Breakfast in Manchester

Pot Kettle Black, Unit 14, Barton Arcade Deansgate, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M3 2BW - Visit now

Tucked away in Barton Arcade, a small but beautiful shopping centre between St Ann’s Square and Deansgate, is Pot Kettle Black. This cosy cafe serves up both excellent coffee and an inventive brunch menu (8am-3pm daily) – we particularly recommend the figs on toast, with whipped ricotta, fresh mint and infused honey. There are comfy seats, wifi and plenty of plug sockets here; Pot Kettle Black may be off the beaten track, but’s bang on in our books.

– Polly Checkland Harding

Ezra & Gil, 20 Hilton St, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 1FR - Visit now

One of our favourite spots for caffeine in Manchester. A spacious, stripped back location serving up great coffee and a delicious menu of fresh cooked food. The counter is always filled with a tempting selection of cakes and sweets, resistance is futile. By the way, Ezra means ‘Helper’ and Gil means ‘Happiness’.

Tea Hive, 53 Manchester Rd, Manchester, M21 9PW - Visit now

Tea Hive is simply the best breakfast in Chorlton. Sure, there’s some nice places along Beech Road and the many (many) bars dotted around the area make a pretty good fist of it, but for breakfast, Tea Hive reigns supreme.

Alabama’s All American Eatery, 10 Newton Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 2AN - Visit now

Alabama’s walls are a gentle blue, its booths mustard-coloured, and the long bar around the kitchen is a sprightlier take on the one in Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks. The menu has a good number more veggie (and vegan!) options than most and is dotted with appealing things like classic eggs Florentine and buttermilk pancakes with wild berries.

– Polly Checkland Harding

Koffee Pot, 84-86 Oldham Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 1LE - Visit now

All hail the Koffee Pot. Why do people love it so? It’s cheap and divey, with red vinyl booths and is the ideal place to go for a hungover late breakfast, run into friends, hang out and drink too many cups of builder’s tea. The food is solid fry-up fodder with changing brekkie specials like kippers and haggis. They open at 7:30am during the week. Not very rock and roll, but very handy.

– Kate Feld

Moose Coffee Manchester, 20 York Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M2 3BB - Visit now

From Canada (by way of Liverpool) this small, chilled out café off Fountain Street serves up a good selection of North American brunch treats, including several variations on Huevos Rancheros, the breakfast choice of all discerning cowboys. Pancakes and veggie variations are also available – and they serve their own custom blend of coffee. Come early (or be prepared to actually wait in a queue outside for a table) –Moose Coffee is fiendishly popular. Bonus points for employing ‘can-do’ servers who somehow remain friendly and accommodating despite the perpetual scrum at their front door.

– Kate Feld