Manchester foodies, strap in because it’s something big because a brand-new Indian restaurant is coming to the heart of Ancoatslater this month.
Indian Affair, the family-style restaurant that has already seen great success on Barlow Moor Road over in Chorlton, is now set to take over the former Rigatoni’s site (previously Sugo Pasta Kitchen and then Sud) which closed back in May.
Not only will this exciting new opening be Affair’s second location as their reputation around Greater Manchester grows but it will also be the first-ever Indian restaurant to pop up on the ever-bustling Cutting Room Square.
A real hotbed for good food in the city and culinary competition on its own, landing a lot on the square is no mean feat and if you’ve seen their food already, you’ll how exciting this is.
Owned by loving couple, Harshit and Natasha Chopra, the new Indian Affair venue is the first of its kind for the area, focusing on Indian small plates and thalis.
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Their flagship restaurant in Chorlton only opened back in October 2022 but quickly became a hit with the locals and is sure to have the same success over in Ancoats – after all, as a city famous for the Curry Mile, it’s fair to say we’ve got a lot of love for the Indian cuisine.
Commenting on the announcement, Harshit said: “We always dreamed about opening a city centre restaurant. We’ve been totally blown away by the love for our Chorlton site and are extremely grateful to those who’ve visited and made it a success.
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“As a family, we enjoy spending time in Ancoats, exploring the restaurants and Sunday markets. Cutting Room Square has a community like no other, we felt it was the perfect space for a modern Indian restaurant.”
With a menu inspired by the couple’s favourite flavours from home back in Delhi, every dish will be hand-selected by the husband and wife duo, with thalis options – a selection of smaller plates served on an Indian-style round platter – aiming to offer guests a bit of everything, be it vegan, veggie or carnivorous.
Indian Affair also encourages guests to dine family-style, prioritising socialising, sharing, and tasting a bit of everything on the table just as much as enjoying your own meal.
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Credit: Indian Affair Chorlton (supplied)
Small plates range from £5-13, with favourites including chicken tikka samosa, spinach fritters drizzled with yoghurt, tamarind and mint chutney; chargrilled lamb chops, as well as tandoori king prawns in garlic and garam masala.
In addition to offering traditional Delhi-inspired offerings, the team has also curated dishes with more of a modern twist, including chicken and paneer bao and malai artichoke. Oh yeah, they’re clever these lot.
The menu also features classic biryanis, fluffy freshly cooked naans, parathas and rotis from the clay oven tandoor, alongside a wide selection of rice, salads and chutneys to choose from.
Better still: exclusive to the new Ancoats restaurant only, the team is also launching a new lunch menu featuring filled naan rolls, further contemporary Indian takes on loaded burgers and bao buns – all of which will be priced from £8.00 and served up with crispy masala wedges.
Sure to be a hit with the locals, for sit-in and takeaway, you’ll also be able to pick up a paneer tikka or lamb seekh rolled up inside one of those lovely garlic naans, packed with fresh onion salad, mint and coriander chutney. Hungry yet?
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Or, if you fancy a proper good burger that’s a little bit different, the butter chicken burger is the passionate pair’s favourite new addition to the menu and not one to be missed. And to wash it all down, Cobra will be served on draft, met with wines, alcohol-free options and a great selection of cocktails.
Safe to say that just like co-owner Natasha, we’re very excited about this one. She added: “Our small plate concept has been a great success in Chorlton. We know the demographic in Ancoats enjoy sharing food whilst socialising, so we hope the menu will be popular.
“We’re excited to try out our new lunch menu with Indian twists on your favourite lunch classics. We’re looking forward to welcoming you all very soon.”
Indian Affair promises to showcase North Indian cuisine, inspired by Delhi’s diverse flavours and home-style cooking at its very best, whilst also reflecting both the traditional and modern sides of the city and their growing home here in Manchester.
Cutting Room Square’s newest arrival soft open on Monday, 16th September with bookings available from Friday, 20 September. See you there real soon, and we hope you’re in the mood for sharing – because we sure are.
Dujour Bakehouse: yet more proof of why tiramisu and banana pudding are having ‘a moment’
Danny Jones
Banana pudding and tiramisu might be two of the biggest foodie phenomena around right now, and while each has a long history of its own, Greater Manchester’s fascination with them seems to be only just beginning, to the point where you have places like Dujour dedicated entirely to the duo.
Dujour Bakehouse, to give them their full name, is a story that started a few years ago, and whose latest chapter has seen them open up over at The Trafford Centre.
And upon paying our first visit, they had such a strong few hours that they were already running low on stock by the time we turned up.
Opening a simple stand within the Selfridges Foodall, the name might be a play on the French phrase for ‘of the day’, but make no mistake: this isn’t just here today and gone the next – they’re of the moment as these two ubiquitous desserts continue to dominate.
Popping up on the first floor of the large department store within the already giant collection of stores, Dujour is probably one of the smallest vendors within the entire shopping centre, but the somewhat unassuming yet classic-looking kiosk easily catches the eye.
In truth, it looks like a taste of France – what with the font and the striped canopy and signage that almost puts you in mind of a Parisian patisserie – and then you see the menu with just two items on it: banana pudding or tiramisu.
This makes for a relatively small operation, but the real fun is to be had with the toppings.
From all the sauces and toppings you’d usually expect with this sort of thing, to pretzels and even red velvet crumbs, this is about that extra little bit of decadence without going overboard.
There aren’t dozens of extras to choose from, so as to risk overindulging yourself and straying into sickly territory, but it easily satisfies any sweet tooth.
Being served in the takeaway, iced coffee-style cups also make it feel more grab-and-go, but don’t worry, the serving you get is plenty.
It’s also worth noting that this is very intentional, too; they have lots of experience running large-scale stuff, what with their dark kitchen in Bolton (where this all started back in November 2023) and their sadly short-lived setup in Leigh, but this feels like a conscious walk before running step.
They’ve clearly learned lots from both, and this latest venture does feel like it’s pitched perfectly, not only for the location but timing-wise, as well.
Yes, they may do way more at their OG unit, but this kiosk is very much capitalising on the ever-increasing craze and is already proving a hit even just with busy shoppers passing by.
Like with any trend, some people can’t stomach that saturation of a market, but we can safely say this Selfrigdes stand is one, well, we can more than comfortably stand.
If this sort of thing is right up your street, you’ll also be glad to know that they do wholesale and delivery across the region.
Once again, only a short trip out of the city centre or an easy option when you’re spending the day out shopping, this serves as yet another reminder that you should always venture out to the boroughs and find out what else Greater Manchester has on offer.
For instance, Rochdale Food and Drink Festival returns once again at the end of May to mark 10 years of the annual street eats celebration.
Mouro opens third coffee shop on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter
Daisy Jackson
South Manchester’s beloved independent coffee brand Mouro has opened its third location – and this time, they’ve headed to the Northern Quarter.
The stylish neighbourhood coffee bar has taken over a vacant unit on Tib Street, serving speciality coffee as well as sandwiches, cinnamon buns, and pastries.
The two-storey venue has been kitted out beautifully (but that’s no surprise – the team here are also behind So Marrakech in Altrincham).
There are comfy banquette seats in the window, marble and wood sunburst tables, terrazzo floors, hanging wooden lights, and all sorts of other carefully thought-out design details that set it apart from everything else in the Northern Quarter.
Outside, they’ve preserved a lot of the character of Tib Street, painting their sign directly onto the old brickwork above the door.
Mouro is already a well-established name in Heaton Moor and Altrincham, where it’s built up a loyal following for its house-roasted small-batch coffee beans.
In the Northern Quarter, you can pick up a bag of beans to take home with you – and if you do, they’ll make you a fresh coffee to take away with it.
Cinnamon buns at MouroInside Mouro on Tib StreetSandwichesThe newest Mouro opens on Saturday 15 MayMouro is opening in the Northern Quarter
Alongside those house blend and single-origin coffees, there’s a whole spread of cinnamon buns, including ones made with an espresso frosting (again, made with their own roasted coffee).
There are also sandwiches and other bakes to have in or take away.
Mouro will open its doors at 68 Tib Street on Saturday 16 May, with free coffees and matcha from 9am to 12pm on launch day.
Mouro will then be open Monday to Sunday, 8am to 4pm, and on Sundays from 9am to 4pm.
Danny Jones -
12th September 2024 
