Aladdin had been mentioned to me by a couple of friends on different occasions - how the food was…read moresupposed to be good and it's BYO so you can drink your personal favourite without having to pay extra. The interior is expansive, with lots of seating on both the ground and first floors - they look to have knocked through as the business took off, as the layout is too haphazard to be deliberate. It's nothing to write home about, but clean and no-nonsense. It was fairly busy when we arrived, so book ahead to avoid having to wait. Service was fine but there were so many diners you can expect a bit of a wait to order and in between courses. As for the food, the starters (or 'mazza') were definitely the highlight of the evening, so I'd recommend you order a few dishes to share if you're eating as a group. The mains didn't appear to blow any of us away with deliciousness - they were just underwhelming. If we went back we'd probably just order more starters. I've yet to find a Middle Eastern restaurant where all the food is great. Aladdin, unfortunately, didn't live up to expectations for me.

A hidden gem of Withington!…read more The food is scrumptious, the service is authentic and, the best thing, it doesn't burn a hole in a student pocket! From the exterior, the Aladdin looks like somewhat of a run down takeaway, however, take a moment to step inside and you are greeted with delicious smells and flavours of the the middle east. The food is freshly prepared, healthy and enough to make the mouth water. The Hummus Hab, Baba ghanouj and salads are not to be missed! Add that to it's BYOB policy (£1 corkage) and your set for a great night. Evidently, the Aladdin's has built up a good reputation in the local area and thus provides a bustling atmosphere, with a diverse cliental (Coronation Street stars have been spotted in here!), particularly during the weekend. For this reason, I recommend booking in advance. The only blip ever reported to me is it's portion sizes. However, this was a comment from two 21 year old males with ENORMOUS appetites! My advice- get yourself down there!

I lived in the Middle East and ate Yemeni food weekly. Hadramout is a Yemeni restaurant and secret…read moretreasure in Manchester on Curry Mile. We arrived at the restaurant at just about noon when it opens. They saw us waiting outside though and let us in and gave us some karak tea! So warm and perfect. We thought that the only tables in the restaurant were downstairs at the entrance but it turns out there is a huge upstairs with carpeted rooms! There is a huge main room which seems to be for the men and then there are several smaller rooms in the family section. We decided to sit in one of the family rooms which is about the size for 2 people and maybe up to 4 if you squeeze in. As usual we started off the meal with some maraq lamb broth soup and salad. The salad dressing and sahawiq are in bottles which is so clever! It works really well to squirt the sahawiq over everything and it wasn't spicy here at all and tasted great with everything. I had also ordered some yogurt salad just in case to mediate any spiciness. For main dishes, we got lamb kebsa and chicken fahsa. I had originally ordered chicken ogda but the Yemeni guy said they couldn't make it in the black pots I think because there are too many bones. I don't like bones in the chicken ogda anyway and so he offered to make chicken fahsa which would fit in the black pot. It was my first time trying chicken fahsa and it was really good. They made it with a tomato base so it actually tasted like the chicken ogda that I like! So perfect. They also make malawah bread here which was awesome and made the meal complete. Another nice surprise is that they make fresh juice! We had fresh lime juice with the meal and it was really good. For dessert, we had some fatta masoob. It's very heavy and we were so full by the time we started to eat it but it was yummy. Hadramout is many times better than Queen of Sheba Restaurant in London and also 1/3 the price! We paid £22 for 2 people for this amazing and perfect lunch at Hadramout. For more information about Yemeni food, please visit here: http://yemenfood.blogspot.com/p/food.html

It's beyond inexcusable that I had my first ever Hadramout last week. How did it escape my…read moreattention all these years? How indeed! Hidden away on one of the side streets off wilmslow road, this understated, simple decor eatery was a gem of a find. Arabic food has always registered on my radar perhaps once a month, but this discovery may change all that. The menu is quite expansive and the pricing is extremely economically viable given the huge portions of food on offer. The roast lamb and chicken comes slow cooked with the rice and is nothing short of divine. One portion is easily big enough for two people and no one is gonna complain about food for the next few days it is THAT filling. There's also a host of sides that one can try, the lamb soup has a sharp taste that once engulfed by the palate has a delayed endorphin fuelled chemical reaction (in other words: its mint!) I have therefore declared thursdays as Hadramout day. It's a long menu and I intend to get through it next year! Canny wait.

This place is a little Lebanese cafe and deli situated in the lovely Cheadle village - a place…read morewhich when you first walk in knocks you out with the great smell wafting out of the kitchen - it's tiny and if you want to eat in then there's quite a bit of room in the back but the main front deli shop is all a bit cramped - making it quite difficult to get your order in. At first we were really excited because everything seemed so tasty and tempting - imagine cabinets filled with fresh sauces, olives, dips, cheeses etc and a hot counter serving stews and I imagine Lebabese delicacies. The funny thing was that we bought a lot and spent a lot - but the delivery wasn't that great, it was nice enough but the tastes didn't blow us away like we hoped. This was a shame as after discovering this place I kind of imagined I'd be down here every week buying tasty treats but I think I may give it a miss. Not bad, would probably call back and give it another go (but buy less) and try a few new things.

hilarious woman who works there - bit too chatty though - food is amazing -…read moreone wrap could fill 2 people! FRESH produce amazing home made humous

I've been here a few times and I came here last week. I'm glad to see this family business has…read moresurvived the ever changing restaurant and bars on Burton Road. They offer some delicious Persian dishes that are rich in flavour but not heavy. There's also the option of rice or half rice and salad to go with your main dish. On my recent visit, I had the chicken kebab with fluffy rice and colourful salad. It also came with some beautifully charred peppers, shallot, mushroom and tomato. Unlike other middle eastern restaurant, they don't serve the usual hummus or babaganoush. Instead, there's a range of yoghurt dips, which I'm not really fond of. Still, we had ordered garlic bread so we tried the Musto Khyar - cucumber, dill and lemon in yoghurt. It was nice enough but you couldn't really taste the lemon or the dill. Next time I will try one of their tapas-like starters! The restaurant had been nicely decorated and I know their doors open in the summer and you can sit outside. The service is good too! If you live near by I'd definitely recommend a visit!

After we left Wine & Wallop, we went into Burton Road looking for some place to eat. On a Friday…read morenight. Without reservation. we felt very, very lucky when we got a table straightaway at the very full looking Pomegranate, which I admit, was not our first choice. We went in, considering none of us had had Persian food before. We ordered this drink called doogh, which was a salted lassi kind of thing with sparkling water and mint, a persian tea and a Bailey's. For food, we skipped the preamble and jumped straight into the main course. we got 2 fesenjoons, a lime and thyme chicken and a grilled vegetables platter. we got this with saffron rice, sprinkled with pomegranate kernels. The rice was very good and fragrant. The doogh was interesting to begin with but as the fizz died out, it kind of fell flat. The biggest surprise of the night for me was the fesenjoon. It had that sweet/sour tamarindy/jaggery combination, similar to the brown chutney one gets with a samosa. It is good in little portions, when eaten with something spicy and rich but on its own, it can be quite overpowering. I am not saying the food was badly prepared, quite the opposite in fact. The chicken was well cooked and succulent, but we didn't expect to be hit on the face with this tamarindy sweetness. Having said that, I wouldn't mind going there again at a time when they're less busy and trying something else. The service was pretty quick, but I would like a little more interaction and input from the staff, which I can't expect on a Friday night. Which is why I'd like to go back when they're less busy. I'd still suggest people go there, get a taste of Pomegranate (no pun intended) and let us know what they think.

I've gotta say that I'm pretty pleased I used my trusty Yelp app to find this place, in fact it's…read morebeen on my radar for a while thanks to reading some great reviews from fellow Yelpers - but as I arrived in Rusholme and whacked out my app, it was handy to stand outside and have another good read of reviews which cemented my decision to go in! Basically this place does amazing Middle Eastern/Lebanese cuisine and on this occasion with it being Friday lunch time, I popped in just as they were doing their all you can eat buffet. For £11.95 I tucked into some amazing kofta, breads, dips, salad, wings - wow, so much great food just check out my snaps - plus there was lovely cake and pudding included to follow. The food was wonderful and tasty - really nice! To round off I bought an Arabic cardamom tea which was fantastic - really nice and complimented the meal well. It was nice to go somewhere not on my normal radar, I'll be back!

In the heart of where else but Manchester's curry mile will you find..... wait for it... BEIRUT!?…read moreYes that is indeed right. Nope its not a randomly named curry house, Beirut serves food deliciouso Lebanese-o! For those not in the know, Manchester's curry mile has seen a mini Middle eastern revolution of its own. The Mile of curry is now equipped with a plethora of Shisha bars as well as restaurants such as Beirut. In honestly of alls, my first impression of the place was not great. The capital could be described as chaotic from the kids running around whilst parents going to town on their meat feasts to the directionless type waiting staff, more laid back than the kobedas on show. First impressions however don't last and I'm here to announce that the food thankfully did make a lasting impression. I'd personally recommend the mixed grill, even if I struggled to get through half of it. Don't be put off by the cover, its the contents of the book that count. If Beirut was a book, I would highly recommend it, it was a great read.

Everything happens for good reason, or at least it did when I missed a Yelp din-din-dinner at…read moreWasabi recently. Why? Well, all that happened was; After I done what I needed to do (you know the reason I missed Wasabi) I was well hungry innit? And driving through Chorlton, I spotted Saray. I went in because I never been before. I ate there, and it was sensational. The funny thing is I was actually on my way to try Istanbul Grill in Urmston, but it wasn't meant to be was it? Turns out, my mate who I was with knows someone who works at Saray and suggested it, and so off we went. As soon as you step through the doors of the Turkish restaurant, you feel what you're supposed to feel in a Turkish restaurant. A feeling you're in Turkey!! Needless to say it was bloody freezing outside but a warmth greeted us when we walked in. The decor was magnificent (I could well have walked into a restaurant in Maramaris for all I knew) as was the beautiful music, softly complementing the colourful interior. The delicious aromas were flowing too. I was in a good place before ordering. Win! The food then proceeded to comprehensively uproot my middle stump sending me back to the pavilion, tail between legs. (Cricket reference, meaning it was aces) The Aubergine salad and hummous kavurma (lamb fillet) complemented each other perfectly and aroused my taste buds to levels rarely experienced in recent memory. The mixed grill which followed was also nothing short of exquisite. If ever I'm looking to impress someone who is both hungry and a carnivorous foodie, I've bookmarked this place. You should too.

Good food, slow service…read more I got a moussaka with rice and salad. I enjoyed this although it could have had more meat. The flavours were very good though. Everyone seemed to enjoy what they'd ordered. I definitely had starter envy as I waited for my main course. I was sat next to houmous with pitta and cheese in filo parcels and I almost had to sit on my hands to stop myself 'borrowing' some. The not so good things - somebody's main course was forgotten about and they had to quickly start cooking it (there wasn't a massive delay though). Also everyone agreed the the rice portion could be more generous. Also the service really was slow, as Gayle has mentioned in her review. We had to ask to order 3 times and the same again for the bill. The restaurant was full though. I also liked the decor and felt like I could have been away on holiday. I would return though and probably get my neighbour's meal, a very generous mixed platter, see photos.

Good Palestinian food right in the heart of curry mile. Ordered some lamb chops, with falafel as an…read moreappetizer. Good solid food overall, average pricing, and average service. Definitely a good spot to stop at, although definitely not a destination meal

You may be tempted to use the phrase 'best place ever' when describing Jaffa. You may even be…read moretempted to put an exclamation mark after these three words. And I can see why. Jaffa is a popular restaurant at the end of the Curry Mile in Rusholme and its a good 'un. What it lacks in desirable location, attractive exterior or stylish interior, Jaffa more than makes up for with its friendly, laid back atmosphere and the food. Ah, the food. Fresh, amazing tasting meat and a strong Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean menu which seems really authentic keep people coming back here. To be honest everything I've had here has been good: mezze, kebabs, salad, pizza or shawarma. Give Jaffa a try and you won't be disappointed.

Falafel is a classic case of not judging a book by its cover i.e. you might not even contemplate…read moreentering this eat in/ take out place if you'd never heard of it. It was recommended to me by a vegetarian friend, who knows I'm Jewish and assumed I'd love it. So, inside and out its not exactly thrilling stuff in here but then again Falafel doesn't need to be: the food totally makes up for the lack of quality elsewhere. And thats what you come for. Yummy wraps, tons of hummus, salads, falafel obviously. The service is fine and the prices are low - a couple of pounds, which is less than you'd pay for some bland supermarket copy. A great alternative to the curries and kebabs which neighbour this tasty joint.

Just to say that I lunched again here on a falafel with mixed mezze plate (see photos) and…read morestandards are still high on all fronts - falafel, bread and mezze. A return visit is also in order as the boss here has explained that another vegetarian option is 'sauce' with rice. Basically, they make a different vegetable stew fresh every day - green beans, tomatoes, okra and so on - which can be had as is as a vegetarian dish or served as a sauce over a non-vegetarian dish. And the price for the sauce and rice is £3.50 or something - win!

It was a red ford fiesta, banged up but our ticket to freedom. My best friend had managed to…read moresomehow keep it running for two years. The year was 2003. Fancy Al Quds tonight he said as we ransacked the fridge at our student house. The rest as they say is history. Since then I have been coming to this humble abode for a kobeda, for what is it now 11 years? How time flies. Every now and then I get the craving and I return for that perfectly baked longitudanal tandoori naan (the size of my forearm) blanketing a juicy Kobeda. The set up is simple, they have a fridge with freshly prepared, perfectly marinated meaty skewers of various varieties. You go in, you point at one and 4 minutes later you can enjoy the best meat in Rusholme. Now if I have previously I don't remember but I recently tried the chicken tikka recently. And low and behold it was one of those rare "Holy moly batman" foodie moments. The sauce they marinated the chicken with was close to perfection, the chicken was tender and cooked with expert timing. It was a thing of beauty, the memory of which still lingers, enticing me back into its delicious arms once again. I have thus far resisted, I'm reserving it for specific moments. Namely special celebratory occasions and those morale boosting occasions when life hasn't been nice. I'm fairly certain I'll be returning when neither are relevant and I just happen to be driving past it. I may even knock myself out cold with food coma by ordering a Kobeda/Chick tikka mix *gulp*. It could be my manvfood moment. Admittedly I don't think I'm that way inclined. Because if it was gonna happen it would've already. It's been on the menu for 11 years. No seriously go check it out if you are a carnivore. Word of warning though, your first Kobeda experience will leave all your hunger concerns dealt with for 24 hours at least. So if you plan on eating three meals a day the next day, take a rain check.

Kebabs! Kebabs! and some more Kebabs! The food here is so amazing that I don't know another…read moreadjective that would exceed amazing! The food is fresh from the clay ovens, and you can see that the kebabs are freshly grilled with fresh sauces dripping from either ends. If you're at this moment, I urge you to go to this place and give their donner kebabs a try! It would reflect curry mile at its best! Al Quds is truly a place for excellence in all of the very competitive Curry Mile!

One of my favourite and affordable Chorlton restaurants…read more Visited a few times recently, it deserved a review because: 1) it's a friendly, family run place who told me the history behind the dish I was eating - not just slapped on a plate and microwaved! 2) it's BYO - always makes for an affordable meal out 3) it was delicious and can compete with the nearby competitors. If you are unsure give this one a go and you won't regret it.

Delicious food. Bought as a takeaway and we really enjoyed. Lots of great salads and vegetarian…read moreoptions. Will be going back. Very friendly staff