We stumbled across this place at the weekend - we were looking for somewhere to chill and have a coffee in the area. We read the idea of paying 8p per minute (which seemed so cheap) and didn't know quite what to expect. Its a fantastic concept - with helping yourself to drinks, cakes, biscuits and even cereal/toast. It was a great place to chill for an hour or so - well worth the money. Will definitely be returning!
The price appears to have gone up to 6p per minute but I still enjoyed my first visit to Ziferblat this afternoon. It's reminded me of going round to your grandma's house on a rainy Saturday afternoon to play board games and be offered refreshments every 10 minutes. This funny little place isn't nearly as filled with hipsters as I was expecting, just polite, well mannered people who treat the place with the utmost respect. My boyfriend and I indulged in a game of scrabble (I won), coffee and bowls of cereal and yoghurt for an hour and a half. I'd happily visit again although it won't be too regular an occurrence as the time can quite quickly slip by!
I had my worries before visiting Ziferblat, I wondered whether this was another gimmick which wasn’t going to get off the ground in Manchester. The idea is simple – 5p a minute gives you access to everything in their huge lounge – cakes, coffees, tea, games, wifi, guitars and much more. You check in when you arrive, check out when you leave – a micro tenant rather than consumer.
In truth, it’s really cool. Lots of cafés pride themselves on their ambience – people feeling like it’s they’re at home away from home. Ziferblat manages to achieve this and then some in an atmosphere that is almost childlike in its freedom to do whatever you like and just play about. This branch of the Russian ‘treehouse for adults’ perfectly fulfills what it should be – fun, relaxed, communal sitting room in the centre of the city.
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