Akbars

One of the best curry houses in the world. It’s a great place for large groups but I would recommend booking. For a large group they will do a mix starter selection for the table the tandoori chicken liver and lamb chops are a must.

We went to this place on a Tuesday with freinds and had a mixed bag. The service was too slow and you had to wait ages for your food to arrive. The food started off on a good note with a good soup. While Indian food is supposed to be flavourful, we found the main course to be just a few boiled vegetables with uncooked spices in it which didnt taste much. The ambience is good but the space is too cramped up. We mentioned about it to the person serving us but all we got was a smile which gives the impression that it might be a regular thing

Having waited years to visit one of the Akbars restaurant, the lure of having one just feet away from my office grew too strong. I bullied some irritatingly indecisive friends into trying somewhere new, and we set off in search of food.
Akbars didn’t disappoint us. Walking to the door, the aroma literally made my stomach rumble; on entering the building, we were all shocked by the interior; the food was some of the best Indian that I’ve had in a long, long time.
We were seated in what I assume is the bar area. it is nice enough and has a good view out into the ‘main’ area of the restaurant, which is on a lower level, spreads out quite some distance and is — as someone else mentioned — quite casino-​esque. I would rather have been seated down there, but none of us asked. The menu is varied without being overwhelming, though the physical menus were a bit cumbersome for four of us at a small-​ish table. We were quickly given a few poppadoms and a pickle tray to pass the time, and eventually got around to ordering.
I went for a starter of murgh chicken wings, which was surprisingly large. All or our starters were massive, in fact. My chicken was cooked really well, with crispy skin and a spicier-​than-​expected sauce. For my main, I chose the murgh tikka mekhani which again had well cooked, quality chicken in a fantastic rich sauch. Trying to be healthy I went without rice and had spinach instead, as I feared the chicken dish alone would be too small. I was wrong; the servings of both the main and side dish were very generous!
Like others, I will point out that we didn’t have much table-​space. With the sizeable naan on a stand that the others ordered, I found it quite hard to speak to some members of our group until the majority of it had been eaten. I tried a small piece of the monster, and it was probably one of the nicest and softest I’ve had!
The night was busy but our service was prompt without feeling rushed, and the waiter was great. The food wasn’t as expensive as I thought either — £20 each for us, including starter, main, rice/​side dish and a shared naan. If you’re a fan of Indian food and you’re in the city, get to Akbars. But be flexible; they’re very popular and don’t take bookings. But they do takeaway!

I used to travel to Leeds over 5 years ago for work when I was based out of NY and always tried to have dinner at Akbar’s each time. I didn’t realise it turned into some huge chain of restaurants up north! I’m glad I read a few reviews before going.
This was my first time at the one on Greek st as I’ve only been to the one on Eastgate before. Décor is nice but dunno why it reminds me of a casino-​esque place.
I took the advice of the others and didn’t get a starter. I went straight for a main and an order of garlic naan. I have to say — it reminded me of American size portions (I suppose they’re properly Yorkshire size?). It took ages for me to decide but went with the chickpea and paneer balti and it was amazing! I wish I can find a place in London that would offer the same dish. Now that regular naan, when it arrived at my table, the look on my face must have said it all because the waiter immediately said — this is the normal size. Now, they have family naan which could probably feed about 4 – 5 people. Regular naan should be renamed to couple’s naan because it’s way too big one 1 person!

Eating alone in a restaurant is always a bit dismal. The guys at Akbar’s, however, were very friendly, the food was excellent and the atmosphere relaxed, so I had a wonderful evening.
The liver starter actually is delicious (and huge), but the word «huge» gets redefined in here anyway. The nans are spectacular — and very tasty.
Highly recommended!

I hadn’t heard great things, but I thought I would keep an open mind.
We went on a Saturday. In a Group. Le grand mistake.
Eating room — there is none. I might as well have sat on my neighbour’s lap. Lucky for me, my neighbour is my friend, but even so, one likes to be polite when eating.
The staff gave us a couple of poppadoms per four people, begrudgingly. They were not good poppadoms.
My chicken korma was like a chicken stew, devoid of flavour. Now, I can’t stomach spice, but it doesn’t mean that I want a tasteless curry.
The wine was ok.
Um…I didn’t really like it. Sorry: o (

I really wanted to like Akbars… Unfortunately there were quite a few reasons why I didn’t.
We arrived on a Monday night and it was absolutely packed. Usually I would take this as a good sign, and I suppose to some degree it was, but when I say packed, I mean packed. The bar was very full, and when we finally sat down the tables were so close together than you are literally eating with people each side of you. If you are unlucky enough to be marooned in the middle of the room rather than against a wall, there is nowhere to put your bag. Ditto your coat if it is one of the larger winter ones that does not sit comfortably on the back of a chair.
This would be acceptable if the tables were larger than average, but regrettably the opposite is true. Customarily, I would treat an Indian a bit like tapas insofar as it is nice to get poppadums and a vegetable side or two to share. If you are on a table for two, the table is barely big enough for a dish each and a rice each, let alone any sides or one of the oversized naans. Admittedly the naan does hang from a vertical hook, but space is at a premium. I do feel churlish about criticising the excessive size of the naan, as I am very greedy and it is clearly one of their party pieces. And to be fair, the novelty is most pleasing. However, it wears off quite quickly. There is not a small option if there are only two of you, so you must either eat yourself sick or leave loads.
This brings me to my final criticism of Akbar’s, the food. I had a mushroom thing to start, and it was absolutely delicious. It was also absolutely huge. Now, I am not a small eater, and I left some to avoid getting super full, but my korma was so rich that after a couple of mouthfuls I was full. Usually I would manage a starter, a main, rice, a veg sharer and some naan, but at Akbars such dizzy heights of gluttony are unreachable.
In conclusion then, the food is nice, but far too much, and it is all (for me) ruined by the cramped atmosphere. They could take out a quarter of the tables, make everything a little more comfortable and it would be a much nicer dining experience.

Really busy in a Wednesday night. Service very prompt, good attention to detail too.
Food was excellent I have to say, prices not bad either. Plenty of popadoms upfront. Best to share naan breads as they are massive.
Would most definately go back when next in Leeds. Found the place following recommendation from a local colleague and also via a friend from afar. Top night out.

This is one of the best curry houses I’ve ever been to. The food is delicious, very spicy and generously portioned. The family size naan bread, which arrived at the table on a giant stand was just enough for our table of six. The standout dish was a lamb curry that included pomegranate juice — it was a perfect balance of rich, slightly tart and hot. Everything else we got was good. The tikka marsala was a little weird, being served in a sauce that incorporated tomato, but it worked. A chicken and prawn balti was also noteworthy.
The only reason this is not a five star review is because we were repeatedly assured our wait for a table would not be too long, yet it took over an hour for us to be seated. That’s a bit much. I can understand why the place was packed at 9PM on a Wednesday night (the food and the décor are a cut above). The bar area was an OK place to pass half an hour or so, but not over an hour while being reassured a table will be ready in just a few more minutes. I’d recommend a reservation; if you walk in hungry every minute of the sights and smells of the place will be torture.
In spite of the crowded maze of tables and chairs the high ceilings and great décor make Akbar’s the Grand feel airy. Chaotic, but airy. The servers do an admirable job amidst this chaos, so that our meal was a pleasure once we were finally seated. We walked out stuffed, reeking of curry and glowing from spice. That almost made up for the wait. Almost. Still have to give the place 4 stars, and will go back on my next visit to Leeds.

There are 2 Akbar restaurants in Leeds, and a few in surrounding cities. Having swatted up on this growing chain, the original Akbars was opened in Bradford 20 years ago, the dream of a young 18 year old with big hopes. Well done to him I’d say.
Akbars The Grand is just that… grand. Probably one of the largest and swankiest curry houses I have ever been to, I even struggle to refer to it as a curry house. It is definitely a restaurant!
With it’s dimmed lighting and highbacked leather chairs, the tables for 2 are small, but cosy, making it a good place to go on a date. It gets busy at the weekends, but the food is worth it. My Madras was created using the finest ingredients, and the food contained plenty of fresh corriander, which I am a major sucker for. Slightly pricier than your local takeaway, you are also paying for service, which is pretty good and professional.
One word of advice though. if you are in a pair dining at Akbar’s, beware of the naans. They come on stands and are massive. Due to the size of the tables for two, you might find that you are cut off from your dining buddy untill you eat it, as it acts like a dividing barrier between you. It probably doesn’t matter though, you could just as easily use it as a shield to prevent you seeing eachother stuffing your faces.

Ich habe ja schon öfter gehört daß man in England das beste Indische Essen bekommt; das war jetzt das erste Mal daß ich es selbs habe ausprobieren können: Und ich bin nicht enttäuscht worden. Angefangen mit den King Prawns Tikka, so scharf dass es zu den Ohren rauspfeifft, und dann weiter mit Huhn und Spinat. Cremig, mit einer leichten Schärfe von grünem Chili im Hintergrund, und trotzdem mild. Dazu ein Naan-​Brot in der Grö0e eines Wagenrad, an einem Spieß hängend am Tisch aufgestellt. Ganz frisch gebacken und warm, und mit dem leichten Geschmack von Knoblauch obenrauf. ich habe noch nie so gut Indisch gegessen.
Die Inneneinrichtung ist modern, etwas laut, aber nicht störend. ALternativ gibts auch noch einen Zweiten Laden am anderen Ende der Innenstadt (
).

Busy, full of character, relaxing yet classy all in one. Akbars provides one of the best currys i’ve discovered in Leeds to date.
The portions are a hearty size and you also won’t break the bank by coming here. I’m a huge fan of eating out and trying out new restaurants all of the time but I think this one is definitely worth a second visit.