Don’t you just love catchy names? The latest cool cat on the Manchester restaurant scene is Bundobust at 61 Piccadilly. Building on the success of their first Leeds branch which opened in 2014, the unique, fast-casual restaurant opened its doors to excited foodies on 14 December. Bundobust is a place which ticks many boxes. Specialising in Indian street food? Check. Digging craft beer? Check.

The menu will include okra fries seasoned with black salt and mango powder (£3.50). Bundo Chaat is a satisfying medley of samosa pastry, chickpeas, potato, tamarind chutney, onion, yoghurt and tumeric noodles (£4.50). A Bundobust favourite – the Vada Pav – is a spicy mashed potato ball coated in gram flour and fried, served in a brioche bun with chutney and hot green chillies.

The fast-casual dining approach to eating will be complemented by a carefully handpicked beer menu, designed with food in mind. Bundobust is offering an impressive 14 keg beers, with one permanent line dedicated to city centre brewery Cloudwater. Two specially designated cask lines are reserved for Manchester breweries, and will rotate regularly.

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The hugely popular Bundobust concept unites two of West Yorkshire’s award-winning food and drink institutions, with Mayur Patel and Marko Husak at the helm (Patel from Drighlington’s Prashad and Husak from Bradford’s Sparrow Bier Café ). The idea started when the two got together to do a one-off curry and beer matching event, and the concept took off.

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Sited at number 61 Piccadilly, on the border of the trendy Northern Quarter and high-footfall Piccadilly Gardens, Bundobust’s Manchester location will be 150% bigger than the Leeds venue, at just under 4,000 square foot. The site will employ 20 staff.

The décor is industrial, with glazed white brick walls, canteen and booth-style seating, and natural light provided by a huge skylight. Bespoke artworks which reference Manchester’s industrial past have been designed by Drew Millward. Original Bollywood posters also adorn the walls. Marko Husak, co-owner, said:

We’re excited to be open in Manchester! It’s a great city with a lot going on. It has many similarities to Leeds in the fact that independent bars, restaurants and culture are flourishing, but it is a wonderful and unique city in its own right. I love the architecture, and the place has a real energy and buzz about it.

We think our location is perfect. We are tucked away in a basement but we are right in the middle of the independent Northern Quarter, and the high footfall area of Piccadilly Gardens. We are happy to open not long after our new neighbours Shoryu Ramen & Jimmy’s, which shows great confidence in the regeneration of the area, and we are very close to Northern Quarter institutions like Common & Port Street Beer House.

Bundobust is a casual restaurant serving Gujarati-inspired Indian street food. My mom cooks proper, authentic Gujarati food (and hands down the best), so it will be interesting to see how Bundobust compares to mom’s cooking.

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For more information about Bundobust, hop on over to www.bundobust.com now.