‘I never thought that, one day, I would be in here and actually be running a restaurant here’
The Royal Nawaab restaurant in the Stockport Pyramid is every bit as lavish as you can imagine(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Despite having not officially opened its doors to the public yet, close to 10,000 people have already visited the Stockport Pyramid in just the past two weeks alone.
The Greater Manchester institution has been taken over by the Royal Nawaab with a ground floor restaurant and two events suites all catering to a combined total of 1,500 diners.
Open as part of a soft launch phase for customers, the restaurant has clearly already gone down a hit with loyal Nawaab fans and those wanting to experience the iconic big blue pyramid for themselves.
Many, including ourselves, have managed to give it a try during its ongoing soft launch but there’s still plenty that hasn’t been seen by everyone just yet. In fact, demand has been so high for the opening few days of the restaurant that the team are now jokingly referring to it as a hard launch instead.
“The plan was to have a soft launch,” customer relations manager Mohsin explained at a media event on Tuesday (April 29) unveiling the sheer scope of the pyramid. “But then everybody found out. As Mike Tyson once said, everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face.”
The venue is still in its soft launch phase, with bookings available to make online(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Up to 900 skips were used to remove every scrap and fitting – including hundreds of computers – from its previous Co-operative Bank space, which took up vacancy on the site from 1995 to 2018 when the HQ moved into the NOMA neighbourhood in Manchester.
Now featuring luxurious stylings and ornate fittings, the restaurant has cost a reported £15m to realise and every effort can be seen from the moment diners walk in – with extravagant chandeliers and impressive water fountains.
Hundreds of dishes await inside the buffet-style restaurant, with a range of chicken, lamb, fish and vegetarian dishes spanning from the popular chicken korma and butter chicken to karahi lamb, seekh kebabs and daal makhni. Venturing further on the culinary global map, there’s even the likes of chilli con carne and lasagne.
Thousands have already visited the Royal Nawaab restaurant inside the Stockport Pyramid(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The no-alcohol restaurant also serves mocktails and soft drinks, which you can order by the glass, pint, bottle or even a jug if you so wish. Thirsts will certainly be quenched. To finish off, there’s also desserts including ice cream, cakes, traditional Indian and British puddings and Gulab Jamun.
And to keep up with such demand for plates from hungry punters, the restaurant also has a dishwasher which can clean a whopping 2,000 plates each hour.
Led by Mahboob Hussain, who opened his first restaurant in 1988, Royal Nawaab has been a mainstay since 2002. In the years between then and now, it has operated venues across the country and even as far as Spain. It now looks after two sites in London and, of course, the Stockport Pyramid. It ran a spot in Levenshulme from 2002 until 2022, with the Stockport venue marking their first restaurant in Greater Manchester since then.
Mahboob Hussain has been running restaurants since 1988(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“I always used to pass the Stockport Pyramid on my way to Levenshulme,” Mr Mahboob told the Manchester Evening News. “I always thought of it as such an iconic building but I never thought that, one day, I would be in here and actually be running a restaurant here.
“When we first got it, there were people who criticised me and said I was being silly to turn the pyramid into a restaurant. They couldn’t see that it would be a success, but I always believed in it and I knew I would bring it back to life.
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“When people walk in, the first thing they say is ‘wow’ and they can’t believe what we have done with it. In fact, I don’t even really see it as a restaurant – it’s an attraction, it’s an experience. I’m very pleased with the response we have got, People have really been enjoying themselves. It feels like we are doing something really special for the Stockport and Greater Manchester area.”
With a firm reputation, Mr Mahboob said he knew that there would be pressure to ensure they get it right with what they have done with the landmark site. He thinks – and the soft launch phase suggests – that he has appealed to fans and those coming to visit the Royal Nawaab for the first time.
Freshly cooked kebabs, chops and fish can also be ordered from chefs and is all included in the fixed price(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“My aim was to do the best we possibly could for our customers and I like to think we have done that,” he explains. “When I opened the Levenshulme restaurant 22 years ago, I had a concept that became very successful and was known for its family-friendly atmosphere. We are trying to give everyone our best in terms of the food, the customer service and the whole experience.”
Beyond the restaurant space, there’s a stunning events suite on the first floor which will cater to weddings, celebrations and conferences with room for up to 800 people.
Content cannot be displayed without consent
Plans are also afoot for a further events space on the second floor, which will feature a further two suites – Orion and catering for up to 550 people between them. Whilst details haven’t been revealed, the aim is to eventually take over the other floors as part of an ongoing roll-out.
That’s not all that Mr Mahboob and his team have in store for the future too. They will be continuously adding new dishes and specials, whilst he also reassures that he will be keeping a watchful eye over how every single aspect of the Stockport Pyramid operation runs. In fact, he has even seen preparing naan breads in the open-plan kitchens and serving customers.
The transformation of the Stockport Pyramid has cost a reported £15m(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“We will be rolling out more dishes over time, including more desserts and salads,” he says. “The idea has always been that if you like chicken, but someone else likes Chinese or lasagne, there will always be a mix of different things to appeal to people.
“I do check everything. I love eating, I love cooking, this is what I do. I do like pretty much most of the dishes – I do ensure they are all up to the high standard so, if they are being served here, then they have already got my seal of approval.”
The Royal Nawaab is at the Stockport Pyramid (SK4 2JU). Bookings advised here. Price is £29.99, excluding drinks, for adults aged 12 and over, and £13.99, excluding drinks, for children aged 5 to 11.