The 6 Best Cafes In Manchester You Need To Visit
The wave of new hipster café culture is now firmly established in the UK, meaning cafés everywhere are breaking away from the norm to offer customers something a little bit different. Manchester’s cafes are no different, and whether it’s contemporary art, food offerings based solely on breakfast cereals or a unique pricing system, these are the best cafes in Manchester to hang out at!
1. Black Milk Cereal Cafe
Situated in the arty Northern Quarter, Black Milk boasts a menu comprised solely of their freakshakes, cereal cocktails, loaded waffles and other sweet treats (along with normal teas and coffees for when you can’t risk a heart attack). The shakes and desserts available here are like something you’d see on one of those ‘Good Tasty’ meme videos, I mean who is going to say no to a Kinder Bueno and Nutella Sundae? Or how about you try the OM NOM NOM which features Krave, Cookie Crisp and Coco Rocks cereals beneath chocolate brownie and Oreos all covered in liquid molten chocolate and chocolate milk? Warning: May cause public display of pleasure.
2. Federal
Again situated in the Northern Quarter (you might see a pattern emerge), Federal is a really unique café due to its roots in both Australia and New Zealand. These influences come through strongly in the passionate stance they have on all things brunch related and the laid-back yet effortlessly cool interior with distressed parquet wood paneling. Their menu changes monthly so there’s always a new influx of delicious things, but a few of their permanent staples are the French toast with berry compote and salted caramel (you will not want to share that in any way, no matter how much you love the person sitting opposite you), the halloumi & shrooms on sourdough and the chorizo ciabatta served with manchego and caramelised onions. Not only is the food really unique, but the coffee is phenomenal. Federal uses special roasts from Ozone Coffee, meaning you won’t just end up with your average latte. This is definitely one of the best cafes in Manchester!
3. Foundation Coffee House
There are no two ways about it, Foundation Coffee House is just a really cool café. The building it’s situated in is a refurbed industrial space and little nods here and there from the concrete floor and white tiled walls reveal it. The menu contains everything you’d ever want whilst at the same time offers you things you didn’t realised you wanted. Ice cream cakes, cheese boards and salmon sandwiches are available alongside more familiar brunch items like smashed avocado on sourdough or fresh pastries. Foundation really comes into its own with their selection and breadth of hot drinks, with 21 coffees and 17 teas on the menu you can really tailor your order to what you’re in the mood for. Their white hot chocolate is what dreams are made of, you’ll just wish they serve them in pint glasses instead of the funky little mugs.
4. The Koffee Pot
The Koffee Pot is many things to many people, but it’s best described as a lively café and bar that serves hearty no-nonsense food and hosts one of Manchester’s most popular happy hours every night of the week. Their fry-ups have been officially voted the best breakfast in Manchester (THE best hangover cure you’re going to find), and their New York style Reuben on sourdough is one of the biggest sarnies you’ll find. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, they can sort you out there with their buttermilk pancakes that you can heap with smoked bacon. Afterward, if you’re not full to bursting you can literally pop next door to Black Milk for that freakshake you clocked through the window earlier…
5. Ziferblat
Ziferblat has to be experienced in order to be understood. It is a fantastic and unique café concept; they offer 43 kinds of tea, a special blend of coffee, board games, comfy sofas, beautiful cakes and pastries, office space, incredibly fast wifi and they love dogs. Best of all? Everything is free except the time that you spend. For 8 pence per minute you can relax and indulge in the aforementioned offerings, Ziferblat encourages you to enjoy yourself as if you were in your own home. If you want to spend the entire day at Ziferblat, they cap the charge at 4 hour’s worth of time, leaving you free to eat, drink and relax to your heart’s content. It really is as simple as that, but to really appreciate it you’ve just got to visit it!
6. Cat Cafe
Crazy cat people, our time has come. There is finally space where you can enjoy everything a good café has to offer AND be surrounded by 15 adorable felines. Cat Café firmly advocates (rightly so) that contact with animals can be a soothing way to reduce stress, and you are encouraged to interact with the cats in a way that is relaxing for both parties. You pay £12 per hour and for that, you get an hour of ‘cat time’ and unlimited hot and cold drinks. Pricey but so worth it! This is definitely one of the best cafes in Manchester!
