Dilli

This place seems to have got mixed reviews, with the service coming in for some stick. and that standards thought to have dropped.
I know nothing about it’s past, or the area… but I had a lovely meal here, and the service was charming.
The waiter was v happy to chat about the menu and make good suggestions, ended up with fantastic tandoor prawns, great dal and a hefty but beautifully spiced lamb curry (also some interesting mint paranthas.)
Good, interesting food, good service.
Recommended.

So, we came here for an Elite event.
The actual event was really good, with the head chef teaching us all how to make a curry from scratch. Had a lot of fun, and got shouted at a couple of times for talking :-) all good fun!
We then had an Indian buffet. The naan was made in a proper tandoori oven, which is kept going 365 days a year with coal! Never goes out! We actually got to go in the kitchens and had a look at it in use. Very impressive.
The food was good, and would like to come back on a normal trading session to see if this carries over.
There was a rice pudding dessert offered to all the « Unilocalers» that unfortunately I was too full to try. From the looks on everyone’s faces I could see that it was a true experience… but hey! When was the last time you had a dessert in an Indian?

There are two things that make me very happy. One would be excellent dining outside of the city centre. A few outstanding places would have to include The Church Green, Aumbry, Nutter’s and Grenache, in my humble opinion. These are surely some of the finest modern British in the country, never mind the North West, but they are few and far between. The other joy in life is a great curry. Not a Westernized version of the cuisine from the subcontinent, but authentic, regional specialities from the familiar Punjab to the lesser-​known Chettinad, Mangalore and Pondicherry states.
So you can image my glee when I dined at a little gem of an Indian restaurant in Altrincham. Just outside the Metrolink station, good ol’ Alti almost appears to be a ghost town, with closed shops on Stamford New Road and what seems to be a permanent state of construction going on. But if you stroll up the road just a bit, the town centre springs back to life and has a bevy of marvellous independent shops and restaurants. And here is where you will find Dilli.
I was impressed with the reviews I read from the Dilli website, and who wrote them:
«The menu reads well, ingredients are fresh, and the sauces have depth and complexity … I left Dilli very happy indeed»
Jay Rayner: The Observer
«The interesting menu has a lot to entice … vegetarians get a huge choice … breads deserve a special mention … there’s plenty to enjoy … a buzzing atmosphere.»
The Times
«The tastiest Indian food I’ve eaten since I was in Bombay.»
Neil Sowerby: Manchester Evening News
«Quality ingredients … totally authentic Indian dishes»
The Michelin Guide
«Top-​notch … a notably popular haunt … in an area awash with restaurants, it stands out for the quality and authenticity of its food.»
Harden’s Guide
As you enter through the curtains, your nose is teased with the aroma of lush and exotic spices. The restaurant itself is small but perfectly formed… cozy tables with the right amount of space between them so you aren’t rubbing elbows with your neighbouring diners. Sure, it’s not tricked-​out like most of the new city centre joints, but I think it adds to its considerable charm. Besides, I much prefer when the focus is the food, not trendy décor.
The restaurant manager, Pankaj, warmly greeted us and we were sat in a little corner booth. As I was with friends who have frequented the restaurant, I left it to them to decide what we should order. But after struggling with this monumental decision, we let Pankaj select dishes for us. He kindly asked about our ability to handle ‘the heat’. Being cursed with Irish taste buds, I’m fairly wimpy when it comes to vindaloo-​strength dishes. But everyone’s heat-​tolerant palates were catered to.
I found out why such acclaim has been heaped on the restaurant by prominent foodies as soon as I sampled our dishes of Achari Tangari Kebabs (chicken drumsticks marinated overnight in pickled spice mix, then cooked in a tandoor £6.95) Lamb Chop Adraki (prime trimmed lamb chops steeped in ginger flavoured marinade and cooked in a tandoor £7.95) Boti Kebab (boneless lamb pieces marinated overnight in chef special spices and cooked in tandoor £7.95) Tanoodri Prawn (saffron flavoured prawns marinated and cooked in tandoor £7.95) Lal Chicken Tikka (tender chicken marinated in Degi chillies yoghurt and tandoori spices £6.95). There was also Kali Mirchi Ke Mushroom (mushrooms with dry roasted spices and fresh coriander and lemon juice £5.85), which I was forewarned might be too spicy for such a delicate flower as myself.
What a joy it was to experience this food. There was layer upon layer of flavour and depth to each succulent dish. The fresh garlic and cheesy naan breads are made onsite by Pathak in a tandoor, and the delicate Jeera Pillau rice was superb; both can also serve as eating utensils (an authentic means of Panjub dining as demonstrated by the dapper Graham). All served by a friendly, helpful and attentive team.
If you haven’t been to Dilli before, or if you haven’t visited for a while, I highly recommend taking yourself, your friends, your family, your co-​workers, your neighbour, your hair dresser or anyone else who loves enchanting Indian cuisine to Dilli. It is open for lunch and dinner, or you can take a cooking class. Find out more by contacting the Dilli team or dropping in.
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Dilli’s is frequently cited as being one of the best restaurants in Manchester — and after one bite of their food, you will quickly see why. This is contemporary Indian cooking at its best — interesting, impressive and always intriguingly spiced.
Dilli’s prides itself on being an ‘Ayurvedic’ restaurant, meaning that theoretically, it’s food should make you both healthier and wiser. This means that each dish is cut through with the kind of ingredients you’ll tend to find in Indian medicine — namely lots of cloves, cinnamon and fennel. Even better, each table in the restaurant allows you to look directly in the kitchen, meaning you can see a team of chefs valiantly slaving away over a hot stove to bring you your dinner.
Every time I’ve dined at Dilli’s, the food I’ve eaten there has been cooked to perfection — a particularly favourite dish of mine is their Lamb Biryani. Served up in a clay pot, you dig through layers of rice to get to mouth meltingly delicious pieces of lamb which fall apart at the merest touch of a fork.
Best of all, the staff here are always friendly, polite and more than happy to guide you through the menu and recommend you a wide array of different dishes. I love coming here with my parents or with my partner for a fun and delicious meal out.
This isn’t your traditional Indian restaurant, but with so many of those around both in Manchester and beyond, that’s not a bad thing. Next time you’re looking for a decidedly authentic serving of Indian cuisine, you should definitely give Dilli’s a try.

Dilli has proved its worth, having remained a popular Indian restaurant for years now, and making its way into Time Out, the Michelin Guide (2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009), Hardens Guide and Manchester City Guide. I’ve been here on 3 occasions and every time I’ve been surprised by the quality of the dishes.
The interior of Dilli is simple, with wooden tables and high back rattan chairs (although they’re looking a little worse for wear these days). The friendly staff don’t keep you waiting around for very long, are quick to seat you and explain the menu. Dilli is an Ayurvedic restaurant, the first of its kind outside of London and all its dishes can also be prepared with Halal meat. On my last visit, I ordered Khatta Mittha Khargosh (£12.95) which is a dish from royal state of Rajesthan: rabbit on bone cooked sweet and sour sauce. It was worth every penny.
At the moment, Dilli are offering 2 for 1 on both starters and main courses as a thank you to their patrons. Go to their website to print off the voucher, but make sure you book!

Modern Indian cuisine, contemporary surroundings and reasonably priced. Staff are very helpful if you at all unsure of what you may want to order. It gets really busy here so it is best to book in advance. A great place to eat out.

Dills is once of the most interesting restaurants I have eaten at in recent years. This Manchester based restaurant is the first Ayurvedic restaurant of its kind outside London. If you like authentic Indian food then you will undoubtedly love the cuisine that this place has to offer. If you have never eaten here before then I cant recommend it enough it is truly amazing. Dilli has now been operating in Manchester for over ten years not and I have often ready about them in the local paper, they seem to constantly get positive reviews. When I eat here last I had the Kadai Chooza Kali Mirch, this is simple a boneless chicken tossed in herbs and peppercorn cooked in a Wok. It was absolutely amazing. The restaurant itself has a massive variety of foods, don’t be afford to try something new, it is a little pricey but its worth it. I read in the metro the other day that during October they are offering 2 – 1 on the a la carte menu, this is the perfect time to try Indian food if you have ever had any doubt. The restaurant is styles very traditionally and the staff and all very polite and friendly, this is ideal for a date or a nice quite meal with friends.

This is a little gem of a contemporary indian in altrincham. I have been a couple of times and would recommend it but you should book in advance as it gets quite busy with large groups in the evening. Not for traditionalists.