Hale, Indian Restaurant Guide

A “buzzy West Didsbury place, recommended by the S. Manchester Indian community” (and no stranger to the British Curry Awards); their “amazing starters” – street food-style, or from the grill – are the prelude to what fans inevitably call “The. Best. Indian. Ever”.

MasterChef 2015 winner Simon Wood opened his debut open-kitchen concept two years later, offering only tasting menus. It is achieving solid ratings now that the initial hype has died down, with fans largely agreed that it’s “expensive, but great for a special night out”. A data manager from Oldham before his TV triumph, Simon is still refining his venue, most recently converting its private dining room into ‘Homage’ (rhyming with ‘fromage’), a tasting bar to pair cheeses and chutneys with wine and beer. A spinoff restaurant ran in Chester for two years, and the WOODKraft daytime café operates in Cheltenham.