This is a nice restaurant because their food always tastes good no matter what time of the year, but if you ask me if this is the best restaurant then 'no'. I would say Taj Palace Restaurant in Oldham is one of the best Indian restaurant in Manchester. The food at Taj Palace is really good and at a very reasonable price. Taj Palace Oldham is also a good wedding venue in manchester and auction centre Oldham. :P

What a joy to find such clear thniking. Thanks for posting!

If you could kindly identify yourself, I would be greatful. I would like to challenge you on a table if I put Akbar's Food and EastzEast's food and all the restaurants' food on one table. If you could prove that EastzEast is the worst. I would give you a thousand pounds.

i am one of the staff of shimla pinks working last 5yr.must say worked one of the worst place i n my life (josi) ex.chef

Having been to all three (akbars, eastzeast and shimla pinks) I can honestly say that the food is nothing special in any of them. Akbars would probably be the best out of this groups, with eastzeast being undoubtedly the worst i have ever come across. Shimla again just average stuff with a fancy interior. The best curries in Manchester are: Kabana (northern quarter and Cheetham hill road), OK kebabish (rusholme and cheetham hill road), Lahori kebabish (cheetham hill road), this and that (soap street northern quarter), al faisal (northern quarter) Al madina (rusholme also worth a mention). But these are cafe/ casual eateries and therefore not ideal for some. But in terms of food quality, price, authenticity are brilliant. Karahi Chicken/Lamb from any of these with a hot roti/chapati will really show you what a real curry is.

And if you dont mind loud students then both the great kathmandu and their sister restraunt Namaste Nepal (Burton road, also other sister restaurant with similar menu, namely himalaya and the third eye) serve very nice food. Just how authentically nepalese it is I dont know, I doubt it is, but then again what restaurant is? All I know is that the Makhan/Makhani/Makhanwala *as the name fo rthe same sauce varies in each of these nepalese establishments, is delicious. It may well be made with cream, ghee and a tin of cream of tomato soup but damn is it tasty.

Also a recent discovery to me is an Indian exclusively vegetarian eaterie called lilys in Ashton Underlyne. It is next door and joined to the big ASM asian supermarket. If you want to try some gujarati, vegan or even some of the Chino/Indian fusion dishes then here is perfect and very reasonable price. Paneer dragon, saag paneer and the veg curry is delicious.

Trust me, if you value food quality over glass tables, water features and fancy toilets then any one off my list will suit you fine.

Every one should learn a lesson here from this successful ran restaurant...Shimla Pinks...The loyalty of the customers was great,they still patronised even though the restaurant was looking tired and dull with no refurbishment done from the day they started trading ...
A bad planning and bad managerial skills by the owners has made this place sink. Who is to blame for letting the regular customers like us and the dedicated highly professional staff who work for them....

Shimla Pinks is the best indian restaurant in manchester with an excelent food and a fantastic service Good luck Shimla...

Shimlas havent run out of money for the move the contractors caused damage to the new premises and until this is resolved they refuse to move

Don't hold your breath on Shimlas moving to Spinningfields, I hear they have run out of money half way through building it, hat a waste!

Very nice site!

6 of us went for my birthday back in march, we all had really nice meals and would definitely go back. I actually prefered the food to eastzeast, would recommend it. I've also had a good curry at hunters BBQ in the northern quarter

Went to Shimlas on 22nd Jan 2009. Starters were very nice, although portions were small. Had chicken dansak which was spicier than any I have had before, my partner had chicken tikka jalfrezi which was bland, both portions were very small. Had a keema naan which tasted of prawns. I had a small cobra and a coke to drink and my partner had 2 large cobras and with the 10% service charge the bill came to ?55. Not a local to manchester, but I think this was a bit extortionate. Trust me, give this place a miss and save your money.

Shilma Pinks is one of the best restaurants in Manchester. My wife and I dine out very regularly and have a couple of "safe havens" and Shimlas is one of them. If we want a great curry in nice surroundings with great service we go to Shimlas. We have never been let down here yet. Keep up the great work when you move (eventually) and we'll keep coming back.

i had a meal there last night. the food was excellent (tandoori mixed grill). from the outside i agree its nothing to write home about but once inside polite staff, not rushed will be going again

Shimla Pinks is quite simply the best venue for Indian Food in Manchester. I have been there tonight having had a nightmare trying to get into Akbars and everntually walking out. The staff, the service and the food at Shimlas is second to none.

I found the quality of the food and the atmosphere to be good at Shimla Pinks, but I get very annoyed at places that 'accidentally' charge twice for a drink you never had (on two occasions). Also the way they structure the bill does not show a total before they add a 10% service charge. I don't mind paying a 10% tip for good service, but when we added the total up ourselves for the food, it was clear they where charging us more than 10%!

what is with people's objection to 10% service charge in manchester??! it's a standard practice everywhere else in the world and is always discretionary so if service is particularly bad the option is there for it to be removed!
in london etc you would usually find 12.5% anyway! a good waiter works his arse off to make your meal an experience rather than just some food, and don't get paid a decent hourly rate for it!
Manchester, get over the service charge

Me and 3 friends went to Shimla's last weekend for my birhday. It was the first and last time we will go there. The food was expensive and we had 10% service charge added onto the bill
The restaurant was quiet, so the service was good!
Overall not impressed.

Was a massive fan of this restaurant, but over the years it has slipped back in my ranking of best Indian restaurant in Manchester! I think that once Shimla Pinks moves to Spinningfields, and this has been talked about for years now, then it will be much better but until then I am afraid that I spend my hard earned cash in Akbars!

Anyone who thinks Shimla Pinks is a good place to go for a curry are easily fooled by the decor and the presentation which I can appreciate people might like. But a restaurant will almost always stand or fall on the food and for that Shimla Pinks is poor.

The food I tried was as unauthentic as they come and completely uninspiring. You pay a heavy bill and think you're getting good food but you're not. The service, I must admit, is better than Rusholme but my main focus is the food.

If you want a good curry then go to Akbar's, or to Let's Eat which is nearby. Admittedly, Let's Eat is a horrible name for an indian takeaway and it has the worst location in town but once you have a curry there - trust me, you won't complain!

Bottom line -

Best Indian Food - Let's Eat
Best Indian Restaurant (because of location and decor) - Akbar's.

lol do you people actually eat in shimla pinks lol the prices are ridiculous. a waiter once told me if the price is high then most people will believe the food is great. trust me my family have been in the business a long time and every curry everywhere is made the same way so why pay so much just because the decor is nice?

shimla pinks has really gone to the root for details...both in food and undivided service consistency,thats is why it still stands as an outstanding indian restaurant in manchester,though many indian restaurants came up.....Good luck Shimla Pinks

The front of the house staff makes shimla pinks restaurant a unique place to select. The restaurant gets its excellence by the professional manner the waiters handle, the knowledge of the product each one carries out,especially the waiters is outstanding and it is par from any other branded restaurant. It is simply amazing,and one has to feel to understand the warmth.

Visited For the first and last time over staffed and over priced my chilli and garlic curry was nothing more than fresh pulped tomato full of seeds with little flavour with stale poppadoms to start I eat curry 3 times a week and work all over the country and without exception these pretencious restaurants are all show and no substance if you want a good indian meal stick to the suburbs and save money.

Had a fantastic birthday there again for the second year running. Food was great the banquet was stunning with what you feel is not going to be anough but by the end of it you're really full.
OK a tad noisey but worth it for the food. Got my platinum card worth the 15% off the bill... i'll be back again

not a fan... try Deli in Altrincham have the Black Daal aks Makhani Daal, stunning food, really stunning or Jai Khatmandu in Northenden. Chili Chicken is gorgeous.

Shimla Pinks is a fake. Its Wilmslow Road cuisine presented in a better environment and even thats a matter of opinion.

Booked last minute table for 10, not a problem. Never been before but will definatly return. The food was fab service was great. A tad noisy if you are looking for a cosy meal for 2. I would suggest going early or avoid weekend.

Bland menu, poor service with no smiles, only went as we were nearby...only Akbars for us in future!

the prices for the food are awful! a total rip off! the food is really bland... I did not enjoy Shimla pinks!

The food here is a bit better than average, but it was near impossible to hear what my companions sat opposite were saying without them shouting! Avoid sitting near the back wall when it is half full or more!

Dilli in my opinion is the best place for Indian food around Manchester (it's in Altrincham), with EastZEast coming a very close second (definitely the best in the city centre).