Grand Kerala Restaurant, Manchester — Restaurant in Trafford

Ambiance: The moment you step into Grand Kerala, you're transported to the heart of South India. The warm, inviting ambiance, adorned with traditional Kerala decor, sets the tone for a delightful dining experience. The soft lighting and the subtle aroma of spices create a cozy and authentic atmosphere.

Food: Grand Kerala’s menu is a vibrant celebration of Kerala's rich culinary heritage. The dishes are meticulously prepared, offering a perfect balance of flavors and textures. Here are some highlights:

Appetizers: The Meen Pollichathu (fish marinated with spices and wrapped in banana leaf) was a standout, bursting with flavors and cooked to perfection. The Vegetable Cutlets were crispy on the outside, with a soft and flavorful filling, making for a great vegetarian option.

-Main Courses: The Kerala Chicken Curry was a hit, with tender chicken pieces in a fragrant, mildly spiced coconut gravy. Paired with fluffy Appam (rice hoppers), it was a comforting and satisfying dish. The Beef Ularthiyathu (spicy beef stir-fry) was another highlight, with succulent beef chunks coated in a robust mix of spices and coconut slivers.

Seafood: The Prawn Moilee, a prawn curry in a creamy coconut sauce, was light yet flavorful, allowing the natural sweetness of the prawns to shine through. It paired beautifully with the Malabar Parotta, a flaky, layered bread.

Vegetarian Options: The Avial (mixed vegetables in coconut and yogurt) was fresh and vibrant, offering a great balance to the richer meat and seafood dishes. The Sambar was authentic, with just the right amount of tang and spice, making it an ideal accompaniment for rice.

Service: The service at Grand Kerala was friendly and efficient. The staff were knowledgeable about the menu and made excellent recommendations. The food was served promptly, and the servers were attentive without being intrusive.Manager is a friendly and lovely guy.He is a awesome person

Overall Experience: Grand Kerala is a must-visit for anyone looking to explore the authentic flavors of Kerala in Manchester. The quality of the food, combined with the warm atmosphere and attentive service, makes it a top choice for both casual dining and special occasions. While the prices are slightly on the higher side, the experience is well worth it. Whether you're a fan of South Indian cuisine or a newcomer to Kerala's delights, Grand Kerala is sure to leave a...

We visited the restaurant with high expectations, hoping to enjoy good food in a pleasant ambiance. While the place was clean and inviting, the service was extremely disappointing—easily a 1/10.

The menu, including the ‘today’s special’ board, was full of enticing dishes like Kakka Thoran and more (photo attached). However, every dish we asked for wasn’t available. The staff repeatedly had to check with the chef, only to come back with excuses like, 'I’m new here and don’t know.' A functional menu should reflect what’s actually available, so diners aren’t left confused and frustrated.

When it came to the food we did receive, things were equally disappointing. The fish curry served was clearly a day old, and the chicken curry from the special Chatti Chor set was clearly reheated—hot on the outside but cold inside, leaving no doubt it was cooked earlier and oven-warmed. These issues only added to the frustration.

At one point, we had to approach the kitchen window ourselves, where we learned one chef was on leave, and the other hadn’t arrived yet. Even with drinks, we were assured they had lemonade to mix with our orders, only to later be served 7UP instead, accompanied by more excuses. Adding to the chaos, two dishes we ordered never even arrived, and no one checked back to follow up.

To their credit, a staff member eventually listened to our concerns and kindly reduced the bill slightly, which was appreciated. However, this doesn’t make up for the overall poor experience. Additionally, the loud music added to the discomfort—turning it down a couple of notches would make the atmosphere more enjoyable.

In summary, this visit was a letdown. My suggestion to the restaurant: align your menu with what’s actually available, ensure your staff is adequately informed, and improve the freshness and quality of your dishes. Better coordination and attention to detail could save both your team and your customers a lot of unnecessary...

We have been in Grand Kerala now a few times, and each time the dishes seem to change a little. Plus they don't do naan bread at lunchtimes!

We last went in on Fri, May 9th, and ordered a veggie biryani each. To our utmost dismay this dish has completely changed and wasn't remotely like a biryani! There were no biryani spices in it, the rice was white, slightly greasy and moist almost like a risotto, with little bits of chopped up veg in it but not much veg at all, just mainly rice. We asked why the dish had changed and the man serving us said the chef had changed. However surely any Indian (South Indian) restaurant chef should know how to make a biryani. I told them we did not enjoy it, it wasn't a proper biryani and we wouldn't order it again, and I left some of mine too, but there was no proper apology or price reduction.

I was really happy when Grand Kerala first opened, as I love Indian food and they are the only one for miles that are open at lunchtimes, however after a few disappointing visits there now, I don't think we will be going there again. Really sad, as this could have been a place where I would have frequented regularly had they done nicer and more vegetarian options and naan bread or at least a similar bread, at lunchtime, which, is on the menu but you can't have! The dosas, which they offered as a bread, are like large scotch pancakes, different taste & consistency to bread, and not unleavened bread at all. The only really nice curry I can have is their veg stew, but again, with that, they changed it somewhat, with different portion sizes and tiny chopped up pre-cooked carrots like tinned / frozen ones, and too many chopped up green beans, not the best veg for a curry. The sauce tastes lovely but the contents remind me of school...