Chakalaka in Manchester

Atmosphere and Staff were good, friendly, we sat in the beer garden it was nice, opted for the meat platter for two people for £40, and disappointed the portion sizes we quite small, with it also no including any sides, though the presentation was good l, the food was disappointing to say the least, safe to say this place is NOT student friendly.

50% off Monday-Wednesday on mains & 241 cocktails. Outstanding stuff & I will be back

Muy buena comida, buen ambiente y un servicio eficiente y amable. Fuimos a mitad de semana así que 50% de descuento. Los slap nachos son un buen entrante y los boerwors llenos de sabor con una textura gruesa. ¡El homónimo del restaurante junto al que se sirven empacó un ponche! Tenía el sándwich tirado con un lado de queso mac n y papas Peri fritas - todo delicioso. Solo una ligera queja era necesario que las papas fritas fueran más crujientes y teníamos otra pareja sentada en nuestra mesa, así que prepárate para compartir con extraños! Pero es el tipo de lugar donde todos se mezclan y tienen una gran velada.

Big load of curry in a loaf of bread - astonishing

Love the beef ribs. And the house lager is decent as well

lovely staff and good service, food was okay, nothing to shout about.

Este lugar es probablemente el único restaurante sudafricano auténtico a medio camino en el centro de Manchester y ha estado aquí durante algunos años. Ciertamente desde antes del Covid. Así que debe ser bastante popular. Hemos intentado en varias ocasiones visitar pero siempre parecía estar cerrado! Sin embargo, llamamos recientemente y tuvimos una comida. Estábamos un poco decepcionados. Nos pareció bastante falto de atmósfera y notamos que la música era solo pop americano genérico - sin música SA. Seguramente a esto le falta un truco en un restaurante temático. La comida era, en el mejor de los casos, promedio pero razonablemente auténtico. Hemos estado en SA varias veces. Sólo que le faltaba algo. Sentí que faltaba una chispa. Me sentí muy plano allí. ¡Quizás el dueño necesite redescubrir su mojo con este lugar! El servicio está bien y el precio también como se esperaba, pero no había nada en él que nos tentaría de nuevo.

Evita, Evita, Evita, la comida era basura completa, pérdida de tiempo y dinero, El personal de servicio era amable, pero eso es todo. Nunca volverá, Se supone que es sudafricana, lo único que se parece a SA son los colores de la bandera en la pared.

I had a jackfruit bunny chow, as a vegetarian this was one of the few options without having fake meat and I was interested in trying something new. Unfortunately it just tasted of powdered chilli and was quite tasteless otherwise. But the meat and deserts looked great and the drinks and service were good. Just a shame the veggie option was so bland.

Great food, amazing cocktails but if you have to go for any reason the biltong and boerewors are enough reasons to go.

¡Me llamó la atención mi papá y yo y me alegro de que lo hiciera! La comida era absolutamente increíble y una gran relación calidad-precio. Sin duda volvería de nuevo!

Best Wors Rolls apart from my kitchen, great South African food and drink.

Best meal I’ve experienced in Manchester in the past six years. Absolutely flawless.

Unfortunately got my order wrong, ordered a lamb bunny, but got a Jackfruit bunny instead, it was a take away.

Pedí las ‘costillas de puerro’ que era una porción amplia y muy sabrosa! Estaba ocupado con un gran ambiente un jueves. El personal era amable y atento, sin rondar la mesa. Mi segunda visita aquí ... y ya estoy planeando una tercera!

Fast paced and quirky. Great staff and variety on the menu. Food came quickly and 5/6 items were tasty. Loads of veggie options! Easy to book (highly recommended). Would go again, even if just for drinks.

Food and service were excellent, we had a lovely meal, definite hidden gem, thanks

The burger and the chicken wings were amazing. It’s a great place for a late dinner and the staff are super friendly. Don’t be put off by the name of the Monkey Gland sauce- it’s actually really good!

Great food and nice atmosphere.

Food was nice, though one dish was far better than the other. The wings were great, the lamb was not that tasty. Expected better for the price. I would come back to try other dishes.. maybe?

Absolutely loved the food and drinks! Highly recommend!

Always great for a taste from home for us Saffas in Stockport/Manchester area! Always some special deal or another running, check out their Facebook.

Este lugar no estaba mal cuando abrió pero no es el lugar que era, no estoy seguro de que todavía es un negocio de propiedad sudafricana. De todos modos hoy pedí una comida (para llevar a través de Deliveroo) y Chakalaka me hizo esperar más de media hora, luego recibo un mensaje diciendo que han cancelado mi pedido y no hay razón dada, orinar mal servicio. Ya no van a ser usuarias de mí.

This is competition for Nandos. Enjoyed the food before we headed to a comedy eve over road. Tasty. Service was all ok. In a smallish venue where everybody is enjoying themselves.

Came in for the January 50% off, host was really helpful and managed to squeeze us in. Food, atmosphere and service were absolutely 10/10 Thanks so much!

Good food, staff and cute space. Tony though and not so spacious for those with little ones but you can squeeze in and manage. Had The mezze board which was great! Although, the chicken wings could do with more seasoning or sauce… tasted too much like bland chicken for me.

Food was absolutely incredible definitely one of my favourite meals and restaurants in Manchester.

(Visited Oct 24) This must have been my fourth visit by now- I love Chakalaka. As well as the mouth-watering biltong, I opted for Chicken Skewers and Meat Soastie (see image). This made for a very filling combo! Service was, as ever, friendly. * (Visited Jan 23) Chakalaka is often on the Confidentials app, where you can buy a food and drink voucher with a value that’s around double the price (e.g. £25 for £50). This time around, I went for the Sweet Chilli Bites to start, followed by a Not Dog in a Boerewors Roll with Monkey Gland Sauce, which comes with fries on the side. This wasn’t my favourite dish I’ve ever had there- it was a bit bland and dry compared to others. I don’t think the ingredients of the Not Dog are very exciting, but I wanted to give it a try. For dessert, I had a Milk Tart. Service was ever-friendly and accommodating. I think I’ll go for a Bunny Chow, next time. * (Visited Jun 2022) My friend and I paid Chakalaka a visit since we had a Confidential voucher: £25 for a £50 spend. Our first visit (in March) was so enjoyable, we bought another voucher (£30 for £50!) and returned in June. The first time, I got Bangers n Pap with gravy and a side of greens. I also had some Biltong- a bowl of beautifully moreish dried meat. On the next visit, I started with some very palatable vegetable Samoosas. I wasn’t able to get the Bobotie for my main and so decided on a Paneer and Spinach curry instead. I had this with a side of Pap and the Biltong again. This was a lot of food, but I thoroughly enjoyed it all! You can get a hearty meal for a reasonable price. The drink selection is extensive for both drinkers and non-drinkers. We had the same server both times- he’s nice and attentive. I’m looking forward to getting a Bobotie next time. * (Visited Feb 2019) I came here for a couple of drinks during one of the Happy Hour slots (Sunday to Friday 4pm-8pm) and got a Gin Fizz as well as a Peaches & Cream for £7.50. Nice cocktails at a pretty good price for the Northern Quarter! They also do snacks if you're feeling peckish.

Esta debe haber sido mi cuarta visita a estas alturas - me encanta Chakalaka. Además de la boca - regando biltong, opté por Brochetas de Pollo y Soastie de Carne (ver imagen). Esto hizo un combo muy lleno! El servicio fue, como siempre, amable.

Pedí un sosaties de carne. Me refiero a lo que esencialmente es un plato de patatas fritas decentes y a pinchos de carne. Llegando a la friolera de 17 libras. Fue extorsivo. Parecía haber asado muchas heces. Los martinis expresos tampoco estaban geniales, deberían haber sido más fríos, menos espumosos y usar mejores ingredientes. Me irrita que gaste dinero ganado con tanto esfuerzo para la mediocridad.

They serve doubles without the alcohol and serve curries without meat and make you feel like the bad person for bringing it up. Not fair. Poor service. Bad service, bad management.

Su plato de carne es absolutamente delicioso, suculento, lleno de sabor y muy generoso. Las alitas de pollo están perfectamente condimentadas, las patatas fritas son crujientes y doradas, y el postre fue un excelente final para la comida. Lo que realmente distingue a este lugar, sin embargo, es la atmósfera. La multitud sudafricana es maravillosamente amable y acogedora, creando un ambiente cálido y animado.

Lovely spot for happy-hour cocktails!

Good place to chill, prompt service. The only letdown are the portions were too small considering each dish was worth 14 quids. Won't be visiting again.

The food here is amazing, the atmosphere is great and the staff are lovely! The Meaty Mezze Board is brilliant if you want a taste of lots of different dishes and the Lekker ribs in monkey gland sauce are also delicious - just make sure you're hungry before coming here!!! Would definitely recommend and will be going again!!!

Wow. Can't wait to come back. Food was outstanding, service superb and the atmosphere was really cool. Can't recommend highly enough

It’s always wonderful to reconnect with your roots.

I'm from Cape Town and have eaten there 5 times now.The menu is large and food is awsome!...You dont need to be a SAFFA to enjoy the food .Its very tasty and fresh. Half price Mon -Wed on mains 👍😁👌🏉🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🏉 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Lovely little restaurant. Cosy and a great atmosphere. Need to go back and try some more of the menu

We booked a table but after an hour we were asked to leave as they needed the table for another booking. We were not informed at the time of reservation that we had any time limit. The space itself is very small and because they have a lot of tables very noisy, waiters were practically on our heads serving food. Bad air conditioning and after we left our clothes smelled of food. Wouldn’t recommend.

Hosted a birthday party here, food, drinks and staff were all amazing. Thank you very much!

Amazing food, amazing service, great atmosphere, gorgeous cocktails and really reasonably priced!! I've never had meat so tasty and so perfectly cooked. The entire experience has left me dying to go back!!

Popped in really late on a Saturday night after 11pm and they welcomed us in. Food was great and delicious cocktails and lovely friendly staff!

Rarely do a review, but feel it’s necessary in this case! All the hype is worth it! Food was to die for! Certainly one of the best eats in Manchester at the minute!

Small restaurant, great food and delicious cocktails

Really nice food and amazing service! Enjoyed the happy hour cocktails

Amazing food, I've got a lot of allergies and my partner is vegetarian and we both had plenty of options. Great dessert and cocktails too - get some amarula if you have the chance!

Great food and great value, the platter was delicious. Friendly staff too

Absolutely amazing food and great service Ate here yesterday, & it took me back home. The food was delicious and we loved every element of it. Coupled with a bucket of Hunters Gold what more can you ask for. The rustic look of the place took me back home completely. We loved the experience and we shall be going back again and recommend it highly.

Fantastic place and delicious food!

The food and the cocktails were fantastic. Every member of the team said hello and was lovely and welcoming (other restaurants in NQ could learn a thing or two from these guys). If you go on Monday-Wednesday the cost of your mains will be halved! Incredible value for money. Large outdoor seating area with proper gas burning heaters for when the colder months hit. Great vegetarian options as well. Thanks guys, I'll be back for some delicious saffa scran very very soon 😁

Nice food, this could be so much better.

¡Buena comida! Un poco caro para lo que es, pero tiene 50% de descuento en ofertas de comida en la semana. El personal era amable y la zona al aire libre es agradable

Booked by telephone. Didn’t have our reservation, totally packed so never tried it. Looked noisy and overcrowded so maybe for the best.

Visité esta noche e hice muy bienvenido. Comemos en la zona de estar trasera exterior con calentador de mesa. Elegí las brochetas Sosatie con chips y dips de piri piri, eran porciones deliciosas y generosas también. Todo el personal tan atento e interesado en charlar con todas las mesas. Vino tinto delicioso y casa lager sabroso. Tuvimos la suerte de beneficiarnos también de la oferta especial temprano entre semana del 50% de descuento en las comidas principales, así que una gran cantidad. El lugar estaba lleno cuando nos íbamos y muchos otros comensales diciendo que era su lugar favorito para comer. Estoy deseando volver. Muy recomendable.

Very tasty and value for money food. Our server,Andrian, was very polite and willing to assist us. Also, it is baby friendly and our little boy loved their decoration!

Food is always of great quality and the atmosphere is always nice. the deals from Monday - Wednesday are great too!

Love this place ! Lovely food ! Lovely staff and lovely drinks ! Dog friendly too !

If you're South African and craving a taste Of home, do yourself a favour and get down to chakalaka. Excellent service, excellent variety and the taste hits home.

Excelente para relembrar sabores sul africanos em boa companhia. Musica ambiente agradável e menu variado a preços médios.

Being 100% honest, having not visited here before, I was a bit put off by some pics of this place as there are so many other choices for places to eat in the city - however I was persuaded by my South African friend to give it a try and all I can say is wow ! The food is unreal and was totally unexpected. Everything ordered was nothing short of delicious and the staff were really nice, polite and super helpful and a pleasure to speak to.. soooo glad I didn’t bother with the usual pizza express or Wagamamas and gave this place a whirl… next time I’m back in Manchester - I’ll be back for sure !

As a South African living in the Uk (unfortunately), this felt like home it was amazing. The food was fantastic and still very authentic while being slightly adjusted for a british palate. I really enjoyed the experience. Can personally recommend the Rooibos MarTeani, was absolutely delicious like a yummy alchoholic milkshake. Super reasonably priced especially with the mid-week deal and the happy hour drinks. Will go again, thank you Chakalaka.

Nice tent, friendly service. And a good price. Food was delicious and plenty of it.

Great little place and good value food. Best go when hungry! Only complaint was too much seasoning on fries .. cannot fault the staff .. nice and friendly

Gran lugar. Personal amable. Precioso interior. Gran patio en la parte de atrás. La comida fue excepcional. Calidad y cantidad. Y 2 - 4 - 1 copas un sábado! Esta es una joya de un lugar en NQ.

Absolutely beautiful ambience with a South African feel to it ❤️

Brilliant spot in the Norther Quarter. Our server (I think his name was Adrian) was great and I really liked the atmosphere and vibe. We chose to sit inside instead of the beer garden because it was a little cold. There was a good selection of South African beers and drinks. Food was great. I had the sosatie, first time trying that, well priced and good portion sizes. Would definitely go back and recommend to others.

Pleasant ambience. Quick service. Most importantly, DELICIOUS food. 5/5.

Mon premier restaurant sud-africain. Il y avait du monde, le temps d'attente était un peu long. La bière brassée spécialement pour le restaurant était un peu légère. J'ai testé le bunny chow. Le curry était bien épicé. Bon, mais fou non plus. En revanche, gros coup de coeur sur le dessert: le malva pudding, un pudding à l'abricot et à la crème à la vanille chaude!

Had chakalaka last night and believe it caused me to have food poisoning, the food wasn’t that great and quite small portions for the price. The food was 1/2 off but it didn’t taste like any South African food I have had before. The blonde guy who served us was really nice and overall made sure that we had everything. Was looking to try this but left disappointed as did my partner.

I have been here multiple times over the last few years and if never disappoints. In fact, if anything, it gets better and better. We sat this time outside the back in their garden and it was a great, intimate oasis in the middle of a busy city. Cocktails were delicious, properly made and not watery - and during happy hour, an absolute bargain! The food was divine, tried something I've never had here before and loved it just as much as other things I've had. Pudding was also divine- the chocolate peppermint and caramel pot, yum yum. The staff were all super friendly and helpful and there was no pressure to leave our table once we had finished eating. Not to mention the price - such excellent value for money. I'm never disappointed and I will continue to make this my number 1 choice for a meal out whenever I visit Manchester.

Amazing food! good service, only thing wrong was at the end we got charged double for a large soft drink but this wasn’t stated on the menu anywhere and our server didn’t ask us what size drink we would like so we just assumed it was one standard size for the price shown

Keep returning here everytime we're in Manchester. Service is attentive. Food is so damn good. Flavoursome. It's always so busy and yet the floor is ran so very well! Can't recommend it enough!

Went in yesterday for a solo date, ordered a bunny chow and drinks. No Savanna dry still but we move. Firstly the bunny chow bread was not fresh at all, no softness and bread freshness. Barely any chicken in the curry, could have easily been a vegetable curry in that bunny chow. As I'm eating in walks people with a dog, this dog was moving up and doqn from under their table. to their sits, sniffing the table, to coming under my table and I am TERRIFIED of dogs. No member of staff asked them to make sure the dog does not interrupt other customers. Instead a waiter serving food, played with the dog patting it's head (zero hygiene) I came back after a year think there will be a change from last time but sad to say I will not be returning to this place meant to make me have a taste of home away from home. Solo date for some peace and nice food ruined.

Great place tucked away on the edge of the NQ. I think it’s a true hidden gem of Manchester, it’s been here for some time but you never hear it mentioned much (wrongly so!). Serving up South African vibes the food here was awesome, cheap and heavy portions! A huge menu to choose from but it was all delicious from what we tried, the bunny chow is a must try if you’ve not had it before served in have a loaf of soft bread. We’ll definitely be back and you should absolutely try this place for a fun but filling meal without denting your wallet.

This Place Is A must if visiting Manchester….The food is absolutely stunning everything freshly made to order I went for the Meaty Mezze board which was absolutely awesome make sure you are hungry if you order This, My wife went for the cape Malay chicken bunny chow which was also delicious and 50% off mains was an added bonus The staff working here are an asset to this small business all so friendly and helpful nothing is to much trouble for them will definitely be returning when visiting Manchester next

Absolutely delicious food. It is always fun to try something different, and chakalaka did not disappoint. We had the cheesy maize balls and nachos to start. The nachos aren't like standard mexican nachos, and they were absolutely gorgeous. One of the party commented those nachos will live rent free in her mind for a long time. The maize balls were also good, but the star of the show was the chakalaka they were served upon. What a lovely thing, with a really interesting flavour profile. We have a bean hater in our crew, and the chakalaka was so good he actually ate beans for once. The mains were also really good- particular highlights were excellent chicken cookery, which was delicious and juicy apparently, and huge portions. There are a lot of interesting veggie options, and the one I had (frikkatel? Can't remember how to spell it exactly) was like a mixture of Indian rice and meatballs served in a very tasty slightly spicy almost like pasta sauce that I would have been proud to produce myself. The combination was excellent. Drinks were really good- the cocktail pitchers at £17 were great value as we got at least 4 drinks each out of them, you could taste the alcohol and they were very tasty. There was only one toilet that I could see which was a bit dated but it was clean. Friendly and efficient service. Thank you.

i left my headphones and the guy ran after me. thanks king. food was a bit cold. ill allow it

Great service, good value and really delicious food!

Visiting for the weekend and had done some research of highly rated, independent restaurants in the city centre, and Chakalaka came up trumps! And it didn't disappoint. Lovely to be able to sit outside. Super service and delicious, flavoursome food. Definitely recommend. Thank you!

The best curry in Manchester! Awesome restaurant! They've kept adding to their menu and all the food is great. The ribs are especially delicious.

Was looking around town for a place to eat and stumbled upon this restaurant. We hadn’t had South African cuisine before so was curious to try it. We ordered the chicken sosaties, leeker beef ribs and chicken bunny chow. There were plenty of fries which were crispy and tasty. Chicken bunny chow had quite a spicy kick to it, needed more sauce to soak the bread in. Chicken sosaties were nice too, had good flavours to it aka not bland. I liked the spinach and mushroom side dish, creamy and flavourful. The rocket salad needed more dressing, was hardly any in it. Lekker beef ribs were tender but very salty. The mac and cheese that came with the ribs was rather bland. Mocktails were refreshing.

Food was delicious!! Had the meat sosatie with mango sauce, would recommend. Drinks also good!

Really enjoyable meal, and for a restaurant in the city centre, not expensive. It’s got a bit of a studenty look about it, you certainly couldn’t describe it as smart, but the food was all tasty and a bit different. Service was friendly and efficient

Friendly staff, reasonable prices. The food was very good. And the choice was also nice. Happy hours make this place even better. Recommend!

This is not a review of the restaurant/ bar itself, I'm from SA and I've been to Chakalaka several times and enjoyed myself, it is a review of their takeaway side. Tonight I was planning on getting a takeaway until I noticed two charges that should not be there...... Let's take a meal costing £13.50 they charge you a service fee of £1.35 and a "SMALL ORDER" charge of £2.00........That is nothing but a complete rip off, add to that the delivery charge of £3.49, your £13,50 meal now costs £20.34. How do these places get away with ripping people off like this, surely it cant be legal.

Simple yet viby place that brought me back to Johannesburg. The biltong selection was great. The Samoosas (not Samosas as many say) were tasty. The main course was also awesome. Proper Bunny Chow. And the desert was to die for - Peppermint crisp. Lekker!!! Do not forget to have a proper South African Springbokkie shooter and a Hunters Gold cyder. In short, simple place with good service, good vibe and great food!

Friendly staff, delicious food and lovely cocktails. We were just visiting Manchester for the weekend and are really glad we came.

Sadly, food was cold. I didn’t really enjoy the taste of some of the food. Some was okay but nothing really stood out. Wanted to try something new instead of the usual generic takeaway but sadly was left disappointed.

Some of the food wasn't cooked properly. I think they need to rethink the menu . Monkey gland sauce is now overrated. Bring in some bbq sauce, mango, and vegetable pickle, etc . As a South African restaurant, U think they should have Happy hour on South African drinks .

The food here is amazing. So many dishes to try but I recommend the cheesy balls and the beef rib. Even better if you can get a table on a Wed, half price main courses!! The service is great too. Thanks Tom 😊

Fantastic food, great cocktails and really friendly fast service. Super affordable too.

Really great food and lovely staff! Would go back again, feel the Malva pudding could have tasted like peach but other than that I recommend the Chakabab. Hot food too. Castle beer is good! I would return again!

I wasn't blown away with my meal. The meat was tasty, but there was way too much sauce. Service was very efficient and friendly. Happy hour kept the prices down. I probably wouldn't return, though.

Really good food, service and atmosphere. Would definitely recommend. Good portions and great price. Would love to come back :)

Great service would recommend the jaffacake cocktail

Incredible food and wonderful service! The spicy tomato sauce, the Chakalaka, the cocktails - everything was really tasty.

Great service from Liv - happy hour and food were lovely too! Bit spicy but exactly what was needed on that Monday. Sat by the window and people watching :)

The restaurant is a really cool experience overall!! We really had a great time!! The staff is really professional and friendly. And the food was excellent, we really recommand this place !! :)

Portions seemed small for the price, but mainly the food was too salty for me but lacking flavour as well, the lamb was super dry as well.