Afternoon Tea - The Lounge at Manchester House

Manchester House is a legendary place amongst my group of friends, fabled for its outstanding cocktails and one particularly wonderful afternoon in the sun. It's hidden in a pretty standard looking tower block in Spinningfields, but really does boast some of the best panoramic views of the city. Situated on the twelfth floor, The Lounge at Manchester House has a sun terrace with retractable roofs on each corner of the building too, so you can enjoy the sunshine (if it ever happens again). All the dining tables are situated near large windows, which gives the diner a wonderful view of Manchester.

We went for afternoon tea on a day that could not have been more different to our first trip. It was dull and drizzly, our fingers were cold and our hair was windswept. We took the lift to the twelfth floor, and looked in horror at our reflections in the lift mirror, but when those doors opened, everything was ok again.

It really is a beautiful place. After speaking to other people, I think there's a popular misconception that it's just a fine dining restaurant. No my friends, it is so much more than that. Granted, Aiden Byrne and his team are undoubtedly creating some wonderful (possibly Michelin star worthy?) food, but I'd equally consider Manchester House the perfect place for afternoon drinks and snacks, or indeed for afternoon tea.

It was delightfully quiet when we arrived about 1pm. I love a city hideaway where you can escape the carnage of the streets below, and feel like you have a special little spot all of your very own. We were quickly offered drinks, and before we knew it we were the proud guardians of an Aviation and a Raspberry Mojito.

Raspberry Mojito - Bacardi Gold, raspberry liqueur, lime juice, sugar and raspberry purée topped with cloudy apple juice (L): Absolutely delicious. I'm a lover of fruity cocktails, so this had my name all over it. I did have to have a word with myself not just to tank it in two minutes though. They go down very easily.
Aviation - Bombay Dry, Violette liqueur, Maraschino and lemon juice (R): My pal Lee loves a strong cocktail, and the classic Aviation is her all time favourite. Fragranced like parma violets, but with a big old kick from that gin.

The afternoon tea itself is a thing of beauty. No gimmicks, just pure class, and everything at Manchester House is home made. 

Sandwiches (L-R) - salmon, cucumber with dill paste, cheese and pickle, beef and coleslaw on a mini platted loaf, chicken Caesar wraps: A good ratio of sweet to savoury, although we cleared these in record time. My favourite was the beef, mainly owing to that beautiful mini loaf it was served on.

Cakes (L-R) - rose apple macarons, redbush mousse, Lamington cake, chocolate ganache: Oh those macarons! I often find them a bit 'all fur coat and no knickers', but we both agreed these were an utter delight. A crisp shell with a beautifully chewy interior. That Lamington cake was pretty special too.

Scones and Eccles cakes: I'd been thinking about these all morning whilst battling with some work based cack. That home made jam with clotted cream was a dream.

Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Brut Rosé Champagne (L) and Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne (R): Hey it was Friday, so naturally we were on the fizz. Perfect with afternoon tea and an early dart from work.

Teas - English Breakfast (L) and peppermint (R): Slowly brought us back to the land of the living after our sugar fuelled fun.

What a spectacular afternoon in my favourite city. Not only was the food and drink just perfect, but the service was spot on too. I love this place. Go here for a mid-afternoon getaway where you'll be treated like royalty.

Champagne afternoon tea at The Lounge at Manchester House is £35.


Disclaimer: Lee and I were invited to sample the new afternoon tea menu, however we were already massive fans of Manchester House following our previous visits. We'll be doing this again.