Reviews in Manchester

Finding real South Indian food in the UK is a challenge. Some restaurants dabble, but are unfortunately not brave enough to "go the whole hog", adding more UK-familiar, but not South Indian, dishes to their menus. This encourages some guests to play it safe, and order what they know. This in turn affects demand for the South India selections. And before one can say "chicken tikka masala", the South Indian selections are culled. Amma's Canteen has taken the proverbial South Indian bull by its horns. The menu is unashamedly South Indian to its core, the owners proudly and rightfully not at all apologetic for the lack of dishes on the menu that might be more appealing to a non-South Indian palate. And I praise the heavens for the courage of their conviction. The dishes my wife and I ordered were not just South Indian, they were lovingly home-cooking inspired of the highest standard in execution and the most exquisitely tasting South Indian! And the owners' creative personal twist to some of the South India staples to provide more variety on the menu did not compromise the restaurant's promise of a South India meal. We will definitely return. We will definitely bring friends who are not that familiar with South Indian cuisine. And we most definitely recommend a visit to Amma's Canteen to anyone already familiar with South Indian cuisine. My wife and I have a healthy appetite, but we left the restaurant replete. Given the quality and quantity of what we ordered, the £70 we paid for two people (inc. 10% service charge and £12 of beer/wine) was good value for money, particularly given that we had very little bread and rice with our meal. If we'd wanted to be less greedy and instead fill up on those carbohydrates we could have easily slashed £15 off the bill. And on top of everything, the service was beyond reproach - attentive, patient and efficient. Thank you Amma's Canteen. Well done on all counts. We look forward to our next visit.

Delicious food and wonderful service. The staff were so kind and engaging with our grandchildren- we will definitely be back.

Ate there at 4.30 on Friday with family, who were really impressed. The red mullet starter and lobster pasta were fantastic as was everyone’s food. Best restaurant around here, hope they can open up the top floor so that it is easier to get in at peak times. Steve Harris

I love it as a treat. I always go there pre-theatre. The food is good and it has a relaxing atmosphere with attentive staff. It is reasonably priced.

Lovely food and great atmosphere

Myself and 3 girlfriends had a lovely meal here. Staff were lovely. Couple of bottles of decent wine we brought ourselves. Food was amazing We ordered 4 dishes and shared. Couldn't fault them Thanks

Had a great evening on Saturday despite having to wait 45mins for our table in a very cramped doorway. The food was lovely and staff very friendly. Maybe there’s a problem with the booking system or they could do with a nice lounge to sit and have a drink

Lovely restaurant with great atmosphere. Staff friendly and helpful, service quick. All food was prompt, hot and delicious. Would recommend.

the food here is 5* bets itallisn i’ve ever had. the fish (all types) tasted so fresh and tender. focaccia cooked to perfection. pasta was perfect. can not rate enough. atmosphere and staff also fantastic, very relaxed and welcoming. staff couldn’t do enough for you. can’t wait to go back.

Fab food and service. Weve been many times and its always excellent and you always leave feeling you have been a special customer.

Visited the restaurant at 8.00pm Saturday 11th December, had booked a table for 4 persons. Restaurant extremely busy, allocated table was fit for two people and to small for four. It was so close to the next table that one of our guests had to move regularly to allow access. The food was overly expensive. Not a good dining experience.

We so enjoyed an excellent meal taking the advice of which dishes to try from our delightful waiter, Harry. Some of the dishes which we hadn't heard of before were a pleasure to experience. As one of our party was coeliac it was great to see so many gluten free options for her. Harry was so polite and knowledgeable and made us feel at ease and nothing was too much for him. Thank you

Visited Wednesday 8th December for my partners birthday. Food was excellent from start to finish and the service was second to none. We received a complimentary garlic bread and our little boy was given a dessert at the end. Thank you! Definitely recommend and would definitely return! Best Italian I’ve had.

My go to restaurant for pre theatre meals. Front of house friendly and fabulous, atmosphere buzzing, service always great despite often very busy at this time. Only downside is the prices, very expensive menu compared to other Manchester eateries so always stick to pre theatre

Great service,great food ,lovely evening out 5+

Visited restaurant for the first time. Great selection of good and wine to suit all tastes. Staff were lovely and attentive . Food selection we had was excellent. Would highly recommend the restaurant.

Our second visit - if we were local to Manchester, we would come much more. Interesting and delicious food, great service and overall really enjoyed eating here. Loved the masala vegetarian dosa.