in various dishes from around the Mediterranean – Egyptian, Lebanese, Indian, Greek,” he stated. “People seem to appreciate this, and the fact that we keep the food affordable.”

Visitors from a wide area also flock to the Crow Wood leisure complex set in a 100-acre rural site just a short drive from Burnley town centre.

Three and a half years ago, the established and popular complex opened its Bertrams restaurant as part of the Woodland Spa facility there.

And, as food and beverage director Olivier Foucre explained, this has proved to be a welcome addition to Crow Wood’s own success story.

The 80-seater restaurant is regularly full, at lunchtime and in the evening, to appeal to what he describes as “the typical modern British palate” which includes traditional British dishes with a cross-section of the best of European and Asian cooking.

And, with such culinary gems dotted around Burnley, no wonder dining out in the area is proving such a pleasure.

FOR MORE ON OUR 'BRILLIANT BURNLEY' FEATURE - BUY TODAY'S LANCASHIRE TELEGRAPH...