Akbar's in Manchester

Great food great service. Very tasty. Will be heading back there very soon. Naan breads are some of the best around. Great value.

Food was nice, quick wait time, nice decor and atmosphere. Only issue we had was the staff when we first entered. This was a family meal and as we knew it was busy, we called beforehand to book a table, my husband had proof of this call on his phone log and i was present myself when he made the phonecall. When we arrived, they refused that we'd booked a table and Tasha was really impolite about it, even after we showed proof. Her manners went completely out of the window as she was rude and abrupt and it was really unnecessary. The rest of our experience was lovely but it didn't start off great due to the customer service.

Very very disappointed,smelly seekh kebabs 100% rotten meat, Never ever go there,

The dining experience was enjoyable. However, the cleanliness of the establishment was not up to par. The atmosphere was uncomfortable due to the lack of proper ventilation and the absence of air conditioning or fans. Furthermore, the waiter attempted to add unwanted items to our order, which was inconvenient. Additionally, the excessive noise level from other guests was disruptive and created an unpleasant environment. It was not a peaceful dining experience.

We gave treat to mum but Very very bad family experience in Akbar,first hair was in pickle tray,when I called the waiter,he smiled and brought two papadams,we were surprised instead of saying sorry he was smiling. We ordered lamb Karahi,seekh kabab and chicken nimbali.. As soon as seekh kabab came,the rotten meat smell was everywhere,when we smell closely,OMG it was disgusting, I called the manager and he said I will take the money out from total,no sorry nothing,I was shocked,all of our family trip with my 80 years old mum was ruined,instead of enjoying we were all gaging and disappointed, The waiter came and said madam you did a good job to complain,the seekh kababs are actually not in a condition of eating etc. I called the manager to tell him everything he said madam I will give you 10% off this and that. I told him it’s not about money,you shouldn’t do such the things. I am very disappointed with their service,I will never ever go their.

Good god! Since last July been on 3 birthday meals here, last night being last one - each time we’ve been overcharged for extra meals that we didn’t have - and blatant rudeness from staff when this was pointed out! Then November another birthday , I had a staff member kneel down beside my seat and snatched payment from my hand £20 after £20 without giving me chance to count out, then threw £20 back on my knee as he got up and left - I vowed never to go back, Last night another birthday,(not my choice) could have booked a holiday with the bill! There were 6 Rogan josh and only 1 ordered and eaten, 3 butter chicken, only 1 ordered and eaten - other various things added to bill we certainly did not order! We were spoke down to by staff when we were going to bar for our drinks, they didn’t like this - our booking was for 6 clock we weren’t served until after 9 where they have obv thought a few people on our table wouldn’t dispute the bill - absolute shocking service and shocking daylight robbery with extras on reciept nobody had and this has happened last 3 times Iv been there - never again considering contacting trading standards - stay away folks

I’ve been coming here for as long as I remember and the starters are still the best of an Indian/Pakistani restaurant anywhere in the UK, it’s got such a good reputation for it that you’re best off getting them as your mains too The curry mains are a bit watered down compared to the Bradford branch, probably due to the demographic being more mixed here compared to the large South Asian demand there, and the fact it serves Alcohol (major downside) - It can get very loud at peak times otherwise the atmosphere is near perfect. Staff always provide good service Being a Halal restaurant with majority Muslim staff, the tiny prayer room is a disappointment as its a closet that fits 2 people - which I’d appreciate if they actually prioritised and expanded

Food was mixed. The chapli kebab and lamb chops were great. Our chicken curries were yummy too. Service was quick However Sheek Kebab , Egg Rice and Palak Paneer were not great. And they do not serve salad or dressing with the starters . Just some lettuce and brown onions. No lemon or any other greens. Naan was unique, came in a family big size hanging, their signature. It was very noisy and to make it worse loud music which was not clear anyways. So didn’t understand why the loud music. We had booked earlier but still had to wait for 20 mins to be seated. Worth doing a takeaway if you know what exactly to order. Not an eat in option especially with family or for a relaxing evening.

Wow, paid £43 between me and my Mrs and we were full to the brim (for context we eat a lot)…Had enough leftovers to take away as well! Food was authentic and tasty, service was good - they brought us fruits at the start to break our fast in Ramadan as well. 5 stars all around

"Full of flavour and spice, reasonable prices, great service & atmosphere.Tasty food, helpful and kind staff, comfy interior.

I’ve tried the food here in Akbars couple times and it is absolutely delicious! Every dish we tried was bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection. Highly recommend the king prawn tikka balti and the lamb chops. If you’re a foodie like me, you’ll love this place! The menu has a fantastic selection of dishes, and we loved everything we tried. Also the customer service is 10/10. Ask for Zain such a top lad he was also really helpful.

Lovely experience 😍😍I mean waoo the place is so awesome and the services there are really really good beyond my imagination.I'll surely visit this place again.

BEST LAMB CHOPS in town!!! Excelent efficient service, good portions and great value. Loved the chocolate dessert as well - will be back soon.

Went on a busy weekend, service was spot on and food was amazing. Would recommend the lamb chops, masala fish and the butter chicken. Was just too busy and hectic to give 5 stars for the atmosphere but besides that everything was perfect.

Akbar's is ok, it's not my favourite place to go for a curry but it's not the worst either. The starters are decent, especially the meat chops but I find the curries inconsistent and either a little bland or they taste hot. It's always extremely busy, so booking I'd say is essential. When we arrived the front of house team did seem quite stressed. Akbar's will never be my choice for a curry but I won't say no if others want to go there.

We booked a table for 6pm for iftar (to open our fast) we arrived at 5:45 told to wait by Tasha at the entrance she handed the buzzer saying it will buzz for the table! We waited till 6:20 upon asking how long… we are asked to wait again… we waited till 7pm and no buzzer call, at 7:20 we spoke to the manger mentioned we have been waiting since 6pm maybe longer and then they acknowledge how long we had been waiting… Tasha said we were lying that we had been waiting since 6 (really she didn’t even book our buzzer number in) cause the other lady confirmed the number wasn’t even on the list!! So they apologised the manger got us a table asap! At 7:30 we got seated !!!! We waited hour and half although we had booked a table for 6pm!! Very poor service especially when guests have booked in advance. The food was great and came out quickly and timely which was good!

Ordered chicken Tikka Masala and it was so watery, as if they had stored the food for a week before serving it to me. Told the waiter about it, he was just laughing, telling me i need courage to eat something which tasted so stale! The food quality has seriously deteriorated and you guys need to do something about it! Its as if Gordon Ramsey should come and sort out the restaurant. Rubbish!

Was here for a 60th birthday. I ordered my starter, which was keema cheese samosas, which came out cold so I told a member of staff, so they changed them, and when they came back out they was still cold. We were there for 1 hour and 30 minutes and were told to leave because they needed the table. Plus, I was not able to order a desert. I will not be going back in a hurry

Probably the worst Indian I've had in some time. Waiter spilt my partners drink all over her and replaced it with tap water. Cobra slightly insulting £5 for a small bottle, got more for my money at the emirates earlier this season. Also wasn't blown away by the food.

Two days ago i went to akbars blackburn with my family atmosphere is excellent, mostly in menu all the asian old dishes are superb butt i liked chiken tikka massala and chiken tikka makhani is wonderful we not ate ever before so delicious 😋😋😋😋 an another more important thing is that desert are 10 by 10 wow especially waffles.i says thanx to akbars saving me 50 moles journey to bradford. this place awesome with top dishes and environment thanx

Lovely food and friendly efficient service, nice atmosphere, always busy.

Our local Akbar's is our favourite so when we were in Manchester for the weekend we thought we'd try here as we thought we could trust the amazing curry. It was Saturday night, I called to see if we could book and was told it was walk-ins only. We arrived at around 7 pm and the bar area was absolutely packed. The lady on the desk handed us a buzzer for our wait and said it would be about 40 minutes. It was extremely loud, there were lots of big groups and even people in fancy dress. Some people were walking in and had bookings so I'm not sure what was going on. We waited 75 minutes and headed to the area where you hand in your buzzer where there was long queue. That only took about 10 minutes 🙃 Eventually we were seated on a small table very close to others and loud, large groups. We ordered our usuals and the food was nowhere near as nice or even similar to what we usually get. I had the garlic chicken tikka balti and it wasn't very nice. Service was slow but the wait staff were running around and seemed stressed. We didn't get out until 10:30pm and my ears were ringing when we got out. Wouldn't recommend it for a couples dinner.

Our experience at Akbars restaurant in Manchester left much to be desired. After a long day celebrating my daughter's birthday in Chester, we decided to drive to Manchester for dinner. Excited to try a new restaurant, we ordered Bhindi Gosht and Daal for my husband and me, and Butter Chicken for our one-year-old daughter. Unfortunately, our excitement quickly turned to disappointment when the food arrived filled with green chilies, despite not being asked about our spice preferences. Even though we enjoy spicy food and frequently dine out in London, we were taken aback by the overwhelming amount of green chilies in our dishes, including the Butter Chicken meant for our daughter. This oversight could have been easily avoided if the waiter had simply asked about our spice preferences, especially considering it was our first time dining at Akbars. To add to our disappointment, the bill indicated something along the lines of "Asian style," which we interpreted as an indication of spiciness. The manager's attempt to salvage our experience by presenting my daughter with a sundae with sparklers was a sweet gesture, and it did make her happy. However, despite this kind gesture, my husband and I unfortunately did not enjoy the food, and we ended up having to purchase chicken nuggets from McDonald's for our daughter, who usually enjoys Butter Chicken wherever we go. This experience serves as a reminder to the staff at Akbars to not make assumptions about their customers' spice preferences but instead to ask them directly. While the gesture from the manager was appreciated, the lack of consideration for our preferences marred what could have been a pleasant dining experience.

Lovely restaurant however the food was spicy as it gets, ordered a buttered chicken and nearly took my taste buds off. Didn't like how the staff bring out the food plate piled on top of each other, personally it give me the ick so wouldn't come back

Went today and will be returning.. Great food, staff and atmosphere. Jang looked after us all well..

Poor quality food. The place is busy fast turn around but the wuality is poor. Lamb is not lam but mutton, and asked the waiter twice. As a professional in the food industry i know lamb, mutton, beef. Service was ok with the young indian boys but thr food idls seriously poor

Extremely delicious food! Best Indian restaurant in the area. There are many visitors with Indian roots, so you know things are going well! The desserts are not very spectacular, I would skip them. Starters and main courses are super delicious. Popular restaurant, make a reservation or be patient, especially on weekends.

Honestly bang average not sure what the hype is about. Booked a table for 7pm, never got seated until 7:40pm. Food took ages to come, then when it arrived the rice was stone cold Steve Austin and the curry wasn’t hot either. Family size nan was decent but that’s about it. Save your money and go elsewhere.

Best lamb chops I’ve had to date. Ordered a bunch of starters so we could taste everything. Chops were my fave but also enjoyed everything else too.

Food wasnt all what it used to be seems like a rushed job

Poor customer service, forgot half of the food. Bringing out the mains before starters. Overhyped & did not even apologise for the poor customer service.

10/10. Turned up with 11 strong, no booking but got a table in 15 minutes to our suprise. Little bar in the foyer can set you up with a drink for anyone waiting. The place was rammed and still the servers where on hand for anything you need. Quick service, tasty food, quality service. 👌

The food was underwhelming and not up to par. I had the butter chicken with rice however the butter chicken was simply not butter chicken. I went to akbars a few years ago and the food was great however not sure if this is a one -off situation. Chaotic atmosphere, very loud and hard to converse. Service was good but could be a lot better.

Went for a work night out. Was absolutely delicious and had amazing service. Will definitely come again

Even the regular naans are massive and come on a hook, and the curry is delicious

Incredibly delicious food, lovely service. The Paya (sheep's trotters) was my stand out dish, super rich and flavourful. Huge buttery naan. Delicious sides, Palak paneer was lush too. Yum yum everyone go to Akbar's

Recently went here with work, I’d love to say it was a good experience but sadly I cant. Place looks nice from the outside but when you get in it’s a big noisy bar, they were nearly an hour late seating us, the place was rammed. Food was dreadful, watery curries and stodgy rice, the bread was the only decent bit. I doubt the management will do anything as they are still managing to fill the place, I don’t know how as the whole experience was dreadful.

I have been to Akbar’s before second time The chops were not cooked as should the chicken Nimbali was delicious as usual customer service was not as should be wanted garlic naan was told 15 min didn’t receive even after an hour when approaches was told forgot to write on the order was not very happy

It was fast food. But the food I had was pretty bland. The popadom plates were not so good. And the giant Nan really not brilliant. It is a fun place to eat, but a bit dark and dirty. An industrial building but not really worth a visit.

Great food and the prices are good too.

One of the staff with beard is age 40-45 is very measurable and rude, ignorant

Amazing food but service was disappointing. Waited for 1.5 hrs to be seated even though we had a reservation, then were rushed out to pay at the till due to a big party coming in after only 20 minutes of having our food. Had to do the birthday cake in the waiting area - NOT IMPRESSED. Server was polite but overall not worth it.

Food was mid, the butter chicken was too spicy and the dry lamb was bland. The staff were very nice though. Wouldn’t come again:(

lovely food but very disappointed with service. be more respectful to customers as we waited an hour to be seated when we had reservations and were ushered out of our table quickly to house another party. barely finished with our meals!

Parking can be a pain!!! But the food is spot on! The keema with chicken is nice! This place gets busy quick!

Just got in the service was horrible no respect for us or our children, we could not stay because of how disrespectful the manager was..

I have been to many Akbar’s restaurants around the country and I have never had a bad meal yet and Manchester was no exception. The food was very delicious, I recommend the lamb chops for starters they are really good. I had the chicken tikka masala which had a nice edge to it and their famous family nan, which comes on a nan tree.

The dining experience was marred by the overwhelming crowd and noise, making it difficult to enjoy the meal. Despite the small table for two, the atmosphere felt cramped. Additionally, the food quality was only average, failing to compensate for the chaotic environment. Overall, it's not a place I would recommend for a peaceful dining experience.

Great food, only downside is the noise, a little loud but worth it for the food

Good food, quick and good service. Prices are totally fair.

I been here many times being my favourite fine dine place with my friends and with my wife too and really enjoyed the Indian and mughol food. All dishes are delicious and big Roti is the one you won’t find easily anywhere else Food cost per person is also good

We have been eating at Akkbar Manchester for fifteen years. The past 6-9 months the food has gone down hill. The last two times, the Lamb and spinach balti meal has had almost no lamb, chopped up into tiny pieces. Just smothered in spinach. The onion bhaji are now really small. Such a shame! We will no longer be visiting our favorite place. Nigel

Some of the best food I've ever had in Manchester

This is a place we've used for a long time and in our opinion serves the best Indian food in Manchester. It is down to earth no frills type of place but the food coming out of the kitchen is excellent and has some really special dishes. The drinks are not great though. They have stopped doing draft beer altogether now and the small bottles aren't cheap. As a result of this we had a bottle of the House wine which was below average and disappointing. On a moopositive note, the service was fast and friendly and the restaurant itself had a nice atmosphere. The mince with peas was delicious and the lamb on the bone exceptional. Hopefully they get the draft beer back, and it will be a five star review next time!

Brilliant food and great atmosphere and staff were so helpful and attentive and special thanks to Tahir for making our night so special

Always a crazy but positive experience at Akbars the curry is the best around and the staff are fantastic at what they do. Well worth a visit to have the vibrant experience, be prepared for a wait but there is a bar and seating. Was a bit rushed at the end as a big party needed the table but we were almost ready to go so didn't bother us too much. Will always be back as we have been since you opened 2006. Remember meeting successful entrepreneur Bash the owner.

Absolutely love this place , sweetest staff and very helpful reception team had a lot of help from Tasha she was lovely never disappointed with this place :)

Can’t complain at all , from the start to the end, thanks for the stuff and Tahir

My friends and I have been going to Akbar's, Manchester for about 20 years. In all of this time, it has been our favourite restaurant. Sadly, over the last year or so, there has been a decline in consistency in food quality, and the staff have got our orders wrong. Come on, Akbar's. Get back to where you used to be.

too crammed, out dated decor, very bad service, we were asked by waiter if we were going to tip. The food at the Bradford branch is way better

21/01/24: excellent food and service! Had a fab time with work mates!

Decided to book here for a date. From the minute we arrived the staff were friendly and welcoming. The venue is quite trendy and has a pleasant ambience. The menu has a good mix of classic and speciality dishes to select from. Being with a pescatarian, we decided to order some of the seafood dishes to share. We got the King Prawn and Spinach special with the Seafood Balt, Balti Tarka Dhal and pilau rice. All of the dishes were delicious and served promptly. Good portion sizes and excellent value for money. Really enjoyed the evening and will definitely be going back. A big thank you to our waiter Manish.

One hour wait and didn’t take our order. Crammed 8 onto a table for 6 even though we booked 4 weeks in advance. Terrible service and awful atmosphere. Avoid!!

Didn't not understand the hype of this place. I believe it's the big Naans that you can get which to be fair, is really nice. The curries however, not so great. My partner got the madrass which wasnt spicy at all. I saw in there website they did chicken dansak to which they do but on arrival it wasn't on the menu. They did say they can do it though but regretted it instantly when it came out. It had sweetcorn in and not spicy at all. It was quite dry and just zero flavour apart from salt. Can see why people go because of the novelty and the service was really good but won't go back for curry

Cramped, awful service, rubbish pickle tray with zero spice . Not an Indian resteraunt for sure as it describes. No draft, just bottles. Not a nice experience. I'll order in next time

Awful service. Crammed 8 onto a table for 6 even though we booked 4 weeks in advance. 1 hour wait, still didn’t take our order. We left!

Very amazing food. I didn’t expect they have very good Indian food and the authenticity is 100% with Indian food in India.

What an absolute shambles!! More importantly how it was dealt with!! The food was definitely not good. I sent my prawns back as they were cold the manager came over and did not apologise at no point! My husband after asking for his chops to be well done had to send his back too!! The rice nan bread and sauce were all cold by now. The chops came back they were fine my prawns were put on a hot plate but still cold inside!! The manager came over ….. no apologies and just really unprofessional. We have been dining in this restaurant for 20 years and I would never set foot in it again rubbish food and rubbish service not from our waiter but from the manager who definitely needs to change his career as he has no customer service skills.

The organelle Indian food better than any place in the world the taste waaaw and price is good I will visit it every time i visit Manchester

Like eating in a cattle market...absolutely no atmosphere..tried charging us for an extra curry...check your receipt before paying

The food was amazing, the portion sizes were great and think the price is well worth it. The service was excellent too, particularly from Mahi. :)

Was seated quickly and the staff were amazing, starters were great esp lamb chops. The fish was ok but slightly over cooked.The decor looks a bit dated, they really need to invest in new tables and chairs. Otherwise a good experience. The staff were attentive and got to you quickly.

three out of four meals were ok Rogan Josh was grainy and tasteless - out of a jar?? Not very clean and we arrived not long after opening at 5.30 Family sized garlic naan has shrunk significantly Overall portion sizes are smaller, we’ve been eating their for over 15 years and tonight was disappointing

I went here with my family to celebrate my daughter’s birthday, they told us to wait 20 minutes for a table but ended up waiting about 2 hours and gave us several false promises about the tables. A few of our family members had to eventually go home because of the time.This was very disappointing because of my daughters birthday. Despite all of the amazing reviews I could see, I definitely didn’t experience the same. We left because of the ridiculous service and ended up going somewhere else. Would not recommend ever again. We went to Jimmys Killer Prawns and got the best service and food, go there instead it’s only a few minute walk from Akbars

Went for a birthday meal out, sadly not the best experience, such a shame been for years and always been good Sadly not this time Food - ordered garlic naan didnt taste of garlic at all - onion and potato bhaji was mainly potato and raw piece of onion - mum ordered king prawn jalfrazi - 5 small prawns and just loads of onions very little sauce - wife ordered balti - was full of oil - i ordered a chicken tikka rogan josh, chicken was rubbery and the sauce was gritty, no flavour and out of a can Service - was very busy but overall staff were as usual very attentive atmosphere - becoming a lot more like a curry house to go to before going out on a drunken night out rather than a nice indian - floor and tables very dirty had to move at the start

Best night out for food ive ever had in my life highly recommened to everyone to book here and taste there amaxing food thank you

Great curry house, always popular. The family sized naan is a must

The Chicken Nambali from here is a must get in my opinion. One of the best places to go for a Lamb Karahi. Always fresh and full of flavour every time paired with a family garlic naan is a great meal. Tried the Chicken Tikka Makhani last time and if you’re someone who likes a sweet curry then you will enjoy it. Atmosphere in here is generally good and is always really loud so just be aware of that.

Fabulous meal, excellent service a warm and welcoming place.

Food was horrible. It’s just a hype unfortunately. Service was good but environment was uncomfortable - not clean.

Some of dishes weren't available - mass produced so quality suffers - v loud - placed packed

Superb food, poor service on a Friday night. Pre booked at table and still waited for 35 minutes. Got the table and I can only describe the dining experience as hectic. Blah blah busy city restaurant, could do better.

All pluses on food, service and deco.

The food was good but the service and seating could have been a lot better. There was 14 of us crammed together in one corner with barely any space to eat our food.

Nimbali not warm. Chicken kabab not cook chicken tikka mashallh thts not warm either . Very disappointed. Never again.

Just an alround good restaurant. Will go again.

Amazing food but was much too busy and hectic. Had to wait 30 minutes after the time we booked to be seated.

Overhyped, waited an hour and a half to be seated. Was then told by the waiter that we could only order the set/fixed menu and refused our request to view a menu. Food was bland just passed as warm. Really expected a lot more from such an established restaurant. We didn't even get an apology for the long wait.

Food is delicious. Staff is friendly. Loved it.

Don't bother. Booked a Christmas do here for 15 people.....but rang the night before to say we had less people attending due to illness. They tried to squeeze 10 of us in to a table that fits 6. Told us we had to have the...

Absolutely horrendous…. Can’t comment on the food as my group didn’t make it that far. Group of 8 shoved on a table fit for 4. Then moved to another table which was exactly the same. Told on arrival that it was a set menu even...

Fabulous service , food is very nice too

Amazing place great food and service is ace!

Food has gone down mains are dead no flavour all pre made not even fresh Only thing that was nice was the starters, I'd say only get starters and then go home

Nothing special foodwise. Deffinately overpriced. Atmosphere is claustrophobic. Food was overpriced for the quality. Everyone is so crammed in together like a can of sardines even though the room was half empty, requested to move which was accommodated thankfully. The guy who served us made 0 eye contact and hurried everything along, deffinately doesn't enjoy his job. The other members of staff seemed lovely though.

Great starters but average main course!

Very busy, excellent service provided by Ali, waited on us hand on foot very welcoming and helpful, brilliant manners and people skills, food came quickly and was delicious, been here plenty of times never disappointed, one of my favourite places

Seriously wouldn't recommend. Way to overfilled, even when you book you will still wait over an hour for your table. Got forced into a set menu despite other tables allowed to eat off the menu. Rice was awful, starters were terrible. Group of 8 of us piled on the smallest table ever no room to move. Extremely expensive and not worth the money.

We decided to dine at this Akhbar’s restaurant at the weekend following exceptional experiences at the Leeds restaurant. As I was about to write this, I read the recent reviews and we were quite surprised to read a number of people had endured a poor...

Great food, great ambience, the service could be a little better especially when they know you have not finished your food and it is a busy night and they need the table back! Bur overall I am happy with the experience and will come back! Parking is scarce but it is not the restaurants fault anyway! Google asked me to write about it!