Afternoon tea in Manchester
Oh, the joy of the afternoon tea. No matter what kind of cuisine you prefer, from Italian to Thai, there's nothing quite like the sight of a cake stand, laced with sandwiches, stuffed with scones and caked in cake. Throw in a pot of delicious hot tea, perhaps a glass of bubbly too, and you've got the perfect afternoon treat.
So go and enjoy some of the very best afternoon teas Manchester has to offer.
Manchester's best afternoon teas
Opus One Bar & Restaurant
From noon to 5pm daily, this hotel bar and restaurant (it's at the Radisson Blu Edwardian on Peter Street) is an ideal spot for the traditional afternoon tea (£18.95 per person). You can add a little fizz with Champagne (£27.95) or opt for something more substantial with their gentleman’s afternoon tea too.
The Richmond Tea Rooms
Had Alice emerged from the rabbit hole in modern day Manchester and found herself pining for a spot of tea, she may well have ended up at Richmond Tea Rooms. Situated on a side street in the Gay Village, it’s a space of two halves and the tea room has to be seen to be believed, taking camp to a new level.
Cloud 23
Halfway up Beetham Tower, Manchester's tallest building, separating the lower Hilton hotel with posh apartments above, sits two floors of Cloud 23, a bar offering the best views of any in the city, and afternoon teas of sandwiches, scones, cakes and unlimited teas and coffees start at £20 per person.
The Midland
Famed forever as the place where Mr Rolls met Mr Royce, (there’s a carving in the entrance to commemorate the fact), The Midland is the grand old dame of Manchester hotels. Afternoon teas start at £19.95 and are available from 1pm until 5pom daily.
Australasia
For anafternoon tea with a difference, Pan Asian restaurant Australasia is as different as it gets. For £25 per person, you get a high tea in two waves - the first offers salads and sushi with a glass of Australian 'champagne', whilst wave two is a three tier sweet indulgence.
Cocoa Cabana
Perhaps the best value afternoon tea is just outside the city center. This impressive, award-winning independent chocolatier in West Didsbury, specialising in handmade truffles, brownies, chocolates, cakes and other delicious and decadent things of a suitably sweet slant offers a fantastic afternon tea for just £15 per person.
Epernay
Primarily a champagne bar, Épernay serves up a touch of class with Champagne, English Rose, or a cocktail to accompany the selection of sandwiches and cakes, and all for £22 per head.
More places to eat in Manchester
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