Federal Cafe Bar in Manchester

Friendly staff, delicious food i like it

We were in a queue outside of the cafe with slight rain and cold winds. They brought us small cups of hot chocolate to keep us warm while we wait. The service was lovely and their food is incredible!

The breakfast at Federal Cafe was certainly worth the wait in the rain, especially when they came out to the people queueing with mini shots of Hot Chocolate to ward off the cold 🤤 Friendly staff and delicious food. Highly recommend the French Toast 👌

Best friend and I decided that we were going to visit for a birthday breakfast/brunch. The food did not disappoint, and the staff were amazing. Place is bustling with energy and customers and a really good vibe. Everyone’s hard at work customers are all enjoying their food and the cocktails we had were amazing. (2 for £12, good value) I personally ordered the French toast with added bacon on the side, and whilst the price may seem a little daunting at first (£14 for the FT & £3 for the bacon) trust me it’s worth it (I rarely ever feel that way). we WILL be back, such a good experience!

Delicious french toast! Will go again.

- All staff members were very friendly so you would have a good experience here :) - Very nice food. - Slightly pricy but it is right in the city centre (Deansgate) so understandable.

Excellent! Well worth a visit if in Deansgate.

One of the best cafes I ever tried, the french toast is delicioussssss you must try. The the workers are very nice and super friendly.

I had a lovely experience during my short stop at Manchester. The porridge was delicious, the drink was spot on, and the service was kind and welcoming. It's a cozy spot that I would definitely recommend for a satisfying and pleasant visit.

Not sure if I've reviewed this place before but I should've done. Been to both this and the NQ and they're both fantastic! Prob slightly better ambience at Deansgate. Tried several dishes and all keep going to the end. No mouthful gets boring. Had the Halloumi and Mushrooms today and added chorizo. Wow! The staff and service are spot on. Great job as always!

Brilliant coffee - have almond milk which was a must for us - food delicious! We were staying in Manchester for a few days and got coffee here every day as it was very good - antipodeans know how to make a good one!!

A very delicious breakfast and coffee. Great gluten free options and very nice staff! It’s also got a good atmosphere, love the plants draping from the room!

The dishes we ordered were not tasty.

Great service, great food and great coffee!

Great breakfast for all six of us, from French toast to açai bowl to poached eggs, and lovely service.

The best French toast in Manchester !

Very nice coffee and their coffee is beautiful. We thank (Cole) for the welcome and beautiful spirit

I love Federal, but this branch's coffee is not good. Please take care of the barista

Overall a very nice experience, coffee was great, and food especially the French toast was delicious. What we enjoyed the most was the friendly staff who were super accommodating. My friend ordered the day’s special French toast with a special sauce (forgot what it’s called) that was a tad spicy for her, she asked the waitress if she can have some honey to add on and the waitress offered to make a new original French toast for her! We were both a bit shocked to find them so accommodating, and the French toast was so delicious. Thank you very much and will definitely come back again.

about 20 minutes standing in line with a cute doggo (they offered us raspberry tea in the meantime), then a delicious scrambled egg + brownie + capuccino.

Excellent customer service and quality breakfast.

It's very delicious food and the staff is very friendly although the food is overpriced in comparison to the portion you get.

The service was great and as a non British tourist sometimes we get treated like "robbers" but not here the whole staff treated us with gratitude and kindness I advise any tourist in Manchester to give this place a try. The food however was pretty average but not bad the turkish eggs are not that great. The bathroom was clean even though the place was pretty crowded. But if you're a tourist you have to pass by this place specially for breakfast

Great sandwiches, excellent fresh taste. Nice ambience. Friendly staff. Good for brunch. Sandwiches, for me, a little small in size.

Ordering via an app from inside the cafe. This is very convenient. I liked the menu; it was varied enough to satisfy all tastes. We ordered the Turkish scrambled eggs with yogurt mixed with day. It was delicious, and we also ordered the halloumi with eggs and mushrooms with spicy tomato sauce. Also, two French toasts, and they were the reason we chose the restaurant based on a recommendation. But the French toast was not as unique as the recommendation said. Coming to the prices, they were really high. What we ordered above came with two flat whites and an Americano coffee and we paid 70 pounds for that. The atmosphere of the restaurant is not suitable for the crowds it gets. I came at 8 am on a Saturday. The place is cramped and the tables are small, barely enough for two dishes, and the customers are continuous.

This is an awesome breakfast place. Super delicious food! A bit of a wait to get seating as it is very popular but worth the wait. Good arrived quick and service super friendly. Loved it!

Great atmosphere, came early and quickly seated, quality food. French toast hot the spot! Others had Avo toast, porridge and Turmeric latte and they looked really good too.

The best thing they have is French toast only

Food is amazing -totally recommend the french toast- and prices are very fair & affordable.

A small coffee shop on a main road near the town centre Nice coffee and cake

Great place, always has a queue outside. That probably mean something!

A great brunch/lunch spot offering great food and fast and friendly service! You'll find yourself in a fast moving queue at peak times but don't let that put you off!

I recently had breakfast at Federal Cafe in Manchester, and it was a fantastic experience. I ordered the Eggs Benedict and Turkish eggs, and both dishes were served quickly and were absolutely delicious. The coffee was top-notch—one of the best I've had in a long time. What really stood out, though, was the staff. They were incredibly friendly and supportive, making the whole experience even better. I’ll definitely be back for another breakfast soon. Highly recommend!

Great spot, enjoyed the French toast and cheddar fritters and some Bellinis. Would absolutely eat here again and would do so repeatedly if it was in my hometown.

Lovely place for a brunch, good and kind staff.

Can see why this place is so popular! Amazing food, even better service. Everyone was so lovely and friendly. 10/10 would recommended ✨

Given the length of the queue that you have to stand in before coming in, the food is mediocre

Great spot for breakfast. Get there early as popular

Bit of a wait to get in understandably with no acknowledgement from staff for bout 10mins but once inside staff were very friendly. Very appealing menu. Breakfast tea was perfection and the Turkish eggs were delicious however toast was cold and a little overdone. Enjoyed enough so will visit again

The staff were really friendly, efficient and polite. The food was lovely and pretty well priced. We didn't have to wait long to get in and it was worth the wait. It's quite compact inside, but we didn't feel squashed in any way. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

Great food and even better staff, such a pleasure to go there.

Great spot for brunch tasty, excellent coffee and friendly service. I’ll be back!

Try their Shakshooka it is yummy ,, overall their food is amazing

Excellent service and hosting as always, great food too. Was hosted by Katie and Katie, both were exceptional. Thank you.

Breakfast sandwich was delicious! The staff at this coffee shop were SO friendly. So happy we visited here on our vacation!

Amazing brunch in the city center of Manchester!!! This time we tried the Turkish eggs, the cornpancakes with avocado and poached eggs and the haloumi, portobello sandwich with poached eggs!!! Everything was super tasty! Unfortunately, we had to wait for 40 min to get a table. It was very busy!

We had a fantastic experience at the Federal Cafe in the NQ. The queue was well worth it (the team handed out brollys for a truly northern experience). Thanks to Gaz and the team who couldn’t have been more hospitable and welcoming. The food was equally matched by the service and we will be back to try everything else on the menu. We are now standing in the queue for the Federal on Deansgate. We are hungry!

Great food, Great service, Great music!! Jerusalem the coffee is devine.

I came with a friend for lunch and ordered avocado toast with smoked salmon and poached egg, and Halloumi & Schrooms with the addition of avocado. Taste wise, both of our dishes were 10/10 and we both recommend them! The only thing that we would change is the portion size, so it's a bit bigger. All in all, we give our recommendations to this place and dishes!

Went for breakfast and a coffee and it was just incredible. So tasty, big portion and a beautiful flat white. Lovely staff, would highly recommend!

Food was so delicious, the wait was long but worth it. They were very helpful when providing how much time it would take until we get our seats and the staff were very friendly!

Been to two locations in Manchester Both great food, great locations and friendly staff, no pretences

Federanomenal. The service is even better than the coffee and that’s saying something. Coming here feels like visiting old friends, but with an incredible menu and easily some of the best coffee outside of London. I’d like to specially thank Immie for her amazing Cat latte art. She was as friendly as always and my daughter was thrilled. Big love to the Federal Deansgate team, an oasis.

Best coffee/brunch spot in town. Well worth the queues! All the staff are amazing. Kate and Kathleen are the most welcoming hosts. Immie, Jose and Macy make unreal coffees and Lucy and Connie always brighten up your day. An absolute must visit!

Amazing breakfast! Try the Turkish eggs they are incredible. Great cappuccino, reasonable prices and short wait. So glad we stopped here.

30 min wait before getting a table. Steak sandwich was nice but not amazing and not very filling either. Food was served quickly though. I would go back to try the other menu items. Halal options available

Dropped in for coffee and pastry, lovely staff and great coffee/pastry. We will definitely be back next time we are in Manchester

Amazing flat white and customer service by barista Liv!

Best coffee in Manchester, smooth and rich. Service was impeccable. We arrived for brunch and had a short wait for a table as its so popular. But service was quick and efficient, food was good. I had poached eggs, sourdough toast and bacon. It came with Fed sauce, which was a slightly spicy tomato sauce and it made my eggs on toast pop! Definitely worth a repeat visit next time im in Manchester

I went all the way fighting through the marathon to try this Manchester tart French toast. Then waited 45 minutes on the que just to try this. I’m the end I was served that without the special cream on top. They just drizzled some white chocolate sauce. When I asked the server she told me this doesn’t come with the mascarpone cheese like the regular French toast as if I’m a stupid and don’t know anything. I am a regular customer of your cafe and a Starbucks store manager. I love your berry French toast and visit quite often. I know how retail business works. This is very misleading. If you don’t have something in stock please let your customers know in advance, don’t just lie about it. I understand you are busy but lying to a customer is not tolerable. This is very misleading. Here’s a picture of my French toast that was served yesterday and clearly didn’t have this cream on top. I even called the shop before coming to find out if you had the special French toast in stock and they said it’s available all day. The cream is the most impossible part of the toast and the rest is just bread and sauce.

Nice place to have a brunch and great environment

If you’re in Manchester for breakfast or bunch, do yourself and your stomach a favour and go here! Amazing staff (Kate mainly served me) this is one of those places where people seem genuinely happy to work, so refreshing to see. I’m not sure if they are all just happy people or this is a training thing, anyway, it gives one of the best customer service experiences you’ll get in this cool city. The guys constantly smash coffees out with a big smile on their faces, makes the coffee taste better if you ask me. Also, had a very fine Bloody Mary on my first visit, 10 out of 10 if you’re a Bloody M fan. Cool music plays in the background which is just an added bonus. I had Eggs B & Bacon on both my visits as it was soooo good on my first I had it again! The menu looks quality tho, you’d not have anything bad in here. 10 out of 10 to the staff in here, they are the human factor that makes this place what it is, keep up the good work guys, it genuinely makes a difference to your customers.

Amazing food, somewhat pricey but not too bad! I had the smashed avocado on toast with cured salmon. Very good!

It was Not a bad breakfast. When I visited, I should wait around 15 minutes.

The service and food at the Federal Cafe were amazing. Hint: try the French Toast! The coffee wasn’t too shabby either! Love this place.

Outstanding cafe - everything was perfect. There'll be a queue, but it's worth the wait.

Best customer service and food was amazing

Even though I had egg yolk intolerance, I couldn’t resist and ordered egg benedict. It was worth it best breakfast ever.

We went to the Oxford Road Federal cafe for Sunday breakfast and thankfully arrived at the right time as it very quickly filled with customers. It is obvious why this restaurant is so popular as the service was very good and the food excellent. The granola dish is extremely tasty as is the porridge and the eggs are poached to perfection. The halloumi and mushroom breakfast was exceedingly tasty accompanied by great coffee - their teas are also lovely. Any of the Federal cafes are excellent but be prepared to queue if you’re a late riser.

Very nice cafe but a little cramped with tables. Service was good but the QR ordering system didn’t work for me. Food was good quality but a little overpriced. Expected though as it is city centre. We went about 11am on a Sunday and there was no queue. After we had finished and left the queue outside was massive

Always busy, but food was delightful.

Absolutely delicious breakfast and the coffee was 5 star. Friendly service and lovely vibe

An amazing, mouth watering French toast!

This place is absolutely delightful! I've been here three times already. Initially, I tried the different French toast which, honestly, weren't my cup of tea. But I returning for brunch and breakfast, I was blown away—the food is incredible! The sourdough bread is possibly the best I’ve ever tasted! And the special, fed shakshuka, was simply outstanding! I highly recommend!

Food and service great as always, the special today was really good.

First time in ! Got drenched in the rain ! Was in a bad mood ! So I treated my self to a hot chocolate! The staff great you with smiles and say good morning! They have their regular people customers coming in and it’s beautiful they know their names ! Delightful place and cozy ! Thanks for the service I will come again !

If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. One of the best breakfast places I have ever been to. The staff was lovely, the atmosphere just right, and the food...oh my God, the food. The sourdough bread is out of this world, all the ingredients are fresh and the whole plate is a perfect symphony of flavours and colours. The place is very popular so be prepared to wait for a table to become free, but it will be worth it, I promise.

Highly recommended. I have reviewed this place in this way as it has given us high standard service and the staff a very kind and pleasant. To add to that what they served was delicious.

This cafe is self-service, there is no service at the table. One must register on the wifi to be able to order on the website, where you must register again and also insert a card. All of this takes you 15 minutes on your cell phone instead of enjoying your coffee. The place has terrible acoustics, you cannot converse. The noises from the kitchen are very annoying. I ordered toast with avocado and poached eggs, I paid €15 and I received ONE piece of toast with ingredients that were not specified on the menu, such as vinegar, which was all over the plate, so the whole food tasted like vinegar. I do not recommend it.

The French toast and egg steak tasted okay, but the portion didn't look big and they added a side of bacon. I thought the egg steak was a bit salty so ordered a side of bread. Because it was added later, I ordered through the front desk and was charged 4 pounds. Then came a slice of bread and a little butter. I'm a little confused about their pricing strategy 🤔 3 pounds of bacon and 4 pounds of a slice of bread. I specifically checked with the waiter and got the reply that the lone piece of bread was 4 pounds. 4 pounds is definitely not a great value, but a piece of bread is a bit of a steal.

All the food was delicious and beautifully presented. Personally, I ordered the steak sandwich, which was very juicy and tasty. The latte art on the hot drinks was stunning! They even had Milo latte, which is rare in the UK! The French toast was also delicious, the bread is very fluffy. Overall, I highly recommend it.

Top notch breakfast, service was quick despite a queue outside we got a seat in a couple of minutes. Waitress was lovely and professional.

What an incredible brunch. Silky coffees, sumptuous food and speedy service. Perfect Sunday brunch for two visitors to Manchester. Would highly recommend!!

Very good breakfast during the week. I chose the porridge and had a very nice portion. The atmosphere is nice and calm to start the day. Of course we don't forget the cappuccino

Good breakfast option, coffee was little to sauer for me

Cosy, chilled, great vibe. Had fantastic breakfast with OJ and incredible coffee.

Their brunch is really good. I recommend the French toast. It’s quite sweet, but it’s by far the best menu they have in my opinion. Halloumi and Shrooms with chorizo is my second favorite. It’s on the expensive side and the wait is always long, so be prepared. Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Freshness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cleanliness: ⭐️⭐️

Amazing food and lovely friendly staff. A mothers day treat from my daughters

Great food. Hollandaise sauce is perfection. Wait times can be long and a let down.

One of the few coffee shops that offer almond milk as a dairy alternative. They also have gluten free bread and nice sandwich variety including vegan and vegetarian options. The staff are nice and the service is great. The only thing is the place can get too loud.

After seeing on instagram we thought we’d give here a try for breakfast. The seating was quite crammed in for me personally. The food was ok but we were £50 for 2 breakfasts, a coke and a coffee which I don’t think had the extra espresso requested. Turned out we had been charged for a third breakfast so lucky we asked for an itemised bill which took £8.50 off the bill. I wouldn’t rush back to pay over £40 for an average breakfast.

Massively impressed, from the moment the lady gave us an amazing welcome in the que to the moment we left it was exceptional service. The food was quick enough though it was busy and was made perfectly. One of the best brunch spots I’ve been to in the world and I’ve been to alot!

A very popular Aussie-style brunch spot that is worth the wait. Staff were extremely friendly, food quality was decent, and the coffee was great. Keep an eye out for some of the Aussie treats also in stock, including Tim Tams, Cherry Ripes, Arnott's Shapes and more.

welcoming, for a breakfast outside the English cliché. excellent combination of flavours. informal .

It was my first visit to Federal. I came on a working day at around 8.30am. The coffee was brilliant and the atmosphere was great. Shame I didn’t try any food but it looked great on other guests’ plates. I’m giving 4/5 because there were couple of things that confused me slightly. There was a small info board in front of the cafe which says ‘if you’d like to be seated wait here, but come straight in if you’d like a takeaway”. I sort of waited outside but then a staff member was waving to me meaning “come in”. So not sure why they took it out maybe preparing for more people later… I had 40 minutes to drink my coffee before going to the meeting. I thought I’d quickly do a couple of things on my laptop, but lady from the staff members came to me and said that it’s “no-laptops cafe”. I understand that sometimes people could come, order one cup of coffee and sit in a cafe for 2-3 hours, but the ‘no-laptop’ wasn’t mentioned anywhere on the internet or at the entrance. I think a simple ‘we have a 1-1,5h limit on the tables’ is a better way. I took away my laptop but felt a bit unwelcome and slightly strange as though I’m breaking some rules. But these are just minor points, the main thing that the coffee was excellent, everyone was friendly and it was a great start of the day.

Delicious food and excellent service.

This federal is my favourite. The staff are so so lovely and the food always hits.

Food was lovely and I can’t wait to try the brunch menu with the cocktails! Service was great really nice people in there and would return just because of that.

Mate come on - no vegan options ( apart from bloody acai bowl) - get with the now!

Decent to good specialty coffee