Grand Cafe Waterstones in Manchester

Great cafe and so dog friendly, 🐕

I love Manchester's W cafes! The food is genuinely really good and you can always get a seat, nice and cosy!

Brilliant little cafe in Waterstones. Great selection of food and drink and a quiet oasis to escape to in the city

I came here for coffee and cake with my mum and this is a really nice cafe inside the bookshop. There was only one person at the counter so service was slow, but the coffee tasted good, they have a soya milk option as well. My mum had cappuccino cake which she said was divine. Plenty of seats and some nice wall classic book themed wall decor like Sherlock Holmes etc. They have a few books of the month which net you a free drink with purchase. It is quiet, so great for working too, there were a lot of people with laptops there. Overall a nice gem of a coffee shop inside a book store.

Asked for two lattes and bacon sandwiches. Coffee took several minutes after a fruitless search for semi skinned milk. Sandwiches awful. Waited five minutes at the counter for them to arrive and when they did there was hardly any bacon and it was rock hard and in bits and bread was hard. Excuse was that it had to be in the microwave for five minutes. Took sandwiches back and got a refund but no apology for lack of right milk or poor sandwiches. Staff were more interested in talking about their weekends.

cozy warm atmosphere, lovely friendly attentive staff and delicious quality chai lattes in large cups, which i like, lots of vegan options for drinks & bakes

I have just been to the cafe and purchased a cup of tea. It was approx 40mins before closing time. The lady at the till said I could only be offered a paper cup as the dishwasher could not be used so near closing time. This was the case even though customers were still drinking from ceramic cups. I then asked for sugar and was told due to supply issues there was no sugar. If this was mentioned at the beginning I would not have purchased a tea. I know it's Christmas and the store is busy but still no excuse for the service

I have a favourite table just as you walk in! Otherwise, I find it a little uncomfortable if I have to sit towards the back, its a bit like sardine in tin ish .. so star off for that. Coffee nice, cakes are fresher in this waterstone than arndale, staff are better here than arndale waterstone, they give off this pissy vibe. Don't forget to scan your loyalty card!!

This coffee shop inside Waterstones is a true hidden gem in Manchester City centre. The staff are attentive, their coffee is creamy and delicious. Their selection of cakes is also great and the environment is lovely and quiet. Keep up the good work! 🫶🏻

Staff always friendly. The prefect place to sit with a drink.

A café on the last floor of the library

Went to visit to remote work, got distracted with work and lost track of time. A female barista approached me and aggressively asked if I was going to buy something or I’d have to give up my table. I was left a bit shaken. I regularly visit this cafe and have been going for years. I was going to buy something but just lost track of time on this one occasion. As it happens I did buy something in the end but wished I hadn’t because of the shocking behaviour of this barista. Won’t be going again.

Lovely hot chocolate to top off a nice family get together

Always has been good. Nice views l, cozy and Tucked away. Great for a quiet coffee or hot choc away from the crowds.

Books and coffee - what's not to like?

Not a patch on how it used to be when it had nice sofas in the conversation area, but these have been replaced to make more room for bookstands and displays. And today, too few staff and all drinks served in takeaway cups as dishwasher broken.

Great cafe honestly thought it would be a side thing but really comfy and great coffee also provides milk alternatives for those that want it.

Have visited a few times recently, it used to be a quiet place to meet for a coffee but now seems aimed at parents with young children and babies - baby/toddler group meeting in the cafe very noisy. Have since found another cafe which I can meet friends in.

As of 6th July 2021 this café is still CLOSED which means so are the toilets. There are no signs downstairs to say this so I hiked up to the third floor to discover for myself. What a joke!

Currently closed due to Corona virus issues.

Over priced with a unhygienic barista

Cafetería muy relajante, baños limpios, buena selección de bebidas calientes. El personal se mantiene reservado, pero está bien, no necesitamos una conversación. Hermosa sucursal, maravillosa selección de libros, asientos muy cómodos en la cafetería. Nunca he tomado té en un "teatiere" antes de que fuera refrescante y las hojas de té estaban muy frescas. Buen lugar para una reunión informal de negocios si es necesario

We had visited several sites in the City in the morning, and with a Festival event in the evening were looking for a relaxed late lunch venue where we could enjoy good food and coffee and read the paper. The Grand Cafe fitted the bill very well. Comfortable seating and a range of items. Of course, once we were ready to go again, we then spent some time perusing in this excellent bookshop and you can imagine the rest. This is a valuable asset in the City centre

I love shopping at Waterstones and it is such a shame that the food on offer at the cafe is so uninspiring, and even more a shame that the staff is so unfriendly. It always seems that we are disturbing their private conversations. The place could do with a revamp, a new menu and the staff could benefit from customer training.

A place to get away from the overcrowded busy streets and cafe's in and around the city centre. Its got a library atmosphere quiet and a place to contemplate, surrounded by beautiful written works. Books are constantly under threat from the digital age so a cafe inside a bookshop is a hidden gem.

Love Waterstones, love the location on the top floor BUT this cafe needs to step up somewhat. Coffee is OK but cakes/pastries are very hit and miss. The menu is inconsistent but not in an positive way. We get the impression it is because supplies are irregular; not a good reason and perhaps the manager should be having serious discussions about this and serious discussion about the freshness of some of the cakes sold. Some staff have been delightful, some less so, again a case of hit and miss. We should probably find an alternative but the books keep drawing us back........ Maybe we have only ourselves to blame!

i have never been served a tea and a cake so pretensiously in my life. I was so confused by it that it was actually hilarious. cake was good, coffee and tea were also but bad service ruins everything for me. i've worked (and managed) bars, cafes etc for a loong time and i know people can be unhappy with their job but this was next level dissociation with reality, just felt sad for them.

unfortunately the Staff let this place down, no smile,no patience but worst thing one of them putting a cigarette in mouth while behind the counter.... shouldn't even be in sight while inside.

Went to Waterstones with the family and popped into the Grand Cafe on the top floor. It’s a really spacious cafe with nice leather seats and a great selection of hot drinks. Leah served us and she was a great help. Coffee was delicious. I’d recommend the Flat White! Overall, BRILLIANT!!

Under staffed and tables dirty! Food was horrible! Tomato and cheese panini really disgusting! Very expensive for what i was served. Asked for table to be cleaned and told had other things to do will come later! Wont come again

Went for coffee and cake at 2:30 on Saturday 3rd November. Walked up to look at the cakes and saw about five small flies buzzing around inside the individual glass cake stand cover that covered the scones. I pointed it out to my mum and the lady behind the counter said to me, “well you don’t have to eat them if you don’t want to.” I was too taken aback at her rudeness to reply. When we walked along the counter, not realising that I had glanced across at her I witnessed her pull a face at her colleagues clearly communicating to him that I was an idiot difficult customer. Not surprisingly we didn’t order a cake. If nothing else at least they took the scones away.

How ridiculous... I ordered two slices of coffee and walnut cake at £3.50 for a medium sized slice. It was plonked on a saucer!!! No serviette, no fork. Served by a bored member of staff who wasn’t interested. The menu on the table offers salads, chips, tossties but apparent,y not after 3 pm!,,, £19 for two cups of teas and 2 slices of cake on a saucer.... total rip off.

This cafe is perfectly placed on the third floor of Waterstones and I'd expect it to do really well. Today, however, it was fairly quiet, and I started to get an idea of why when my food arrived. While there was nothing much wrong with it - salmon sandwich with salad, it was very poor value at over £6.00. The tiny sandwiches seemed to have simply a smattering of either mashed salmon or paste, while the salad - lettuce and a little grated carrot plus a tomato slice or two - pretty uninspiring. It was quite tasteless, as though it had been kept in a fridge awaiting an order. With so many excellent places to eat in Manchester the fact that this is in a fine bookshop won't be enough for me to make a return visit.

A brilliant book shop spread over three stories. With a very nice cafe on the top floor. They provide a nice selection of easy food and cakes plus a nice range of hot drinks and alcoholic drinks also. The prices are very reasonable for the location as well. A very good place to relax and read with no one wanting to bother you. Easy to find on Deansgate approx 15mins walk from Victoria station.

A comfortable, relaxed place with pleasant staff and a limited selection of attractive and attractively presented food. There is a good choice of tea, coffee and alcoholic drinks. It adds to the attractiveness of the bookshop which in turn makes it a congenial place to be. Quite apart from anything else, it is a good place ce to meet as well as to eat.

Well they did not have the book I wanted. Hot chocolate and a chocolate square to eat. Really nice. Pretty empty at 3;00pm. People drink coffee, use the free wi-fi and read books at the comfy chairs and tables.

I've liked the cafe in every Waterstone's I've been in. They're fairly good places to work, with a reasonable selection of tea/coffee etc. One downside is they can attract mums with kids who can make a bit of noise, and this one was no exception.

Pedí un café, intenté conseguir un trozo de tarta, en la pantalla, y el letrero decía que no había comida, pero aún estaba sirviendo café y pastel. Bloke le dice a la mujer que nos sirve: no podemos preparar el pastel que ya hemos hecho. ¿Es esta realmente la actitud correcta para tomar? ? ? A la izquierda después de decir que parecía una forma de basura para tratar a un cliente, consiguió una sonrisa y ningún intento de rectificar. Otra mujer en la cola dijo que era una pena. . . solo desprecio arrogante, 3. 50 no se supone que se cierre hasta 4.

My wife needed a drink, so in and up we came. Brilliant hot Chocolate and Roo bush tea at midday. Great seats. Quiet, clean toilets. Brilliant.

Cuando este lugar abrió había servicio de mesa, desayunos y comida fue preparado en las instalaciones. Todos ellos han sido ocupadas por un director que obviamente no entienden el servicio al cliente de calidad. El ambiente es genial y es muy relajante, pero siempre hay muy pocas personal, así que esperar años para que nos sirvieran y sentarse en las mesas desordenadas.

Es una librería muy chula y muy completa. Creo que tiene 3 plantas y puedes encontrar de todo, relacionado con viajes tienes un montón de cosas, mapas, planos... si tienes alguna duda, pregunta porque te atienden genial.

A good place to drop into whilst in the bookshop or even in the area. Always find relaxed away from the hustle of other coffee shops.

Recuerdo este café está bien dirigido y bien cuidados, también deliciosa comida pero ahora. . . . . .

Visitamos aquí para un aperitivo por la tarde con mi esposa, hermano, cuñada y nuestros tres niños (8 - 12). Gran lugar para relajarse y revisar algunas de nuestras compras. Hay un montón de espacio para moverse, con asientos cómodos y una decoración moderna, mucho mejor que algunas de las cafeterías al lado de la acera del pasamos. Buena variedad de café, té y pasteles, lo recomiendo para una escapada en cualquier viaje de compras.

Soso, lento la comida. Hummus y pan pitta no un olivo o vegetales a la vista. Tomar el Mick. Simplemente usas el café, al menos eso era bueno

I had a hot mug of red mulled wine to start with = which went down a treat.I then had a bowl of tomato soup to keep me warmed up and a toasted cheese and ham panini with fries to finish things off.Very enjoyable indeed - would come again soon.

A great place to relax during a day out shopping, enjoying a cup of coffee and perhaps some cake on one of the cosy sofas, with a good book to read (in case the conversation slows down). The only challenge can be finding a place to sit when the shop gets busy.

Cafe on the top floor of the Waterstones store on Market St.Set up for meals, drinks, and to just loiter over the food with a book or a chat.Great sandwiches and drinks for a quick bite.

Good to have a coffee shop to relax in our favourite book shop. The tea was no so good, the caramel short cake on the other hamd was delicious.

Service was great, lovely for a relaxing place to sit and read, with great hit drinks on offer. Love spending time here!

Went there for a smoothie/coffee. There smoothie had plastic bits in there, the staff replied it was fruit fiber which it wasn't and it is quite pricey for that size. I didn't drink it as it felt like hair in the drink.

Came here to read a book i had bought from the store. The food and drink here however is a bit pricey as one can imagine but is of a good quality, as i ordered a mocha and it was very nice. The cafe also offers booth's for groups and single seating for readers like myself.

I always pop in for some quiet time over a coffee and piece of cake when in Manchester city centre. So convenient on Deansgate to get to my favourite bars in Spinningfield later.Visiting this people friendly cafe on the top floor amid all the books is now a given everytime I visit.Try it....don't think you'll be disappointed.

We were there on Friday Sept 23 in the morning and the ladies helping were very professional, nice and pleasant.

Like to go here chill out in comfortable seating no rush foods good staff helpful and books to read as well

Really nice space to chill out in have a drink and look at books and leave the bustle of central Manchester for a while. Will be a hi to location if I'm in the city again.

The title is misleading, it ain't grand. It's a coffee shop in a bookshop but it's OK. The coffee is as good as anywhere else.

Just love going in here. I always meet my husband here when shopping in Manchester. Food is lovely, ambience is fine, staff are good and it is very relaxing.

Very nice atmosphere, lovely layout, with plenty of room. Service was very friendly and helpful and the food was excellent. There was plenty of room for pushchairs, buggies and wheelchairs. It is on the second floor, with all the usual facilities.

I had lunch here today. I always find it is a lovely place to chill, read a book & have a drink so I thought I'd try the food today. Under the last ownership a few years ago, I remember the food there being rather good....BIG MISTAKE!!!! I ordered a roast chicken sandwich with mayonnaise & salad which cost £6.20. What came, I wouldn't have paid £1.20 for!! Really thin bread, hardly any chicken, I had to get them to bring me mayonnaise so I could put it on myself because there was hardly any, and there was no dressing on the side salad! To top it off, the waiter did not give me the opportunity to say anything when he collected my plate, but more or less ran away as quickly as possible because he did not want to hear a complaint! Awful!!! I will not be eating there again! Which is a shame, because it is a nice place to sit & read. Please sort your food out!!!!

An ideal place to call for afternoon tea. It was a quiet oasis on a busy Saturday in the city centre. Friendly staff too. Will call back here for sure.

Really enjoyed the sandwich, cake and coffee. Everything fresh and well made. Staff were really friendly and helped me to carry my tray to the table, as I had lots of shopping. Loved the atmosphere and nobody minds if you stay a while and read at your table. Will go there again when I'm in Manchester

I never knew this place existed before today. I went with a friend for a quick lunch and we had the most delicious sandwiches, she had pastrami and mozzarella, I had the greek feta, tomato, rocket and peppers. They were served with crisps and we had tea to drink. It is on the 3rd floor, so make sure you take the lift if you are in need! The staff were friendly, the tables, toilets and all the rest were very clean. They serve alcohol and the place is a little hidden gem! I ill be going back on my next visit to Manchester, it's too good to miss! Set in a massive Waterstone's book shop.HEAVEN!

We visit this cafe regularly, though on this occasion we felt very let down.....Wanting a coffee and toast as a light breakfast,, we ordered. Unfortunately after we had started drinking our coffee, the waitress ? came to the table to tell us there was not enough bread to complete our order, so I changed mine to a tea cake... This was brought, then we were told that actually there was no toast at all !!!!!!.... Ok we had a refund for the toast.... wow £1.90. Which left my wife with nothing other than a coffee. Very very disappointing !!!!!!

Allready been here twice with a small baby. Nice atmosphere, nice tea and cakes, just a lovely gem in the middle of a busy street. Plus you are surrounded by books, what you want more?

If you want something quick and light in a nice comfortable setting then Waterstones Cafe is definitely a great alternative to the busy Manchester cafes in the vicinity that cater for busy shoppers and are noisy with tables close together. Here, there is quiet, space and actually very nice food and good service from pleasant staff. This is a place you can easily forget when choosing where to eat, but definitely a very pleasurable experience if you want a good, quick, functional and reasonable place for a lunch time or afternoon snack.

It is up the escalator/stairs or lift in the book shop. The food is always good. Tasty hot or cold sandwiches, soups and good cakes,. You can even have biscuits with your tea or coffee. They do the sandwiches with crisps or chips. They do lovely chips and daily specials. You can sit in the cafe area overlooking Deansgate or in a bar area that always looks smarter. The staff are young but very nice.

The thing that strikes you about this cafe is the amount of space you have to enjoy a private meeting in very comfortable chairs .The service is self service but the staff are very pleasant . The food is not great and the choice is very limited but if you are staying for a coffee and a cake it is absolutely fine.

Very spacious dining area adorned by shelves of the nearby books.Morning teacakes and coffee is just right but menu has good range of unusual dishes reasonably priced. Service is excellent too

The venue is great; we love being in Waterstones and browsing all the floors, usually after coffee and cake; it is a lovely building, spacious, high ceilings, well laid out and the café is part of this. However, over a number of years and several times when we have vowed never to return, after disappointing visits (but subsequently returning!), today's visit has caused yet another re-think: this is mostly around the continuing inconsistency in providing fresh cakes and pastries. The selection cannot be regularly relied upon and is quite often limited - and I mean limited. Today, at 10 a.m, only one piece of ( clearly yesterday's) carrot cake and my consequent second choice of coffee and walnut cake lacked even a hint of a walnut and had obviously been sitting around for a very long time. I asked for an alternative and had a very dry, tasteless chocolate muffin. I was rather fed up of complaining by then, so perhaps wrongly, ate it without further comment. Not good, at all and not at rock bottom prices. I would imagine that Saturday can be predicted to be a busy day, especially as today is Manchester's big Pride parade, as well as a Bank Holiday weekend, but I don't think anyone hoping for a good quality pastry treat would have been in luck. Generally, there are a number of lovely staff, but unfortunately today they were missing and those serving were keeping their skills under wraps. All in all, we reluctantly think we are in for a search for an alternative - yet again.

Paid a quick visit for a sandwich lunch whilst shopping in Waterstones in Manchester. I liked the surroundings very much, casual, comfortable and relaxing. Service was pleasant and friendly. That's it, I'm afraid. I had a cheese and pickle sandwich, which was extremely cold and the pickle had soaked into the bread. It gave the appearance of having sat in the fridge for a while. I was glad when I had finished it! Accompanied by an awful cup of tea, very weak. All quite expensive, probably won't bother again.

Me and my partner visited here for a quick lunch. It has a wonderful interior and a very relaxing atmosphere after coming in from busy Deansgate.It was great to see a wide choice of drinks as they serve alcohol, speciality coffees and soft drinks. They do several sandwiches and specials which are seasonal. The service and the food were ok. However the price was very expensive and you could eat in a retsuarant and get a much more substnail meal for similar price.

Trying to avoid the hustle and bustle of Deansgate three weeks pre Christmas and sit and chat without elbows knocking, this is a great place with a good selection of sandwiches made to order, some really quite tasty and mouthwatering specials and really surprisingly good coffee. I'll be back without hesitation

When heading into Manchester for coffee; catching up with friends or me time...always a pleasure to come to, although must admit in such a short period of time it seems quite aged, needing a good spruce....remembering when the place first opened (which doesn't seem that long ago) seeming to bright and new. Still as comfortable in terms of enviroment...and staff always friendly

Shopping with my dad in Manchester and he wanted to buy some street maps of the area - so we obviously ended up at Waterstones. After buying the maps, imagine my surprise when we discovered that there was a Cafe Bar upstairs, and we took an Executive Decision to retire, bask in the glory of our Purchases and have a glass of wine! Result!The glass of wine was rapidly followed by another and then an really tasty Club Sandwich accompanied with fries. I never knew bookshops could be so much fun.Realy tasty, nice cafe, great staff - not sure why there are some negative reviews to be honest. I will definitely go back! I have marked the "Atmosphere" down a bit because with it being a bookshop, it's quiet (literally quiet!).

Huge top floor spacious well kitted out 'Cafe' on the top floor of Waterstone's Book store. Comfortable seating, a wide selection of tables various sizes and similarly from seats to armchairs to sofas.Staff are fun, professional and most helpful.It's a true haven from the bustling area of Deansgate outside - will definitely be back.

I love my cake, especially in a nice coffee house in Manchester, but £3.30 for a slice of cake is a bit steep. Never tried the food, so I can't comment on that. I don't go in for coffee and cake and a chill out.Cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Nice environment and plenty of seating to sit and relax. Nice choice of drinks as well. Love coming here.

I ordered an twinnings English breakfast tea. I got a very weak pot of tea with no mention of twinnings. Average service for what I was lead to believe was a pleasant experience!I've had a better cup of tea at the blood donors! :(

My wife and I visited on last Saturday afternoon, after checking out a couple of nearby coffee shops. As we had trekked up to the top floor we decided to stay. However I felt the prices were over the top - nearly a pound more for coffee than the previous places we had looked at and the same for cakes/muffins - £2 for tiny piece of flapjack - I'm sorry! So it cost £8.40 for a tea, a coffee and a piece of tart (extra for cream). The male toilets were pretty disgraceful to, smelly and didn't look liked they'd been cleaned for a while - toilet paper all over the cubicle floor.On a plus - the staff were very helpful.

I went there for the first time today. The good: The bookshop, lots of space, comfortable sofas, WiFi.The bad: While most other reviews liked the coffee, I found my cappuccino thin and bitter.The so-so: Very open space, so you inadvertently hear other people's conversations, even if it is not busy. Style and decoration are somewhat eclectic and nothing special, even a bit like a canteen. Any Cafe Nero or Starbucks has more atmosphere. It is definitely not the quiet and cosy bookshop cafe I was hoping for.The unknown: I can't say anything about the quality of the food.Overall I felt this cafe is a missed opportunity, if it was decorated more classy and 'bookworm friendly', it could be much nicer.

A simple Sunday afternoon coffee and cake. Good tasty cake, good coffee and great ambience.Quiet & peaceful in the midst of the chaos of the city - Great.

I have come to this cafe many times in the past and the coffee is reliably good. They used to offer a super yoghurt concoction with fruit and honey but sadly withdrew it a while ago. I settled for a toasted teacake this time and like the previous contributor was dismayed at the inadequate portion of butter. I asked for some jam which with judicious spreading I managed to just about cover the teacake. It seems silly to risk putting customers off returning with this bit of meanness. The setting is comfortable and a really good place to peruse travel books for our next journey in a leisurely way. I hope the management might take note and remedy?

Decided to have a coffee and toasted tea cake Saturday morning.We really enjoy Waterstones as a place to go: the book displays are excellent, the offers are well put together and give inspiration.The coffee that the cafe serve is excellent, and my wife is a connoisseur.But (sorry), even though the tea cake was really good and had a pleasant cinnamon taste, the cafe is stingy on the butter! How can you have a tea cake with only enough butter to cover 25% ? It was a bit Ryan Air, especially when I asked for more (MORE!) and a slice of butter was cut so thin it was transparent. I would even pay for the extra butter if they asked.We will go back again, Waterstones is too good to miss on the whole, but please, don't be too mean on the little extras. Thanks

We came into Manchester to do some shopping before meeting friends for dinner and wanted a drink and a cake to "keep us going". We always said we'd go to Patisserie Valerie, but when we got there, the queue was out of the door and then some. So we popped virtually next door to Waterstones where we'd noticed the café when buying books on previous shopping trips. The service was very pleasant and friendly - great to have smiling staff! The highlight was the Berry Berry smoothie, which I had rather than a coffee. That was lovely and full of fruit. The café itself had a mixture of chairs and settees nicely spaced. Everything was clean. I will be very happy to pop in again.

We're repeat customers here although there are other places near in competition. The nice thing about this facility is the fact that it is within a book shop that gives it a bit of extra atmosphere. The food and beverages were okay. There is a reasonable choice of items to eat and the range is quite good. The portions are reasonable and the cooking (as a ex chef) is fine for a restaurant of this type. We've never had a bad experience here and often use it for meeting old friends. You can of course, always brose the books whilst waiting if people are late.

Good for lunch, with salads, cold and hot sandwiches and ciabatta specials Proper coffee (espresso, cappuccino, etc) and an interesting brunch menu served until 11am that we'll go back and try It's easier to get a table here than anywhere else nearby as people just don't know it's there

The 2nd view provides excellent service, food and drinks. The staff are extremely helpful and courteous. The service is very quick and the food and drinks are delicious.

Last time I wrote a review I had eaten here and it wasn't too good, but the space and the staff are fab so I go back (again and again!). Thy're changing it soon - although I have been assured it will be just as comfortable - and are concentrating more on light snacks/sandwiches rather than full meals, which is probably a good idea. I like it for the ambiance and the staff (and the Sauvignon Blanc obviously). I hope it contiues to flourish.

A colleague of mine was excited about our visit - but what a terrible disappointment.There was no record of our booking for a lunch time window seat.The meze to share was possibly the worst meal I have eaten in a public environment - 40% of it was mixed greens heavy in some kind of dressing, a few rock hard bits and pieces, some almost tasteless hummus - (if this was home made, the chef needs to go back into training).The menu itself was some kind of colour copied piece of paper, there were no business cards so I can't complete the details below - in short one to avoid except for buying books and maybe coffee - although I am not even sure about the latter.A real shame in one of my favourite City Centre locations.

I love this place and go whenever I'm in town, but the food side of it has really gone down since its opening. The staff are always very pleasant and helpful, but the food is dismal nowadays. Today I had a Greek meze plate which said it had a Greek salad and stuffed vine leaves, among other things - the salad had leaves, onions and olives, no feta cheese and no tomatoes, so not realy a Greek salad - also no vine leaves. There were 2 very miserable falafel and a spoonful of horrid rice. The Tzaziki was thin and watery. Altogether totally unforgetable. I complained politely and was given a voucher for a free coffee - I paid £7+ for this and get a coffee?? No, not good enough. I will go again but I will NOT eat there as the food needs seriously sorting out. Shame.

While our waitress was (by her own admission) apparently having a "bad day", messing up our drinks orders and forgetting to take our food order, the place still gets five stars thanks to the wonderful, comfy chairs and high-quality food. My mackerel salad was delicious and the burger and fish finger sandwich ordered by the people I was with looked great too. A lovely place for lunch and great for a break from book shopping.

I really, really wanted 2nd View to be good, because the environment is lovely - comfy, relaxed, and stylish. Unfortunately, the service was abysmal. There was no food menu on our table, yet we had to ask three times before one was brought over (I did go to look at the menu boards behind the bar, but was told to sit down by the lady 'manning' it); then waited another 20 minutes before the waiter returned to take our order.A lifetime later (God knows why, as the place wasn't jam packed), our mezze platter eventually turned up. It was tasty, if a little stingy on the portion sizes, but staff happily got us a couple of extra pittas. I'm hoping that our extremely slow service was just a blip, as I would like to return - the food at other tables looked great, but this time, it's just average.

The 5 stars are for the staff and the atmosphere. It's a very comfortable space to sit and relax and as a lone female I never feel uncomfortable just popping in here for a glass of wine. The food is okay too, but there's not a great choice - be nice if they had more sandwiches to choose from or some small plates (like tapas). I go quite often and am happy to recommend it to all.

I came in here with my boyfriend for a snack and a hot chocolate. The food was fine and drinks lovely but the staff seemed not too bothered and the man who seated us basically ignored us initially then seemed to be put out when we asked if we could take a seat...we weren't sure if we had to be seated or how things worked so I didn't think it was too unreasonable a request! Maybe it was just an off day for him, we all have them. Would probably return again as it was a nice atmosphere being within Waterstones, and the furniture was very comfy.

Such a welcome addition to Deansgate - lovely space, so comfortable and relaxing and friendly - I love it. I usually just have a glass of wine, but they do food too - in the past I tried the roast beef sandwich which was way too chewy, but this time I went with my daughter and had a fish platter. It was interesting - some bits were better than others but it was tasty (though they need to get in some good bread - and plonking fridge cold pate onto a plate with an ice-cream scoop is a bit iffy) - the fries were nice and we also tried the club sandwich which was tasty. Staff are great - smiley and helpful. It desrves to do well and I hope it stays around for a long time.