A new study has ranked the top bottomless brunch offers in the city, taking into account factors like the number of 5* reviews, price and outdoor seating availability.
All very important, we’ll admit, but if your attitude to bottomless brunch is anything like that of our friends then you’ll appreciate there’s still a lot more to be considered. After all, bottomless brunch is a marathon – not a sprint.
It’s all got to be assessed tactically, which is why it’s important to take details like how long you can drink and how many drinks and dishes are on the bottomless brunch menu into account, alongside the most important question of all – ‘is it truly bottomless?’
Looking to find the most highly rated independent brunch locations, The Bottle Club has covered all of these points and more in its assessment. Suffice to say, we’re pretty impressed with their commitment to the cause.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fress
Northern Quarter
ADVERTISEMENT
Coming in at the top of the list is Fress, Northern Quarter’s gilded bar and brasserie cafe. It’s rarely seen without a line outside before 2pm thanks to the popularity of its brunch offering, whether customers are going bottomless or not. The way it works here is pretty simple, with one menu and the option to upgrade to bottomless house wine, beer, mimosas or prosecco for an additional £15.
Impossible
Peter Street
ADVERTISEMENT
Whimsical night spot Impossible is just as impressive in the day time. Boasting one of the best bottomless booze selections in the city, £30 gets you unlimited drinks from a list of over 20 different options, plus a main dish and side. There are no eggs to be found here – instead, think mini burger trios, mini wrap trios, katsu fries, salt and pepper fries and togarashi tortilla.
Peaky Blinders
Peter Street
As the name kind of gives away, this is not just any bar. It’s a Peaky Blinders-themed bar, complete with hunky Cillian Murphy lookalikes in waistcoats and flat caps. Mother, may I? For £30 a head, you can enjoy as many cocktails, prosecco, own-brand gin, pale ale or draught lager as you like in 90 minutes whilst picking from a ‘birdcage’ of meat or veggie treats. Available to book from 17th May.
Elnecot
ADVERTISEMENT
Ancoats
Of all the brunching spots on this list, Elnecot is a must for any self-professed foodies. Situated in the trendy independent neighbourhood of Ancoats, this locals bar and kitchen proves especially popular on weekends. Similar to Fress, there’s no dedicated bottomless menu here – instead, simply pay an additional £25 for 2 hours of unlimited access to breakfast martinis, aqua di Valencia, earl greyhounds (Gin, Earl grey tea and grapefruit), bloody marys and beer.
The Pen and Pencil
Northern Quarter
Inspired by New York’s famous mid-20th century ‘Steak Row’ bar of the same name, The Pen and Pencil sits right on the edge of Manchester’s Northern Quarter close to Piccadilly station. The only place on this list to feature bottomless food as well as drink, menu options include brunch staples like avocado and feta on toast, steak and eggs, a variety of poached eggs and big stacks of fluffy American pancakes. Hosted on the last Saturday of the month, go all-in for £40.
News
Passengers warned of ‘disruption’ ahead of more Bee Network bus strikes this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Bus services across Greater Manchester will be disrupted later this weekend as drivers from two companies stage strike action.
In what is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says it has had confirmation that staff from two operators, Stagecoach and Metroline, will go ahead with further planned strikes this weekend.
If this is the first you’re hearing of the upcoming industrial action, 2,000 workers who were employed by Stagecoach, Metroline Manchester, and First Bus Rochdale – each of which are firms among those that make up the bus part of the Bee Network – walked out in a number of co-ordinated strikes earlier this month amid an ongoing pay dispute.
Unite the Union said each of the firms are ‘highly profitable’ and it’s therefore ‘disappointing’ that workers are being denied a fair wage.
In this case, Unite has confirmed that drivers at First have called off further action after voting to accept a revised pay offer.
Passengers are being warned of ‘disruption’ ahead of more Bee Network bus strikes this weekend / Credit: TfGM
However, both Stagecoach and Metroline staff have opted to proceed with strike action onFriday 10 October, Saturday 11 October, and Monday 13 October.
This means that around 190 services, including some dedicated school buses, will not run on strike days, and TfGM is therefore advising everyone to ‘check before they travel’ and allow extra time to make their journey.
Bus services in Tameside, Trafford, and Stockport are not expected to run, and some services in South Manchester, parts of the city centre, and Rochdale will also be impacted.
Many bus services will continue to run ‘as usual’, however, and this includes services such as the Free Bus in Manchester city centre, as well as the majority of buses in Bolton, Bury, Salford, and Wigan.
The strikes are the latest in an ongoing dispute over pay / Credit: TfGM
“While we are pleased that planned industrial action by First staff has been called off, we encourage Stagecoach, Metroline, and Unite to continue discussions to avert further strike action,” commented Danny Vaughan, who is the Chief Network Officer at TfGM.
“We’ll continue to keep passengers informed and support them to make journeys wherever possible. We encourage everyone to check the latest status of their service before they travel, leave plenty of time for their journey and to get in touch if they have any questions.”
Unite has indicated that further industrial action will also happen on Saturday 18, Thursday 23 and Friday 24 October.
This action could still take place, if pay negotiations are not concluded.
Featured Image – TfGM
News
First vendors confirmed Glossop Market Hall, including two indie Manc traders
Danny Jones
The first vendors for the upcoming Glossop Market Hall have been announced, and the lineup includes two beloved Greater Manchester independent businesses.
Better still, the third is another noteworthy name from the North West.
Glossop Market Hall is scheduled to launch later this year, setting up shop in the historic town hall complex, where the High Peak Borough Council, a retail shopping arcade and various other municipal buildings have stood in various different iterations for nearly well over a century.
With the Derbyshire town set to celebrate the opening of the newly revamped market hall, those behind the new Glossop attraction have now revealed the first three names set to take up residence there.
As you can see, the biggest names already signed on to cook from one of the six kitchens is a Manchester favourite food hall in its own right: Hello Oriental.
The Pan-Asian paradise not only has a subterranean space below Circle Square, but also at The Trafford Centre, as well as a dessert spin-off in Freight Island.
Indie trader number two comes in the form of B&V Trading, who are based at Stanley Square in Sale and specialise in eco-friendly, UK-made treats, toys and essentials for four-legged friends.
After proving a hit with the locals, their small stall at nearby Altrincham Market has grown to see them open up not just a second site in the leafy Cheshire suburbs of Knutsford back in 2022, but now boast a third location in neighbouring Macclesfield.
Speaking of Macc, local gin and whisky makers, Forest Distillery – based up at the famous Cat and Fiddle Inn pub towards the Peaks – they round out the first wave of regional businesses set to pop up in Glossop Market Hall (GMH) when it finally arrives this winter.
And once again, as the update on social media reads: “This is just the beginning”.
Natives, day-trippers and tourists from all over are bound to visit this place when it opens sometime in November (exact date still TBC), and with space not only for a dedicated bar, dining space and a coffee shop, but a total of 17 retail spaces, we can’t wait to see what comes next.
GMH becomes just the latest among a growing trend of food and drink halls popping up all over our part of the country, with virtually every Greater Manchester borough now boasting at least one of their own – or, in the city centre’s case, what feels like a dozen now.
Exhibit number… not sure, we’ve lost track at this point.
Georgina Pellant -
6th May 2021 
