Federal Cafe & Bar in Manchester

Unreal brunch Brunch is my fave meal and this place just exceeded all expectations! We got the autumn specials - pumpkin spiced latte and the marshmallow mocha Then both got the same - halloumi & shrooms + avo ! The food was 10/10 If you’re in Manchester then make sure you go here!

Great experience every time. Food is delicious, french toast is an absolute must. Staff is really kind and welcoming despite the long queues it's so worth it, and I keep coming back for more!

Lived in Manchester all my life but today I finally had the pleasure to taste some of the freshest coffee in town. The experience was only topped by the wonderful staff, especially by Anna, who was incredibly helpful and insightful.

Came in today, had a great time , food was nice , drinks were great Main thing was how delightful a girl called Anna that worked there was, she was polite and very attentive. She’s a credit to federal. I will be coming again and hopefully Anna will be working next time I come.

Rapid service today as always 👌

Lovely service, tasty food and amazing coffee. Vegan options

Cozy cafe, and great service. While there was a wait at 9ish, the wait was worth it as food service was quick. Food was great too, especially for cafe brunch.

Steak sandwich was very good and so was the rest. Pretty expensive though if you look at the size of the meals, but nevertheless great quality

Amazing food every single time. Warm staff and it’s honestly changed the game for what I expect from French toast. In an ocean of same samey cafes and restaurants in Manchester it awesome they have such a strong stand out menu. My only qualms are the one I went to by arndale was tiny and a bit cluttered. It’s so busy in there it could’ve done with feeling as spacious as possible and please put salt and pepper on avocado it’s a must. other than that it was spotless the waitress was lovely and I’d love to go back

We had the best time in this cafe! The staff were friendly and welcoming & the service was great even though we were a large group.

Rude service and no manners from the blonde waitress. Asked us to queue and put our name on the waiting list. Then preceded to give our table to 2 newcomers right in front of us and told us the wait had now become 30 minutes. There’s a review underneath saying they had a similar experience and was a result of racism and I also think this might be true.

The host was a clear racist and an Islamaphobe. I’m speaking about one of the blonde girls with a European accent I never got her name, I left to avoid giving her a mouthful. She’s very passive aggressive, dismissive and disinterested. She has a very rude tone and aggressive demeanour. The aesthetic of the shop is clearly trying to tailor to different cultures and seems very inclusive. My advice to the manager is to pick carefully Who is at the front of the house? Will not be returning

The first time I tried the beef burger was not delicious. This is the second time I came here and I was pleasantly surprised. The brunch was really good. It was filling for one person. The combination was rich and nutritious. It was really delicious. White man rice! So I came back for the yogurt bowl in the afternoon.

Thank you Natalia for the lovely service

This brunch café is a hidden gem! From the warm welcome to the delicious, freshly prepared food, everything was perfect. The staff made us feel so comfortable and welcomed, and the flavors of each dish were incredible. A special shoutout to Bruna, who kindly offered a complimentary Portuguese tart—it was sweet, flaky, and absolutely divine. Can’t wait to come back!

First time at Federal today and I can't compliment Jen enough. As soon as we walked in she was welcoming and polite. She explained everything so well and provided excellent service. Jen is a credit to Federal and I think it's only fair she gets the recognition. Thanks Jen. X

Great brunch and coffee. Shout out to Jen who served our table. Great customer service. Thanks.

Amazing food and service at NQ. Jen was so polite and helpful, even when I asked for my food to be changed, she didn't hesitate. I would come back because of the great customer service Jen had. It's so hard to find this level of service. Keep it up Jen :-)

Best breakfast/brunch I’ve had! The steak and eggs were amazing and also had halal options which was great. Drinks were also perfect and staff were extremely friendly and accommodating! Great environment overall!

The eggs Benedict was absolutely amazing! The staff were super friendly and polite. I’ll definitely be coming back! Wish they had more non-dairy options!

Had a bit of a wait in the queue, and it was a bit annoying seeing multiple parties of two being seated, but our party of four had to wait for so much longer for a bigger table. The food was lovely though! The French toast in particular was definitely worth going back for. The coffee was not bad, just nothing special. There are better coffees in town.

Small cafeteria with good service where you can have breakfast or brunch. Delicious food and well-made coffees. Price somewhat expensive.

Best coffee in Manchester, They always nail it🙌🙌

One of the best brunches that I’ve ever had! Got the steak and eggs and the sauce was amazing. Finished it with a French toast.

Lovely food and staff! Highly recommend 😍

I can see why this cafe is so popular and crowded. The Q is almost perpetually there. The cosy place is so filled with warmth and comfort. The coffee is great and the food is smacking good.

Amazing, probably one of the best places that do french toast.

Recommended by a local. Best breakfast I've ever had. 10/10

Amazing and friendly service! Best French Toast...

One of the best brunches me and my partner have ever had - been to Manchester many times and this is some of the nicest food here - food and coffees were delicious, and the service was excellent too - very chatty and welcoming. Fantastic staff and would recommend it to anyone.

I ordered it randomly and it was better than I expected. It's the best! If you travel to Manchester, be sure to try this restaurant!

A small, cozy place, but the service left something to be desired.

A brilliant food spot 👌 excellent service, delectable food could not recommend it enough! from chefs to wait-staff they are all incredible and really make the place memorable. I can't wait for my next visit

Well this was a lovely Sunday brunch, cozy place with a view, welcoming staff, and of course yummy coffee & tasty food. . A must to try guys.

Well this Aussie was super impressed with the brekky here. Great food and coffee and open at a reasonable time. The staff were lovely and the decor was really nice too. The only issue was the Milo tins proclaiming "Classic NZ Taste". Despite being on the wrong side of the AU vs NZ culture war I can highly recommend this place

Excellent food, Excellent service and bloody good music!

A fantastic find. Would dine there again in a heartbeat. Thank you

The service was amazing! & the food as well😍 we waited in line and entered in less than 15 mins! super fast & i highly recommend the french toast

One of the best brunch places ever

Ordered via Deliveroo. Burnt toast and completely cold food. Don’t bother

Best coffee shop in Manchester in my opinion Didn't eat

A delicious breakfast al fresco at The Federa Cafe. We had two great dishes: the Halloumi & Shrooms (pan fried halloumi w/ garlic & thyme roasted mushrooms, poached eggs, dukkah on sourdough toast with a side of chorizo). And the Turkish Eggs (poached eggs on whipped garlic yoghurt w/ hot chilli butter & za'atar served w/ sourdough toast and a side of chorizo). It’s a small place and very popular. There were no tables available inside so we sat outside and they gave us blankets to keep warm!

The breakfast we had was really good and the service provided by our server was excellent. Their coffee was the best we had in Manchester.

The food was so good! I ordered a sourdough with scrambled eggs, avocado, and halloumi with fed sauce. The halloumi is the best halloumi I’ve ever had! The fed sauce is so good. You can customize your order however you want. Everyone in the comments talk about the french toast, but for me I LOVED the banana bread much more. The flat white was great!

I’ve been going for a few years now and I’ve never had an issues with the food nor the place but suddenly I noticed the price on the menu did not match what was being charged and also that they stopped asking if you wanted to tip, so turns out they automatically charge you %10 for you to go up and order. Distasteful and deceitful.

Had a delicious breakfast meal and the staff were so lovely! There was something wrong with their system so I ended up getting a free meal! How lovely!! They wouldn’t accept my cash!

Awful. Massive wait and poor service

Excellent food amazing service wonderful food. This is the first time I've ever been sad Google reviews only goes to five stars... Here are 6 stars just for you ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The food was great (highly recommend cheddar corn fritter) and the service exceptional. I highly recommend this cafe.

Amazing cheesecake french toast. Highly recommend it.

Staff is unprofessional And steak isn’t eatable They should do better

A little expensive for the cuisine offered. I was slightly overwhelmed by the flavor of the 2 dishes I had. Then maybe it's because I'm French, I have high standards. But the place, and especially the staff were incredible 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

- cappuccino (+ oat milk) £3.40 (+50p) - milo £4 - turkish eggs £12 - shakshuka (special) £13 - french toast £14

I ordered steak and eggs Was disgusting had to return it It came burnt Ordered scrambled eggs again Also service was very bad I don’t know how they have 4.7 stars I think they doing the reviews by themselves I had to ask for refund for them The guy who were serving charged me again £15 on top(Scrambled eggs) which I ordered for the alternative of Steak and eggs And telling me that I will get refund of £20 for steak in 5 days without any receipt provided for it The staff doesn’t know what they doing And who ever running it should bring better system to retain customers Totally disappointed

There's a reason why there's always a long queue. This cafe is just wonderful, from the service to the coffee. Just make sure you escape the peak times around lunch and you should get a seat without too long a wait. Grab the french toast. You won't forget it!

To be honest, breakfast is more than normal. Nothing special. Even the amount of food is samples and the price is very high for breakfast

No idea why this place is such a hype.... the food is ok,not amazing, but had much much better brunch in so many cafes in manchester,not worth any wait in the queue (as there seems to be one every time we pass it). We had eggs benny (simple and basic), turkish eggs (the most bland turkish eggs my bf had in his life,and he's tried them hundreds of times all over uk,its not hard to make it special and add a few nuts and spices and make it your own!), avo toast and halloumi toast (both ok,not the best). Would not come back. Also this girl who served us was pretty rude at the beginning, but changed her attitude towards the end. We all have bad days but if you work in customer service it doesnt get unnoticed. Batch coffee was nice,latte was meh.. overall,wouldnt come back.

I recommend it The dishes are varied The food is of high quality in terms of basic ingredients The eggs are fresh The place in general is beautiful

I recently had the pleasure of dining at FEDRAL on Manchester, and I have to say, it was an outstanding experience. The highlight of my meal was definitely the Cheddar Corn Fritters – they were absolutely amazing! The fritters were perfectly crispy on the outside and wonderfully cheesy on the inside, with a delightful hint of sweetness from the corn. The overall atmosphere at FEDRAL is cozy and inviting, and the staff are incredibly friendly and attentive. The menu offers a great variety of dishes, and everything we tried was fresh and delicious. If you're looking for a great place to eat in Manchester, I highly recommend giving FEDRAL a try. You won't be disappointed! !

Delightful time here, sat outside. My girlfriend has the Halloumi and shrooms (trip not included) and enjoyed her meal a lot. I had the Chorizo sandwich which was 10/10 and possibly the best thing I’ve eaten on my trips to Manchester. Finished it off with the Banana bread which was lovely.

Ordered two cappuccino, haluimi and mushrooms, and the chorizo sandwich. Everything was 10/10 incredible food. Best brunch in Manchester by far.

Have tried to visit a few times and have been unsuccessful (it's very popular) And I was delighted visiting for the first time today. Attentive team and food is PERFECT plates. I now understand the hype. Move over all other MCR brunch venues - Federal is the winner. Visited today on a very sunny Tueaday around 11:30 - queued for around 5 minutes (if that) before being seated. Food and drinks arrived quickly ! Really well presented and well catered to allergens! 100/10 - will definitely be returning !

If you're in the area at the vet least try the beetroot latte - it was amazing! And then the food too was well presented, delicious and prompt. It's not a large venue but it's definitely cosy and the staff are really attentive and friendly. Prompt service and reasonable pricing, well worth a visit.

The food is delicious and the seating inside is great.

Good food, good coffee. I added some Tabasco to my dish which just did it - it was absolutely great. I left very full, and I’m looking forward to exploring the menu a bit more.

Bex wa amazing, so friendly, nothing was too much trouble and the food was amazing

Lovely food, lovely vibe, bex was so friendly and amazing

مطعم مميز ونظيف وله أكثر من فرع في مانشستر تجربة مميزة تستحق التجربة كل زيارة لي في مانشستر أزور هذا المطعم لتناول وجبة الإفطار.

Long waiting outside but very bad management. I came with my family and we waited but they took many people came after us. I don’t know what the reason but we did not wait and I informed them I’ll move cuz they don’t respect customers !!

Delicious brunch. 30 min wait at 12 on a Friday was surprising. But it's worth it! Very friendly staff.

lovely cafe/ brunch place, service was quick and the staff was friendly. Good music as well. The Benedict eggs were so good!

Friendly and attentive service, outstanding breakfast quality. A little on the expensive side, but you definitely get what you pay for. You won't be disappointed,

Dont hesitate to visit this cafe it super delicious we ordered a Turkish eggs and two coffees. It is considered slightly expensive for one main dish and two drinks as we paid 20 pounds Would i come again? Definitely 😋

Visited when in Manchester last week, food and service is lovely! Chill atmosphere as well - would definitely recommend:-)

Great place for a breakfast or brunch .

Amazing food and perfect for vegetarians

The worst ever service I had in Manchester

After a Saturday night in Manchester we were looking for a late breakfast and this place we’d seen online and were determined to go . Arrived about 10:00 to see a queue of 10 or so people outside, we were greeted by a staff member who told us we would be waiting 20 minutes ish , no problem and with that they brought menus for us to look at . On a table becoming available we went inside and were seated , told how to order and pay etc , staff are fantastic. Ok the food … 1 avocado on toast with poached eggs 1 special of the day which was a sandwich, sausage pattie , bacon, egg, pickled red onions and emmental cheese in a beautiful fresh bread bun . Fresh orange juice Banging coffee If you are in Manchester and can maybe risk a wait ….. go 100% go it’s so good £40 maybe a bit more than some but well worth it

Not sure why this place is so busy all the time, my turkish eggs were just average, boyfriend’s steak sandwich was yummy but the prices were expensive for the portion. Very busy and we had to sit on the high chair stool and window seat with very narrow table Average experience

Had some lovely brunch here, we were seated quickly & service was great. The food was really nice, I had the French toast. I would defo go back & recommend. I felt the waiters maybe rushed us slightly but I understand that it’s a busy, popular place so makes sense why they’d want people in and out.

15 minute walk to this because its rating was amongst the highest and it was well worth it, conventional standard English breakfasts weren't on the menu but the Turkish eggs were divine. Quirky recycled items on display the temperature of my cappuccino was the only down side. Highly recommended

Everyone here at Federal were kind and accommodating but Kate has the best customer service we have ever seen. Both regulars and new customers were greeted with the same kindness and smiles at the door and provided with a refreshing iced tea whilst we waited in the sunshine for a table. Kate needs a pay rise and the steak Sandi is the breakfast of champions. Federal has the best brunch we’ve ever had, would highly recommend to anyone in Manc, it is worth the wait! We can’t wait to go back when we’re next in Manchester:)

Don't understand the hype, went for halal steak which was overcooked & had black cooking spots, felt like chewing on a tire. French toast only tasted of yogurt Overcrowded in a small small space and too loud as there's not enough space, so disappointed

French toast is super legit. Staff great. Little wait but not too bad. Would highly recommend. Great selection of food.

the food was good ngl, But the staffs and their service -10 also ngl very unfriendly and out of service mind, big amount of service charge without ANY good services

Great food Just the right portion size Quite cramped inside and feel rushed Quite expensive for what it is but you pay for the name

Promptly greeted with a smile and a menu to look through while I waited. Can’t comment on the inside vibe since I sat outside. Generally speaking it was comfortable and surprisingly more quiet than I would have expected. The food was good, not great - not mouth watering or particularly inspiring. It wasn’t particularly hot either and relatively expensive considering the size (2 eggs, 2 haloumis, 2 mushroom caps on a piece a toast). In short, I left hungry.

Uber friendly, fantastic coffee Just calldd in for a takeaway coffee as I am working in the area. 10.15 and it is very busy. Lots of staff who were very friendly, cappuccino is fantastic, I will be back

Amazing breakfast. We traveled from Liverpool to Manchester just for a delicious meal at this location and it DID NOT disappoint! Highly recommend to locals and folks passing through alike.

Had a lovely afternoon at federal yesterday, food and drinks were great and the service was amazing. Becky got us a menu straight away, asked if everything was okay and really made us feel looked after. Would 100% come again!

This is our friend HQ in Manchester, and we understood why! The food is delicious and creative, the team very nice and efficient, the atmosphere of the cafe very pleasant. I definitely recommend the place 🙂

We have been to the Federal Café Bar twice, we really appreciated the quality of the dishes, the service and the friendliness of the staff.

Very cosy place, great for brunch or a coffee. They don’t allow laptops out at lunch time though so not the best for a study spot. Atmosphere is lovely though and service is great.

Enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with the "Smashed Avocado & Poached Egg" dish—deliciously balanced and flavorful. The "French Toast" was a highlight, super soft and bursting with yumminess. Though the café is a bit small, it adds to the cozy atmosphere. The friendly staff made the experience even better. Perfect for a delightful, satisfying start to the day!

Great coffee! Best in Manchester. Still my go-to place for coffee in Manchester 😃

Love this place. Great staff especially Irish Emma! She makes a killer coffee 😎

French toast is really delicious No wonder there isn’t a table that doesn’t order this dish🧇🫐🍓 Chai Latte or Ezra&Grill is better?

Ideal for making a stop and having a snack. The restaurant is small and the atmosphere is very pleasant. The service is fast and the waiters are super friendly. Recommended 💯x💯.

Federal is a great place for breakfast. Although in last year or so it seems to be slightly veering off course, the food portions are smaller and more expensive (sign of the times), the food wasn't as good (although still good), and the atmosphere felt slightly off (although still nice), and I dont like phone app ordering and counter ordering when it is such a small crowded venue, especially when they add service charge AND ask for tip on card machine? I'd give it somewhere between 4 and 4.5 stars if I could. Use to be 5.

Lovely coffee and a delicious ginger slice! Looking forward to going back!