Federal Cafe & Bar in Manchester

The acai bowl is delicious! Staff are very friendly & welcoming and the coffee is great too. Definitely recommend! :)

Coffee is amazing best I have ever had in my life, Cappuccino yesterday and back again for another today. Coffee is full of flavour and lovely mysteries notes of flavour. Staff are always helpful. Try it out you won’t be disappointed.

The cafe is beautiful, their food is very delicious, and the service is excellent, especially Charlotte, who is a very nice and smiling person

The best Turkish eggs this side of Istanbul! Wow what a hidden gem, I'm not surprised it's won so many awards. Everything from the atmosphere to the staff to the place settings was friendly & welcoming & that's before we even get on to the food! Delicious coffee, the Turkish eggs were creamy garlicky goodness, the matcha strawberry French toast was just the right blend of lightness sweetness & freshness. Both were beautifully presented too. If Manchester is the foodie capital of the north, Federal is the foodie place of Manchester!

Genuinely blows my mind that people queue to get in here. Very pricey option especially when you can walk round the corner and get a table straight away at one of the many other better locations. Food as nice as it comes. Staff very busy , did a good job.

I love this place! The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The baristas were incredibly helpful and the service was quick for such a busy place. I would recommend going with another person, but not people as the line can be quite long. However, I will say after wanting in line for 15-20 minutes, the baristas helped lift our moods by offering blondies and some incredible hot chocolate! When we were finally seated, Josh so kindly offered us a free French toast. It was absolutely delicious. I would 100% coming here and ordering the steak and eggs too!

Bagels we're a little basic but OK... food in general was nice... staff were attentive. coffee just needed more froth on the milk...

Very nice and trendy cafe, a small comment, the music was very loud, but it was nice music.

First time but wont be last, well worth the wait and all the staff are helpful and friendly. it was delightful brunch experience the food is so delicious A special thanks to Josh for the amazing service :)

Delicious brunch and coffee! The food is so good that we visited two times during our 3-day stay in Manchester. Best halloumi I have ever had! Friendly staff. A bit noisy and stuffy inside the cafe but overall great experience! Will definitely return!

Quite a variety on the menu, they give you water to drink without asking for it.

We were lucky on arrival and got seated straight away. Warm welcome, quick and attentive service. Food looked fantastic – and tasted just as good. Lovely experience all round!

I was lucky enough to visit on a Friday, 8am, and was able to immediately get a seat and some delicious breakfast - the Eggs Benedict brunch. Excellent choice, very happy. Lots of folks coming in and out, you can hear the chat going on around you, lots of dogs to say hello to, staff were friendly and helpful, and I'd be happy to go back - although I understand there's a queue out the door at weekends, which can't be fun!

The service and food was incredible as always but I wanted to especially say a massive thank you to Freya, she couldn’t have done more for us!! She brought us some treats while we were waiting in the queue and was so accommodating with any requests we made, such a lovely brunch date thanks to her, thanks so much x

What a find! Federal cafe is a perfect start to the day in Manchester! Excellent coffee. Great food and the best staff! Shout out to Harry!!

Nice small coffee shop, very good coffe and food, lots of gluten free options available, can be ordered via QR code. ☕👍😋

I ordered Emily’s banana bread with mascarpone cream and the Nutty granola. 10/10, probably the best breakfast ive ever had. My fiance had the smashed avocado and poached eggs on sourdough which was also amazing. Service from all girls on shift was great, everyone was so efficient and welcoming. I didnt like the iced caramel latte so wouldnt have that again but that wasnt a big deal! We dont live in Manchester but whenever we are in town we always visit Federal!

Fave breakfast, amazing good vibes staff, My go to when I'm feeling down :(:

Looking for something healthy, a great atmosphere, and even better food? THIS is the place! Our family of 5 waited for 30 minutes for a table (it’s cozy inside) and it was incredibly worth it. Their cappuccinos are perfectly balanced with a flavor of your choice, the smoothies are more like juices but so flavorful. Our teenage son loved the steak and egg sandwich, said it was easy to eat and is his favorite to date. Our teenage daughter had the avocado toast with bacon and said she wanted another but after sharing a piece of the banana bread with her brother, she was full. Our 7 year old thoroughly enjoyed the hot chocolate, said it was better than Italian hot chocolate-iykyk! The smashed avocado salmon sandwich was gone before I could ask my husband if he could taste it, and my eggs benedict with salmon was perfect. For a first timer family in Manchester, we would absolutely come back next time we visit.

Food was amazing! The service was excellent. Ben was a great host and was very helpful. Love the atmosphere

Small but perfectly formed! Super lovely staff and amazing food. That's it.

The friendliest/happiest staff ever! Food looks good and tastes fine but the dish I had was missing a little something I can’t put my finger on. The chai could do with a bit more spice. Great menu options though and a super cool vibe we enjoyed it overall

Wonderful Aussie-NZ caf, fantastic menu and cosy, warm interior. Friendly and attentive wait-staff. Dogs welcome! Could sit for hours.

Had an Excellent brunch at Federal. Had to queue to get in but this moved quickly and staff were welcoming and attentive. Once seated we shared a table with another couple which was a bit of squeeze but manageable. Food and drinks were delicious and service was excellent! Atmosphere was great all be it a little cramped and the music quite loud!

Amazing eggs benedict. Very friendly staff.

Lovely staff , really impressed they had a cool system to check back on us,food lovely !

Great service and milo that tastes just like how nan makes it.

Delicious food. Ordered the chocolate and sour cherry porridge which was delicious! My partner enjoyed his eggs 🍳 great coffee too!

I really enjoyed my visit here last week I regularly eat out for food and this was one of the best places I’ve been to in a while the only let down in my eyes was the service was very slow but lovely food in general great place will definitely be coming back !

Vine aquí después de un día entero de conciertos en un festival local, durante mis viajes me gustó mucho el look de Federal. Llegué por la mañana y tuve la suerte de conseguir una mesa tan pronto como había gente haciendo cola para conseguir una mesa. Me puse hipster y pedí el aguacate aplastado y los huevos escalfados, también agregué tocino y salmón ahumado (un día de alcohol te hará esto). La comida era sabrosa y se veía muy bien. Volveré en otro momento cuando en Manchester como el lugar tiene una muy buena vibra.

During peak time, u have to queue outside. Staff is friendly. However the scan menu didn't work so we had to physically go to the counter. Additionally, I wish the place had more sitting options. Food was great but drinks were average.

Was really great. The food was amazing, it was a cool and relaxed place. Staff were really friendly and helpful. Being this good does mean you have to queue to get in. We waited 30mins on a Sunday morning.

Popped in for lunch today. Was really impressed with the friendly welcome. Lots of friendly smiling faces. Ordered avocado poached egg and smoked salmon on sourdough and a Bloody Mary all excellent! No wonder this place is so popular. They know how to treat their customers, give them a great experience and great food 👍🏻

This is a super spot for fab food. We had breakfast there recently and Harry looked after us so well. If he doesn’t own the business then whoever does is blessed to have him! The food was absolutely delicious as well.

Highly overrated… disappointed to see this rating for undercooked bacon , overcooked poached eggs and misleading description on the menu… not recommended!

Came here today, service was amazing. Amelia was so attentive, food and coffee was great too. Will definitely come back

The vibe is amazing here, everybody is so nice, we got to try the new matcha raspberry! It’s amazingly balanced and great pic buddy!

We had the steak sandwich (cooked perfectly medium rare) and the bacon & poached eggs on avocado toast. Both meals were delicious! Staff were friendly and welcoming, and the price was reasonable. A great hangover cure!

This place is all about hospitality ..you feel looked after from the moment you turn up .. the whole experience was wonderful as was the food!

Great breakfast all so well and yummy cooked, great atmosphere and fantastic service

Warm setting. Quite varied and rather qualitative brunch offering. Thanks to Chloé and Rachel for their great service and good vibes. I recommend

super nice food and friendly service! Got brownie and banana cake when queuing.

Visit most days ....bacon bagel and latte...but today , steak sandwich with caramelised onion ....maybe the best steak sandwich I've ever had and I've had a few ! So good.

What an amazing time we had there. I went with my little one and everyone was so friendly since we enter the door. A cute lady stayed with my boy while I was ordering the food. The an amazing gentleman helped us to clean the hot chocolate that we spilled everywhere. The food was amazing, we had poached eggs with salmon and french toast (I am still dreaming about that dish), the coffee was the best one I ever had! Looking forward to go back!!!

I recently visited Federal Northern Quarter and it was an absolutely delightful experience! From the moment I walked in, the vibe was so welcoming and full of positive energy. The aesthetics are on point and the food was just as impressive as the atmosphere. You can tell that the staff truly cares about the experience they offer, and everyone was so friendly and attentive. Sam was amazing from the moment we got there. He brought the vibes and the great energy and made us feel right at home. Keeping us company in the queue, he had a good laugh with us and the wait didn’t feel like anything at all with the lovely company. It’s the kind of place that just makes you feel good, and I can’t wait to go back! Highly recommend it for anyone looking for a cozy, vibrant spot with great food and an even better atmosphere.

Absolutely delicious food. I was initially sceptical as lots of places like Federal are over hyped due to social media- I am so glad I was wrong. Our server Sam was extremely welcoming, charismatic and charming and not only made us feel comfortable but gave us a few laughs too. Speedy service considering the queues outside, and we didn’t feel pressured to eat up and leave straight away. Vibes- immaculate. Very impressed. Will be back.

All fur coat and no knickers these days unfortunately.

Really great service and nice staff, gave us umbrellas when waiting outside. Harry was lovely!

I ordered the shrooms and halloumi with fried egg instead of poached - I could have ordered this anywhere but the added dukkah mix really took it somewhere different. The coffee was delicious also. We had to wait about 20mins but the waiter was friendly and offered us free coffee whilst waiting due to the rain after sheltering us with an umbrella. The vibe inside was a pleasant hum of chatter and laughter - ideal and the plants made the place really cosy. No wonder it’s popular!

I'm not from Manchester. We walked around to find a good place and found this gem. I literally just had the food a few minutes ago there! It was really good; I had the french toast not too sweet, and iced coffee with it goes super well. My dad had a turkish brunch ; stole some of his as well. The sausages are salty, which pair well with the garlic sauce, and the sour dough blances it out so much So good. I loved it. The people were really sweet and also really, really pretty!!

The nicest places in Manchester! I went to the Oxford road where Christine and all of the other employees were the loveliest people ever! They were so friendly and helpful setting the atmosphere wonderful throughout the day, the food is divine and the matcha and bramble smoothie is the best honestly!

I ordered a decaf mocha, but I can now guarantee I was given a regular one instead. It’s been more than 20 hours, and I haven’t slept at all since yesterday. My heart rate was through the roof during the night, and I felt awful. This isn’t just an inconvenience, caffeine can have serious effects on people, and requests for decaf should be taken as seriously as an allergy. I made it very clear that I wanted decaf, yet didn’t bother to get it right. I’m extremely disappointed by the lack of care. I don’t like leaving low reviews for businesses, but in this case, I have to. It’s a shame because it’s a really nice spot, but after this experience, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to have anything to drink there again. I hope this helps take these requests seriously in the future for others.

Had to wait ~15 minutes outside to be seated because it was full, but definitely worth the wait. Friendly staff, good food and great atmosphere!

very nice staff and the food was delicious!!

This place is an absolute vibe.

what a cute little spot! food was lovely and so as the service, was served by anna and she was amazing. will be coming back soon :)

I've been to Federal's countless times & it's my all time favorite breakfast place. I travelled a lot of countries, tried many cafés & places but nothing beats this... My go to is the Avo & Salmon Sourdough + the French Toast. There is usually always a queue showing how good the food & coffee really is.

Great food and ambience. Harris is a legend!!! He was very welcoming and engaging, made the wait bearable. Absolutely wonderful customer service!

Visited Sunday for brunch not realising just how popular this place was and we had to queue. the guy managing the queue was a complete delight - so friendly and cheerful! we waited 35 mins for a table but were given free hot chocolate shots to keep us warm which was such a nice gesture! Once seated inside, our food came promptly and was delicious! Coffee was great and staff were efficient and polite. Would definitely recommend! and to the guy managing the queue - I WILL enjoy Miller&Carter thank you! I didn't hear you say it at the time! ha

Lovely service atmosphere and food.

My wife and daughter ate here today and had to queue for around 25mins but were treated in the queue to hot chocolate and flapjack. Their experience was fantastic, the service unlike the majority of places they’ve been to before… this makes the biggest difference and means that without doubt we will return soon and recommend to others

Loved the atmosphere and the food was amazing. Natalia was so helpful and just an amazing person. She made the experience ten times better and I would give the place a 10 star review because of her. Will definitely recommend and come back.

What an absolute gem in the middle of Manchester’s shopping madness. Big shout out to staff who make the place! Beyond expectations approachable and friendly. Great queue managers too! Food is fragrant and delicious, amazing coffee and other % drinks! 🍹 Make sure you are okay to wait if you plan to visit on the weekend 💪🏽

Staff are so lovely, quick, kind, and accommodating. Super cute place with great atmosphere and the best coffee I've ever had!

I’ve only ever been to federal on Oxford Road but this one is equally amazing. I swear by the French toast !! And I’d never tried a sandwich from there before but the steak sandwich doesn’t disappoint, steak is so perfectly cooked and so tender. The staff are absolutely amazing too !! I think it was the manager that found a table for us to sit at because ours was wobbly!

Have always been impressed by the delicious breakfast and lunches here. Particularly enjoy the sweetcorn fritters and french toast. Lovely friendly service, despite always being very busy. Often a queue for a table but always worth waiting

Staff was so sweet although it was very busy. Not suprised this place is buzzing as the food is incredible and the place got a very nice vibe to it. Would 10/10 recommend

We visited Federal on a Friday morning just after New Years. We queued for about 20 mins before being seated. Drinks and food were all delicious. A mistake with the ordering system meant our food was delayed but we were given free pastel de nata (delicious) and coffee vouchers to make up for it. Avocado and toast and cheddar corn fritters were both really tasty!

Easily the friendliest and kindest staff I've come across at a coffee shop. If you like a perfectly made Americano served by lovely people, this is the place.

We visited on our stay in Manchester for lunch on a Friday afternoon. Easy to access location and great for a range of things like meeting friendly, lunch dates and more. The staff are really friendly, have good Knowledge of the menu and happily accommodate our requests on the dishes. I went for a sando special of the month but unfortunately they ran out of one of the main fillings after I had ordered. So they offered to replace the dish for any menu which was a really good gesture. I ended up with the steak sandwich and we also had an eggs, smoked salmon & sourdough dish. The steak was cooked to perfection with the canalised onions combined with their special sauce and a toasted ciabatta bun worked magic. The eggs were had poached and they were perfectly cooked. The sourdough was really fresh and tasty. Onto the coffee. The iced coffee was really good and made as requested which was great. The beetroot coffee was my highlight. Wow this was incredible. We would 100% visit again.

I thought this would be the type of brunch spot with steep prices that take from the experience but I was wrong. The staff were all super friendly from the second we queued up (it’s busy but for good reason), we got offered a seat after only 5 mins or so though. I must admit, I was quite hungover but the chorizo sandwich and bramble smoothie put me back in the game It’s nice to experience such positive teams and your warm energy really goes a long way, so thank you!

Amazing. Well worth the queue in the cold!

Lovely place to have brunch, it was good. - bisous, Swiss people

Was out in town, and saw there was no queue, so went for Turkish Eggs & Coffee, absolutely fabulous but forgot to order the chorizo with it (doh). Couldn’t fault Freya either, so bubbly & actual made my visit that bit better too 👏🏻.

We were fortunate to find this gem on a short trip to Manchester from the US. We went to the Deansgate location two days in a row because it was so amazing. The staff provided excellent service especially Leah, and every single dish that came out was delicious! Thank you for a wonderful experience!

Amazing breakfast, atmosphere and staff friendly and tentative. The breakfasts were amazing, service was speedy and the coffee lush. You may have to wait to be seated but it's worth th wait.

The food was so tasty. Had to wait in a queue outside to be seated but they gave everyone a brolly and checked up on us. The staff were really lovely. Just a tad overpriced. £20 for an eggs benny and pot of tea.

Not worth the wait. Overpriced for small portions

Very nice and well-kept place, full of plants hanging from the ceiling and on the windowsills. Professional, friendly and helpful staff. Nice place to have breakfast or brunch. All very good, we tried the porridge and an açaí bowl. Advised!

Visit two of their branches it really didn’t disappoint. If I’m not mistaken this is the biggest branch compared to the other. I have to queue for 15 minutes ish to be able to get a seat. The vibes lively yet warm and cozy, not to mention the friendly staff. Coming here twice both ordered Turkish eggs always, it was creamy, fulfilling also has interesting sauce, for another order we tried french toast it was superb. Coffee was top notch, the drink also has various options depending on your preferences. Must visit if you’re in Manchester! No wonder it’s super popular

1st time me and wife visited this place as we wanted to try a new place for brunch / lunch. We only queued for a few minutes before being sat inside. Food was lovely but service was even better. Staff made you feel welcomed. Definitley recommend!

Brilliant all round. Good location reasonable prices, staff are hardworking and friendly 👏

Love it here, best coffee in Manchester

The best French toast and lovely coffee , staff are also really nice , it is expensive but a nice treat x

Yum, what more can I say. The queues outside tell you what you need to know. Popular for all the right reasons.

Loved this place - delicious food and good service. We had to queue for a little bit but it was worth the wait!

Can’t even describe how good the food was. I think this was the best steak sandwich i ever had. Welcoming staff. Food is great

Best cafe I’ve been to in Manchester, had to wait for a little while but they provided snacks and hot chocolate in the queue which was lovely. Amelia gave us such personable service, will definitely be returning.

Fantastic food, I really enjoyed the halloumi and mushroom dish. It was a bit cold for me, there was a window open but that's personal preference

Was in the other day and I gotta say was worth the little wait in the que, got chatting becks who was super friendly and helped me work out what to order coz I couldn’t decide hahaha highly recommend coming here !

Had an enjoyable time here! The place is so welcoming with all the wooden decor. The staff were incredibly friendly and kind. There’s quite a lot of options for both drinks and food. We have ordered a sour cream salmon bagel and a steak sandwich with scrambled eggs. Everything tastes amazing, especially the sandwich. I’ve ordered a matcha which said it’s non-sweetened. It tastes just right and not too milky.

Visited today for the first time and despite a little wait for the lunchtime rush at 1pm we had such a nice time. The staff are so nice especially becks who was super nice and charismatic and is actually why I wanted to make effort to review when I usually don't bother. The cappuccino was so smooth and one of the best in Manchester and don't get me started on the food. We got the steak sandwich to share which was 10/10 and I got the cheddar corn hash and my boyfriend got the Turkish eggs and both were so tasty, not the cheapest but worth it when you know the foods gonna be really good. Also loved that the owner is portugese as my partner is portugese, would deffo come back

Sam was welcoming and funny! All staff were lovely. Worth the long queue for a Saturday morning, very quick service for food. Best coffee !

bex was welcoming and lovely will return soon

Recommended by a friend. Incredibly tasty food and well worth the price.

Friendly staff, nice food but awful coffee

The brunch is 10/10, the coffee is not the best but it’s the UK i can’t expect more it’s better than other place. The staff are very nice all of them are very welcoming and pleasant ❤️ Definitely will come again

Had a really lovely brunch - got the eggs Benedict with bacon - was devine with the hollandaise as the star, so good. Bloody Mary was just the hit I needed - really cute spot, super busy and for good reason great fast service and the staff really were fantastic. Becs served me, and enticed me to get the a Pastel de Nata to take-away, she was correct - it was amazing. Will definitely be back

Had brunch with friends last Wednesday and the food with great. The sever Bex was awesome, she was so welcoming to us when we arrived and took that extra mile to make sure everything was great. Would recommend and ask for Bex if you can she’s amazing!!

Nipped in yesterday for a late brunch. Really nice food, highly recommend the steak ciabatta. Nice staff and the manager was really helpful when I made an enquiry about some personal preferences :)