Moon

I’d been wanting to visit Moon for a really long time; I pass it almost every day. However, when we eventually got ’round to booking a table, I was quite disappointed.
It wasn’t busy, but the service was poor and unattentive. And when we finally got the curries we’d ordered, they weren’t really worth the wait — unlike the Great Kathmandu on Burton Road.
The atmosphere here also made our meal pretty unpleasant. The dancey ‘background’ music was so loud, you could hardly hear the people opposite you. So it felt a bit like we were eating a curry in a club! I think I’ll stick to my favourite places in Rusholme and West Didsbury in the future.

The last you’d expect to find one of the best curry houses in Manchester would be Withington, but there it is, in all its glory. Maybe they wanted to escape the glitz and glamour of the curry mile, who knows?
What we do know is that the place is welcoming and friendly, with all the waiters ready to offer advice on the various dishes available. The food is cooked to perfection, the prices great in view of this, and they give free popadoms with your meal. Free! Now that’s something which is surprisingly unusual amongst curry houses.
This place is one of the few reasons to visit Withington, the others being because you live there or because you know someone who does.

I went to Moon with a friend who has become a bit of a regular there, naturally as you can imagine, she was greeted like an old friend or family member! This set the tone for the whole of our evening… I felt relaxed and well treated the whole time, as did our group. This restaurant fell in the top ten Indian restaurants in the UK in a Guardian poll last year. Since then they’ve carried out an overhaul of the interior which has seen it pass into the current decade. Also noteworthy is the genuine acceptance of catering for little ones, they have very clean high chairs and staff practically fall over themselves to appease their picky palates! I would go here if you are a curry loving family, or just plain old curry lovers!

Moon is a very nice curry house indeed. For me its one of the best in Manchester, and far better than anything on the curry mile.
They serve good hearty portions, and one rice is more than enough for two. The curries are generally spicy, so its not the time to up your selection to a hotter one, but still brimming with flavour. Naans are excellent and very doughy, and again big enough to share.
The place is really nice too, and they cater for large groups if you book. They have one table on a kind of balcony on its own so if you’re a moderate sized group you can book that and look down on the rest of the restaurant. They also do some slightly different curries, including some char-​grilled specials and some lovely Keema (mince) dishes.
Popadoms are free and they give you plenty with all the sauces and chutneys, and they have a decent wine list (unusual for a curry house in my experience) and even the relatively cheap house red accompanies any curry well.
Another thing in its favour is that Withington is pretty sparse on decent restaurants (Fuel and Solomon Grundy’s are poor) and so except for Little Samsi, its the best option.
My ONLY criticism would be, the music. It actually loses a star for that. I know it sounds unimportant, but once I took my girlfriend there for a nice quiet meal, and they were playing heavy metal from an ipod very very loudly, I’m not joking…

Moon has become our regular place for curry. They are always good quality and delicious. They deliver, you can pick up or you can eat at the small very well presented restaurant. You are always greeted with a smile and an excellent friendly service.
Also if you don’t eat much you can easily share a takeaway curry between two and with some popadoms, nan and a side it comes to under £10.
Fab place. Highly recommended.

The bestthe only (?)…Indian restaurant in Withingtonon the high street anyhow. Warmth inducing and palette nourishing bursts of Indian food are sent your way in Moon. Withington village is rather small but it packs a punch in terms of what’s on offer. With an Italian just a few doors down and a, erm, Canadian grill across the street this pocket of the constituency ain’t doing too bad cross international grub wise, but could do with a few more ‘sit down eateries’. We’ll see what the new ‘refurbished’ Withy will bring us in time. Still a long way off what Chorlton offers although that’s a much larger neck of the woods.
Back to the tarka dhal side of the moon. This place shines above the rest of the villages offerings and others should really take note. There’s a few empty A4 opportunities coming up over the next year or two — time we had a more foody feel to our own plot of Wilmslow Road.
Fantastic selection of starters, the usual pot pourri of wonderful Indian mains and superb naans (I tend to judge an Indian or Pakistani restaurant on it’s naans).
After a succulent and gently crispy samosa and I proceeded onto a Jalfrezi — just hot enough without stripping your viscera of their functions but fully retaining the flavour.
This restaurant fell in the top ten Indian restaurants in the UK in a Guardian poll last year. Since then they’ve carried out an overhaul of the interior which fluted it into the correct decade.
Recommended.

Moon Indian Restaurant is well known for its excellent Indian food; both in terms of the options on offer and also the taste. What is less well known is that the service is incredibly friendly and well natured. The times I have visited, I have been bowled over by the welcoming atmosphere and enthusiasm from all involved. Occasionally, the chef will come out and announce that he is making a one-​off speciality for one night only. I would definitely recommend trying this if you are lucky enough to be there when this happens. I can’t speak highly enough of Moon. Try it.

While you may not think to visit Withington for an Indian meal when Rusholme offers such an enormous choice of curry houses, Moon is a pleasant surprise. With a great selection of curries to suit every taste, the prices aren’t bad either!
The staff are on hand to offer suggestions if you find you want to try something new, and are only too happy to uncork your bottles which you can bring with you — what more does a student want?!
We ate there for a friend’s birthday, and when they brought out the cake they made a special point of turning out all the lights and encouraging fellow diners to join in with Happy Birthday.
The combination of price, and the quality of food and service mean you can get a great curry without going as far as the Curry Mile