This week marks the annual Afternoon Tea Week, celebrating the great British tradition of eating a mountain of tiny cakes in the middle of the afternoon.
Manchester is teeming with tea rooms and hotels serving up everything from simple cream teas with a pot of tea, to platters laden with cakes, pastries and savoury treats.
First enjoyed by the seventh Duchess of Bedford and her upper class gal pals in the mid-19th century, the quintessentially English tradition of taking tea has enjoyed a revival in recent years - and now it's not just for women.
Blokes are just as well catered for, with a growing trend for gentleman's afternoon teas, featuring treats like mini Yorkshire puddings, pies and fish and chips.
Here are a few of our favourite options, to cater for every appetite, budget and dietary requirement. Let us know if there's somewhere else you think we should try in the comments below.
Please note: Details and prices correct at time of publishing but please check with the venue to avoid disappointment. Booking advised where possible.
Richmond Tea Rooms
Serving up feasts fit for a Mad Hatter's tea party in whimsical, Alice in Wonderland-inspired surroundings, Richmond Tea Rooms is the perfect place to escape from reality for a few hours.
From the Alice Tea (pot of tea with scone, clotted cream and fruit preserve) to the Richmond Tea (with a glass of bubbly, sandwiches, cakes and treats on top) there is something to suit every appetite and budget. Gluten-free options are also available.
Price: Alice Tea £8.95, Hatter's Tea £12.95, Queen's Tea £20.95, Richmond Tea £26.95
46 Sackville St, The Village, Manchester, M1 3WF | richmondtearooms.com
Sugar Junction
With its charmingly chintzy, retro styling, this Tib Street tearoom looks as sweet as the tempting treats they serve.
Choose from a simple cream tea or cake platter, or go all-out and order a traditional afternoon tea complete with a glass of prosecco or a cocktail.
Price: Cream tea £8.50, cake platter £10.95, full traditional afternoon tea £22.95 (£24.95 with prosecco or £25.95 with a cocktail)
60 Tib Street, Manchester, M4 1LG | sugarjunction.co.uk
The Refuge
The beautiful Winter Garden at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel - home of The Refuge by Volta - has recently launched an afternoon tea with a 'contemporary twist', served between 1pm and 4, Tuesday to Thursday.
For savoury, there'll be a cheddar cheese custard with flatbread crisps, oak-smoked salmon with beetroot chutney, and a pork and kimchi sausage roll.
On the sweet side of things are date and sour cherry scones, and a three-tier cake stand with fig battenbergs, passionfruit and white chocolate opera cakes, spiced carrot cakes, yoghurt and tahini choux buns, and a black forest gateaux.
Price: £29.50 per person with hot drinks included.
Kimpton Clock Tower Hotel, Oxford St, M60 7HA | therefugemcr.co.uk
Annie’s
Winner of the People’s Choice Award for best tea room at the Manchester Tourism Awards, we can safely say this is the place to go for a good afternoon tea.
Opened by Corrie star Jennie McAlpine (aka Fiz), who wanted customers to feel like they were round at their favourite aunt's house, it's a warm and welcoming place to enjoy a homely but elegant tea, in an armchair, no less.
Price: £19.95 per person or £24.95 with prosecco.
5 Old Bank Street, Manchester, M2 7PE | anniesmanchester.co.uk
The Midland Hotel
The historic hotel has long been known for having one of the most indulgent afternoon teas in Manchester, and since its £14m transformation it's grander than ever.
The current menu in the Tea Room features sandwiches such as poached salmon and dill creme fraiche, honey-roast gammon and mustard, and Coronation chicken, along with sweet treats including lemon drizzle cake, dark chocolate and orange Jaffa cake, and a duck egg custard tart.
Price: £28 per person for a traditional afternoon tea, £38 for the 'royal' version, and £13.50 for children.
Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS | themidlandhotel.co.uk/tearoom
Cocoa Cabana
One for those with a sweet tooth, award-winning West Didsbury chocolatier Cocoa Cabana - now also with a cafe in Ancoats -serves an afternoon tea that's to die for.
Featuring scones slathered with cream and salted caramel sauce, white chocolate and raspberry tarts, truffles, brownies and macarons, it's a cocoa-laden heaven.
Price: £25 with unlimited hot drinks, £33 with champagne, or £40 with bottomless prosecco, Aperol spritz and bellinis
Burton Road, West Didsbury, M20 1JQ; 7 Murray Street, Ancoats, M4 6HS | cocoa-cabana.co.uk
The Lowry Hotel
The five-star hotel’s teas are unforgettable with their seasonally-changing twists on classic desserts and pastries.
Awarded an Excellence Award by The British Tea Guild, it is served in the River Restaurant and the spread includes finger sandwiches, freshly-baked scones, sticky date cake, frangipane tart, macarons and all sorts of other mini cakes and desserts.
Price: £39 for two people if you book direct with The Lowry Hotel
50 Dearmans Place, Salford M3 5LH | thelowryhotel.com/dining/the-river-restaurant/afternoon-tea
Menagerie
Decadent New Bailey restaurant and bar Menagerie serves open finger sandwiches and an assortment of cakes on a miniature ferris wheel.
They also have a more contemporary twist on the afternoon tea, with sharing plates of beef sliders, duck croquettes, 'caulipops' and lobster toast in place of sandwiches.
Price: Menagerie or traditional afternoon tea, £23 per person, or £33 with a glass of champagne.
New Bailey Street, Salford, M3 5JL | menagerierestaurant.co.uk
Cloud 23 at The Hilton
The glitzy cocktail bar halfway up Beetham Tower offers up an unbeatable view to admire while you tuck into your scones and sandwiches.
There's always a seasonally changing special to try, including a glass of champagne and a cocktail, alongside the traditional afternoon tea, with the option to add a glass of bubbly for an extra bit of luxury.
Price: £25 for traditional afternoon tea, £37 for skyline tea with champagne or a cocktail, £55 for free-flowing afternoon tea with unlimited champagne
303 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ | cloud23bar.com
Mercure Piccadilly
A Vimto trifle is the star of the Mercure Piccadilly hotel's Manchester-themed afternoon tea.
Hosted in The Brasserie, the traditional treat also includes Bury black pudding Scotch eggs with a Kellogg’s Cornflake crumb, Boddingtons Ale chutney, jam from Manchester preserves maker Duerr’s, and of course a Manchester tart.
There are also finger sandwiches with ham and tomato relish, Cheshire cheese and Boddingtons chutney, and prawn and tarragon mayonnaise, plus a Pataks coronation chicken wrap.
Price: £22.50
Portland St, Manchester, M1 4PH | mercuremanchester.co.uk
