My Favourite Coffee Shops in Manchester!

My dissertation was fueled by coffee, and now that it is all done and dusted, I thought I would rank my favourite coffee shops in Manchester.

Coffee shops are my favourite way to concentrate and do my work, some of my friends don’t understand how I can sit there for a couple of hours and just be creative whilst sitting and people watching. I completed most of my dissertation in coffee shops, taking inspiration from people around me, even though, I sometimes did get distracted by people watching. (and cake.)

So, I am going to rank my top three coffee shops, the best places for me personally, to relax, concentrate, people-watch and most importantly, have a really nice cup of coffee!

EVELYN’S – Northern Quarter, Tib Street

In the heart of Northern Quarter, myself and my boyfriend love Evelyn’s. They serve brunch until 5pm! Evelyn’s is the most instagrammable place I have ever been, with mint green and copper colour theme, with plants, frames and hanging lights, this place is the perfect place to take beautiful pictures of your surroundings.

Evelyn’s is always a really nice atmosphere, but I feel it’s the homeliness and décor of the place that really give it this feel. I adore coming here, but never been able to get a table at the weekend, as it does get quite busy compared to during the week.

The chips here are the best I have ever had. Hand cut, big chips, my favourite! And the coffee is also really, really nice too! I love sitting by the window and people watching over a coffee. (You really can’t beat people-watching to pass the time!)

This is my overall favourite brunch spot in Manchester and the coffee is beautiful!

What drink I order – Flat White

What food I order – Chestnut mushrooms, spinach, egg, hollandaise, sour dough. (And a side of chips!)

POT KETTLE BLACK - Barton Arcade

Located in the beautiful Barton Arcade, right near Saint Anne’s Square, Pot Kettle Black is lots of people’s number one coffee shop in Manchester. With it’s beautiful décor and cosy atmosphere, it is a beautiful place to stop and have a good cup of coffee. 

With every hot drink you get a little glass of water and a wafer, which is a really nice touch. I love the aesthesis of the red crockery too. I believe it’s best to visit PKB with company. I tried to do part of my dissertation whilst in this café, but just felt a little too distracted by my surroundings and there were not too many people working, and if they were, they were working with their friends. 

What drink I order – Latte

What food I order – Breakfast Muffin 

EZRA AND GIL – Northern Quarter, Hilton Street

I have walked past this place in Northern Quarter lots of times and looked up at the people all working away tirelessly on their laptops. Whilst I was completing my dissertation, I got fed up and too distracted when I worked from home (I would start cleaning the bathroom instead of writing!) and decided to take my laptop and notes to town and try and get some work done there. I decided to go to Ezra and Gil as I have seen people working away and wouldn’t feel too out of place with notes scattered around me.

This place is the best for getting your work done and being creative. Most people in the coffee shop are working away too, making you even more in the zone to get stuff done! I atmosphere is very relax and there is an industrial feel to the décor. I love coming here when I want to read, apply for some jobs or write, as the atmosphere almost forces me to work.

In one sitting, I sat by the window and got stuck in and got over 3,000 words of my dissertation written in one sitting. I walked back to the train station so happy with myself for getting a massive chunk of my work done, knowing I definitely would have struggled to do it back at home.

The coffee here is also beautiful and I like that it is self-service (you go up to order and take your coffee to the table of your choice) so I don’t feel like I need to be conscious or get someone’s attention for another drink. There is also fruit infused water to take at your liking too!

This coffee spot will be my favourite, as it’s the place that got me through the mammoth task of my dissertation, it sparked inspiration and I enjoyed going there to get stuff done and feel accomplished when I left!

What drink I order – Mocha

What food I order – Mexican Eggs

There are many other amazing coffee shops in Manchester, especially in Northern Quarter (it was hard not to mention Federal and Foundation!) so I hope you enjoyed seeing which my personal favourite unwinding spots were! Let me know if you have any recommendations for where you like to go.