When Mughli opened in 1991, the Curry Mile was filled with exactly that – curry.
This lively strip of Rusholme has changed a lot since then, diversified, and is now more of a Kebab Mile than a length of road with row after row of restaurants serving Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan food.
But still smiling out on the strip after all these years (literally – it’s got a giant mural of a softly smiling woman out front) is Mughli, run by the same family since it opened more than three decades ago.
It’s older than, probably, a lot of The Manc readers – and there aren’t all that many restaurants in Manchester that can still claim that.
In a time where hospitality closures are peppering the news like sesame seeds on an everything bagel, Mughli is still going as strong as ever.
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From 5pm on the nose it’s busy. Groups of pals, dates, families, and a steady stream of Deliveroo drivers traipse in and out through the waft of incense in the doorway.
It’s an old(ish) restaurant that keeps up with the times though – there’s a QR code for the Wi-Fi, a One Direction joke buried in the one-way system, a collaboration with a local craft brewery, along with all the secret recipes passed down and honed through the generations.
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The Leopard Roll at MughliMughli’s collaboration beer with First ChopGol Gappay
This cosy spot is famed for its charcoal pit, where cuts of meat including charred lamb chops and chicken tikka are flamed to perfection, as well as its ‘unapologetically unauthentic’ curries.
One of those curries that they don’t even try to pretend is the real deal is their korma.
It’s not the sort of wimpy, almost dessert-like korma a lot of us are used to (though, if you like your curries to have a bit of fire behind them, this is not the one to order).
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Mughli’s korma is packed with flavour even with its lack of spice, a bright yellow sauce swimming around… onion bhajis? Some may call it controversial and unconventional but we call it bloody genius.
If you ask Mancs where the best butter chicken in the city is, a lot of fingers will point up Wilmslow Road in Mughli’s direction.
Flake-apart chicken is dropped into a thick curry sauce so rich it’s chasing down Elon Musk on the Forbes list.
Onion bhaji korma at Mughli on the Curry MileThe Scorpion Prawns
One of the stars of their show is the Leopard Roll, where a lamb seekh kebab is coated in a tangy chutney, then rolled up in a roti blanket, finished off on the grill so its crust turns into a black and beige patchwork.
Gol Gappay is another theatrical little dish. A mountain of puffed-up puri balls arrives beside a pot of chickpea chaat, studded with pomegranate seeds. You crack open the top of the hollow puri, pile in your chaat, finish with a drizzle of tamarind water, then attempt to fit the whole thing in your mouth at once.
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And then the must-order – gigantic scorpion prawns. They’re so big and beefy I’d be worried about bumping into them in a dark alleyway.
These bright red grilled prawns, their edges charred black, are caked in Mughli’s signature tandoori masala, a drizzle of garlic oil, and a squeeze of lemon. I’m seeing stars. They’re SO good.
There is a good reason Mughli is still pulling in the crowds on the Curry Mile after so many years. The proof is in the puri.
Legendary city centre boozer named one of the best beer gardens in the UK
Daisy Jackson
No phones, cheap pints, and bags of sunshine – that’s the USP of Sinclair’s Oyster Bar, and now it’s earned itself the title of being one of the UK’s best beer gardens.
This legendary local pub has placed in an impressive eighth place on a new list of the nation’s top outdoor watering holes, beating beachside boozers and countryside pubs.
Sinclair’s Oyster Bar is the only Greater Manchester pub to make the new list published by Big 7 Travel.
They celebrated it for its ‘old-school pub characteristics’, which is a pretty fair summary of this local legend.
As well as a strict no-phones policy, encouraging its inhabitants to keep devices in their pockets and have a chin wag over a Taddy Lager instead, the pub is also serving pints at some of town’s most old-school prices.
This is one of the few places in town where you can still get a pint for less than a fiver, with its humble selection of beers and stouts priced from £3.50.
It’s also cash-only, and housed in a fascinating building that dates back to the 18th century – though it didn’t always stand in its current location on Exchange Square.
The pub has actually been rebuilt twice – once in the 1970s, being raised up by five feet to match new street levels during the construction of the Arndale Centre; then again in 1996 after the IRA bomb.
The 3000-pound bomb that changed the face of Manchester left the little pub with only minimal damage, but left it (and its neighbour, the Old Wellington) in need of a new home.
Sinclair’s in Manchester has been named as having one of the best beer gardens in the UK
So these centuries-old buildings were popped up on stilts and moved 300m down the road, meticulously reassembled over 11 months like a giant LEGO set to form the new square beside Manchester Cathedral.
You can read more about Sinclair’s Oyster Bar’s fascinating history HERE.
As for the present day, the pub’s suntrap outside terrace is forever heaving on match days, when football fans from across the globe pack around its picnic tables.
Big 7 Travel wrote: “Known for its old-school pub characteristics, including being cash-only and a no-phones policy, this historic pub – whose origins date back to the early 18th-century – is well known for serving cheap and easy-drinking Sam Smith’s beer, making it the perfect spot to socialise with friends in the city.
“The beer garden is also a complete suntrap, so when the sun’s shining in Manchester, there are few better places to spend an afternoon than Sinclair’s.”
It has placed in the top 10 of the guide’s list of 30 beer gardens in the UK, which has also named a couple of spots in the Lake District and Peak District.
Lavish Gay Village restaurant MAYA has announced its closure after just two years
Daisy Jackson
MAYA, a restaurant that was delivering refined dining in the Gay Village in Manchester, has announced its closure after just two years in the city.
The luxury three-storey restaurant opened in 2024, transforming a former warehouse building on the corner of Chorlton Street and Canal Street.
MAYA made its way into the Michelin Guide just two weeks after opening – though subsequently dropped off the prestigious list.
But now it’s the end of the road for this ‘bold and ambitious project’, with owners confirming today that its final service will be this weekend.
They wrote that ‘this has not been an easy decision’ but the restaurant is faced with an ‘increasingly challenging backdrop’ that is making the outlook for an independent businesses like MAYA ‘increasingly difficult’.
Inside the ground-floor brasserie, diners had beautiful views down the iconic cobbled canalside street.
Then downstairs below ground level lay the main dining room, filled with luxury touches like blue velvet and brass, plus a huge central marble-topped bar.
There was even a ‘secret’ hidden lounge bar below the main dining room too, with a strict no-photos policy.
MAYA Manchester has announced it closureThe Canal Street restaurant opened in 2024
MAYA’s full statement reads: “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close MAYA Manchester, with our final service taking place this weekend.
“This has not been an easy decision. Over the past year, and especially in recent months, we have made strong and encouraging progress, but against an increasingly challenging backdrop for hospitality and small, independent brands.
“It has become clear that, looking ahead, the outlook for businesses like ours is increasingly difficult and not sustainable in its current form.
“Our immediate focus is on our team, and they have been kept updated throughout this process so they can consider their options and make necessary plans. Our focus now is on supporting the team through the coming days and ensuring everyone is paid properly. We want to thank every member of our team, past and present, who helped shape MAYA and contributed to its story.
“We would also like to thank our guests, collaborators, performers, DJs, suppliers and wider Manchester community who supported MAYA over the last two years. Whether you joined us for coffee, cocktails, celebrations, late nights or something in between, thank you for being part of it.
“MAYA has always been a bold and ambitious project. We have been proud to see it evolve, particularly in recent months, and we are proud of the moments, friendships and memories created within our walls.
“As we approach our final few days, we remain focused on giving our guests and community the experience they know us for. We hope many of you will join us before our final service, as we celebrate this chapter together.”
Daisy Jackson -
6th October 2023 
