Where to Eat

Without a doubt the greatest concentration of eateries is in the Rusholme area of the city (according to its official website it is the biggest concentration of Asian restaurants in the whole of the UK, attracting over 65,000 diners a week), which is a short walk from Oxford road, where the University of Manchester and MMU have their main campuses. Rusholme mainly has Asian restaurants, offering great offers on curries and kebabs etc. Most of these restaurants also have an English menu, so they will serve the usual fish and chips, pizzas etc. From my experience there is a big difference in quality depending on which restaurant you go to.

The first Indian takeaway on wilmslow road is Sangams, which is across the road from the Wilmslow Park halls of residence, although cheap the food lacks taste and is very oily. Apparently they do nice kebabs, but I have got this info from people who were very drunk, you'll probably eat anything when your drunk. I think its best avoided as there are far superior places on Wilmslow road, a short stone throw away.

The Darbar restaurant is a good restaurant offering dishes that taste authentic and the atmosphere is nice as it has been refurbished recently. It is also one of just a few restaurants that has bar, generally the Indian restaurants will be run by Muslims so they will not serve alcohol, so Darbar is a welcomed anomaly. The dishes are also reasonably priced and there is a friendly service.

The Royal Naz is another decent restaurant and has won many chef of the year awards, both local and national. They give you good sized portions and the service is very friendly.

The restaurant Al Bilal is definitely best avoided, as it has as recently as last year been closed for having a cockroach infection.

Outside of the curry mile, there is a good supply of big chain takeaways such as Mcdonalds, Pizza Hut and Subway. There are 2 subway's and Mcdonalds' branches on Oxford Road alone.

Within the University of Manchester itself, there is a large refectory in University Place, which is the large, circular, grey, building with the University of Manchester plastered across it. Although home to the School of Nursing, all students are allowed in. There is a good wide selection of foods to choose from, from Pizza and chips to stir fry, which is freshly made in front of you. Opening in 2008, the refectory is very modern and spacious, but the prices do let it down a bit, average meal will be approx. £2.50. There are also smaller cafe's in both the MMU union and the Steve Bilko Union building.

For vegetarians there is the Eighth Day Cafe, which is open from 9-7pm Mon-Fri and 10-4.30pm on Sat, it is quite a large place offering a huge range of vegitarian and organic foods. Be warned that it can get quite busy and it won't be light on your pockets.

If you can afford it, or as a treat once in a long while, there is a large Selfridges store in the city centre which has a large food area on the ground floor. There you will find a big selection of world foods, including a sushi bar, if that's what takes your fancy. There is also a Krispy Kremes here so if you've got a sweet tooth you'll feel right at home. A 15 minute walk into the Deansgate area, will take you to the Akbar's restaurant, which is one of the largest restaurants in the city. There is a great atmosphere here and the service is brilliant. It is also surprisingly cheap, as for under £15 you will be able to have a full three course meal. The naan breads are must eat as they are gigantic, but mouthwateringly tasty.