Best 16 Coffee Shops of Manchester 2024
Manchester’s coffee scene is booming.
Having grown up a few miles south of Manchester and going to uni here I’ve seen the evolution of coffee culture first hand.
From a few greasy spoons (some of which are Manchester institutions) and some well known commercial coffee chains in the naughties Manchester - as in many other industries too - has blossomed into a centre for great coffee shops and cafes.
With the average coffee drinker getting ever closer to a connoisseur, cities like Manchester have exploded with spots to satisfy the thirst for high quality coffee.
So if you’ll stay with me for a minute or two I’ll guide you through some of my favourite coffee shops in Manchester.
Top 14 Coffee Shops Manchester
Manchester’s coffee scene is on fire. So I may have missed off a couple of new places. Please drop me a message or comment below if I’ve missed one.
Takk
6 Tariff Street, Manchester, M1 2FF
Unit 1 - Hatch, Oxford Road, M1 7ED
138 Oxford Road, University Green, M13 9GP
Nordic inspired, TAKK is the result of the founders travels throughout Scandinavia and Iceland.
The sleek interior and understated exterior exude quality and an alluring degree of cosiness.
They often feature guest espresso from some of the top roasters in Europe and beyond, in addition to their house espresso, which is a single origin coffee from Finca Miravalle in El Salvador.
A variety of single origin coffees that are rotated weekly are available on the brew bar.
They have an obsession with providing Manchester with the greatest beverage and are committed to finding some of the greatest coffees in Europe.
Visit Takk’s Website or Instagram
2. Grindsmith
Unit 5&6, The Garage, Media City UK, Salford, M50 2EQ
62 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BW
15 Pollard St E, Manchester, M40 7QX
Grindsmith are a roastery and cafe in the heart of Manchester.
Their aim is to serve the best coffee in town, roasted and brewed before your eyes.
They source local, quality produce and strive to make your experienced the best that it can be.
They are humble in their approach to coffee, they showcase coffee in many of its forms: whole bean, various approaches to brewed, and carefully prepared espresso.
They aim to present each of these in an environment steeped in education and humility.
A great place to buy coffee for the office.
Visit Grindsmith’s Website or Instagram
3. Just Between Friends
56 Tib Street, Manchester, M4 1LG
Beehive Mill, Jersey Street, Manchester, M4 6JG
54 Grove Street, Wilmslow, SK9 1DS
Just between friends is a hole in the wall style cafe with a few small tables for a cheeky batch brew coffee.
What they lack in space they make up for in quality of produce.
First of all the coffee that they serve os some of the best around town. The only coffee shop in Manchester at the time of writing to showcase Assembly coffee, one of the UK’s best coffee roasters.
They also sell a range of locally baked pastries and breads for you to dip into your black coffee.
Visit Just Between Friends’ Website or Instagram.
4. Mancoco
84 Hewitt St, Manchester, M15 4GB
Located under one of the railway arches close to Deansgate train station is Mancoco.
One of the original coffee roasters in Manchester they only purchase the finest sustainable, ethically-sourced speciality grade Arabica green coffee beans in Manchester.
All of their coffees are sourced from identifiable single-origin farms, estates or small farm cooperatives.
Their Manchester cafe/roastery is a great spot to grab a weekend cup of speciality coffee and take a look at how they get from green beans to a flat white.
Visit Mancoco’s Website or Instagram
5. Idle Hands
Dale House, 35 Dale Street, NQ, Manchester, M1 2HF
Located in the Northern quarter, Manchester’s coffee strong hold is Idle Hands.
Established in 2014 and initially opening up shop around Piccadilly Station they evolved into one of the best speciality coffee shops in Manchester.
Their love for actually talking about coffee and exploring various concepts from the crop itself all the way through to the end cup means it is a great place to further your coffee education.
With a range of quality coffee and brewing methods they want every drink to be consistently special and that ethos is in everything they do; coffee, baking, food, wine, service.
Visit Idle Hands’ Website or Instagram.
6. Federal
9 Nicholas Croft, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 1EY
194 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3ND
A fantastic cafe with a couple of locations in the city, Federal was founded by an English and Portuguese couple that have created an Australian-Esque brunch experience.
The sexy vibes and laid back culture make federal a perfect way to spend a couple of hours on a rainy Manchester weekend.
They have an extensive breakfast and brunch menu which includes a wonderful mix of great homemade food and coffee from Ozone coffee roasters in London.
Visit Federal’s Website or Instagram.
7. Ezra and Gil
20 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 1FR
Ezra meaning ‘Helper’ & Gil meaning ‘Happiness’ is an evolutionary concept in urban coffee and cafe culture.
A true neighbourhood hang-out with a vision to provide a simple menu, made up of the best food and drinks.
Housed in an old un-occupied former clothing showroom on the ground floor in Manchesters Northern quarter.
Their aim is to create a sharing space with a nod to making the solo diner and groups feel welcomed.
The industrial, stripped back style and the wonderful building they are in creates a modern yet welcoming environment
Visit Ezra and Gil’s Website or Instagram.
8. Ancoats Coffee
9, Royal Mill, 17 Redhill St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5BA
111 Piccadilly Manchester, M1 2HY
One of the front runners and leaders of the pack when it comes to speciality coffee in Manchester, Ancoats coffee has the lot.
Its onsite open planned roastery and kitchen create an air of transparency which transcends into the wonderful coffees that they showcase.
A place to enjoy a pastry but focus on the coffee.
Make sure you pick up a box of their single origin on the way out.
Visit Ancoat’s Website or Instagram.
9. Pot Kettle Black
Barton Arcade, Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BW
Angel Gardens, Manchester, M4 4HS
Machester Airport, Terminal 2 Departures
PKB, which has three location’s across Manchester are a passionate bunch of coffee professionals.
Armed with one of the best coffee machines alongside quality baristas they focus on producing some of the best espressos in town.
Their Internationally inspired breakfast and lunch menu is vibrant, colourful, fresh, and healthy yet a little naughty if you like.
The chef has focused on simple tasty ingredients that look and taste amazing. A wide range of Vegan and gluten-free options alongside some classic breakfast and lunch dishes remodelled.
With coffee shops in Manchester’s CBD, they focus on quality service so you can sit back and watch the world drift by.
Visit PKB’s Website or Instagram.
10. Foundation Coffee
Whitworth Street, Manchester, M1 6LS
Lever Street, Manchester, M1 1JB
Portland Street, Manchester, M1 3HU
Now serving delicious Origin coffee from two cafe’s in Manchester, Foundation are committed to sourcing and serving the finest quality speciality coffee.
Their development of their coffee recipes and rotation of single origins mean they are continually developing the end product.
The motto at Foundation is ‘Coffee is Everything’ as coffee is at the heart of everything that they do.
However, that’s not to say that coffee is all they have on offer.
They have created an environment where people can eat, drink, meet or shop.
Their design led spaces create a backdrop where people can socialise, host meetings, showcase artworks, hold workshops, learn about coffee and more – with a high quality menu of the finest coffee, cocktails, brunch and cakes to compliment.
Visit Foundation’s Website or Instagram.
11. Heart and Graft
Unit 1 Droylsden Road, 30 Holyoak Street, Newton Heath, Greater Manchester, M40 1HB
Founded by a coffee enthusiasts and Q graders, Heart and Graft supplies speciality coffee to cafes, restaurants and shops around Manchester.
With a wonderful coffee Workshop in Newton Heath they have built a training room where they host cupping’s, barista throw downs and training days which all contribute to the fabulous rich tradition of the way coffee builds community.
Visit Heart and Graft’s Website or Instagram.
12. Pollen Bakery
Cotton Field Wharf, 8 New Union St, Manchester, M4 6FQ
An always packed out bakery and cafe in quirky Ancoats, Pollen serves an array of rustic pastries, fancy tarts and expertly made oat flat whites.
With an Australian-esque feel to it, a highly recommended place to enjoy a spring weekend morning sat in front of the canals enjoying a delicious brunch.
If you would like to try your hand at recreating some delicious but healthy baked goods head over to our friends Jim Cooks Food Good for some inspo.
Visit Pollen’s Website or Instagram.
14. Flour. Water. Salt
9 Market Place, Macclesfield, SK10 1EB
102-104 Chestergate, Macclesfield, SK11 6DU
One of the best bakeries in and around Manchester.
Sowing their seeds selling at the local market and evolving into one of the most highly regarded bakeries around, Flour Water Salt is now a reason to go to Macclesfield.
The bakery, now also a cafe serving speciality coffee is the perfect place to enjoy a latte and a pastry and then pick up your sourdough loaf on the way out.
Visit Flour, Water, Salt’s Website or Instagram.
15. Two Brothers
53 Stamford New Road, Altrincham, WA14 1DS
Warrington Market, Warrington, WA1 2NT
Opened and run by two brothers with backgrounds in engineering, Two Brothers is a homage to their previous and future career.
Roasting onsite in their underground bunker they serve a selection of their speciality coffee in Altrincham.
Visit Two Brother’s Website or Instagram.
How many coffee shops are there in Manchester?
The coffee scene in Manchester is booming.
Like the whole of the UK people are starting to think of coffee as a speciality product and not just a commodity item in your cupboard alongside tea and flour.
That said many more people are starting to consume coffee from cafes and the ritual and routine of purchasing coffee before work or meeting friends for brunch in a coffee shop is becoming part of our routine and in turn coffee shops are opening up by the week in Manchester.
It’s hard to tell how many there are in Manchester at the moment I would guess at over 300.
What is the best coffee in Manchester?
Take a look at our list above our top three cafe’s are 1. TAKK, 2. Grindsmith and 3. Just Between Friends.
The best coffee does depend on a few factors however.
You may be interested in filter coffee and that may dictate your preference in the best coffee in Manchester, similar for espresso bars.
Is there coffee cupping in Manchester?
There are occasional public coffee cuppings in Manchester.
The majority of which are hosted by the coffee roasters in town and not heavily marketed. Check out the instagram pages of the following roasters for an up to date calendar:
How Much Does a Coffee Cost in Manchester?
It really depends on where you buy your coffee from and the type of coffee you are ordering.
For example the price of a coffee in the city centre may be significantly different to suburban cafes.
Plus the price may vary depending on the quality of the coffee.
However a cup of flat white in a speciality coffee shop tends to cost anywhere between £2.50 - £3.50. Lattes and Cappuccinos are usually between £3 and £4 while an espresso is usually around the £3 mark
What is the most popular coffee shop in Manchester?
Aside from the big second wave coffee chains that entice commuters in with their locations.
A few of the most popular coffee shops are listed above in our list.
For me the 3 most popular coffee shops in Manchester are:
Federal
Pot Kettle Black
Takk
Are there coffee shops in Manchester to work?
Yes, you will be able to find a few coffee shops in Manchester to work.
A popular one with digital nomads and freelance workers is Foundation in the Northern Quarter.
However, most coffee shops in Manchester are fine for you to sit and enjoy your coffee while doing some work.
If you know of any great coffee shops, roastery’s or Bakeries that we have missed please let us know by commenting below.