Ramadan Mubarak! The Islamic month of fasting (sawm), prayer, reflection and community is almost here (March 23) and numerous places across Manchester are offering a wonderful dining experience for the family meal before the fast starts, Suhoor. Plus, many of these dining spots in Manchester will be providing a special (and tasty) service for the evening meal at sundown during Ramadan, Iftar.
Ensuring you eat well during Iftar and Suhoor is vitally important to a successful day’s fast, which runs from pre-dawn until sunset. Finding somewhere to eat during Ramadan can be tough, but here to offer some inspiration is our round-up of the best places to visit in Manchester during Ramadan.
1. Zouk Tea Bar & Grill
Every day throughout Ramadan, the First Street restaurant will be welcoming customers to come and break their fast with a fabulous spread of much-loved dishes. Zouk will also be taking care of customers by greeting them with a gift of stuffed dates on arrival plus fruit chaat, dates and water on the table. Once seated, guests can go up to the buffet and enjoy the daily selection of food which will include salads, starters, curries, lamb raan and a selection of accompaniments. Zouk has created two sittings this year so the Ramadan buffet is available for a longer period of time each evening. There will be one sitting at Iftar with a second sitting an hour earlier or later, depending on BST.
2. Manchester Museum
In the spirit of the month of Ramadan, the month of hospitality and sharing, the newly-reopened Manchester Museum is inviting people to come along to the venue on March 29. The museum will be hosting an Iftar, which is an evening of friendship and conversation across faiths and cultures. Learn about Ramadan and witness or participate in the Muslim call to prayer. Attendees will also be breaking the fast together with delicious food. The event is free to drop in between the hours of 6pm and 9pm, however you can reserve a spot in advance.
3. Safire Grill
Safire Grill’s Ramadan buffet is set to be making a return after massive demand and it’s a great way to open your Iftar with family and friends. The restaurant close to Manchester Royal Infirmary, between Chorlton-on-Medlock and Victoria Park, will be providing guests with a generous spread as they break the fast this Ramadan. The buffet will feature Safire’s best selection of starters, mains and desserts, think kebabs, tikka, braised lamb shank, curries, sponge puddings and gulab jamon. Prayer facilities are also available at this venue. Safire Grill, 275a Upper Brook Street, M13 0HR.
4. MyLahore
Another Asian restaurant in Manchester which has you covered this Ramadan is MyLahore. Open from 6pm to 11pm for Iftar, the restaurant located on the Curry Mile will be serving a halal menu featuring literally everything you could be craving from across Europe and Asia. We’re talking samosa chaat, traditional curries, seafood platters and paninis, wraps and salads. MyLahore also has you covered should you want their food for Suhoor, or for an Iftar at home. Whilst they aren’t open into the early hours, they have a sharing box on sale which you can order online straight to your door, to be eaten on your own schedule. MyLahore, 14 – 18 Wilmslow Road, M14 5TQ.
5. Chaiiwala
Several of Chaiiwala’s branches will be open into the early hours of the morning over Ramadan, for those who are looking for something substantial to eat for Suhoor, before the fast begins. The restaurant, which recently opened the UK’s first Indian drive-thru, offers a host of filling food and chai tea to keep you going. One of the best options is their all-day Desi Breakfast, which features an omelette, spicy beans or daal, roti and a karak chai, to keep you full and satisfied for the day ahead. If you’re visiting for Iftar, Chaiiwala also has a plenty of street food to choose from like masala chips, samosa burgers and pani puri. Chaiiwala, Bury Old Road, M8 5BW | Stockport Road, M19 3BN | Ayres Road, M16 7GS | George Street, Oldham, OL1 1LS | Milkstone Road, Rochdale, OL11 1EB | Manchester Road, Bolton, BL3 2NZ | Deane Road, Bolton, BL3 5DL.
6. Istanbul
The popular Turkish restaurant in Prestwich, Istanbul, is getting fully involved in the Ramadan festivities with plenty on the grill to choose from. From chicken kofte to lamb shish, chicken wings to lamb chops, all marinated in delicious herbs and spices then grilled over charcoal to perfection, there are so many tasty options. Istanbul offers sharing platters served with salad and mix of rice and bulgar wheat, which are great to enjoy with family and friends for Iftar. The jumbo platter features a mezze of fasulye, saksuka, sarma, cacik and hummus, alongside lamb chops, lamb shish, chicken shish, lamb ribs, chicken wings, adana kofte, chicken kofte, plus lamb and chicken doner. Istanbul, 2 Bury Old Road, M8 9JN.
7. House of Chai
House Of Chai in Manchester serves up a mixture of English and Desi dishes and is opening until 4am for Suhoor and will also be offering up an Iftar menu, so that customers visit them to open or close their fasts. Offering a perfectly pink place to enjoy your meal, House of Chai also boasts neon lighting and flower walls making it quite the Instagrammable spot. On the Iftar menu, there’s everything from a buttermilk chicken burger to a slow-roasted lamb shank, whilst the Suhoor menu features a Desi breakfast of spicy beans, chicken kebab, omelette and paratha, as well as a Full English, American pancakes and the likes of avo on toast. Plus, plenty of chai tea to wash it all down with. House of Chai, Unit 4, 5A Wilbraham Road, M14 6JS.
8. Etçi Mehmet
Every night during Ramadan, the Turkish steak restaurant in Manchester, Etçi Mehmet, will be serving up plenty of delicious food alongside complimentary dates and soup when it comes to breaking your fast. Tuck into the likes of fillet steak, asado beef, lamb skewers or one of their juicy, stacked burgers with skin on fries, Etçi’s signature rice or Turkish bread. Save room for their starters and desserts though, as the steak restaurant serves up lovely grilled halloumi, mezze platters and Turkish baklava. Etçi Mehmet, Unit 4, The Quadrangle, Chester St, M1 5QS.
9. The Ivy
For the first time ever, The Ivy in Manchester will be hosting an Iftar event during Ramadan. Organised by Muslim Aid, this intimate event will take place in the heart of Manchester’s Spinningfields in the private Dalton Room on April 8, from 6pm to 10pm. A carefully selected three course halal meal will be served with special guest speaker and an opportunity to learn about Muslim Aid’s Ramadan campaign. Dalton Room at The Ivy Spinningfields, The Pavilion, Byrom St, M3 3HG.