Federal Cafe and Bar is a New Zealand and Australian themed independent eatery located in Manchester’s quirky Northern Quarter. Now open 7.30am till late, this cosy little spot will keep you fed and smiling from Breakfast till bedtime. And today I’m going to show and tell you why..
Federal Cafe has now been open for 1 year, and in that time it has made quite a stamp on the Manchester food scene. In Australia and New Zealand breakfast and brunch is much bigger than here in the UK, Federal Cafe has brought that vibe right here to Mancheter’s Northern Quarter, and personally I couldn’t be happier.
Sat in the Cafe on a Friday lunch time, none of the 8 tables were once free, people were queueing and waiting to be seated, with another line for take away orders, and it doesn’t take an expert to see why. Picture perfect food, that tastes as unreal as it looks, all in a cosy yet rustic set up, that welcomes you in from the street outside. The freshly ground coffee smells will get you first, then you’ll see what other customers are eating, after that any thoughts of saving money or dieting will evaporate from you.
Dining with three friends, I got the pleasure of seeing a fine selection of the brunch/lunch menu. So now its your turn…
- EGGS BENEDICT poached eggs, buttered spinach & fresh hollandaise on sourdough toast with Bacon (£7) + Extra Halloumi (£2)
Okay, so now it is probably best to admin now that three of us ordered the Eggs Benedict. But can you really blame us?
Next up,
2. HALLOUMI & SHROOMS (v) 7.5 pan fried halloumi w/garlic and thyme roast mushrooms, poached eggs, spiced tomato relish, spiced hazelnuts w/rocket & spinach on sourdough toast (£7.50)
After our savoury plate fulls, we then got stuck into some sweet delights in the form of;
3. Lamington (£2.50) – An Australia dessert, consisting of two pieces of two squares of vanilla sponge with a jam filling, that is then dipped in chocolate and coated in dessicated coconut.
4. Nata (£1.50) – A traditional Portuguese custard tart
Drinks have been featured in the backgrounds of a lot of the images and just so you know what your looking at, we ordered;
1. BLOODY MARY (£6)
2. BELLINI (prosecco w/peach puree) (£5)
3. FEDERAL JUICE Blitzed and bottled in-house subject to availability Superman 3.6 Avocado, ginger, kale, banana, lime, apple, coconut water, omega seeds (golden linseed, pumpkin & sunflower seed) (£3.60)
And finally I finished the visit off with a delicious;
4. Mocha (8oz/12oz) (£2.7/2.9)
Federal Cafe work with Ozone Coffee Roasters, who supply and support them with Specialty Coffee Beans. Ozone Coffee started in New Zealand and are the leading Artisan Roasters. They originally roasted beans from El Salvador, in central America. Now with direct links all over the world, they are not only enhancing the quality of the UK coffee industry, but also bettering the lives of the local coffee farming communities. To find out more about Ozone Coffee, their story and aspirations for the coffee industry, visit – http://www.ozonecoffee.co.uk/about.php. But for now you can feel pretty smug whilst drinking your next deliciously rich, worldly sourced, Federal cup of coffee.
So, it is safe to say we had a fabulous time at Federal Cafe and Bar, and my last call out is to the fantastic staff we met. Rushed off their feet, they were still happy to give me the time of day to talk about the place that has brought them all together, and that they are very passionate to work for. They are all off for another round of Barrister training next week with Ozone Coffee, the owner is definitely looking after them all.
If you are looking for one of the best brunch offering in Manchester, Federal Cafe and Bar is the place for you. Enjoy the rest of the pictures below, and follow the links to the EatFabulous Instagram and Twitter below for more updates on Manchester’s finest independent eateries.
Stay Fabulous,
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