One mile of Wilmslow Road south of the university, dense with Pakistani grills, Middle Eastern shawarma counters and the late-night kitchens that have run since the 1970s.
Mohammad Arshad opened Mughli on Manchester's Curry Mile in 1991. Family-run, focal charcoal pit, Mughlai cooking, lamb chops by the platter.
Signature: Charcoal-grilled lamb chops, Tandoori platters
Order: Charcoal lamb chops and the chargrilled paneer; finish with kulfi.
Tip: Kitchen runs to 00:30 Friday and Saturday; Sunday is family-lunch crowd from 14:00.
P G and Lilawati Sachdev opened Lily's in 1972; pure vegetarian, family-run, packed with regulars. Best Vegetarian at the 2018 Food Festival.
Signature: Gujarati thali, South Indian dosa
Order: The Lily's thali, a daily-changing tour of Gujarati and Punjabi vegetarian plates.
Tip: Ashton-under-Lyne is twenty minutes by tram from Piccadilly; closed Monday and Tuesday.
Mohammad Arshad opened Mughli on Manchester's Curry Mile in 1991; family still runs it. Focal charcoal pit, Mughlai cooking, lamb chops by platter.
Signature: Charcoal lamb chops, Tandoori platter
Order: Charcoal lamb chops; tandoori paneer; finish with kulfi.
Tip: Kitchen runs to 00:30 Friday and Saturday; family-lunch crowd from 14:00 Sunday.
P G and Lilawati Sachdev opened Lily's in 1972; pure vegetarian, family-run, packed with Manchester regulars. Best Vegetarian 2018 award winner.
Signature: Gujarati thali, South Indian dosa
Order: The Lily's thali, a daily-changing tour of Gujarati and Punjabi vegetarian plates.
Tip: Twenty minutes by tram from Piccadilly; closed Monday and Tuesday.
Curry Mile Manchester institution since 1991. The focal charcoal pit produces lamb chops, paneer and chicken tikka the crowd orders by the platter daily.
Try: Charcoal lamb chops
Manchester Curry Mile classic since 1991. Charcoal lamb chops, tandoori platters and naan; main plates between ten and fifteen pounds, late-night kitchen.
Try: Charcoal lamb chops by the platter
Greater Manchester's family-run pure-vegetarian Indian institution. Gujarati thali under fifteen pounds, dosa under ten; the Sachdev family runs the room.
Try: Gujarati thali
Manchester's Curry Mile classic since 1991, kitchen open until 00:30 on Friday and Saturday. Charcoal lamb chops, tandoori platters, mango lassi at all hours.
Try: Charcoal lamb chops
Manchester Curry Mile institution open until 01:00 on weekend nights. Lal Qila means Red Fort; everything cooked to order, spice tuned to each diner here.
Try: Made-to-order curry