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 of 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, which has been around for so long it was probably already the hippest breakfast spot in town back when Liam Gallagher was dribbling Ready Brek down the front of his onesie – but has recently moved. 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. Weirdly, they open at 7:30am during the week. Not very rock and roll, that.

– 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