Bakchich

I went here with a big group of Unilocalers on a weekday evening. The restaurant itself is really attractive in my opinion, with lots of space and interesting decoration. When you sit down, don’t ask for a menu but just flip over your placemat to find it!
It’s worth noting that this is a dry restaurant. They don’t serve booze and you can’t bring your own. Embrace this, drink a fresh lemonade or a juice, eat some nutritious food and feel virtuous. Then go elsewhere for a drink if you must. I went for the Roomana, which was pomegranate and orange blossom lemonade. I really enjoyed this though others in the group were less impressed with theirs.
Michael B and I shared the vegetarian mezze to start which was really delicious. The falafel and hummus were both lovely, as expected, and the Arabic bread that came with it was very moreish.
For a main I chose the halloumi and tomato wrap, which came with more hummus, and some fattoush salad. Bread in salad — I’m into it. I really enjoyed this too but due to having eaten copious amounts of curry for my lunch I was unable to finish it, and took half home to eat for my lunch the next day. The wrap was considerably smaller than other meals and this was reflected in the price.
As the prices are very reasonable here you can get a really cheap feed if you’re sensible — or of course you can go wild and still not pay over the odds. I paid £15 including a tip and was very satisfied with my food.
Service was perfectly fine, and my only complaint is that they kept propping the doors open as the open kitchen was very smoky. This meant that we were cold and also ended up smelling like smoke. Note to Bakchich: fix your extractor fans please!
Overall I liked this place though I’m not sure I’ll rush back as it’s a bit of a trek from my usual stomping grounds and this type of middle eastern food is fairly ubiquitous.

This was my first experience of lebanese food! The restaurant itself is decorated really nicely, with patterned tiles from floor to ceiling, its really bright and welcoming!
The staff were ok, I didn’t feel that they made that much effort to help explain the menu or give advice on what to order… e.g. they had a large sample of meze dishes and meze platters and we wanted to establish portion sizes i.e. if you would eat a platter followed by main or is it a meal in itself? The waiter didn’t make much effort to engage with us and didnt provide much of a response other than ‘its quite big’… resultantly Andrew Y. ended up with 2 mains basically (wasted money and lots of wasted food)!!
Toward the middle of the meal a different waiter did interact with the group a bit more which was nice.
As for the food itself i’ve no previous experiece to compare it to, I got the meat meze platter… definitely enough for a main meal by youself. Most of the stuff I enjoyed on the platter was actually vegetarian, (homous, falafel, bread and the dips on the table) there was a large quantity of chicken and meat sharwama which wasn’t really to my taste (a lot of it felt a but fatty and grizzley) and I left a lot of it.
The other Unilocales mostly went for the mixed grill for a main which was huge, they certainly dont scimp on portions here! Most seemed to enjoy the majority, but not all of the meats provided!
The meal itself was unfotunately dampened by the fact that they had to leave the doors wide open all night (on a cold Novemeber night!!!) due to excess smoke from the grill…
I think i’d try here again if in the area but probably stick with the vegetarian options on the menu which were tasty! However if i’m ever to go back they will definitely have to sort out their extractor fan!!!

I’d heard of Bakchich from a friend in Liverpool but never had the pleasure of visiting. (Probably because Paolo & Donato’s gets all my attention whenever I’m in the Pool) What started off as a food stall at the Liverpool Christmas markets blossomed into a streetfood restaurant. After the huge success in Liverpool Bakchich recently opened its doors in Manchester and I’m glad they did. Everything about their USP appeals to me except the part about them wanting to become the best Lebanese streetfood chain in the UK (They used the C word #shockhorror) Anyone who reads my reviews knows that chains are kryptonite for a self respecting foodie like myself but with only two restaurants currently in operation Bakchich aren’t quite there yet (Thank God) That aside, fair to say I loved the place.
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this in a previous review but streetfood has over the last five years become a bit of a fad. Spawned in London by bored rich kids now in their mid 30s (Presumably carrying a gap year hangover from wherever they trekked in their early 20s) armed with inheritance money, streetfood outlets began popping up everywhere. Luckily it had a positive impact with some authentic streetfood places also opening across the country in response.
I’m delighted Lebanese streetfood has now entered the Manchester scene. The first thing I look for in a streetfood joint is the atmosphere. Are they serious about serving streetfood? Do they know what it is? Do they know what it represents? By definition this place should be reppin the streets of Lebanon. This is NOT meant to be a «restaurant experience» Anyone coming here expecting that will be dissappointed so don’t bother! Just book a table somewhere else that do comfy chairs, ambience, correct room temperature, the right humidity, polite waiters, food arriving in time etc. If I walked into a streetfood joint which had the aforementioned traits I’d probably walk straight back out.
Alas I felt right at home as soon as I walked in. The hustle and bustle of the kitchen, the music, the décor, the smoke coming from the open kitchen, It all made me feel like I was in a café in Beirut (Ok, slight exageration but still. not a million miles away) This place really is a great alternative to Manchester’s very own Beirut restaurant in Rusholme. Onto the food…
Pushed for time and very hungry I decided to go for a main and nibble on the mixed mezze ordered by the other two in our party of three. The chicken shwarma in the meze was arguably the best I’ve ever had. It was rich but not too oily, and marinated in what can only be described as a heavenly sauce. (Definitely ordering that on my next visit) My main was Kefta Meshawi, which was delicious but admittedly not as tasty as the Seekh kebabs from Kebabish in Rusholme to which it bore a striking resemblance. The food was washed down with a combination of three different Lebanese lemonade beverages, Romana, Leymona and Rosa, all of which were delightful. My favourite was the Rosa which had a healthy dollop of my favourite rose water. The dessert menu isn’t extensive to the say the least but the Caprese cake I had was nothing short of sensational. It just goes to show that adding almonds to anything sweet will always lead to bliss.
All in all Bachich is all set to become one of the most underrated foodie joints in Manchester. I for one am happy with that scenario and hope it stays that way. Watch this space for re-​writes of this review as I go through the remainder of the menu because rest assured I will be back.

Came with a group of people the other week. Had looked at the menu before visiting (while most of the time tend to do) to get an idea of what was on offer and also something to look forward to.
Of course when I get to the restaurant, I still spend ages looking at it! What I ended up ordering was the meat mezze for one and the lamb burger. I was not too sure how big the portions were but thought the meat mezze would be a starter sort of portion. However, it was not! So I ended up pretty much with 2 main dishes which were pretty generous in size on their own.
The food was all not bad. Nothing really standout though but was mostly enjoyed. The lamb burger was a bit dry.
I tried the lemonade which was not bad — maybe a bit too sweet. (They do not serve alcohol as its a «dry» restaurant).
The service was good. One thing which was a bit of an issue was the smoke in the restaurant. It was as if the extractor fans in the open kitchen were not working (or maybe not turned on??). The whole restaurant was filled with smoke. For this reason, they kept opening the front door which meant the cold air came in. We were close (ish) to the front of the restaurant but we were lucky that it was a relatively mild evening — although some people still had to put their coats on. The restaurant has only recently opened so maybe they will be sorting something out with the extraction of smoke.

«You smell of flames» — bf’s reaction after I got back from dinner at Bakchich.
Bakchich is a big, attractive canteen style restaurant off Oxford Road close to a number of other good eateries including Panchos and Kukoos. This area of town now has a great range of cuisines.
To start I had a big pot of baba ghanoush which was standard. It would be good if they could offer a smaller amount for less as £4.95 for so much you’re a bit too full for your mains seems a little pointless.
I had the mixed grill and it overall was quite mixed. I wasn’t too keen on the chicken kofta (minced) but that’s personal taste. The lamb ‘cubes’ I found too tough to eat. Some of the chicken cubes were delicious but the rest on the dry side. The lamb mince was decent. It would be good if you could mix and match two skewers because I really only ordered the mixed for the two latter and it’s fairly expensive at £12.95.
I liked the Arabic rice. Accompanying this was a whipped garlic dip that looked like mayonnaise but contained no egg at all — brilliant!
I don’t know what was going on with the kitchens but there was an incredible amount of smoke which meant the doors had to be kept open letting in the cold November air meaning I had to eat with my coat on, which wasn’t very comfortable.
I echo Raam’s sentiment that I wouldn’t object to coming back here as the food’s not bad but nor would I seek it out. I’d be interested to see how they do in this location is its expensive for students, but then again Zouk doesn’t seem to have any problems.

I went to try this new lebanese place with a group of Unilocalers! it was a nice discovery as i have been looking for a decent lebanese restaurant in Manchester for a while and have never been to this part of manchester! thanks Michael B! :)
Food was very nice, I had the meat mezze to be able to sample few of their dishes at once! it is in a starter list but was definitely enough! some of us ordered a main after that and regretted it :) I would definitely recommend this mezze if, like me, you dont know what the majority of the other dishes is :)
they also serve dips and bread with the dinner. one of them was like an aioli but made of 100% gaelic (healthy!!) which really surprised us!
I would probably have put 3 stars if they didnt have the doors open during the entire dinner to prevent the place from being full of smoke! I guess the kitchen extract was broken — if so I hope they will fix it quickly as we were freezing and smell like BBQ at the end of the dinner!

This was first time at Bakchich and indeed my first time trying Lebanese food.
The restaurant is huge and I was a big fan of the tiled walls! The service was also great throughout the evening.
To start I ordered a Halloumi salad, spicy sausages and chicken wings of which I shared them all with Neil C. The chicken wings were great and the sausages, although quite tasty, lacked flavour and were quite chewy, but still enjoyable. The Halloumi salad was also nice.
For my main course I ordered their Mixed Grill Meshawi which consisted of 4 different skewers of meat — Shish Taouk, Lamb Meshawi, Kefta Meshawi and Chicken Kofta.
The chicken kebab was excellent. Flavoursome and tender it was a joy to eat. The other meats I wasn’t that sure about. 2 of them, the Shish and Lamb were very tough and I had to give up on eating them! Still, it was a great meal.
Their homemade lemonades are excellent here because remember — you can’t order alcohol here.

A group of 10 of us dined here last night and I think it’s fair to say we all really enjoyed the food, the service and the atmosphere at Bakchich.
I was told that this, their second site — the flagship is in Liverpool — is over twice the size and it certainly is a cavernous restaurant. The amount of wall space has meant they have really gone to town on big-​scale décor. I really like the large wall display of ingredients and jars from the region, but the beautiful range of tiles adorning one wall and the floor are the highlight.
Warmly welcomed by the manager we flipped over our menus (which we all thought were placemats) and struggled to choose what we wanted as it all sounded delicious.
A friend and I ended up sharing a vegetarian mezze which was meant for one person but we’d been warmed that they’re generous with their portions and they weren’t kidding! This gave us enough room to have a main course and I went for a Mix Shawarma Platter which came with skinny fries and really was tasty. Try the complimentary dips as well — one of them is definitely not mayonnaise (that’s all I’m saying!).
If you struggle to finish your meal they’ll happily box it up for you to take home which I always approve of — we Brits seem less inclined to ask for this compared to our American cousins.
It’s a ‘dry’ restaurant so no alcohol is served and you can’t bring your own but that was fine by us — the range of soft drinks were somewhat unique to me — I can recommend the Roomana (pomegranate and orange blossom lemonade).
Great for a healthier-​than-​average meal, I’d definitely return.
Tip: you can order takeaways from here via Deliveroo.

Dinner with two friends. I ordered the meat mezze platter (for 2, intending to share!), friends got the halloumi salad and the mixed meshawi platter (with fries). The portions are generous here! When our food arrived we were a bit chastened, and I was already thinking of how I’d get to take some home. The mezze platter was great: definitely enough for a full meal for two, with lamb and chicken shawarma, hummus, baba ghanouj, 4 chicken wings, 4 pieces of falafel, 2 kibbeh and pickles. Both shawarmas were well prepared, crispy but still moist, but the lamb really stood out for its complex spices, including cardamom. It wasn’t hot-​spicy at all, just very flavorful. Other faves were the baba ghanouj and falafel, but everything on the platter was good. The mixed meshawi platter included 4 big skewers of meat which were also good, and the delicious salad provided a necessary green/​crunch/​acidic contrast to the richness of all the meat. They bring three sauces (spicy, garlic, and an herby tahini (?)) which go well with everything. So, leftovers for the next day? Nope, this was all delicious enough we couldn’t quite stop until it was all gone! It came to £40 for the three of us, but we could have easily got away with ordering less. Prices seem very reasonable.
Drinks: I got the pomegranate/​orange blossom lemonade, which was great. One of my companions got the «jus royale» which he said was tasty but very creamy and rich and almost filled him up before the food came.
The only negative things were minor: the staff were stretched a bit thin (but totally friendly), and getting our bill depended on one overworked maitre d’ type with an ipad strapped to his hand finding a moment to tot up our bill. Also there was something wrong with the ventilation over the grills while we were there, so the room filled with meaty smoke. I’m sure they’ll get that cleared up soon, and the staff will find their rhythm.
I would definitely go back, and look forward to taking others. I imagine the lamb shawarma wrap would make a great lunch…

I went here for lunch today with my wife. We decided to head here as this is newly opened and we were excited to try out some Lebanese food.
Bakchich in Manchester is tucked in between Zouk and Nandos across the street from Manchester Met. The place was quiet considering it was just before lunch time. The décor is colourful with walls painted with what I presume are scenes from Lebanon.
We went for the lemonade, out of which my wife got the Romaniya, which was pomegranite with orange and I got the Roza, which was rose water with lemon and lime.
My wife got the falafel and fattoush salad to eat and I went for the mixed grill meshawi with arabic rice. We also ordered a portion of the Arabic bread to share. The portions were very generous, to start with. The falafel was well cooked and had good flavour. The lightness and the refreshing nature of the salad complemented the feeling of dryness and heaviness that often accompanies the falafel. The meat on my grill platter was well cooked. It was succulent and tasteful. The Arabic rice was a delight too. Again, there was a portion of salad on my plate also, to balance the meat and rice. Overall the mains were good. However, we were not impressed with the Arabic bread as when they brought it out the first time it was cold. I asked them to heat it up and bring it to us, which they did. However this suggests to me that they don’t make their own Arabic bread, which is a bit wrong, especially if they intend to compete in Manchester’s food and drink scene and against the likes of pre-​refurb Beirut on the curry mile.
We liked the food, the service was alright, the drinks were different and the location is close to my office. However, whether we will give them another chance is something I am thinking about. If a restaurant makes me think whether I want to visit them again, then I probably won’t but having said that, I wouldn’t mind going there if someone chose to organise a meal there.