In the last two weeks, I have visited a number of coffee houses with some appealing and unique features.  Grindsmith and PKB are two coffee houses in Manchester whilst The Albany Coffee Lounge is located in Heywood.  Here’s why they are well worth a visit!

Grindsmith, Deansgate

The first of these was Grindsmith, Deansgate.  The layout in Grindsmith make the prospect of grabbing a coffee and getting down to some out of office work an appealing prospect.  There’s plenty of room to spread out here!  The coffee selection when I visited was made up of three different blends although the food offering was a little depleted as the two non-cheese sandwiches had already sold out (as those who know me will testify, I don’t eat cheese, particularly when cooked).  A good venue with a lot to offer, especially if you need some space to be creative!

Pot Kettle Black

PKB is a regular city centre haunt of mine and I love to go whenever I’m grabbing a coffee with friends.  Since it was refurbished last year the venue has become more cosy than before.  I think that feeling comes mainly from the service as you are now encouraged to take a seat whilst the waiting staff take your order.  After the recent changes I have found myself spending more time in PKB each time I visit, that is no coincidence.  There is always a good selection of coffee and a lovely decaff which is fantastic for a mid-afternoon visit!  Each coffee is served with a curled chocolate wafer and a glass of water again demonstrating PKB’s focus on the little details.  PKB’s relentless focus on the smallest details makes this coffee house stand out from the crowd.

At first glance, the food menu is a little pricey but it is well worth the money.  Last week I had a Korean Chicken sandwich which was every bit as intriguing as it sounds.

PKB is somewhere that has gone from strength to strength since I first visited two years ago.  I hope I have many more visits to come!

The Albany Coffee Lounge

Lastly I visited the Albany Coffee Lounge, a two week old venue in Heywood, North Manchester.  Attached to the longstanding Albany Pub I wondered how the coffee lounge would work.  I visited when the pub was closed and the coffee lounge did feel sufficiently separate from the pub space.  Nonetheless, I would be intrigued to see how they work side by side.  The coffee used here is sourced from Limini Coffee and is a well rounded blend with a smooth finish.

Although it has only been two weeks since this little gem opened it is becoming clear that homemade cakes and scones are a particular strong point!  I opted for a scone (pronounced ‘sc-own’ until it’s ‘s-gone’!!) on my first visit, it was so fluffy and went really nicely with a pot of jam!  If you find yourself in Heywood, the Coffee Lounge is the perfect place to stop to relax and have breakfast.