Indian Affair Ancoats

You'll walk past this Blossom Street spot easily if you're not paying attention, but that would be a proper mistake. The kitchen here takes Indian food seriously – none of that sweet, orange-tinted curry nonsense you'll find elsewhere in the city centre. The menu reads like a love letter to regional Indian cooking, with dishes that actually pack heat and complexity. Their weekend lunch service is particularly brilliant when you want something more substantial than brunch but can't be bothered with the usual Ancoats queue culture. The space feels intimate without being cramped, and the service has that rare quality of being knowledgeable without being preachy about the food.