Manchester’s got tonnes of amazing affordable eats, but you really can’t beat the classic kebab, whether it’s at the end of a night out or on your lunch break.
With the suburbs around town littered with authentic shawarmas, from the iconic Curry Mile to the takeaways on city centre street corners, you’re not going to struggle to find yourself a decent kebab.
And with a whole new generation of university students rocking up in town over the coming weeks, we figured this was vital information to share…
So we decided to hunt out a few favourites – in one lunch break. Yep, that’s right, we decided that eating three kebabs in one lunch hour was a good idea.
The best part is that although Manchester’s kebab circle is wide, it’s all super easy to get to on public transport.
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Stagecoach sorted us right out on the day with a plan to take on three shawarmas, all linked by its bus network.
We started off in the city centre at Arndale Shawarma, a late-night staple on High Street.
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Arndale Shawarma, a classic spot for a kebab in ManchesterThe neat kebab wraps at Arndale Shawarma in Manchester
Their kebab is a neat naan wrap, stuffed to bursting with the most tender meat, fresh salad, and fat chillies. Chef’s. Kiss.
Then it was time for our kebab crawl to move beyond town. With buses running every few minutes, and fares up to 55% cheaper for students, you can get from campus to kebab in a flash.
Case in point – within just 15 minutes of hopping on a Stagecoach bus out of town, we were on the iconic Curry Mile, and at Al Zain.
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A kebab from Al Zain in ManchesterAl Zain in Manchester serves kebabs in authentic samoon bread
You can’t go wrong with their mixed shawarma, served in a traditional middle Eastern bread called a samoon.
They pile it to the brim with fresh salad and it’s exactly the kebab you want for a fresh and filling meal.
Then it was back on the bus up to Levenshulme, and the local institution that is Levenshulme Bakery.
It’s one of Manchester’s most popular kebabs for good reason.
The legendary shawarma kebab from Levenshulme Bakery. Credit: The Manc GroupStagecoach buses took us around the kebab crawl in Manchester
Their lamb-stuffed samoons are the stuff of legend and there’s always a crowd sat outside the front tucking in.
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So if you’re ready to start using your years of university education here researching the best kebabs in Manchester, you need to get on the Stagecoach Bus App.
Student bus tickets bought on the app give you unlimited bus rides for a term, or even an entire academic year – and they’re 55% off normal prices.
It’s time to pay less on cabs, and more on kebabs.
A dedicated anime, movie and gaming concert with a live orchestra is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Calling all self-proclaimed otakus, cinephiles and gamers: a huge concert experience will see dozens of musicians bring classic anime, film and gaming soundtracks and scores to life later this year, right here in Manchester.
The city is no stranger to events celebrating these beloved kinds of media, but you’ll struggle to find another bringing all of them together in one place.
Brought to us Mancs by KIN Music Entertainment, a locally founded arts, events and music label, this celebration of all things pop culture – and specifically, the music tied to it.
Entitled ‘The Kin & Fushigi Anime, Film & Videogame Orchestra’, this passionate collective serves as not only a platform for rising artists but also to hear some iconic sonic moments like never before.
KIN have created a large-scale live concert experience which will bring together a 25-piece pop orchestra made up of emerging professional performers and conservatoire graduates.
Aside from the impressive total of people behind this production to begin with, they also form an immersive hybrid orchestral and live band capable of bringing.
Speaking on the upcoming date, KIN Entertainment said in a statement: “We wanted to create the kind of live experience that many anime and videogame fans in Manchester have been waiting for — something cinematic, emotional and community-driven that brings these sound worlds to life with the energy of both an orchestra and a live band.”
Kin was founded by bassist, composer and ensemble performer Alejandro Urbina Diaz, who first brought his talents and wider interests over from Mexico to the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) here in the city centre at the age of 23.
Citing Manchester’s multiculturalism and cosmopolitan cultural fabric as a big part of his inspiration, he and his team have ended up carving out this niche for themselves, and now they’ll be playing this beloved music to Mancs at none other than the O2 Ritz.
Credit: KIN Music Entertainment (supplied via Academy Music Group Digital)
With new arrangements inspired by anime, cinematic and videogame culture, not to mention orchestral and even rock crossover twists – including both vocalist and rhythm sections, by the way – it’s set to be a highly unique experience that most will have never come across before.
This event itself is suitable for audiences aged 14+, although under-16s must be accompanied by an adult, and it’s taking place at the Ritz on Sunday, 26 July.
We’re not going to spoil any more details about the show for you, so which particular pieces of pop culture they reference will just have to be a surprise…
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via AMG Digital)
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You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Daisy Jackson -
21st September 2023 
