Bradford is fortunate to have within the district a vast number of restaurants serving food from across the world.

If, every time you ate out, you opted for food from a different nation, it would take a year or more to exhaust all the possibilities. For Bradfordians, and visitors from outside the district, eating out is a truly global experience.

Throughout 2007 Play has featured chef's cooking food to suit every taste. Today we look back at a selection from home and away.

Early in the year we spoke to Samantha Howcroft, of Wells Café in Wells Road, Ilkley, whose boast is good food, not messed about with.' Predominantly traditional English, the menu includes Cumberland sausage and mash and corned beef and onion potato cake.

Also well-known for good, wholesome British grub, head chef Jennifer Butler delights diners with old favourites including fish and chips and Timothy Taylor ale steak and kidney pie at the Brown Cow next to the River Aire at Ireland Bridge, Bingley.

Next, we travel to Italy, and Mediterraneo, in Saltaire Road, Shipley, where head chef Marco Qilafi cooks up a range of what he describes as "lovely Italian food, made with good, fresh ingredients."

Then east, back to Bradford and up Manchester Road for another helping of the flavours of Italy. Sicilian Salvo Cina wows diners at Zio's with traditional fare including lasagne, cannelloni, tortellini and a range of pizzas. "The meals are classic Italian - made with fresh ingredients, full of goodness and flavour," says the head chef.

Floyd Bell told us how living in the Caribbean influenced his cooking. He occasionally includes Caribbean dishes on the menu at The Connection Bar and Restaurant in Westgate, Shipley, where he mainly rustles up New York-influenced American/Italian dishes with names like Staten Island sizzler.

French fare has a place on the menu at Canalside restaurant in Waterside, Skipton, where head chef Daniel O'Donnell - whose famous name sparks many a comment from diners - creates modern French/English dishes using mainly locally-sourced ingredients.

The Christmas period menu features salmon en croute, crushed baby potatoes and a prawn and leek beurre blanc.

Over the moors to Silsden, and Christopher Stewart has brought a European flavour to the village. As well as Continental breads which he bakes on the premises at Café 55 in Kirkgate, he serves Continental meats and cheeses.

It's a veritable mix at Salts Diner in the grand setting of Salts Mill, Saltaire, where imaginatively- conceived dishes include Mexican chilli beef and Greek chicken salad. Head chef Jon Greenwood previously worked in Israel and Australia, and travelled through South-East Asia sampling foods. "The experience definitely influenced my cooking," he says.

Eddie Curley and his team cater for guests from all over the world at Bradford's Novotel off the M606. "The menu is testament to that," he says, pointing out options including English, French, Greek and Thai, available in the hotel's Garden Brasserie restaurant.

Again, there's a global feel at Craiglands Hotel in its picturesque setting in the shadow of Ilkley's Cow & Calf Rocks, where head chef Paul Marshall's extensive menu features traditional English - including locally-sourced pork, leek and tomato sausages - Mediterranean, and Far Eastern cuisine. Choices include salmon fillet marinated in Thai spices and served on a noodle and coconut broth.

Those looking for a complete Thai experience need to head for Bradford city centre where diners can grab a taste of the Orient at Chino Thai in Centenary Square. Here, Buppha Tongtae not only cooks a range of dishes from Thailand and China, but is responsible for the wonderful decorative fruit carvings regularly on display.

And, last but by no means least in our festive round-up comes Punjab-born Iftikhar Hussain, head chef at Kebabeesh in New Line, Greengates. His Asian dishes, including korma, balti and jalfrezi, have attracted a steady stream of regulars to the restaurant, where he as worked since arriving in the UK almost 30 years ago.

It would have been great to include all the chefs and restaurant managers we have featured over the past 12 months. Unfortunately, there isn't room. These are the tip of the iceberg - and a very large iceberg it is. Foodies in Bradford are lucky to have so much variety on their doorsteps.