Restaurant critic Jay Rayner has paid a visit to the Stockport Pyramid, now transformed into the Royal Nawaab Indian restaurant – and he LOVED it.
The acclaimed writer dined at the huge new opening for his weekly column in the Financial Times, deeming it ‘a little overwhelming’ but a ‘classy rebuttal’ of the much-maligned buffet.
The transformation of the landmark Stockport Pyramid into a multi-million-pound, multi-storey restaurant has been one of the most talked-about openings in Greater Manchester history.
Inside now, this bizarre spectacle is home to an all-you-can-eat, 400-capacity Indian buffet as well as several lavish banquet halls.
And despite being so vast, and having such a wide array of curries and grills to choose from, Royal Nawaab has been fully booked for weeks in advance.
The city has, quite possibly, never seen anything like it.
So it was only a matter of time before it caught the attention of the national press, starting with Jay Rayner, who featured Royal Nawaab in his most recent restaurant review.
Of the Stockport Pyramid itself, he said: “The Stockport Pyramid is another former temple to mammon, with its own restaurant-friendly grandeur.
The transformed interior of the Stockport PyramidRows of curries at Royal Nawaab’s all-you-can-eat buffet
“If you live in Greater Manchester or have ever joined the M60 at Junction 1, you will know it: a steel-blue glass cathedral, which squats in the light industrial landscape like some cartoon version of an alien spaceship.”
Rayner added that he was ‘fully clocked’ by the manager inside, so it wasn’t exactly a completely anonymous or authentic review experience – but even so, he was impressed by the £29.99 per person offering inside, which gets you access to more than 100 dishes and a ‘startling array’ of curries.
Jay Rayner raved particularly about the panipuri (‘a perfect, bursting mouthful’), the deep-fried masala fish (‘especially good’) and the lamb and lentil haleem (‘extraordinary’).
Jay Rayner has published a rave review of Royal Nawaab at Stockport Pyramid
“It’s a little overwhelming,” he wrote of the experience at Royal Nawaab, adding: “One solution is to seek out dishes you know and like.”
He then said: “I’ve sneered at the idea of buffets in the past, called them the place where good taste goes to die, and many of them are. But the Royal Nawaab is a classy rebuttal….
“It really is a remarkable operation. The risk of waste is subtly managed by a gentle request not to take more than you can eat, and it’s nudged along by the use of small plates. Return as often as you like. Just have some self-respect.”
You can read Jay Rayner’s full review of Royal Nawaab HERE.
Manchester favourite Nell’s to open new site for New York-style pizza, karaoke and shuffleboard
Daisy Jackson
Much-loved New York-style pizza joint Nell’s has announced big plans for a brand new location – they’re heading to MediaCity.
Nell’s are stepping things up a notch with the move, adding in private karaoke booths, shuffleboard tables, and a huge outdoor terrace in their new site.
Nell’s MediaCity is set to open this autumn, promising 22-inch New York-style pizza (also served in gigantic slices), frozen margs, and ice cream sandwiches.
There are already several spots around Manchester where you can get a slice of Nell’s, including their restaurants at Kampus and in Altrincham, the OG Northern Quarter site in Common, and at The Beagle in Chorlton.
And now it’s Salford’s turn, with plans unveiled for the team to expand over to MediaCity’s quayside Orange Building.
Nell’s co-founder Jonny Heyes said: “We’ve been thinking about MediaCity for a long time, it’s such a great area and we’ve seen what brilliant operators like Kargo have achieved so when this space came up, we jumped on it!
“The venue is huge which has given us the chance to really play with the experience.
“This idea of karaoke and shuffleboard accompanying our made-for-sharing pizzas and great cocktails feels like a natural next step for us as a brand.”
Nell’s have also partnered with Deliveroo and Slerp to send 14-inch and 22-inch pizzas far and wide.
The new opening is expected to create more than 35 new jobs, and as Common & Co has twice been named in the Times 100 Best Places To Work list, you might want to check those out HERE.
These viral sensations are a plush toy created by Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised designer Kasing Lung, who drew inspiration from his love of fairytales to create a character with bunny-like ears, large eyes and big smiles.
They’re swinging off handbags all over the UK at the minute and people are queueing for hours for the latest Labubu drops.
At Sweet Dreams, they’re making edible chocolate Labubus using a special mould flown in from Japan.
Each one has a pistachio kunafa filling and is painstakingly painted by hand.
And that brings us neatly to the next viral craze at play here – Dubai pistachio chocolate.
An army of pistachio chocolate LabubuInside a chocolate pistachio Labubu
Kunafa is a staple in Middle Eastern bakes and pastries but hit the global mainstream last year when thick chocolate pistachio bars stuffed with it went viral online, spawning countless dupes and inspired specials.
And finally, chocolate covered strawberries – hardly a new invention, but this simple dessert has rocketed in popularity especially in food hotspots like Borough Market in London.
Head into Sweet Dreams and you can build your treat from the base up – choose white or milk melted chocolate for your strawberries, layer on pistachio kunafa, then top with either a milk or white chocolate Labubu.
A slightly daft novelty? Yes. But that doesn’t stop them being delicious.
This is the only place in the UK currently selling Dubai pistachio chocolate Labubus.
Daisy Jackson -
11th June 2025 
