Amaani Restaurant Ashton Under Lyne Review

The Amaani Indian Restaurant is located at 77 Lees Rd, Ashton-under-Lyne. OL6 8BQ.

The phone number is 0161 339 9876.

In a rush? Here is the short version: Food is forgettable. Service is a bit crap. For Ashton, its about average.

A friend and I decided to go out for a meal recently to catch up. We both like Indian food and for logistical reasons, Ashton-Under-Lyne was the location.

He told me that the Amaani was the one everyone was talking about now (whoever everyone might be). So we went there.

Located in an old pub premises at the junction of Lees Road, Broadoak Road and Queens Road, in a building that was formerly known as the Turnpike.

Now, the residents of this part of Ashton are not known for their appreciation of haute cuisine. This is not an area where one expects to find a discerning culinary clientèle.

Nobody in Ashton is reading AA Gill’s reviews in the Sunday Times. Nobody is looking for a reduction of a jus or for small things to be nestling on other things on a large plate with a drizzle of something organic on the side.

However, they should know a half decent curry when they wash one down with six pints of lager, so off I went to the internet to find some reviews.

Trip Advisor I found.

26 reviews. 4/5. Sounds OK right? Well, on the surface…….. 

Looking at the clientèle, many were people who don’t often get out to restaurants except on birthdays and such like. They are not discerning diners. They have little experience with which to compare. For them, because it isn’t baked beans, they didn’t get food poisoning, and someone else did the washing up, it is “superb”.

I found several reviews on Trip Advisor from people who clearly have half a clue:

I don’t know where these people are reviewing but its not the same place we went,there is no atmosphere in the place the food is just average I’ve had better from the take away I would only go back if I had no where else to go

No idea where the reviews come from on here, the food is average at best, we have been twice now and both times come away disappointed, the poppadoms and chutney tray is the highlight, it goes downhill after that, the chilli fry starter is tasty but too gloopy and sweet and the puri tough and chewy. The mains on both visits have been awful, this time I chose a dish that sounded different, it turned out to be some weird sweet and sour hybrid that had no place in an Indian restaurant, we left most of the meal. The service is very good but we won’t be going again, its back to the Indian Ocean for us.

Came here just after it opened, it is very nice inside and looks well, but that is where the praise stops.

The service was fine, but the food was not some of the best, the poppadum’s were stale and there were not a lot of accompanying chutneys etc. I had a Lamb Madras as the check meal to compare it against others as a standard – it was not one of the best.

So would I go there again – probably not

I am in agreement with the quotes above.

The wine choice is rubbish. Its all Asda type circa £5 stuff @ £15. The most expensive they had was like vinegar.

I had to summon them to get some poppadoms even. Service is not their strong point. At one point I had to use my mobile telephone to call them up and direct the man who answered to my waving hand to get some service.

Funny but grim.

I had something called a “Naga Special” which is supposed to be “very hot” . It wasn’t. It was medium at best.

The garlic naan wasn’t very garlicky.

It wasn’t bad food, it was just nothing to write home about. Very, very, average.

The price was likely more than you would expect in that area. £100 for two – inflated by the over-priced wine really.

The service was rubbish – hence no tip.

Would I go back again? Probably not. Next time I’ll take the extra time to go to Wilmslow Road.

Probably one to add to >>this list<< if you are so inclined.