Tabak Restaurant

NB: This review solely concerns the buffet lunch deal.
Tabak has a pair of shining reviews from a pair of shining reviewers on this site, but I’m afraid I can’t add to that. I half suspect that this is a buffet vs a la carte thing, but regardless, I must report what I experienced.
I took a group of 7 or 8 friends to Tabak recently for the buffet, and what we got was classic curry mile stuff. I didn’t pay too much (though I wouldn’t remark on the cheapness either) but I didn’t get too much either, and I felt slightly queasy afterwards. The buffet is large and well stocked, but so stodgy and dodgy that I regretted the experience somewhat.
Would I go again? If others wished to, but give me Swadesh or another city based offer any day.

Tabak is in the top few restaurants on the curry mile. With curries as good as anywhere else (except Punjab), it offers excellent service, good prices and often a free drink.
The décor is nice, but pretty unremarkable and very similar to most other restaurants along here. The menu is extensive and they do a few specials that I haven’t seen elsewhere.
As far as I can tell all the ingredients are fresh, and I even saw that they cool the naan fresh from the dough for each customer, meaning that its warm, dough and juicy!
I fancied a new curry but I wanted it spicy so I asked them if I could have it a bit hotter than it usually is. They were more than happy to oblige and my curry was absolutely gorgeous. Big portions as well, so my advice is to share the rice and naan.
They also offer an all-​you-​can eat buffet at certain times and its got a space for large parties and suchlike celebrations.
I definitely recommend it if Punjab is full, or if you fancy trying somewhere else.

I don’t find myself in Rusholme very often these days. It’s odd, my other half is not into curry whatsoever but his father absolutely loves the stuff. Go figure. If I was ever to take the in-​laws on a big tour of Manchester, we’d head straight to Rusholme with a bag of beer and munch some spicy delights.
My memories of more regular boozy dinners on the Curry Mile are not as you might expect. A good few years ago, socially, I hung out with many gentlemen. It was the result of being in a circle of friends via ex partners and what-​not, thus there were generally few females lurking about and I was one of them. Now, some men simply see a curry as something to wolf down as fast as possible when you’ve had a skinful.
Others take it very, very seriously.
I was in a group where no less than three members claimed to be curry connoisseurs. It wasn’t just that they were very critical of their Indian food when they ate out. They made the stuff at home. From SCRATCH. That is, they bought curry pastes (sometimes even forgoing the paste to gather all ingredients themselves), natural yoghurts, garam masala, tinned tomatoes… and they were very, VERY fussy. As in, my ex partner point blank refused to eat a Sharwoods, Asda or even Mardhur Jeffrey sauce from a jar. Yes, these were not boys to cook for. So when one of these males, also a militant vegetarian (in fact two of the three were militant vegetarians… am I spotting a pattern here?) said that his favourite spot on the Curry Mile was Tabak, I had David Copperfield-​esque Great Expectations.
Tabak swiftly became one of my favourite spots alongside Lal Haweli, although I didn’t think it quite compared to the latter at first. It’s had very mixed reviews on the Curry Mile website, however one positive review was written by an actual Indian person, and I must confess I’ve seen many dining in Tabak. So if you’re after authentic Indian cuisine this is probably your best bet. And it’s a lot more subtle and lower on carbon emissions in the form of neon lights than a great deal of the others, which is probably a good thing.
If the militants, and Indian people, the best judges of all (remember what I told you about how my parents taught me to eat in ethnic restaurants? If people of that origin eat there, it must be good) eat there then it’s definitely worth a try. It also has all the essentials of a great Curry Mile restaurant — bring your own booze, student and group discounts, and it also has a function room for hire as well as a buffet service with an all-​you-​can-​eat policy. Now that’d be great for those lager-​swilling revellers who like to fill up on poppadoms to sober up slightly. Perhaps not so great for the discerning ‘curry experts’ I dined with.

The Tabak is situated in Rusholme on what is locally known as ‘The Curry Mile’ an area which is flooded with Indian Cuisine which can be very hit or miss!
However, the Tabak has always been one of my absolute favourates.
Inside and out there’s a certain opulence to it, you feel like you’re really dining out somewhere a little bit special, a rose amongst the thorn to be a bit of a cliché.
The staff are very well presented and seriously know the meaning of customer service and ensure that you are treated well and that your custom is appreciated.
The food is exemplary and of a very high standard, it looks good, it tastes good and although not the absolute cheapest the price is affordable and considering the environment, the service and the actual food, is more then good value.
The restaurant is clean, light and airy reminiscent of an expensive hotel or ballroom even and yet mixes a modern feel well with traditional splendor.
I have never been disappointed here and as I previously said this will always remain one of my favourate restaurants.

This is probably my fave restaurant on the famous Curry Mile, when I want a quick unpretentious and quiet meal.
Tabak is located opposite Pink Garlic and lacks the flashing Neon signs that any of the other restaurants display. Inside you will find a buffet style set up with many dishes on display including starters, salad, curries and vegetarian dishes. If you’re hungry you can eat as much as you want too.
The service is quick as the food is already cooked, just grab a plate and you’re away. Tabak does not serve alchohol and you can’t bring you’r own which is a bonus as there are no groups of rowdy men egging each other on to try and ea a vindaloo!
Tabak has bargain prices too, last time I went the bill for two greedy adults and several non alchoholic cocktails was under £20! At that price I cannot complain!

ANother mainstream asian serving food restaurant. IT has two floor, secondone being mostly for parties. Menu service aswell as buffet.
I don’t quite find the taste very appealing here, the variety is not too pleasing. One of the many so called halal places that also sell alcohol!!! ]]I’d only go here if all the others were packed.

The all you can eat buffet is great in theory, but the selection at Tabak is a slight disappointment, as you do not get a real taste of what Indian food actually has to offer. While none of the dishes themselves were disappointing, it would’ve been nice to see a few more options that you might not usually try.
The staff are very helpful, and constantly there to bring out a naan bread or three, and also to open your bottles of wine — this makes for a very good value place for a meal, especially at the fixed prices that Tabak offer.