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.

Green lungs reporting for duty. Commence review of Shisha cafe. Wait.. What? You don't smoke? What…read moreyou doing reviewing a smoking gaff for? *Heavy Manc voice* I don't smoke. Cigarettes give me the heeby jeebies. But this summer I had a Katy Perry-esque encounter at a Yelp event in Zouk. I toked a Shisha and I LIKED IT! The flavour I had escapes me but it was smooth and surprisingly there was no coughing up a lung scenario. Was I a shisha toker in a previous life? Who knows but thanks to the apprehension of other Yelpers to try it I had one all to myself. I've never looked back. I mean I'm not saying I'm now addicted to Shisha or anything but shisha and chill with a mate has become an incredible new phenomenon for sure. This ultimately means that Manchester's Mecca of Shisha, Rusholme has been seeing me more often than normal. Wanasah cafe is very similar to other Shisha cafes but due to its close proximity to my secret parking location it's become my new fav hang out joint. There's aways plenty of room. The staff are very friendly. The place is open until the early hours 7 days a week which gives it a Marrakech holiday ambience. The interior is extremely well decorated with Turkish chandliers and incredible Arabic music. Last but not least they do my favourite Desi Chai, which is so delicious that along with blueberry and pineapple shisha will blow all your troubles out the water in minutes. (Desi chai is a frothy latte like milk tea with cardoman and fennel) The prices are extremely reasonable and that's not the only thing on the menu. Hot food and desserts are also served, though the menu is married unsurprisingly to shisha. So (don't rock up hoping to order a sirloin) it's a shwarma sandwiches and fries kinda scenario. They also do milkshakes, sundaes, ice creams and faludas amongst other desserts. Out door seating is covered so it's not rain affected and heaters are there but due to its open plan veranda type design you can actually sit inside and smoke. (A bit like the smoking area in Holdfast) There're so many Shisha bars in Rusholme to chose from I'll probably review them all in time, but for now Wanasha is my safe zone. So if any fellow Yelpoppers fancy it, I'll be up for a Shisha and chill. Just holler!

I've been to Rusholme, AKA Curry Mile on numerous occasions for both food and shisha, however on…read morethis occasion, it wasn't me picking the shisha bar. My friend (visiting from London) was not best pleased with the typical Manchester rainy weather and therefore opted for the shisa cafe closest to the bus stop, which just so happened to be Wanasah. Inside Wanasah is very modern and fresh, with black leather sofas and chairs and wide screen TVs on the wall (for those of you wanting to watch sports), it's certainly a great place to hang out, catch up with friends and relax - I think were in here for just over three hours in total. Initially we had a cherry shisha, which tasted delicious (and a little bit like cherry soothers), the flavour stayed strong for just over an hour with three of us smoking it pretty much constantly. The staff are very attentive and walk around frequently to ensure that the coals are still burning and to take further food/drink orders where necessary. I was in the mood for some peppermint tea and I'm so glad I picked it because it was served in a cute silver tea pot with a miniature glass mug. Absolutely adorable. As we were enjoying ourselves so much and time was flying by, we decided to get another shisha after the first one had finished. This time we had a vanilla one. This was equally as flavoursome, possibly more so as it lasted nearly two hours. The prices are ridiculously cheap. Six drinks and two full shisha cost a mere £24! If there was a sign, I didn't see it, but they do not accept payment by card. Luckily I just had enough cash to cover the bill, if not I would have had to run around curry mile in the rain looking for a cash machine that was working. Phew!

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.

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!

Al Bilal is located on Manchester's famous curry mile. Nestled amongst the multitude of flashing…read moreneon signs the place was only chosen by my girlfriend and I because it was the closest Indian restaurant to where we were parked! It was cold and we wanted curry! Usually when you are on curry mile there are lots of men hassling you to come into their restaurant, offering all kinds of discounts. There was no-one outside Al Bilal, with it being quiet and cold outside. I still thought it was worth popping my head round the door and I quickly blagged a 15% discount and some free poppadoms which was a good start. As we sat down we realised that we were literally the only people in the restaurant. I don't think I've ever been the only customer in a restaurant, but it meant that we got excellent and attentive service from the three waiters working. The food was pretty standard curry fare. The poppadoms were quite cold and we only got three dips to choose from which was a bit disappointing as you often get four or five if you go elsewhere. Our main meal was much better. The hot chicken jalfrezi was a bit too hot for my liking, but the chicken balti was really tasty and I would definitely recommend it. Despite a slight mix-up with the bill at the end where we were almost overcharged by £5, our curry at Al Bilal still did the job. Nothing spectacular, but nice, hot food and prompt service on a chilly winter night.

Well hello there. Welcome to the first in my Yelp Indian Special. I shall travel the lengths,…read morebreadths and depths of the Curry Mile and beyond so you don't have to. My first stop is Al Bilal, a restaurant recommended by a friend on the strength of its dhansak. I do like a good dhansak, so let's see if Al Bilal meets my curry hut demands. For starters, this place is situated pretty much centrally on Wilmslow Road, which is a great little spot to be. From the outside it doesn't have that 'Indian Blackpool Illuminations' tacky thing going on - it simply looks like a modest curry restaurant offering the best of its wares. So far so good. Like the tardis, it's huge inside, and the staff are friendly and pleasant without being too overzealous. The pakoras were lush and I fell in love with the peshwari naan here, an acquired taste for sure but I like the sweeter breads and this one has the addition of cherries with the sultanas, coconut and almond, which really adds a nice little zing to it. The veggie dhansak is indeed bliss. I tried some of my companion's rogan josh also and was more than impressed. Sometimes if you loiter around the menu for long enough, the staff will offer you a 10% discount or suchlike as an incentive so it's worth waiting around for. There's a heck of a lot of choice here, with many unusual starters like the mini dosa (a crisp pancake filled with a mixture of potato and onion with mustardseeds) or dahai vadai (a deep fried little bean package, kind of like a doughnut served with spiced yoghurt), and the quality is always top notch with the food fresh at all times. The only factor you might be surprised by is the pricelist. It's a little more expensive than the nearby curry huts, but as far as I'm concerned the variety and quality here more than pay for themselves. Al Bilal is a great spot if you fancy something a little different, and are going for more of a treat than a quick fill before a night out.

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!

Overall, the impression from food was very good one! It was served fairly quickly, was flavoursome…read moreand tasty. Price range is 6-12 pounds, and dishes are enormous, so it is impossible to leave the place hungry. What I didn't like was the service - our party of 12 people received a one (!) jug of water and 7 glasses. When I asked the waiter for more glasses and water, they brought a couple of more jugs but still no glasses. Presumably, they assumed we were supposed to fight over them.

I love Lebanese food so I was excited to hear there was a new Lebanese street food place in town…read more Buttttt I was very disappointed. The servers were nice yes, but the food was far from what I expected. I had the lamb shawarma, and while yes I realize it was only £3.50, any hole in the wall on the curry mile would have a better and bigger shawarma for the same price. It was very thin resembling more of a wrap with scant filling. I did eat the whole thing so it wasn't bad, but then I looked down and saw my little basket/plate. It was filled with oil. I tilted the basket in different directions playing with the puddle of oil running from side to side at the bottom of the basket (I posted a video of this). Then I saw my hands covered in oil and was immediately terrified knowing that I was going to wake up with puberty like acne on my face as a result of eating this shawarma. The garlic sauce was ok but then the hot sauce was definitely not spicy (less than Frank's red hot or tapatio). As someone who swears by her hot sauce, not having adequate hot sauce lost major points. Although the ambiance is nice and the servers are friendly, I am disappointed bc this place promotes itself as a trendy and lovingly crafted restaurant with authentic tastes of Lebanon, but with the copious amounts of oil, if I wanted greasy take away quality, I would choose the hole in the wall on the curry mile any day.

We had a great shisha here! Service was great and we had some lovely Arabic desserts!read more

First visit ! A must dining experience in Manchester! I absolutely loved this place, it is what I…read morecall "a gem of a restaurant": family place with a very friendly & comfortable ambiance, and top notch service. The food is amazing (as you can see from the pictures below), and if I can recommend one dish that you CANNOT miss out on, I would say the dish not to miss it ; I ll recommend the khorvat ( mixed grill ,delicious! Going back soon with a bigger group of friends who like to explore & try new cuisines. The decor there is so so soooo beautiful, classy and so traditional armenian , every corner tells a story! Now a little - point : They don't honor Yelp promo that pops up while checking in so don't expect that. Still #loveArmenia

Fantastic place, the food is beyond delicious. Plenty of veggie options too!…read moreOverall, I really enjoyed the selection of foods - Eastern European and Armenian, and everything I tried there (I have been here a couple of times) was up to the mark. Some of the starters (like Khachapuri) are so filling, you don't need a main dish. Overall, portions are very generous! Can't wait to be back.