Donerhaus Opens In The Corn Exchange, Manchester

The Corn Exchange is one of my favourite dining spots in Manchester and there is a new kid on the block, say hello to Donerhaus!

Donerhaus has opened in the old Byron Burgers site and is inspired by the kabaps of Berlin. The team ventured to Berlin, tried the best they could and then returned to recreate in the most authentic way they could. The site has been lightened and brightened with more booths, a beautiful upstairs seating area and a terrace overlooking the centre of the iconic Corn Exchange building.

The menu features more than just kebabs with currywurst, teller and bratwurst all featured. But did it hit the spot that I have not been able to fill since I lasted visited Berlin?

You know me, I always like to try a drinks menu and this one has some lovely options with the Zuckerfloss featuring prosecco, violet and candy floss. It is on the pricy side though at £12 despite being tasty. I also tried the Wunderbar with Pampero rum, watermelon, lime, mint and lemon. The freshness of the watermelon really cuts through the citrus flavours, but once again it is on the pricy side at £9.50.

Onto the food and there isn’t really a starter option other than some nibbles so we dove straight in with the mains – the Haus Doner and a Bratwurst Platte with shawarma. I think they got our order mixed as the shawarma arrived on the kebab, but that wasn’t an issue as the diner was on the bratwurst platter. The Haus doner, or shawarma in this case was really good in a soft and slightly sweet roll with a particularly garlicky sauce. It was also supposed to be topped with crumbled feta cheese and I think that would have really finished it off well.

The bratwurst platter features a foot long bratwurst, shredded doner, salad and a durum flatbread with fries. The sausage has a great flavour with a touch of spice in every bite. The doner is much lighter than your traditional kebab house and a lot less greasy, just like the ones I enjoyed in Berlin. Again we were missing the sauerkraut and I think it would have finished the dish off nicely.

We also ordered another durum flatbread and a portion of the Shawarma Fries. At £5 for a small portion they are quite expensive but the chilli sauce they are tossed in gives them a nice spicy touch.

It should be noted that we visited Donerhaus during their launch night so it was the first time the chefs and servers had completed service. For that reason I can totally understand the small mistakes that happened and this did not take away from the experience for us. I’m worried about the location as they are located at the back of the Corn Exchange which means from the main shopping area, unless you know they are there you will miss it. If you are expecting a greasy after hours kebab then you are going to be disappointed. This is authentic Berlin style kebabs that are rich and meaty, and I am here for it. I just hope people visit and give it a go.