ISTANBUL RESTAURANT REVIEW
I have to admit I have a soft spot for the Curry Mile in Manchester. Over the years, we have tried a lot of the restaurants and takeaways on the strip and we have whittled the list down to a handful of our favourites. Istanbul is one of them.
Located at the far end of the Curry Mile, a couple of doors down from Baskin Robbins (my kids favourite shop in the whole world), this unassuming restaurant is simply superb. As with many of the restaurants in this area, it has the look of a takeaway, but it also has plenty of seating throughout the three floors.
The ground floor has booth seating and the open kitchen. The second floor has more seating and the third is where you will find the toilets and another seating area. It is worth noting that it doesn’t have an accessible toilet which is a shame.
The food is cooked fresh to order and they specialise in grilled meat, fish and a Middle-eastern dish called Qabily Pilau. A delicious slow cooked lamb and rice dish with carrots and sultanas, seasoned with cinnamon. Everything is served with the most fantastic freshly baked Turkish bread. You really have to try the bread. OMG. Amazing.
We have visited Istanbul many times and the staff are always friendly and they accommodate our kids very well. There are options for kids (the ubiquitous chicken nugget as always) but if your kids aren’t too fussy, the grilled meats are not spicy and my youngest always gobbles up a whole portion of lamb chops.
If you order a lot of food you have the option of it arriving as a family platter instead of as individual meals. They don’t skimp on the portions so the platter arrives overflowing with soups, bread, rice and meat. We ordered a side of hummus in addition to the platter as the bread is just amazing dipped in the garlicky chickpea goodness.
Everything on the platter was cooked to perfection. My husband loved the lamb chops (as did my youngest) and I can heartily recommend the roast chicken. My daughter loved the mildly spiced pilau rice
I absolutely recommend Istanbul for a cheap and plentiful family meal out. It is a must on a visit to one of Manchester’s most famous dining areas. Definitely check it out.
As always, these are my own opinions and I have not received any payment for this review.
