Something unlike we’ve ever seen before in our town centres.
Step inside, and the new, high-end, vibrant décor is unexpected – offering a riot of colour.
The bold interior makes for a perfect juxtaposition with the heritage and grandeur of the Grade-II listed King George’s Hall, where it’s based.
We are, of course, talking about the brand-new Akbar’s, and it’s a sight you really must see for yourself.
What a huge coup that the renowned chain of Indian restaurants is opening here – taking up the prime position as the flagship restaurant in Blackburn’s developing £50m Cultural Quarter.
You’ll usually find Akbar’s in major cities right across the country – Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham, to name but a few.
From humble beginnings as a small, 28 seat restaurant in Bradford, there’s now 12 successful Akbar’s employing more than 65 talented chefs and 300 members of staff, with some of the best set to re-locate here.
And, while the striking interiors are a draw – especially for the Insta crowds – it’s the food that’s the real selling point, bringing customers back time-and-time again.
Akbar’s has nationally been awarded the ‘King of Curry’ title eight times by the likes of the English Curry Awards, The National Curry Awards, Asian Restaurant Awards and more.
Check out the gallery on their website and you’ll notice they have an impressive list of celebrity fans too all quick to offer rave reviews.
From old school favourites – dopiazas, dansaks and biryanis – to their special baltis and chef’s specialities, the menu is extensive.
And, for the real curry lovers out there, there’s two chefs challenges to have a go at – one for someone willing to take on a large meat feast and the other for a customer brave enough to try the hottest dish their kitchen can prepare.
That person will need to be ‘very, very brave’ too as it’s described as ‘hotter than a dragon’s breath!’
Akbar’s owner, Shabir Hussain, has been overseeing the opening of the new Blackburn restaurant – carefully planning every last detail of its £400,000 transformation.
He said:
“At Akbar’s, we’re proud to serve very traditional, rustic and wholesome Indian dishes in what is likely to be the best atmosphere you’ll find in any restaurant around.
“I’d had my eye on Blackburn for some time and when the opportunity came up, I knew we could do something exceptional here – something that will bring in people from miles around.”
He added:
“It really is important to me to create the best-looking restaurants with the best décor and the best lighting.
“I back that up by ensuring that we have experienced staff who offer exceptional customer service.
“And, of course, at the centre of it all, is our food and, that’s where the Akbar’s name really does speak for itself.
“For me, it’s all this together that makes Akbar’s such a success and we’re looking forward to bringing all of this to Blackburn.”Shabir will have a team of 35 staff running the restaurant, of which 20 will be recruited locally.
The restaurant has seating capacity of 120 with a VIP room for those special gatherings.
It’ll be open seven days a week from 5pm and, due to high demand, will be fully licensed to serve alcohol.
