ASAP Coffee

If you’re looking for quality coffee and a decadent brunch in a setting that nails the Northern Quarter brief, you’d struggle to do better than ASAP Coffee, with Pot Kettle Black currently in charge of the kitchen.

Tucked on Tariff Street, the spot’s previous incarnation, Takk, was one of our go-to’s. Think Nordic interiors, gourmet brunches and baristas with a PhD in caffeine. ASAP Coffee takes a lot of cues from its predecessor but applies a takeover model in the kitchen. Makes sense – leave the coffee boffins to focus on what they do best, while Manchester’s most dependable brunch spots take care of the food.

It’s a simple and stylish space – all exposed brickwork, ambient lighting and the requisite Scandi furnishing. While Takk skewed towards the remote worker, there are longer benches here, giving the space a more social feel, matched by the welcoming, breezy staff. But don’t be mistaken – they take serious pride in their coffee, which is poured with monk-like concentration behind the stylish turquoise counter. We’re no experts, but it’s a damn fine cup of coffee: smooth, rich, not too bitter.

Time for brunch, courtesy of current residents Pot Kettle Black. For those on a diet, walk away. For the gluttons among you, welcome home. Exclusive to the residency is the ASAP Coffee x PKB French Toast, made with whipped coffee mascarpone, coffee cremeux, white chocolate & coffee caramel, and dark chocolate soil. It’s rich, it’s decadent, it’s enough to make the hungover weep. The crunch of the chocolate soil against the softer toppings is a smart touch, as is the pour-it-yourself caramel, which is so rich you might not need the whole thing. Or, you know, you might. And the brioche loaf French toast (baked by Half Dozen Other) is crisp-edged, cloud-soft, and utterly shameless.

Pot Kettle Black also bring their Benny Bar, with an extensive menu of benedicts that all come with the option to upgrade to a ‘Dirty Benny’, meaning extra sriracha hollandaise, avocado, pico de gallo and pink pickled onions – all loaded on top of the benedict of your choice. We go for the maple glazed halloumi version with spinach, semi-dried tomatoes, poached eggs and hollandaise on house sourdough toast. It’s a big, satisfying punch of flavour, with the maple glaze on the halloumi doing a lot of the work, while the avo and pico de gallo bring a lovely fresh burst.

Between PKB’s brunch wizardry and some of the best coffee in town, ASAP Coffee feels like the Northern Quarter at its best – creative, stylish and unashamedly indulgent.