(Dido)
While I would never profess to be a lover of classic or haute cuisine, I try to eat well. Sometimes though, you just want something, well, dirty. And I’m not talking the modern artful ‘dirty’ as practiced in Manchester by places like ‘Almost Famous Burgers’ or their sister venture ‘LLLB’, I mean something surreptitious, something you’re almost ashamed to admit to. And then, Hunters is the place to go.
It’s located on the edge of the Northern Quarter, at the junction of Thomas Street and High Street, and is easy to spot by its lurid yellow signage. Inside it’s, to be honest, scruffy; there are a half a dozen booths with Formica tables and vinyl benches that have clearly seen better days, but heck, you’re not there for the ambiance, right?
The menu is quite comprehensive, ranging from Fish & Chips, Chicken and Lamb Kebabs (both doner and tikka), Pizza, the local ‘Rice and Three’ speciality, and a reasonable range of Indian meals.
A personal favourite is their spicy Chicken Biryani, served with extra chilli sauce.
Hunters Chicken Biryani
For six quid it’s a mighty plateful of spicy, ricey chickeny guilt.
I’ve mentioned to my work colleagues that I sometimes sneak into Hunters and they’ve expressed astonishment that I go in there while sober. It’s a Manchester tradition to grab a Hunters after an evening’s drinking, and accordingly I suspect they’re open until just before dawn.
Let’s be clear, it’s not sophisticated, but when you just want to grab something to eat, Hunters fits the bill.
Rating: 
