Small and very popular cafe. Be prepared to wait for a table up to 45 minutes and I was on my own. Staff are super polite and patient, seating people as quickly as possible. I had eggs benedict, it was good but not exceptional. The coffee and mimosa went down far better
Im in love with this place! Im from Portugal and everytime I visited my cousin in Manchester, its my priority to eat at Federal! I already brought lots of friends and they all loved it, just like me.
Jéssica Carina Freitas
+4
The waiters ( such friendly people)
Environment ( good atmosphere...)
Food( excellent food...)
Drinks ( well we did not like the drinks that we picked because was our first time drinking this type of drinks . But we told the waitress and he was very kind to listen to us! And of course as a good employee he gave as I drinks for free for the next visit 😊 .
Thanksss guys!!!
What a great find! Went to meet a business colleague for a quick lunch. Federal is situated across from the Arndale and a quick hop across the tram lines. Great friendly welcome from staff and quick service. Have a fairly small menu but each with a nice twist on the traditional brunch type of items - I had a 3 egg omelette stuffed with huge chunks of onions and flavoured with cheddar cheese with a crispy side of sourdough toast. Nice neighbourhood feel from a decor perspective with wood floors and table tops, only about 20 covers and offer some outdoor seating too but that's part of the charm. Large drinks list including alcohol for if you want a sneaky lunchtime tipple. Highly recommend.
I had only one day in Manchester so I needed a brunch to make it count. I summoned the guidance of my Mancunian-turned-Melbourne friend Katie for some advice. She said I’d love the Northern Quarter and passed on advice to check out Federal Cafe & Bar. It’s a very Antipodean venue. The sign spells out exactly New Zealand and Australian cafe and it lives it up to that in its entirety.
Amazing brunch place! Definitely one of my favourites in Manchester. Had the Halloumi and mushrooms and Would recommend going during the week as it can get quite packed on weekends.
This was my fifth time visiting Federal Cafe, and I've only lived in Manchester for 3 months. They serve really good coffee and amazing food. I've always had brunch on the tables outside and it's lovely. Only let down will be in winter, as the place inside is quite small, so you get all the (delicious) smell from the kitchen. We had some eggs benedict (awesome), avocado on toast with streaky bacon (incredible) and banana bread (my friend had muesli before the banana bread and said it was really good too)
Ordered a Veggie Brekkie Bagel and Skinny Latte! Food was amazing in taste and presentation! Definitely worth a visit if you like cute little cafe's and delicious food!
This is a real hidden gem in Manchester! Me and my friends came about this place by accident so thought we would try it out for brunch. The food was excellent and one of the best brunches we had all tasted, the coffee was great too! The inside is small and when we arrived it was full but we sat outside and ate which was just as nice! 100% recommend!
Another day, another chance for me to drool over brunch dishes! This time I am reliving my fabulous experience of midday munchies at Federal Cafe, a newbie on the block on Shudehill. It was clear to me from the queue outside most weekend mornings that this place was going to be good, but I didn’t expect it to be as great as it was!
I have probably had the most delicious and biggest French Toast ever here. The portion is really really huge and its so weird looking. But when you put that in your mouth, it all started to make sense. French toast that big, makes the taste to die for.
Excellent brunch here!
All the staff were friendly and despite being quoted a 20 min wait, it was about 10 min. We got window counter seats and ordered at the till.
The Tumeric Latte was absolutely delicious, the Stuffed French toast was super decadent and delicious, as was the Halloumi and Shrooms was perfect! The poached eggs were done just right and the sauce was flavorful. The Pineapple porridge reminded us of Hawaii. Portions were generous and the atmosphere was lively at this cozy restaurant.
All of it was wonderful! Can't wait to go back!
Stopped by after a flight from London. Everything on the menu sounded amazing. The restaurant was well run and they did a fantastic job moving people along. The food itself was great. Not mind blowing, but solid in flavor and solid in execution. The staff was fabulous and the atmosphere was abuzz. All in all, we recommend this place for breakfast in Manchester.
Great breakfast place and coffee shop. Interested breakfast brunch menu, I had the Turkish eggs with chorizo and a side of streak bacon. The eggs were poached perfectly, with bread that was a great way to eat the yogurt and remaining eggs. Chorizo was fantastic, as was the bacon (thick and flavorful). Good vibe, feels like a local place rather than a chain coffee shop.
Best Brunch Ever. ESPECIALLY after having tasted FRESS yesterday. So the question is who ranked FRESS the number one? I can't believe it!
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What an oasis!
Super friendly staff and appealing menu make this a great place for a little treat (I wouldn't come here for a standard weekday lunch as it's fairly expensive, although generous portions and certainly not unreasonable for the quality). I like how you pay at the till so you don't have to stress about waiting to pay at the end.
I tried the famed smashed avocado on sourdough and it made a very satisfying meal when paired with perfectly cooked poached eggs and a pile of smoked salmon. The coke was a disappointing 200ml (but I do need to cut down) and they brought water without asking, always a good sign. The nata tart was very nice but not a patch on what I had in Lisbon, I should probably stop ordering it and expecting a different result!
It must be a good sign that I recommended two sets of friends to come here before I ever tried it, just on the basis of consistently excellent online reviews, and they all raved about it.
On a shockingly summer October day it was delightful to sit on the pavement and watch the trams go by...the closest Shudehill will ever come to beautiful!
Man I love this place. I'm in Manchester for a few weeks for work, and this place has become my fave breakfast/brunch spot. Really good food, REALLY good coffee, and the staff is just so nice and laid back. A gem.
Nothing says millennial like avocado and toast and poached eggs but damn, the avocado and toast and poached eggs are fire here.
The sourdough bread is delicious, the poached eggs' yolks just ooze into the little crevices in the bread, and the avocado is smashed, as advertised. Order with the perfectly warm bacon and there is no need for regret.
They also serve Portguese egg tarts/pastel de natas here and they can only be described as juicy (and they come out warm!). I think they might heat it up in the same oven they use to heat up bacon, so my first time I tried them they were sort of unpleasantly bacon-y. The second time, it was pretty damn good. The custard is sort of firm and oozes out the pastry that holds it. And I know that sounded dirty but yeah, it's a pretty naughty nata. ;)
I found this place via Yelp! By searching for good coffee places in the center of Manchester. I took my uncle there, we both had coffee and food.
Ambience is nice, location is good, food was great; I had the eggs Benedict, while my uncle had the three egg omelette. Both were tasty and served rather quickly. The coffee was really nice, and reminded me of another New Zealand coffee place I really like in SoCal, called Two Guns.
My only gripe is its size, which must be a nightmare when it gets busier. There's not many tables and chairs and the walking channels are narrow. Other than that, I really like the place.
Good food, good service. Omelette and cafe latte were tasty. Also my friends lamb sandwich was top. Go in and visit!
Excellent breakfast!!
Come early if you want a table.
Definitely would come back next time we're in MCR!
It took me so much effort in order to actually locate this cafe but it was well worth it. If I ever go back to Manchester, I'm definitely also returning to eat here. The orange juice tasted fresh and the entrees were delightful. I ordered the french toast, eggs benedict with salmon and avocado and also the corn fritters. It was all so amazing. I didn't take a photo of the corn fritters because the presentation didn't look like anything spectacular, but it was actually one of the most amazing things I had ever tasted. I want to say it was my best meal while in Europe even. The service and atmosphere were also on point. This is a small cafe though so I was very lucky to get in when it wasn't super crowded. You order at the bar and the servers will bring your food and drinks to you.
If I had to eat one meal for every day for the rest of my life I would choose Federal's French toast. It was the nicest thing that's crossed my lips in my entire life. The French toast was served with cherries, mascarpone and caramel sauce - it was absolutely delicious.
The service was good but I cannot comment on the inside of the restaurant because it was full and we were seated outside.
I'd get a flight back to Manchester just to come here.
I love grabbing breakfast at federal, it has such a great atmosphere and a real urban modern feel.
The cafe is a little small but I think that's what builds the character of the place. Because of the size waiting time can be a little while but it is definatley worth the wait.
I had the haloumi with shrooms which was an amazing meal with sourdough bread, pouched eggs, with sauce haloumi and yes mushrooms. This meal was absolutely delicious would highly recommend if your feeling hungry!
If your a coffee lover like me you will not be disappointed in federal cafe and bar as the coffee is delicious and they have so much choice. I have a new favourite which is the piccolo.
I had the Smashed Avocado; poached eggs, bacon and avocado sitting on sourdough. It was delicious! Great combo served on superbly baked sourdough, and it goes down well with a morning latte.
The cafe is situated on the corner of Nicholas Croft/High Street running along the tram line from Shudehill to Market St in the Northern Quarter. Inside, it has hard darkwood furnishings that resonates the Australian/NZ vibe, and the size gives you are nice cosy setting.
I hope to return soon to sample more from the menu, both food and coffees.
I'm a young urban northeastern American female, so naturally, I am very into brunch. Federal satisfies perfectly. The menu isn't extensive, but includes all of the hearty, healthy staples your heart might desire.
I had the halloumi and mushroom toast with smashed avocado, and was expecting a slice of toast on a small plate - what I got was a huge platter of food that kept me satisfied all day. My friend ordered a bagel, which was likewise delicious and was probably the best bagel I've tasted outside New York State. The high point of my meal was the mimosa, which was pulpy and fresh.
Star deducted because ordering is confusing (it's set up like a full service restaurant but you order at the counter) and there's a long wait for food when it's busy. If you have the time to spare and love breakfast food, Federal is a great way to start a day out in Manchester.
As it stands, my favourite breakfast/brunch place in the city. I only say as it stands because I haven't visited every single breakfast/brunch establishment (2016 goal right there).
Back to the review, Federal is awesome! They have a great menu with a different twist that your regular breakie menus and some healthy options at that! A popular choice is the smashed avocado but I went for poached eggs on sourdough toast with bacon on the side - amazing - and the bacon was some of the best I've ever tasted.
Oh and the juices, especially the Superman juice, are fantastic. The Superman is blended fresh in the cafe and contains like 100 of your 5 day; Kale, Avocado, Lime juice, chia seeds and a dozen other really super uber healthy ingredients. I read the ingredients before I had it and expected a horrible taste - nope - delicious!
Pretty obvious that I like this place, I'll be back!
love this French toast and latte!! Really good!! and I would like to try other yummy food next time!!
I was there the first time but I'm sure that wasn't the last one. Delicious coffee, good vibes and nice prices. Thanks Federal
I finally made my first visit to Federal, and now I know why it's always so busy!
Despite waiting awkwardly for a table to free up, I was made to feel welcome by the friendly and enthusiastic staff from the moment I stepped through the door.
By reputation the dish to order is the salted caramel French toast, and it didn't disappoint. I wondered whether french toast would be enough to fill me up, but I needn't have worried as the portions are very generous! The plate piled high with toast, berries, mascarpone and salted caramel sauce made such an impression that the table next to me asked what I'd ordered.
I'll definitely be going back as I didn't notice until after ordering a Long Black that they also do single origin pour over coffee.
The most popular of the 3 branches they have around the city. They have one of the best French toast. The cream they use is really good and the toast is soft and everything works well on the plate. The steak & eggs are also something worth trying. Really good steak and the sauces are very flavorful. Would visit again when I’m next in the city.
I've been here a few times now. Easily one of the best breakfasts I've had and consistently good. Everything tastes fresh (they get their produce and goods delivered fresh daily).
The French Toast is leagues beyond anything I've ever tried anywhere.
Atmosphere is vintage which is quaint but there's limited seating therefore there can often be long queues and wait times. Personally I think it's worth the wait to try it.
They've recently increased their prices so they are certainly on the expensive side but you can rest assured you'll be satisfied with the meal.
Enjoy the cozy atmosphere of the greens-themed cafe, especially on a sunny day. The food is delicious, made with simple yet fresh and high-quality ingredients.
The breakfast experience ordering eggs benedict with salmon and French toast was delightful. The french and eggs benedict was normal i would say average in taste and presentation and bit over priced too However chai latte was really good and tasty.
For the breakfast there is wait for 15-20 minutes if you want to sit inside
Service was really quick
It's an alright cafe, nice and chill vibe and botanical earthy decor. Lots of ppl line up to get in at breakfast hours and the place doesn't haven't that many seats. Food is just fine but nothing special. I had their smashed avocado toast with smoked salmon. Portions could be bigger. Also tried their Iced Chai Latte, taste good but again, nothing special.
Federal sets the benchmark for cafe brunches. The staff are very kind, lovely folks as well.
Food stuffs:
- Matcha latte (9 out of 10): rarely do cafes do matcha lattes right. This is one of the ones that gets it right. Great balance of matcha bitterness, with no added sugar.
- Steak sandwich (9 out of 10): I'll be honest it looks boring from a visual standpoint. But damn, that bread! It's not quite ciabatta, but has a really great crisp to it. The steak, is cooked to what I consider perfection.
- Pistachio tiramisu French toast (8 out of 10): this was one of their specials, and unfortunately not part of the regular menu. Brioche bread, soaked in cream and sweet pistachio goodness. This is also a winner
Been wake up by a fake fire alarm in hotel, walked in this amazing place randomly. Very big surprise for the food and coffee. Another surprise is there was a queue outside at weekend morning 😂
So speechless! Cant describe how the stuff is nice 🤍 i have been there 3 times for breakfast and brunch to try my best to try their lovely menu! Its the best place for breakfast or ill say the best place for food and coffee in Manchester 🤍🤍
Always busy when we have tried to get in today as in no rush we waited.
Staff was friendly and good.
I saw on the menu a corn fritter which i skimmed over till i asked what someone was eating and it was the fritter. So i had with bacon which was excellent and tasty. My wife had sandwich of hummus sweetcorn and falafel on sourdough which was also very tasty.
Coffee was spot on too
Gorgeous cafe with amazing food. The atmosphere is lovely with plants framing the large windows. We had the Turkish eggs and the special of the day; the Korean sandwich. They were unbelievable. We were in awe of how good they were.
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