GALLERY | ‘Largest Pakistani restaurant in the world’ nears completion at Stockport Pyramid
Royal Nawaab founder Mahboob Hussain and Eamar Developments have transformed the landmark into a three-tiered venue with capacity for 1,500 covers.
The £15m transformation of Stockport Pyramid’s presented a unique design challenge in negotiating the 60-degree angle of the façade and an internal reset of the late 1980s office interior.
Across the pyramid’s 91,000 sq ft, Royal Nawaab expects to host weddings, parties, corporate events, religious ceremonies, and family gatherings – hundreds of bookings amounting to £250,000 have already been confirmed.
Royal Nawaab will debut this weekend for a wedding before opening to the public after several more weeks of work.
Hussain said: “There is only one pyramid – as a restaurant banquet hall concept, I think this would be the biggest in the world.
“It’s a unique building, a unique concept, and the quality of work is amazing. I didn’t take any shortcuts – I went to the best local suppliers.”
A total of £8m has been invested in local suppliers and contractors for the project, including architect NK Architects, lead contractor Peter Campbell, and interior designer WDC Creative.
At a glance
- 91,000 sq ft
- 1,500 total covers
- A 400-capacity ground floor restaurant,
- An 800-capacity first-floor banqueting hall
- A 400-capacity second-floor banqueting hall
- Smaller 60-80 person rooms also available
Guests will enter the venue into a tiled central atrium through a large, canopied entrance, which sports a balcony for flower-throwing traditions.
A fountain at the foot of two small, exposed lifts would reflect the light falling from the iconic glass pyramid at the building’s top – from which dangles a 650kg chandelier.
To the right of the atrium sits a reception area and a holding room for hungry guests, before double doors leading to the ground floor buffet restaurant, capable of hosting 400 people.
A 25-person VIP room lies off to the side of the restaurant – the room was added due to requests from footballers and celebrities who had been to the now-closed Royal Nawaab in Levenshulme, according to architect Nadir Khan.
The restaurant space is lined with buffet service and a preparation area for more than 140 dishes from around the world. The area also features the biggest kitchen canopy in the country, according to the architect, at 1,500 sq ft.
The restaurant’s vast kitchen features seven fridge and freezer units measuring five by two metres, combi ovens, and a dishwasher capable of washing 2,000 plates an hour.
Each floor has its own kitchen space with a goods lift to allow for extra catering capacity.
A 400-person banquet hall can be found on the ground floor and the largest banquet hall – an 800-person capacity room, fit with a bar and stage space, with options for a variety of seating layouts – is found on the first floor, to which guests arrive by climbing a feature staircase.
On the second floor are two smaller rooms with space for 60 and 80 diners, with a shared reception space and a ‘live canapés’ preparation space fronting the communal area.
Nadir Khan, director of NK Architects, said: “It’s possibly the biggest Pakistani restaurant in the world, that’s quite an accolade to have.
“What we’ve done is created something that’s an extravagant, high-end experience, where you’ve got a lot of space – this is a premium.”
He compared the pyramid to other thousand-cover restaurants, which may offer more seats but lack the extra breakout and reception space.
Royal Nawaab could also lodge plans for the conversion of the upper floors, with the third potentially hosting a further four 50-person banquet halls.
The work to reset the building has been extensive. The pyramid now features bespoke lighting and new internal panels.
Suppliers and teams contributing to the project include Chantelle Lighting, Style Matters Furniture, APS and Proline, Ark Ventilation, Sound Interior and Plastering, Laser Centre, Blacka Group Limited, and Dani & Co.
Click on any image to launch the gallery
- The second floor would host a 400-person banqueting hall. Credit: PNW
- The first floor banquet hall has a capacity of 800. Credit: PNW
Not your average curry house then.
By Francis
The unique and iconic Stockport Pyramid needs listing.
By Anonymous
We don’t want the curry house
By Anonymous
No thanks.
By Anon
What about parking?
By Anonymous
Well done Mahboobs, great achievement for the area
By Pair Nice
They’ve always struggled to find a use for this building over the years. I never thought a giant curry house but that’s a big un !
By Anonymous
Big wow!
By Anonymous
Amazing.. 👌😊
By Anonymous
No way on this earth will I go there!!
By Anonymous
A wonderful multi cultural and event development. Look forward to dining there wish the business every success
By Lawrence Starkey
Looks really nice I am excited to go there when they opening the buffet restaurant
By Anonymous
Buffet style?? Not for me. Everybody else sticking their spoons in the food. No thanks.
By Anonymous
Hi that’s sounds great but whats going to happen to the one he already has in levenshulme does that stay closed
By Carole
Will you be open for regular visitors to eat?
Looks fabulous, would love to try the experience and your food. Thank you
By Helene Hadfield has
What an amazing place and in such an iconic building too, I can’t wait to visit.
By Pablo
Not interested
By Anonymous
Absolutely outragous…
By A clayton
Omg .the traffic will be horrendous
By L ringwell
They were excellent at my husband’s cousin’s wedding on the A6 excellent food, great service can’t wait to see you soon and book
By Kath dodd
This will be the biggest disaster ever…In restaurant terms…The Co op quietly got rid of this place as it was impossible to keep cool in the summer and impossible to keep warm in the winter…
By Anonymous
Really looking forward to my visit, enjoyed many good times in Levenshulme. The family and in-laws are really excited to check out the new venue. Hope to see everyone soon.
By Harry Edwards
The signage looks terrible
By Jimmy2000
Looks fantastic. What are job vacancies or opportunities.
By Anonymous
Beautiful venue Masha Allah
Congratulations Mehboob Saab
By Shahid
Never go
By Jeremy flint
This looks spectacular! I am excited for everyone involved, it will put Stockport on the map and I cant wait to go, although I think it might be quite a while… good luck and well done to the owners
By Tracy
I think Stockport needs to be ‘on the map’ for more than just a curry house
By Anonymous
A lot of negative comments here for a building that has been vacant for numerous years. Better to see it in use than empty even if it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, you can still be supportive of the fact it’ll be in use.
By Anonymous
It looks lovely but I hope that local residents will not be disturbed by nightly fireworks.
By Anonymous
You have to admire the ambition. That’s a lot of effort and funds that have gone in to the inside. They need to tidy up the outside a bit more though as it looks very tatty.
By Anonymous
Well done Mr Mehboob, can’t wait for this.
By Adam azam
No way… It suitable for business not curry house it absolutely crazy
By G J Kitchener
Difficult to understand any of the negative commentary around this one. This building has never found an occupier of any sorts, until now.
A left-field use for a proprrty of this scale, but one that shows one of the significant markets that goes well under the radar.
Comments around parking and traffic feel odd, given it’s obvious previous use as a significant office and the location (on the motorway!). Far better located than the A6.
Wishing the new occupiers every success with this venture
By Anon
Not a single mention about parking provision for that number of guests. Going to be chaos.
By Anonymous
“what about parking” – my goodness please try and get a hobby. People who talk about cars and traffic are so achingly dull
By Anonymous
Maybe re-glazing wasn’t in budget this time as it does look tatty on the outside, I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets re-glazed gold in a few years
By Anonymous
Wish you all the success, it’s a beautiful idea..
By G