A quirky Alice in Wonderland-inspired tearoom in Manchester has been named amongst the ‘most Instagrammable’ cafes in the world.
Richmond Tearooms in Manchester’s Gay Village offers a trip down the rabbit hole with Mad Hatter tea parties hosted by local drag queens, regular burlesque shows and all-out inspired interiors that nod to Lewis Carroll’s iconic tale of a girl, a rabbit and his pocket watch.
From an enchanted forest area where you can dine under the twinkling lights in a woodland-themed room, to the orangery which is the most warming garden even on the rainiest of Manchester days, the tearooms have long been a fixture in Manchester city centre.
Image: Richmond Tearooms
Image: Richmond Tearooms
Initially housed on Richmond Street (hence the name), the tearooms relocated to its current home opposite Sackville Gardens in 2019 – allowing it to double in size and expand on its kitsch interiors with a flower arch at its entrance, melting clocks, a sashed canopy, black and red velvet furnishing and portraits of the King and Queen of hearts.
On the menu you’ll find classic English breakfasts alongside pancakes and avocado toast served until 12pm alongside a selection of Alice in Wonderland-themed afternoon teas starting from just £10.75 for two tea-infused sultana scones, clotted cream, Tiptree preserve, and a pot of loose leaf tea.
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Inspired by characters in Lewis Carroll’s novel, choices include Alice, Hatters, Tweedles and Queens-themed afternoon teas, with the most indulgent being the Wonderland champagne afternoon tea – combining crustless sandwiches and mini quiche with an assortment of homemade cakes, scones and loose leaf tea, plus a glass of luxury fizz for £38.90.
Image: Richmond Tearooms
Image: Richmond Tearooms
Elsewhere, find light bites like cheese and onion pie and Alice’s rarebit plus a selection of sandwiches and a two-page menu of different premium tea blends.
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There are also children’s afternoon teas on offer from £9.95, as well as a dedicated kids menu featuring the likes of fish and chips, omlette, sausage and beans and a selection of sandwiches.
Add to that a counter bursting with staple cakes like coffee and walnut, Boston cream, carrot, chocolate fudge and ‘lemon dream’, plus a solid cocktail menu, and it’s easy to see why Richmond Tearooms has been a fixture in Manchester city centre for so long now.
Praised for its ‘retro setting’ and ‘vintage China teacups’, according to global travel site Big 7 Travel it doesbn’t get more ‘quintessentially British’ than this.
Ranking at number 43 in the site’s annual list of the 50 Most Instagrammable Cafes in the World for 2023, the tearooms features alongside a rainforest garden of waterfalls in Chiang Mai and the famous hot air balloons of Cappadocia.
Feature image – Richmond Tearooms
Eats
The Lawn Club closes temporarily after bar brawl at event leaves ‘trail of blood’ on floor
Daisy Jackson
The Lawn Club has been temporarily instructed to close after a fight last weekend left a trail of blood on the floor outside.
The popular Spinningfields sun-trap bar has said that it’s cooperating fully with Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council while the incident is investigated.
A report from GMP said that ‘a large group of people’ were fighting at the city centre bar, one of whom reportedly was seen with a gun, which was thankfully not fired.
At 10.25pm on Sunday 4 June, North West Ambulance service reported that a male had been stabbed in the leg but ‘the knife was no longer in his leg and they didn’t know where it was’.
The victim got up and walked away, and has still not been traced.
The incident happened during an event that was organised by a third party promoter.
The Lawn Club provided CCTV footage to officers, which showed two males arguing before a third appeared with a black handgun.
A spokesperson for the venue said: “On Sunday 4th June, an incident occurred at The Lawn Club, the premises operated by Hardman Bars. This was during an event organised by a third party promoter.
The Lawn Club is temporarily closed. Credit:The Manc Group
“As a result of this incident, we have been instructed to close the premises temporarily. We also recognise and fully comply with the request by GMP and Manchester City Council, received at a hearing on 07.06.23, for a temporary suspension of our licence while the incident is investigated and reviewed in full.
“We are cooperating entirely with GMP and Manchester City Council to provide any information they require in relation to the incident.
“We’d like to reassure our customers and the community that this is an isolated incident. But nevertheless, the safety of our team, customers and the community is of the highest importance to us. As such, during this period of closure, we will be actively working with the authorities and relevant parties to review all policies and procedures in place at the premises.”
Featured image: The Manc Group
Eats
The Stockport farm supper club where you eat outside in the fields
Georgina Pellant
There’s a supper club on a community farm in Stockport where you can dine outside in the very fields where your food has grown.
Hosted by Manchester food waste cafe Open Kitchen in partnership with The Kindling Trust, the journey from plot to plate has never been shorter.
The pair have joined forces to celebrate local, seasonal and sustainably produced food in the most delicious way possible – with a three-course vegan menu designed to show off the organic produce grown at The Kindling Trust’s site in Woodbank Memorial Park.
The supper will be served outside in the fields as part of a unique ‘pop-up restaurant’ experience, accompanied by paired organic wines designed to complement each dish.
Full bar service will also be provided, with provisions made for cover from the ‘Manchester weather’ if required.
Corin Bell, Exec Director of Open Kitchen said, “Messages about sustainability can sometimes feel like they are all about going without…. Don’t fly, don’t drive, etc.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
“We want to focus on positive messages about sustainability, that focus on shifts in behaviour that are kinder to planet and people.
“The event with Kindling will showcase beautiful food and drink, and also be supporting local, sustainable, independent and ethical business, all of which are really core values for both open Kitchen and Kindling”.
Chris Walsh from the Kindling Trust said: “Events like fine dining in the fields are really important to us, because they open up the farm to members of the public, and help to really bring the message home about why local and sustainable produce is so important for our planet and our local economy”.
Located just a mile east of Stockport town centre, Woodbank Community Food Hub is an urban horticulture hub co-ordinated by the Kindling Trust that joins up inclusive community gardening with commercial organic food production.
The size of one and a half football pitches, it includes several large polytunnels for under-cover veg growing as well as three field blocks, apple trees and a community garden.
As well as hosting the dinner in the fields, it is also a place to collect fresh organic veg bags delivered by the Veg Box People, who make sure farmers get regular demand and a fair price for their produce.
Taking place from 6 to 9pm on Wednesday 21 June 2023, to find out more about the dinner and purchase tickets click here.
Georgina Pellant -
22nd March 2023 
