Manchester’s relationship with Indian food runs deeper than most cities outside the subcontinent. The Curry Mile on Wilmslow Road in Rusholme has been feeding the city since the 1950s, but the scene has spread far beyond one street. From Michelin-quality cooking on King Street to no-frills canteens in the Northern Quarter, this is a city that takes its Indian food seriously.
The Curry Mile Classics
1. Yadgar — Rusholme
Yadgar has been on the Curry Mile longer than most of its neighbours and the food has never dropped. Pakistani cooking done with zero shortcuts. The karahi dishes are made in front of you — proper heavy-bottomed pans, gas on full, spices that fill the entire room. The lamb karahi is the one. Bring your own alcohol, they do not have a licence, and nobody cares.
Price: £8–15 per dish. Order: Lamb karahi, fresh naan. BYO: Yes.
2. Al-Faisal — Rusholme
Al-Faisal does two things: tandoori chicken and naan bread. Both are exceptional. The chicken is marinated overnight, cooked in a clay tandoor, and served with a salad and naan for less than a tenner. The queue on a Friday night tells you everything. There are no starters, no desserts, no messing about. Just brilliant chicken and bread.
Price: £6–9. Order: Half tandoori chicken with naan. BYO: Yes.
3. Kabana — Rusholme
Kabana is the Curry Mile’s late-night institution. Open until the early hours, it catches the post-club crowd alongside families and taxi drivers. The seekh kebabs from the tandoor are smoky and perfectly spiced. The tikka is good. The naan is fresh. And at 2am after four pints, this is the best food in the world. It just is.
Price: £7–12. Order: Seekh kebab platter. Late night: Open until 3–4am.
City Centre
4. Dishoom — King Street
Dishoom is a Bombay-style cafe chain that could have been rubbish and instead turned out to be genuinely brilliant. The Manchester branch on King Street is beautiful — art deco interior modelled on the old Irani cafes of 1960s Bombay. The bacon naan roll at breakfast is a life-changing experience. The black daal has been slow-cooked for 24 hours. The house chai is made properly.
Price: £10–20 per dish. Order: Bacon naan roll (breakfast), black daal, chicken ruby. Tip: The breakfast is worth queuing for. Walk-ins only before 11:30am.
5. Asha’s — Peter Street
Fine dining Indian food in a glamorous Peter Street setting. Asha’s is named after Indian singer Asha Bhosle and the cooking reflects her Maharashtrian heritage. The menu goes beyond the standards — the dal Asha (their signature black lentil dish) is rich and deeply flavoured. The tandoori prawns are fat, properly marinated, and cooked to perfection. It is not cheap but it is special.
Price: £18–30 per dish. Order: Dal Asha, tandoori prawns. Vibe: Dress up slightly.
6. Bundobust — Piccadilly
Indian street food and craft beer. Bundobust is one of the best ideas anyone has had for a restaurant in Manchester. Small plates of Gujarati vegetarian food paired with a rotating craft beer menu. The vada pav (spiced potato in a bun) is three quid and better than most things you will eat anywhere at any price. The okra fries are addictive. No bookings, no fuss, just queue and eat.
Price: £3–7 per dish. Order: Vada pav, okra fries, bundo chaat. Beer: Excellent craft selection.
7. Indian Tiffin Room — First Street
Thali trays and street food in a smart First Street setting. The thali is the move here — a metal tray with multiple small dishes, rice, bread, and chutneys. It is a proper meal that gives you a bit of everything. The vegetarian thali is as good as the meat versions. The cocktails are Indian-inspired and genuinely well made, which is not always the case at restaurants trying to be clever.
Price: £12–18 for a thali. Order: The signature thali, mango lassi. Vibe: Modern, good for groups.
8. This & That — Northern Quarter
A Manchester institution. This and That on Soap Street serves rice and three — literally rice with three curry toppings of your choice — for about six quid. The curries change daily and they are all homemade. The room is tiny, the queues are real, and the food is some of the best-value Indian cooking in the country. Every Mancunian has a This and That story. If you do not, you have not been here long enough.
Price: £5–7. Order: Rice and three, pick whatever looks good. Tip: Go at noon to beat the lunch rush.
South Manchester
9. Mughli — Rusholme
Mughli sits on the Curry Mile but operates at a different level to most of its neighbours. Charcoal-grilled street food, small plates, and a drinks menu that actually thinks about pairing. The sheekh kebab is grilled over charcoal and has a smokiness that tandoor-only places cannot replicate. The space is modern and well-designed. This is the Curry Mile for people who want something a bit more considered.
Price: £10–18 per dish. Order: Charcoal sheekh kebab, paneer tikka. Vibe: Modern Curry Mile.
10. Sangam — Sale
A family-run South Indian restaurant in Sale that has been quietly turning out some of the best dosas in Greater Manchester for years. The masala dosa is enormous, crispy, and filled with spiced potato. The sambar is fresh and properly sour. If you only know North Indian food, Sangam will change your perspective entirely.
Price: £8–14. Order: Masala dosa, sambar, coconut chutney. Tip: Worth the trip to Sale.
11. Bombay to Mumbai — Chorlton
Chorlton’s neighbourhood Indian that punches well above its weight. The kitchen does a mix of classic curries and more interesting regional dishes. The lamb rogan josh is a benchmark version. The specials board is where the real cooking happens — ask what is on and trust the waiter. BYO with a small corkage charge, which keeps the bill sensible.
Price: £10–16. Order: Whatever the special is. BYO: Yes, small corkage.
Northern Quarter & Ancoats
12. Mowgli — Corn Exchange
Indian street food in the Corn Exchange. Mowgli serves small plates designed for sharing and the concept works brilliantly. The chat bombs (crispy semolina shells filled with yoghurt and tamarind) are two bites of perfection. The curry leaf chips are one of those things you cannot stop eating. The space is fun and colourful. Good for a group, good for a date, good for a Tuesday when you cannot be bothered to cook.
Price: £5–9 per dish, order 3–4 each. Order: Chat bombs, temple daal, yoghurt chat. Vibe: Sharing plates, fun.
13. Zouk — Chester Street
Zouk does Pakistani and North Indian food with a modern edge. The mixed grill from the tandoor is the thing most tables order and it is a showstopper — lamb chops, seekh kebab, chicken tikka, all properly charred and smoky. The Sunday buffet is popular and good value. The space is large and works well for big groups or celebrations.
Price: £12–22. Order: Mixed grill platter, lamb chops. Tip: The Sunday buffet is good value at around £15.
14. Sanskruti — Withington
Vegetarian and vegan Indian food in Withington. Sanskruti is a proper South Indian and Gujarati restaurant that does not compromise because there is no meat. The paneer dishes are rich, the vegetable curries have depth, and the street food starters are genuinely exciting. Manchester has plenty of Indian restaurants but very few that do vegetarian this well.
Price: £8–14. Order: Paneer tikka masala, pani puri. Vibe: Neighbourhood .
15. Tattu — Spinningfields
Tattu is not strictly Indian — it is Chinese-inspired — but the pan-Asian menu includes some dishes with Indian influence and the experience deserves a mention. The space is one of the most dramatic in Manchester: cherry blossoms, dark wood, a central tree installation. The dim sum and sharing plates are excellent. It is a place for occasions.
Price: £20–40 per head. Order: The sharing menu for the full experience. Vibe: Dramatic, dress well.
The Verdict
Manchester’s Indian food scene is one of its greatest strengths. The Curry Mile still delivers if you know where to go — Yadgar and Mughli are the standouts. In the city centre, Dishoom and Bundobust have earned their reputations. And This and That remains the most Manchester thing about Manchester: unpretentious, generous, brilliant, and about six quid. No other city in the UK does Indian food with this range, at this quality, at these prices.
