Manchester

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Manchester's best brews

In honour of the great British cuppa here's our guide to Manchester‘s top teashops and coffee houses

Drip
A relatively new independent shoehorned between Lamarr’s and Bar Fifty 7, Drip has already won the loyalty of the Northern Quarter’s coffee-drinking contingent, though it may face competition now that Love Saves the Day has reopened nearby (see below). Within walking distance of Piccadilly Station, Drip is a favourite with the caffeine-driven office workers of Fourways House, whose sofa-bound meetings are no doubt enhanced by Drip’s free wi-fi. Consistently friendly and with consistently top-notch coffee to boot – it's well worth the walk down Hilton Street.
Drip Fourways House, 57 Hilton Street, M1 2EJ (235 5100). 8.30am-6.30pm Mon-Thu, 8.30am-pm Fri, 11am-5pm Sat.

Love Saves the Day
Once considered the best coffee shop in the city, Love Saves the Day suffered a blow back in 2005 when it was forced to shut its Northern Quarter branch. Now back on an even keel, Love Saves the Day opened a new outlet on Thomas Street at the end of last year, which compliments the Deansgate original. Excellent coffee, a great range of teas and soft drinks, plus the usual top quality (and often locally sourced) sandwiches, cakes and nibbles all mark a return to form for this Manchester institution.
Love Saves the Day Deli & Bistro 345 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4LG (834 2266/www.lovesavestheday.com). 8am-7pm Mon-Tue, 8am-8pm Wed & Fri, 8am-9pm Thur, 10am-6pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun. Café Thomas Street, M4 1NA (839 0470). 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun.

The Art of Tea
One of a new breed of teashops popping up across the city, Didsbury’s The Art of Tea resists the lure of the triple-skinny latte and puts good old-fashioned char and cake back on the menu. With an exterior remarkably similar to Chorlton’s Dulcimer bar and an interior reminiscent of Granny’s living room circa 1972 (retro sofas, orange stools, slightly knackered wooden tables and chairs), The Art of Tea has an endearingly folksy feel to it. The jumble sale look of the place is underlined by the fact that The Village Book Store and Zero Records are squeezed in amongst the china. The food is simple but of decent quality, featuring standard sandwiches and home-made cakes, while there is, as you’d expect, a healthy selection of teas. It’s a friendly place that’s a little out of place on the smart, Cheshire-set streets of Didsbury Village – but though its heart lies in the Northern Quarter, there are more than enough boho-savvy tea-lovers in Didsbury to keep it in Earl Grey and scones.
The Art of Tea 47 Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury M20 6TW (448 9323). 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun.

Costa Coffee (Arndale)
Coffee shop chains aren't normally on our radar, but we were pleasantly surprised by this little branch of Costa Coffee. Tucked away at the back of the new Waterstone's, Costa holds no surprises. It’s furnished with the usual faux leather sofa/faux mahogany table and chair combination and it sells the same old Costa drinks and nibbles. Where this branch excels is in its location: it’s wonderfully quiet (a relief from the shopping masses stomping about the Arndale), has a kiddie play area to one side (courtesy of Waterstone's), comes with free wi-fi (naturally) and has windows that look out over Withy Grove (the last bit of ‘real’ Manchester in this part of the city centre). If you ever find yourself in the Arndale and in need of a break, Costa may yet prove your salvation.
Costa Coffee Waterstone's, Upper Floor, Arndale, M4 3AQ (832 8563/www.waterstones.com). 9am-8pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun.

Kro2
Another chain, but this time a home-grown one that’s expanding across Manchester with reassuring regularity. While the original Kro (by the University of Manchester) can be a little student-saturated, and the Piccadilly version more after-work-drinks-focused, Kro2 strikes a fine balance between coffee shop and bar. Its floor-to-ceiling glass windows are perfect for people-watching, its proximity to MMU makes for good eavesdropping (many an MMU meeting is held off-site, so to speak) and its coffee-and-Danish-pastry deal is both good value and good quality.
Kro2 Oxford House, Oxford Road, M1 7ED (236 1048/www.kro.co.uk ). 8.30am-midnight Mon-Thu, 8.30am-1am Fri, 10.30am-1am Sat, 10.30am-midnight Sun.

Cornerhouse
And last but by no means least is Cornerhouse – once the only purveyor of cappuccino in the city centre and still banging out quality brews. Cornerhouse’s upstairs bar is a prime site for people-watching as it attracts a mix of students, artsy types, office drones and after-workers marking time until the cinemas open. Like Kro2, this is a bar as well as a coffee house, serving a mix of hot and cold food from lunchtime sarnies to post-work pizzas. Although this remains one of our favourite spots to sup, it can be far from restful: noise can reach ear-splitting levels when the bar is busy, as it often is.
Cornerhouse 70 Oxford Street, M1 5NH (200 1500/www.cornerhouse.org). Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat 11am-6pm, Thur 11am-8pm, Sun 2-6pm.

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