Bakchich [CLOSED IN MANCHESTER]

Bakchich in Manchester is now closed. The nearest Bakchich is in Liverpool.

Twitter is my main source for finding out about new restaurants opening and it was through the grapevine that I know that Bakchich (pronounced Bak-shish) would be opening at the Quadrangle where Rice used to be. Bakchich, as I was to discover, has one other branch in Liverpool and serve Lebanese food. I’ve been here one other time at the time of this visit, soon after they opened. This review focusses on my second visit with a group of friends, 9 months after opening in Manchester. I had booked a table for 14 in advance over the phone since their online booking did not cater for this number.

Bakchich interior

I arrived at Bakchich and most of the group already arrived. I was informed by my friends that they said there was no booking made for my name or that volume of people. Well, that’s not a good first impression! At 6pm though, the place was quiet so they were able to accommodate us, although they had us seated on one of the long tables in the middle which only catered for 10 comfortably. They added two chairs to the ends but we then had to grab more chairs and had to group around one of the corners. The waitress suggested that some people could sit on one of the other tables, but the tables in the middle are bolted to the ground so you couldn’t close the gap between them. We decided that it was better to sit crowded rather than separated.

The interior of Bakchich can appear empty with its high ceilings, especially when you visit at a quiet time. The walls are decorated with bottles and cans of Lebanese ingredients and interesting murals. Decorated tiles adorn the walls and floor.

The drinks

Leymona, lemon and lime drink

In keeping with the traditions of Lebanon, there are no alcoholic drinks to be found in this restaurant. They do have a few non-alcoholic beers, though if you wish to give them a go! I ordered the Leymona, a lemon and lime drink which is quite refreshing.

The food

Samek Meshawi

Charcoal salmon fillet marinated in pomegranate mollase

I ordered the charcoal salmon fillet and it was divine. The fish was cooked really well and had a nice smoky taste. When ordering, you can choose between bread, chips or rice. I highly recommend the rice! It’s not as heavy as you think it is and has a nice flavour to it. It definitely wins over the bulk and normalcy of chips. The bread is also quite nice and thin, but for me, the rice triumphs!

Lebanese Moussakka

Baked aubergines in a tomato sauce, onions, garlic, cumin and chickpeas

I got to try a bit of this dish and it was really good too. Different from a Greek moussaka, there are no potatoes and the dish is more like a stew. The flavours are really nice, though, and this plate is a winner if you like aubergine!

Other Bakchich meals

Overall rating and comments

8/10 -1 for losing my reservation, what’s the point of booking if you’re just going to lose it? -0.5 for the service, it can be variable fluctuating from being really attentive one visit and then on another visit, finding it hard to grab the attention of the waiter/waitress. -0.5 for not alcohol. This didn’t bother me really, but I felt some of my friends would have appreciated a light alcoholic beer with their food. All in all, I feel that Bakchich does awesome food for the price they charge. They do some really nice salads and anything cooked on their charcoal grill is just amazing. Did I mention I really like their rice too?

Would visit again?

Yes, definitely. This is already a favourite lunching place of mine.

Information

Website: http://www.bakchich.co.uk/
Address: Unit 4 The Quadrangle, Chester Street, Manchester, M1 5QS

Have you been to Bakchich? What do you think of Lebanese food?

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