Afrikana Restaurant Manchester — Restaurant in Manchester

We were looking for something a bit different to eat and happily stumbled upon this place on Wilmslow Road. The decor and buzz enticed us further and so we entered to a warm reception and no delay in being seated. Allergens were discussed and as one in our party has an egg allergy, the waitress patiently went through what was and wasn’t suitable. The menu is varied and lists some great mains and specials. Plenty of starters and sides to choose from too. We tried the lady fingers, garlic broccoli and Mac n cheese. For mains the kids had the smash burger meals. Mocktails looked great but being boring we selected soft drinks and instantly regretted it when some handsome looking mocktails were delivered to the table beside us! Definitely will try those next time though. Serving staff were plenty and it seems they aren’t allocated to a particular table thus leaving them floating on all tables. We were asked by a few if everything was ok or if we needed anything, whoever’s idea this was it was great! The decor is new and fresh I cannot fault the place on that. Everything is clean and what you would expect of an up market place. Prices are reasonable for what you get. Food is presented very well and not just thrown on the plate, some thought and love has gone in to its attention to detail. The food itself came relatively quickly (5-7 minutes) which leads me to believe some must be pre cooked but I think that’s true of most places these days. People want fast food so advance prepping has taken over. The dishes are generous in portioning, including the kids meals. Some accompanying sauces of ketchup and mayo were brought out with the foods which we didn’t request but nice of them to provide. What is lacking and was very noticeable is no seasoning at the tables or offered any. We didn’t ask for fear of offending indirectly but we like our chips seasoned with salt and pepper and there was none. I feel a peri peri or spiced salt for chips would be appropriate for the cuisinebut anything really would have been nice. The lack of salt wasn’t a deal breaker and we enjoyed the food without. The fried lady fingers were delicious according to my son who devoured those. The smash burgers in a toasted brioche bun looked huge and the patty inside as fresh as it gets. It was noted by my child that the burgers come plain with no salad inside or sauce, yes a child asking for something healthy shock horror!, he had a good point though why is there no salad on the burgers? They were delicious nonetheless. I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness to the accessible toilet area which I’d used pre meal. A ramp leads you to it and noting the shop entrance is also level makes this place wheelchair friendly for any chair users wondering whether to try it out. Go for it! Friendly staff brought a complimentary jug of water with ice that was appreciated alongside our soft drinks. Every meal was thoroughly enjoyed with the exception of the garlic broccoli. I could tell immediately from looking at it that no fresh garlic has been near it. Sadly they’d used garlic purée which coated the pan fried broccoli in this bitter purée that has no place on it. I’d expected freshly chopped garlic or garlic infused oil to have been used because purée is more associated with base sauces and such. The taste of it raw and bitter on my food did unfortunately make it inedible. That being said though the way staff handled it was excellent. I was offered a replacement which I had to decline as it would only be the same, therefore a waste of more food and chefs time. They kindly comped that side off our bill though so we were happy with that and luckily already full from the other great food. Overall a great place to dine at and as I’ve since learned that it only opened last week I must say it is organised and offers great service. They will improve with time I’m assuming of the minor teething issues and hopefully a few tweaks will make it even...

Afrikana Manchester: A Taste of Africa That Will Knock Your Socks Off

Manchester is a city brimming with culinary delights, but this weekend I ventured somewhere new: Afrikana. And let me tell you, it was an absolute revelation.

From the moment I walked in, the warm welcome from the staff set the tone for the evening. Friendly, attentive, and passionate about the food, they made Afrikana feel less like a restaurant and more like a friend's house - albeit a friend who's an amazing cook!

Speaking of amazing cooking, the food at Afrikana is nothing short of phenomenal. Bursting with flavour and cooked to perfection, every dish was a party in my mouth.

Now, when it comes to recommendations, here's where things get tricky. Because honestly, everything was delicious. But two dishes stood out:

We Goat Your Back: This slow-cooked mutton curry goat was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The rich, flavorful curry was perfectly balanced by the fluffy rice and peas, and the warm bread was ideal for mopping up every last drop. Prawn To Be Wild: Deep-fried golden prawns are a classic, but Afrikana takes them to another level with their signature Afrikana sauce. Tangy, sweet, and with a hint of spice, it was the perfect complement to the juicy prawns. The mayo dressing added a touch of creamy coolness, making this dish a true flavour explosion. Honestly, every bite was a joy. Fresh ingredients, bold flavours, and generous portions - Afrikana ticks all the boxes for a fantastic dining experience.

Here's a word to the wise, though: Afrikana is a popular spot, especially on Saturday nights. The restaurant was buzzing when I visited, so booking in advance is highly recommended.

Do yourself a favour and head down to Afrikana. The amazing staff especially Suzanne, the incredible food, and the vibrant atmosphere will leave you wanting to come back for more. Just be sure to book in advance, especially for...

We visited Afrikana last week, upon arrival there was a lot of people waiting and not knowing we and the people before us assumed it was the queue to give our names until someone in the "waiting area" kindly told us to go through and give our names. As it was busy there was a 45 minute wait but there was nowhere to wait so we stood next to a table where people were eating which didn't feel right but there's literally no space to wait around anywhere. We were seated upstairs, the layout was small,clean, and welcoming. Our waiter was helpful when choosing our dishes and making recommendations. However, as we were sitting at the back in a corner, it wasn't easy getting staff attention when we wanted to order further drinks When the food arrived we ordered the tacos and meat puff pastry, the tacos were disappointing, especially considering the price, the portion was tiny as you see in the videos and pictures, the meat puff pastry and the sauce it was served with was lovely. For mains we had fish and chips,mac and cheese,thic chick burger and the prawn and chicken jambala.The fish wasn't to my liking and had a bit of a soggy batter,chips were nice in the afrikana sauce but the fish let it down. The mac and cheese lacked flavour, the thic chick burger was nice but could do with some spicy sauce. The jambalaya rice was nice. Drinks were lovely,I had the passionfruit mojito, and it's probably the best one I've had. We paid just over £110, was it worth it? Not in my opinion. It's worth a visit if you're into the instagram food hype with the smoky presentation etc, but the food itself, unfortunately, wasn't top-notch or live up to the hype and...