 | |  | | | Akbar's Restaurant Manchester - reader comments |  "A group of 15 of us went to Akbar's for a friend's birthday. We were pre-booked and got sat down pretty quickly. The place was packed at 6:30, and was very loud. We ordered our meals efficiently, and opted to share the Family Naan (£3.95) and Pilau Rice (£1.95) between such a large group. However, my girlfriend and I decided to share the King Prawn Special (£9.95) and the Chicken Tikka Masala (£8.45).
We received our meals quickly, despite how busy the restaurant was. The Chicken Tikka Masala was very salty. The prawn dish was OK, but the prawns were overdone. The Naan breads were massive, but very bready and not as soft as the better naans you can find around the city. The pilau rice was more like fried rice, no subtle spiced, steamed flavour. Just grease and salt.
My biggest qualm was with the staff. They hovered around the table, taking plates away as soon as the food had left them and, what seemed like, watching us eat. This treatment wasn't the most comfortable when you're trying to have a good time!
The curry was average, but the service was so intense it has made me not want to go to Akbar's again." - bill mclocklan, manchester - TRUSTED REVIEWER (24/9/09 - visited on a saturday evening) |
| "Living in a place like Hull, where a mix of onion, tomatoes and spices is called curry, I was glad to be in Manchester and try something authentic for a change. Having been to the Curry Mile a while back, I thought I'd give Akbar's a try. I entered the reastaurant, which was absolutely buzzing. I was given a calling device and asked to wait for 20-25 minutes for a table. There were a few others waiting as well and given that it was Sunday night, it was comforting that it is probably the curry house of choice in the area.
The buzzer goes off and I enter the dining hall. First impression, cramped! Looked like every possible space had been used up to put tables and chairs. Couldn't help but notice three smallish round tables on a stage. Not the place I would want to sit if I'm looking to dine with the Mrs, I thought. Certainly not the place for a romantic dinner with diners facing the dining hall and sat higher up as well.
Drinks please? Poppadums please? Yes thank you! The chutneys come in and the green one is awesome! Never had anything like that. Popaddums were warm as well which is hard to get in a busy restaurant.
I try to look at the menu while munching on the poppadums. I say try because the menu is, well, weird! One double sided A4 sheet which has been laminated. Could double up as a table mat as well. Can't say much about the content as I struggled to read most of it given its printed on black paper which somehow doesn't work too well when sitting in a dark corner of a dark reastaurant. It wasnt quite the best menu I have ever laid my eyes on in terms of presentation and layout.
I ordered a Chicken Pakorra as starter. And for the Main please? Recommend me something. I am dying to eat something authentic. Try Karahi Gosht. Ok! Please make it Apna style. No problems! And the wait begins.
The Chicken Pakorra comes. The starter plate is quite big with loads of salad. Not bad! One look at the pakorra and I knew something was wrong. It just did not look fresh. You could just see that the outer shell was old and had possibly been fried at least a couple of times. One bite and it's confirmed. I was told by someone that everything gets prepared at Bradford and then shipped off to other Akbar's restaurants. Not sure if this is true but, if so, maybe the Chicken Pakorra delivery van got stuck in traffic or something. Not the best start to the night. Oh well, there's always the main.
The main comes and it looks fantastic! The dark colour of the dish evidencing the richness of spices and hopefully the flavour. Now that's what I was looking for! Lets dig in! First bite and my dreams are shattered. There's no taste! No feel! It's got nothing. So much for Apna style! The only taste I got for the entire duration was of green chillies which had been mixed in to make it hot. No red chillis, no turmeric powder and not much of anything else either. The colour certainly got me going but might well have been food colouring.
The restaurant is starting to empty now and waiters are starting to disappear. One comes around to clean a table, I ask for the bill. He goes away and doesn't come back. Finally I get another one to see me after waving my arms for a good 30 seconds. He comes over, I ask for the bill again. He clears the table and goes away. The bill arrives with the hot towel and mint. I take out my debit card, a couple of quid for the staff and I wait for someone to return. Time goes by. I put the 2 quid back in my pocket and take the bill to the counter and pay it myself.
The saving grace was the bill, which at £15.50 was very reasonable. But then again, my company was paying for the meal so I would have happily had something more expensive which didn't disappoint.
I walk out wondering what's the hype all about? But then again, there are a couple of things to consider. Firstly, I asked for an authentic dish which wasn't great. Obviously they do something right to attract so much custom so I'm guessing it's the British versions of Indian food they are very good at. Secondly, maybe my expectation level was too high. At least I can now say I've tried Akbar's!" - rafay iqbal, hull - NEWN MEMBER (23/9/09 - visited on a sunday evening) |
| | "What's so good about Akbars is that you see every creed, colour and race all eating together which is a fantastic compliment to the Manchester spirit. On my last visit, I saw a group of about 10 teenage Asian girls all out for a good meal and chat, which says everything about Akbars for me - brilliant!" - dave b, adlington 26/1/09 (visited on a thursday evening) |
| | "The food was fantastic however I was not impressed with the service! I felt rushed and ignored, it was like being at a busy market. The waiter was wandering around doing nothing for quite a while and it took him 30 minutes to bring the wine menu when all we wanted (and asked for) was the house wine, then another 20 mins to bring the wine with no glasses! Wouldn't knock the food, it was the best Indian food I have ever had. however I would be more likely to use the takeaway service. It's also not nice that you are called for your table via a microphone across the sound system. We might have just had a rubbish waiter as my friends have been and had a brilliant time." - stacey, manchester 27/11/08 (visited on a sunday evening) |
| | "Went at 5.30pm on a Saturday evening before the theatre. Was quiet at first but soon filled up with all sorts of customers. Service was extremely quick with everything delivered promptly. Only complaint is that we felt a bit rushed at the end with the table being cleaned even as we stood up to leave." - david scott, macclesfield 22/11/08 (visited on a saturday evening) |
| | "Went out with friends and, as we don't drink, we had planned to spend time in the restaurant chatting and taking our time, as we had not planned to go anywhere else, but we were out in just over 1 hour as we were rushed by the staff. The bill arrived when we had not even asked for it so we paid and left, good food but felt like the customer is treated as a number." - mia, manchester, cheshire 22/11/08 (visited on a friday evening) |
| | "'Table for 6? Yes sir, will be about 25 mins'. The place was buzzing, chaotic even, once seated though we were not rushed. The waiter was polite and had time for us, it seemed as though we were the only people there. Although the menu is not extensive there were some dishes we had not seen before. The meals we chose were well presented, hot and freshly served. I would recommend a visit. Worth the waiting. One slight moan, only one choice of lager and thats bottled. Overall a very pleasant experience." - david armitage, hartford, cheshire 15/11/08 (visited on a saturday evening) |
| | "Me, my partner and a few friends went here on a Saturday night which I imagine is prime time. When we were told that the wait was an hour we almost left because we had trains to catch. Almost instantly the manager showed his face and showed us to a table, they really took care of us. The waiter was excellent and made a point of remembering our names and orders which is a nice touch. The restaurant was very busy but didn't feel crowded which is an excellent way to judge the service. As for the food, simply sublime. This was my first visit to the restaurant and I was shocked at how good everything was, especially considering the price which was spot on! We have been recommending this place to our friends since and are going this Saturday, I can't wait! I love Indian food and Akbar's does the nation's favourite food the credit it deserves. We had an excellent night." - anthony blyth, bolton 31/10/08 (visited on a saturday evening) |
| | "I've visited several times. The food is always great but we were there to celebrate an 18th and all the family felt very rushed. Empty plates were quickly removed when other members of the party were still eating. We did not get chance to really sit and enjoy the restaurant but we will go back." - julie scott, manchester 21/10/08 (visited on a tuesday evening) |
| "Its about time I got round to writing a review of Akbars. We visit quite regularly, which in itself speaks volumes as we usually like to try new places, but then we love our curries, and this is without a doubt the preferred location for having one.
Almost a couple of years ago, we went to York, and ended up eating in a really nice curry house. At the end of the meal, we looked at each other, after one of the best curries we'd ever had and said 'Shame this place isnt in Manchester eh?'. As you've probably already guessed, this York curry house was called Akbars, and we were more than happy to find out that they did indeed have a branch at home, and that somehow, we hadn't noticed! Theres a few all over Yorkshire in fact.
Upon entry, regardless of which night you visit, but particularly over a weekend, the entrance more resembles a busy bar or hotel check in lobby, than a restaurant. They dont accept bookings, and the queues are usually very long indeed, hence the vast seating area where you can get a drink or two while you wait for your table to be called over the tannoy. Don't roll up at 8pm and expect to be seated for 8:15, as it just won't happen.
The decor is very modern, a little dark, but very smart, with good use of lighting and subtle background music. I suspect that they have kitted all their restaurants out the same, as all the ones Ive seen have been similar in theme.
When you do get a table, you're in for a treat of a curry. The food is generally and consistently top notch, and I've had very few exceptions to this. Service and presentation are as casual as in any curry house, but the waiters tend to be a little better dressed and more polite than the norm. Also, it's not uncommon for the chefs to bring dishes to the table, which can be a nice touch. Im still undecided about the naan breads which are presented on hangers though, but I guess it saves table space right?
Prices are the next bit of good news. Poppadoms, a starter, a main and a pint, will cost no more than £20, which is fantastic for the quality and quantity on offer.
The menu is still on the whole, very 'British Indian', and contains all the regulars, but there's also an array of different dishes, aswell as more traditional Asian meals. It's about time that somebody went down this line, as for years, every curry house in the country seemingly used the same menus.
Whenever mates visit Manchester, they always want to see the curry mile, so I oblige as it's their choice, and is an experience. I do however, advise them that the food is better elsewhere, and this restaurant is without a doubt the cream of city centre curry houses, and definitely in the top 5 best that Ive ever been to. Theres nothing posh about it, its still very casual, down to earth, has bargain prices, but the food is what speaks volumes.
I guess I've got to find something that I dont like about this place? Well, other than the massive queues to get in, this isn't really a moan, just a fact, but it's a very busy, and consequentely quite rowdy place. But then this is a curry house, so what do you expect? Part of me prefers an Indian to be busy and a tad rowdy, as it just wouldn't feel Indian otherwise. I've eaten at gourmet Indians down in London, and whilst they were technically outstanding, I don't know why, but fine dining and Indian just dont seem to go together, the same goes for Chinese, or anything that isn't European in origin to be honest. I cant explain it, but perhaps that's just the roots of the cuisine?
If you've not been to Akbars, make it your next meal out. If you have been, then go again, as I'm sure you will anyway." - Chris Handley, Salford 8/8/08 (visited on a friday evening) |
| | "overall a great experience. We had to wait about 30 minutes but this did not seem long as we grabbed a drink and sat in the lounge at the front of the restaurant. All very efficient and the waiter asked if everything was ok halfway through the meal - doesn't happen often." - Jim Chadwick, Manchester 2/6/08 (visited on a thursday evening) |
| "Akbar's plush restaurant in Castlefield, opposite the Science & Industry Museum, is deservedly one of the busiest establishments in town. From the day their doors opened, 2 years ago, it has been packed every night - largely with very smartly dressed Asian families probably already aware of the brand's legendary status in Bradford. Unfortunately, they don't take reservations so expect to wait around the comfortable bar area before being escorted to your table in the huge yet lavish dining room. The service is extremely friendly with a designated waiter taking time to get to know you and help you through the menu. Prices are fantastically cheap (curries ranging from £4.95 to £11.95) whilst the food, delivered to your table by one of the chefs, is amazing with a good choice of Baltis, Desi-apna style dishes, Lahori style dishes, specialties and old school classics. Having spoken to many other Indian restaurateurs in town, they all talk about Akbar's with jealous admiration. The Naan Breads are so huge they hide anybody sat opposite you and are served on the metal stands that Gordon Ramsay hates with a passion. Maybe he should pay Akbar's a visit to see how people are not turned off by such servings. We receive more reviews for Akbar's than any other restaurant in town and there's a common theme that we agree wholeheartedly with - this is certainly one of the best restaurants in Manchester and if you love a curry, you can't get much better in the UK!" - Restaurants Of Manchester 20/5/08 (visited on a Monday evening) |
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