This & That

We found it by accident. One of the best Indian food I have in UK so far. Everything is a bit spicy and so tasty. The owner is generous to give a lot and I finished everything. We will visit it again for sure.

This & That is one of those no-​frills type of places that serve good food. If you like a curry, I recommend going.
As Jess. S has mentioned it can’t be a little hard to find as its down as small side street. But if you do go, do as Jess said and head for Trof and its down the side street to your left.
I’ve been to This & That a few times. I have always just got a takeaway — which you get your curry in a foil tray. Different curries are on, on different days. You get a few different meat curries and some veg curries and the total cost depends on your combo of 3 curries.
Although I do like a curry, I am not really an expert in it. By this I mean that I don’t really know the differences in curries and what they look like and if they are tomato based or coconut based etc. I just know if it tastes good or not!
The last time I came here I went for the 2 meats and 1 veg option. I went for the lamb curry, chicken curry and the spinach curry. And this on top of some rice. The first time I came here I fought I would still be hungry but its filling.
The curry has always tasted good no matter which one I have chosen. It may not be the best curry in the world but quite possibly the best value for money.
I also got an onion bhaji too. They asked if I wanted it heated up in the microwave but I said no. (When I got home, I put it under the grill to heat/​crisp it up :)).

This is not the kind of place you want to be at on your first date, but for some reason if you did end up here, your date might be very impressed.
This and That is hidden in a little side street in the Northerrn Quarter that boasts a lot of eateries and drinkeries (if there’s such a word). It’s called this and that. The menu too, is a bit like that. You get a little bit of this and a little bit of that, from a limited selection of thises and thats. The quality and quantity of the food is amazing, not just for a place that looks like this but by any standards. Some of my favourites are seekh kebab, kheema (mincemeat), chicken/​lamb curry.
A very delicious and filling meal for two people in under 15 quid is not too bad though, is it?

This really is one of Manchester’s hidden gems. Tucked away in a narrow side street in the northern quarter it’s the perfect place for a fast delicious lunch at an affordable price. The menu varies slightly each day but there’s usually lamb, chicken, potato, spinach options. Today I had lamb & spinach, hot mince and chick pea Dahl on a bed of rice with a onion bhaji on the side. Total cost £5.70 which includes 80p for the onion bhaji. Each of the curries was equally delicious and the portion size was generous. Cans of soft drink are for sale but I always just help myself to one of the jugs of tap water they leave out. Even though I arrived at a very busy time, I was served and finished my food all within about 20 minutes of arriving!

Firstly don’t turn up in a dinner suit and ball gown, it’s a café, plastic seat etc, but for 4 nicker you cannot beat this quality and value, absolutely spot on .
Joint favourite with Kabanas.

I was happy finally to try This & That and it certainly is excellent value for money — rice with different combos of 3 meat/​veg options ranges are between about £3.20 — £4.80. Bhaji was a pound I think. I also like its no frills canteen interior and friendly staff.
Food wise, the flavours I thought were a bit bland, especially the chana, and I was a bit disappointed that the onion bhaji was microwaved so didn’t have any crisp but I did feel full and satisfied afterwards. Doesn’t quite live up to its great London equivalent, Shoreditch Plus, but I will definitely go back and try more options.

Come here for a bargain, cafeteria style curry, or three, for about £5.50 !!:)
Love it, one of my favourites. Hard to find if you don’t know where you’re going and closes early. 8pm close on a Friday & Saturday, think it’s other days.
No where else in the Norther Quarter touches this place for value. Beware it’s a café, not a resturant.

A real hidden gem, great food & great value.
I am experimenting with a detox that involves no meat this week so headed out for lunch hoping to try this little Indian food café. It was a challenge to find it! I went the long way round (up and down every back street in the NQ) I suggest you go straight to Trof and look down the street to the left of the main door. There it is!
Its very rustic inside with café style bucket seats and tables. The counter displays the days choices. I just said a vegetarian take away and was given rice with 3 mains in a take away carton along with a bahjee. It was all delicious. One main was spinach based, one potato & cauliflower woke the other was chickpeas. I loved the chickpea one, I could have eaten a vat of it.
All that for £3.60 so a complete bargain. A lovely hot lunch that was healthy and left me very happy indeed. Might make it my regular Thursday treat!

One of the things I love about Manchester is the constant new discoveries on offer, sometimes ones that are brand new, that you find out from word of mouth or in the case of ‘This & That’ it’s a place that’s been on the radar since I moved here 7 years ago but I kind of thought I’d been already.
The NQ is full of these little Indian cafes, tucked away around little side streets and back passages, some with little signage and those that seem to live by their own hours, opening up the days they want to. While meeting a friend for lunch one day, he suggested this place and after a bit of Google mapping, I realised that I hadn’t actually been to this place even though my old office was literally 2 mins walk away from it.
And after spending a good 6 months in India in my 20’s, I can say that these little cafes like This & That are as authentic as and curry house I’ve been to in the UK for good honest food, the right spice mix and at a price that reflects the rough and ready, canteen style approach to a dining experience here.
for £4 each we had 3 curries, rice and a chapatti — all rotating each day and with a good choice on offer, with some great toppings such as chopped chili, sambar and chutneys on the side. In fact there was so much food that I was stuffed by the time we finished and if I ate like this everyday, I think I’d struggle to fit into my Christmas jumper this year! What was nice about This & That was that the curry wasn’t dripping with oil like some places nearby like Kabana, (definitely not a pleasant experience when your naan bread becomes see through with grease)
No frills, low expense, great curry and a great dining option if you’re in the NQ!

There are high chances you would never find out about this place or may be walk past it but not even think twice about entering. BUT I have to say that if you do either of the two you will be missing out on the best Indian food (I hate calling curry, because Indian food is not only about curries unlike typical western perception) you will ever taste in England!
Thanks to all the lovely Unilocalers who wrote mostly 5 star reviews about this place, because if I had not read them then I probably would never give this place a try. I went in there today after having the worst weekend of my life (some one stole my bag, which had my Iphone, wallet and Work Permit) to cheer myself up with some good food and just the sheer aroma of the food was enough to bring a smile on my face! I had the typical 3 curries (Lamb, Chicken and Dal) on rice along with a chapati for 5 pounds and I felt like I want to pay them more after having the food! This place is seriously one of those under rated places but I guess that is their charm and USP (the marketing professional in me can’t help but use these terms). The place is very small but clean and the tables remind me of junior school canteen as they are bright red and yellow (cute). The staff are friendly and I had a good chat with one of them about our respective Indian roots.
Few things to keep in mind :
1. Don’t expect a fancy ambiance inside, you go there purely for the FOOD!
2. The place kind of hides in the back alley behind TV 21 (Can be quite tricky to locate of you are not very well acquainted with Northern Quarter)
3. The lamb curry is DELICIOUS
Verdict: Great food, low prices and fast service

If your idea of a curry is a chicken korma with a garlic naan, you should probably turn around and walk away fast. Unless of course you’re ready to re-​educate your tastebuds and understand what curry really should be like.
Tasty, simple, not greasy, and cheap. Under a fiver including chapattis. Plus as many free onions and green chillis as you can handle. Asian home-​style cooking at its best.

Sorry I found the food in this Manchester institution really bland on both my visits. I like the idea but Kabana a few streets away for me is much tastier and similar price point. No ventilation made me hot and uncomfortable like strange men shining powerful torches in your eyes in the middle of the night.

The best of the Northern Quarter Indian cafes. Tucked down a grotty back street, but don’t let that put you off, you will be in for a treat. Excellent food, cheap and friendly staff who are happy to give advice. Forget your Indian takeaway, get yourself to This N That!

This and That is my all-​time favourite curry place in Manchester. You can’t beat the prices of these delicious curries. I’m never disappointed with the selection of veggie curries (I’m strict vegetarian); they are well-​seasoned with a good amount of heat, and the rice is tasty with a hint of cumin.
When you walk in, you see at times a long queue, but the food is served very fast and hot. The rice is served first and spread on the plate, then the curries are ladled on top. The chapattis are sooooooo good too.

‘That is full; this is full. From fullness, fullness comes out.
Taking fullness from fullness, what remains is fullness.’ — Isha Upanishad
This & That is a curry café, so ‘Rice & 3 Veg — £3.30′ sums it up from my vegetarian perspective. Competitive against sandwiches or soup & roll as a lunch option for city workers, they do a busy lunchtime trade both sit-​in and takeaway. I thoroughly enjoyed their food and the whole dining experience, and the men in suits, construction workers and student couples — including quite a few Asians — were all tucking in around me.
I’ve posted some photos of the food and the menu to inspire you to eat there. I’m really enthusiastic about This & That and the whole ethnic café and groceries scene which offers many insights as to the way forward in diet and wider culture.
Located in the Northern Quarter, This & That is easily reached from the city centre. From the Arndale, go up Shudehill, turn right at Thomas Street, then right after Trof (pub) into Soap Street. Twenty yards down the quaint (!) Victorian cobbled backstreet, you’ll see the white, red and blue sign. You probably won’t be able to see through the windows too clearly, as they’ll be a bit steamed-​up from the cooking and the bain-​marie. Be reassured — good food and a warm welcome awaits you inside. And aren’t the location and the basic décor part of the integrity of these hole-​in-​the-​wall type places? There is a warm, family atmosphere in this café, a feeling of a really close-​knit team with roots in the Indian sub-​continent.
A rotating daily menu keeps it simple for the chefs, whilst providing regular customers plenty of variety. As I ate there on a Tuesday, the three vegetarian curries were, Chick Peas (Channa), Cabbage and Mixed Vegetables; whereas on a Wednesday, the vegetarian options are Vegetable Biryani, Spinach & Potatoes, Daal (Lentils) and Kidney Beans & Potatoes. To allow you to browse the choices available on a particular day of the week, I’ve posted photos of the full menu. I found everything well-​cooked, with distinctive flavours coming from each of the three curries. I also had two of the homemade sides — Chapati and Samosa, bringing the total bill to £4.50. Jugs of water and glasses are provided on all the tables. Chopped coriander leaf and chillis are also provided — help yourself.
Done right — as at This & That, for example — Indian cookery has so much health-​giving potential for our daily diets. So (1) check out the curry cafes and more up-​market places; (2) for home cooking, you owe it to yourself to visit Worldwide Foods in Rusholme or somewhere similar; (3) Study the recipies and the knowledge of Ayurveda, India’s traditional healthcare system; (4) Enjoy!
Note: This & That has recently opened a second outlet just off Deansgate, which has attracted a five star Unilocal review already

You know when you have finally arrived in Manchester when you can wander into This & That one day, have a delightful meal, and manage to find the place ever again in your life. A little diamond hiding in the seemingly unending shantytown of vintage shops and art cafes in the Northern Quarter, This & That is hard to find, but is definitely worth the look.
Unlike other establishments in the area This & That offers no-​nonsense eating without the usual frills and quirks to be found nearby. This is because it doesn’t need thrills; people keep coming back for the food and the food alone.
A variety of curries, rice, naan and chapatis are on offer and there is something to suit every palette and almost any wallet. Of special mention are the fresh bhajis and pakoras which compliment the curries, adding some crunch and texture to what can otherwise be a sloppy (but very tasty) meal.
The décor is basic to say the least, with plastic canteen style seating and little decoration to speak of. Each table does come with a welcome jug of water, adding to the family and community feel of the dining experience. A must for any rainy day or stubborn hangover, head to This & That — if you can find it that is…

This is a ‘Curry Canteen’ that has a firm place in the heart of many a city centre worker who frequent it at lunchtime, and many other shoppers who want some really authentic, high quality curry for lunch of a weekend. The approach is simple, in that you for a fiver or less (depending on your choice) you get rice, a chunk of Naan bread, and three curries (the varieties that are served vary daily, but there are always at least three vegetarian curries on offer) and a glass of water, all served on haphazard crockery, eaten with mismatched cutlery and at canteen-​like tables. The staff are friendly, the dining experience a little reminiscent of a school canteen, but the food is excellent and that is what draws people in time and again. If you want, you can ‘upgrade’ with soft drinks, and other sundries, but don’t come here expecting to peruse an extensive wine list or sit waiting for the sweet-​trolley to be wheeled round… No frills, but absolute perfection nonetheless!
I think the longevity of this place and the cult-​status it enjoys from ‘those who know’ says everything you need to know about this and thats…

Sorry I found the food in this Manchester institution really bland. I like the idea but Kabana a few streets away for me is much tastier and similar price point.

This and That don’t do frills. This is a simple café with minimal decoration but that doesn’t matter a bit because people don’t come here for the ambiance. They come here for the no nonsense curry dishes and the cheap prices, the two things that have kept this establishment open for decades.
This and That is a family run café that offers quality dishes that change daily, much like a soup kitchen. Choose a large portion of your favourite curry and side dish or order a rice, meat and/​or veg deal, ranging in price from just £3 and at the most £5. It’s hard to come to a decision so having the option to sample more than one dish is a popular hit with the patrons here. Karai Lamb, Vegetable Biryani and Chicken Korma are personal favourites. You won’t be left out if you’re a vegetarian either, there’s always 2 or 3 excellent choices on offer.

In business for over twenty years now, This & That is obviously doing something right.
Simplicity and good values are perhaps unsurprisingly the key to most successful businesses and this family run little gem has really taken that to heart.
The food is affordable, delicious, made on the premises AND can sent to wherever you work in the city, brilliant.
If you fancy a break from the obligatory lunchtime sandwich then you could do much much worse than This & That.