Indian restaurants in Manchester

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

There are plenty of excellent Indian restaurants in Manchester – the curry mile has its reputation for a good reason – but look further afield and you’ll find everything from little backstreet haunts, to celebrity-packed multi-million-pound mega-restaurants.

Here you’ll find restaurants offering entirely meat-free dining, and in one notable case, completely vegan, as well as an Indian take on fine dining, plus plenty of other forward-thinking takes on this endlessly versatile and flavour-packed style of cuisine. While the Curry Mile can certainly be good for certain occasions, for the truly special experiences it’s worth looking a little further away from the norm.

The one thing all of the below restaurants have in common is excellent food.

Here are the city’s best Indian restaurants, whether you’re looking for homely authentic cuisine, or something with a razzmatazz wow factor.

Don’t forget the poppadoms!

Our top picks

Scene Manchester

Scene Manchester, 4a Left Bank, Manchester, M3 3AN - Visit now

Whether you want authentic Indian cuisine, or something a little more unusual, Scene has you covered. Every dish has been finessed into the best version of itself, never overpowered by spices, only enhanced. This is Indian food at its best.

Scene

Zouk

Zouk, Unit 5 Chester Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 5QS - Visit now

As you’d expect from a restaurant that’s been packing them in – including luminaries like Drake and, er, Peter Kay – for well over a decade, Zouk rarely disappoints. All the dishes reach a remarkably high quality and the restaurant itself has a pleasing modern feel. Make a trip here a top priority.

Bundobust Manchester

Bundobust Manchester, 61 Piccadilly, Manchester, M1 2AG - Visit now

Whether you’re looking for a quick snack, or a group meal out, Bundobust can’t be beat. In fact, they offer every item on the menu for a mere £80, enough to feed six to eight people. Do your friends a favour, drag them out for this, weather be damned.

Bundobust Manchester
Ian Jones

Asha’s

Asha’s, 47 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 3NG - Visit now

Asha’s boast an elaborate and inventive menu. If your tastes lean toward fine dining, rather than curry and chips, you won’t find much better in Manchester.

Ian Jones

Mowgli Street Food Restaurant

Mowgli Street Food Restaurant, 69 Bold Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 4EZ - Visit now

Mowgli brings authentic – and delicious – Indian street food to Manchester’s Corn Exchange.

Photo of Mowgli's interior

Mughli Restaurant & Charcoal Pit

Mughli Restaurant & Charcoal Pit, 30 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M14 5TQ - Visit now

Indian street food restaurant Mughli is one of the curry mile’s most highly-regarded restaurants – and for good reason. Alongside the tried and tested classics, you’ll find a menu offering all manner of dishes from the Indian subcontinent and beyond.

Dishoom Manchester

Dishoom Manchester, 32 Bridge St, Manchester , M3 3BT - Visit now

Bridge Street is becoming quite the pocket in Manchester these days and there’s another compelling reason to get down there. With impeccable attention to detail and a charismatic, flavoursome menu, Dishoom should be right up there on your to-do list.

Indian Tiffin Room, Manchester

Indian Tiffin Room, Manchester, 2 Isabella Banks Street, First Street, Manchester, M15 4RL - Visit now

It’s not perfect, but Indian Tiffin Room is a solid option for city centre Indian food with some superb dishes on the lengthy menu. Just prepare for a more rambunctious atmosphere than you might be used to.

Ian Jones, Creative Tourist

Where to go in Manchester

Stow
City Centre
Restaurant
Stow

Stow is a new fire-based restaurant on Bridge Street in Manchester, from the team behind Trof.

Millington Hall Farm
Altrincham
Event venue
Millington Hall Farm

Millington Hall Farm is a one of a kind destination offering field to fork dining alongside learning experiences that will stay with you long after your visit.

Off the Square
Manchester
Restaurant
Off The Square

Set in the beating heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Off The Square is state-of-the-art music and events space that plays host to live gigs as well as club nights.

Louis Restaurant
Manchester
Restaurant
Louis Restaurant

A Rat Pack-style restaurant with of live music and upscale Italian-American dining, and strictly no phones.

Manchester
Restaurant
Niwa Yakitori

Charcoal grill yakitori supper club held in a beautiful Tokyo-style backstreet cafe in the North Quarter.

Manchester Visitor Guides

People enjoying drinking in Altrincham
Things to Do in Altrincham

Plan a day out down Altrincham way, and you’ll soon find that one day isn’t nearly enough. Getting there is easy on the tram, or how about cycling along the...

Bars in Manchester

The best new bars in Manchester, plus some old favourites for good measure.

Tasting Menus in The North

Looking for the finest luxury multi-course restaurants in Manchester? Look no further. We've picked out the very best tasting menus in the city - just make sure you have deep pockets.

Photo of the Halle orchestra at Bridgewater
Music Venues in Manchester

Manchester is still a great place to watch new and innovative music – so here’s a guide to where to watch the best live music in the city.

Sunday Roasts in Manchester

Looking for the finest roast dinners in Manchester? Look no further. We've picked out the very best Sunday dinners in the city.

Federal Cafe Bar
Breakfast in Manchester

Manchester is strong with the breakfast force, and has some impressive form where brunch is concerned. Here’s our pick of the city’s morning glories.

Spotlight on

Things to do in Blackpool

Fancy a festive day trip? Explore our guide to Blackpool and build yourself an itinerary featuring attractions, galleries, restaurants and more.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Music in the North

From Afrobeat to psychedelia, alternative rock to glistening pop, we take a look at some of the best gigs happening in early 2025.

Raver Tots at Escape to Freight Island
Family things to do in the North

As we move into festive season, Manchester and the North is packed with fun events and activities for families, both indoors and outdoors.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

From contemporary dance to ballet classics, and cult rock ‘n’ roll musicals to new writing, our theatre guide spans the festive season and beyond.

Walker & Bromwich, Love Cannon, 2006, lambda print Photo:
Exhibitions in the North

Before the festive season completely takes over, we've rounded up some of the best exhibitions to see right now.

A man is dressed as an Elf in a decorated department store.
Cinema in the North

Get ready for animated classics, Muppet mayhem and a whole host of New York movies -- it's Christmas time in the cinema.

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.