Manchester - Teacup on Thomas St

This is a great wee cafe that we stumbled upon when wandering through the North Quarter, that is, as we found out, owned by Mr Scruff. I squealed with delight.

It's very like Bristol's Boston Tea Party, and like BTP, has a range of different teas to try. I alighted on the rosehip tea, which came in a beautiful, creaky glass pot. This also came with a timer that told you exactly when your tea had finished stewing, and when you could pour it into a second glass teapot. Such a novelty.

This tea was not only beautiful to look at, but it was really delicious, and reminded me of when I used to make perfume as a small child by squeezing rose petals into water. You were also allowed to ask for a water top-up too, which I thought was really kind.

I also had the brownie with pistachios on top which was the best brownie I've had in a while, and my friend had the halloumi and pitta salad. Although this place is a bit pricey, (a cup of tea was about £4), I recommend it for the experience, and who knows, you may even bump into Mr Scruff.

J

Manchester - Almost Famous

When I went to visit a friend in Manchester this weekend, I was taken to the hidden/(sort of) secret burger joint, Almost Famous. Although the entrance is just a small door on a quiet road, you have no chance of missing it; Almost Famous comes complete with queue, and bouncer. This burger place had a queue, and a bouncer, at 5pm. Five in the afternoon.

However, having made it inside, I COMPLETELY see why.

You go up a few flights of stairs, (they make you work for your meal), and enter into a bright and eclectic space that made me so trigger happy I couldn't stop taking photos. The bar wall is as you can see above, and on the opposite wall is a series of fairly bizarre, yet pretty great, quotes (below right).














All the other walls, (it's made of a further two rooms) are clustered with either Banksy, or provocative paintings of 50's style women emerging from sweet wrappers, mustard bottles, and the like.

Our drinks came with names such as 'Bitch Juice' and 'Snap and Tickle', and as if the names, and the fact that they were served in tall jars wasn't edgy enough, they also came complete with glowsticks.

The food was very like Meat Liquor in London, full on, heavy-duty burgers and fries. However, these also came with great names. One burger was called Triple Nom, and if you fancied chicken, you could always get Crack Wings, which were said to be 'Phoking Amazing'. I went for the Rib Roll (pulled pork) and Trailer Trash Fries, both of which were incredible. The fries in particular, as they had a mustard and barbecue and who knows what else sauce poured all over them, and were a-mazing.

After eating ourselves into a food coma, I can honestly say this is the best burger place I have ever been to, and if I am ever back in Manchester again, will demand a visit. (If you can, try and bag a seat on the sofa - this kind of food coma beats the kind at Christmas, and I very nearly nodded off...).


J