Alborz

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

Visit now

Alborz

820 Stockport Rd, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3AW
01615264983
  • Tuesday12:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Wednesday12:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Thursday12:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Friday12:00pm - 10:30pm
  • Saturday12:00pm - 10:30pm
  • Sunday12:00pm - 9:30pm

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Alborz
Ian Jones
Book now

The long-awaited revival of Persian restaurant Alborz is the current sizzling-hot topic for Levenshulme’s food-loving locals. It was a popular fixture on Stockport Road for many years, before the pressures of lockdown caused it to close in 2020. But now, like Lazarus or Rick Astley, the restaurant is back and bigger than ever. 

Those years in the wilderness saw the restaurant repurposed into a shisha bar, but now the kitchen has been rebuilt, complete with clay oven, thanks to the hard work of husband and wife team Amir and Nafis, the Iran-born owners. The menu has many classic Middle Eastern dishes, with one or two lesser-spotted options, plus it’s bring your own booze, so nip to a nearby local shop and fill your boots. 

The mezze platter is a great place to start, with four separate light, summery dips and as much freshly baked taftoon bread as you can manage. The garlic and aubergine-based kashk-e-bademjan is highly recommended, but the mirza ghasemi comes out on top – also aubergine-based but this time with vibrant tomato flavours. 

Also in the starters section, you’ll find one notable and rarely-spotted dish: lamb tongue. Yes, two surprisingly huge and meaty tongues, served with a thin lemon-based stock for dipping, and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. It’s not a personal favourite (turns out the texture of tongue is, well, tonguey, who knew?), but my fellow diners loved it – as happy as a springtime lamb (tongue intact) leaping over its sheepy mum, in fact. Nevertheless, to paraphrase Tom Ford, everyone should try it once.

The lamb chops, however, are a smash hit across the board. They’re piping hot from that acclaimed clay oven, packed with Persian spices, soft and tender in the main but crispy and charred where it matters. They come with an obligatory salad and more of that taftoon bread, plus a little sachet of salad cream, bizarre, entirely unnecessary when the meat is as rich and juicy as this.

Finally, the joojeh, Iran’s peerless take on chicken kebab, and it’s a joy. The chicken chunks are a pleasing shade of yellow from the saffron and lemon marinade, and as tender as they could possibly be, paired with a hearty pile of expertly cooked fluffy rice.

The news of Alborz’s return brought an outpouring of happiness from the Levenshulme locals, and it’s clear why. The food is prepared lovingly, no corners cut and the owners aren’t afraid to offer dishes that go beyond the usual high street fare. Welcome back Alborz, you’ve been missed.

What's on near Alborz

Promotional image of Branford Marsalis playing saxophone
MusicManchester
RNCM Autumn Season

The RNCM unleashes a season of daring stories, fearless players and performances ranging from jazz and opera to film scores and full-blown orchestral spectacle.

From £8

Where to go near Alborz

Levenshulme
Restaurant
Station Hop

Cosy, colourful bar in Levenshulme. Station Hop is an independent tap house and bottle shop, located close to Levenshulme station.

Levenshulme
Bar or Pub
Isca Wines

Now in a new, improved location, Isca Wines is still the heart of wine and small plates in Levenshulme.

Levenshulme
Shopping Centre
Levenshulme Market

One of the best in the city, Levenshulme Market brings new businesses, arts and lots of delicious food to a carpark in Levenshulme on a weekly basis.

Manchester
Restaurant
Cibus Pizza

High-quality Italian food in Levenshulme, with friendly staff and an ever-changing but always excellent menu.

Bankley Studios and Gallery Manchester
Levenshulme
Gallery
Bankley Studios and Gallery

Bankley Studios and Gallery is an artist-run space in Levenshume, with a gallery and over 30 studios, with regular exhibitions and open studio weekends.

Culture Guides

A white mattress is burning in a black rocky landscape.
Exhibitions in the North

Galleries in the North are far from spooky this October - instead you'll find tactile sculptures, plant magic and curatorial experiments.

Cinema in the North

A host of Halloween horrors, experimental shorts, plus pioneering black British cinema make our October Cinema Guide.

Music in the North

Noise, excess and immediacy. From New York’s experimental underground to the most vital sounds of local scenes, autumn gigs are coming in heavy.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Theatre this month bursts with contrasts - from bold new writing and Black History Month highlights to contemporary arts and reimagined classics.

Poet Helen Mort.
Literature Events in the North

One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...