Manchester boasts one of the most competitive Indian restaurant scenes of anywhere in the country, and up in the north, it is as fierce as anywhere. Bury is home to a huge migrant community from Pakistan and Bangladesh – who know their (tandoori lamb) chops – and the locals in Radcliffe are used to high standards as well, so when we tell you that Shahbaaz Curry Cottage has stood on its location since the mid-90s, you know that they must be doing something right. Their curries are as good as any around, but it is in the house specials that they really excel, with dishes rarely found outside of the subcontinent. Try the begum bahar – marinated chicken with minced meat and a hot and sour sauce – or the tandoori chicken nagangie, barbecued off the bone and spiced with the iconic Bengali naga chillies. You can find them on Radcliffe Moor Road, halfway between Bury and Bolton – so fill up the car, book a table and head on over.
The staff are very friendly. The food is the best around. Every time we go we are never disappointed. I would highly recommend this restaurant. Debs x
We went for my birthday meal. The food was fantastic. The service was excellent. Four of us enjoyed a great night.Really good value for money.
Great food and very reasonable. Service was excellent. We didn’t have to wait long, and we were made to feel very welcome. Top night !
Food is consistently good. There was 6 of us and even though ut was a Saturday night the service was very efficient all the food was brought out hot and it was all really tasty.
Its definitely an old School experience at the Shahbaaz Curry Cottage with a strange mix of old & new décor, but who cares, I am reviewing the food & it was excellent. It is always a good start when the Poppadum's are fresh & crispy & the "bits" are tasty. I always gravitate to a spicier/hotter dish & opted for the Kashmiri Chilli (Lamb) & it was excellent. The Lamb melted in your mouth & the sauce had a dry consistency, not the often usual "one-pot mush" & it was hot!!! Not necessarily the place to take your better half for a romantic meal for 2, but 10/10 for the quality of the food, which was well presented & slightly different to all to often disappointing fayre of other local Curry Houses.
The welcome was not very welcoming. Very official, not much by way of friendliness. No smiles. No banter. No enthusiasm. It felt like the staff didn't want to be there. We were virtually thrown the midweek, laminated set menu and there were only two standard menus on the table. These had to be passed around to allow us to make an informed decision. The table was also very cramped. We were still reading the menu when a stern faced waiter came to take our order. We were nowhere near ready. When we were ready, we put the menus down and waited ... and waited. The waiter (now I know why they're called that) seemed disinterested and had to be called over. Four of our group ordered from the set menu, whereas I ordered from the standard menu. The food came relatively promptly. Unfortunately, three out of the five of us did not enjoy the starter. One was my daughter, and she can be a pain. If she gets an idea in her head that a place is not going to be up to scratch then no amount of effort will change her mind. I took her tainted view with a pinch of salt, until I tried her starter (chicken pakora). Now I'm renowned for eating any old muck, but even my unsophisticated palate could tell it was dry and rubbery. My in laws weren't keen on their starters either, but acknowledged that it was "sort of ok". The mains were nice. I went for a chicken tikka pathia. It was described as sweet and sour ... and hot. It was indeed all of those things. My wife and daughter went for the dupiaza and the bhuna and shared them between each other. My daughter hardly ate ... although I don't give much sway to that. Her mind was made up before we got there, but reinforced after the starter. Overall, the mains were good, but not fantastic. In conclusion, the food didn't make up for the frosty welcome. The ambience was virtually non-existent. It all felt very amateur, which is a shame. This restaurant has been here for years, but in my opinion does not live up to its reputation. Would I go back? Maybe ... but not in a hurry.
The restaurant is clean and airy and the parking at the rear is very handy. The service was fast and unobtrusive. The food was one of the best meals of this type that I have eaten and I have eaten many many a curry meal. My wife thought is was "brill". This was our first visit here, it will not be our last. Just all round good.
Food as always was spot on and waiting time was very low indeed. In the past the customer service wasn't the best but now they seem to have brand new, eager and positive staff. My best experience so far yet and reaffirmed that the Shahbaaz is my all time fav Indian restaurant.
We eat here a lot and always have great quality food served by attentive friendly staff. The menu caters for all tastes and we would recommend any of the specials. Great place to eat and reasonably priced
I have been visiting this resturant for many years now and have never been disappointed. The food is awlays tasty and good well, the staff are always friendly and wanting to make your experoence with them great.