/THE BEST OF MANCHESTER
THERE’S just over a week to go until Mother’s Day arrives again (and if you haven’t got your bouquets ordered now’s the time to do it).
For many, there’s no better way to celebrate than with a luxurious afternoon tea, working your way through a tower of mini sandwiches, cakes and pots of tea.
Many Manchester bars and restaurants are pulling out all the stops for the occasion, with special desserts, bottomless drinks deals, and plenty of fizz. Malmaison IT’S fairly standard procedure to expect a glass of bubbles to accompany your afternoon tea, especially for a special occasion like Mother’s Day - but bottomless prosecco is really stepping things up a gear.
There’ll be live entertainment throughout the day at Malmaison, with the option to have free-flowing Heineken instead of fizz for the two-hour sitting.
Sweet treats include scones, bakewell tarts, and salted caramel chocolate brownies.
£35 per person, £10 deposit required / 1 - 3 Piccadilly, M1 3AW / malmaison.com M Cafe by Mamucium at Hotel Indigo Mum a proud Manc? Addicted to Vimto and always championing local produce? This’ll be the afternoon tea for her.
Available in the M Cafe by Mamucium (close to Victoria Station), there are Vimto macaroons and Manchester tart, plus mini Lancashire oven bottom muffins filled with honey roasted ham and pickle, and open sandwiches with Manchester Smokehouse salmon on rye bread.
Less Manchester-centric dishes include scones, lemon choux buns, chocolate orange opera cake, and tuna and feta wraps.
Wash it all down with Salford Roasters coffee, loose leaf teas, or add in a Pankhurst’s Revolution cocktail (Zymurgorium cherry bakewell gin, Vimto and prosecco).
£14.95 per person (£19.45 with a glass of fizz) / 6 Todd Street, M3 1WU / mamuciummcr.com Cloud 23 at The Hilton If you’ve never taken your mum/nan/ aunt up to Cloud 23, you’re missing a trick.
The views from this point high above the Manchester skylline are unparalleled.
Cloud 23’s signature afternoon tea boasts seasonal sandwiches, handmade cakes and tarts (including traditional scones with jam and cream) and the option to add a glass of champagne.
You could also tag on one of the cocktail bar’s extravagant cocktails or just make do with the unlimited tea and coffee.
£25 per person, £33 with a cocktail or £37 with champagne / 303 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ / cloud23bar.com Banyan Banyan, which now has two sites in Manchester, has an indulgent afternoon tea offering with sweet and savoury bites, and will be giving mums a complimentary glass of Hendrick’s gin.
Sandwiches include smoked salmon and cream cheese and Wiltshire ham and mustard, with sweeter items including a raspberry and white chocolate brownie and a selection of macaroons.
You can even upgrade to freeflowing prosecco.
£14.95 per person, extra £5 for glass of prosecco, £7 for gin copa, £15.95 for bottomless prosecco / Corn Exchange, M4 3TR OR Vantage Point, Spinningfields, M3 3PL / arcinspirations.com/banyanmanchester Sunset by Australasia Arguably Manchester’s prettiest bar (though we don’t know how anyone could argue with it), Sunset is an ideal setting for a mother-daughter afternoon tea date.
With a DJ playing Motown all afternoon, the Maribeau Rose Afternoon Tea involves a sweet and savoury bento box, with a glass of rose wine included on arrival.
Meanwhile, in Australasia just next door, Mums dining from the a la carte menu will receive a gift voucher for a massage, facial or manicure worth up to £90 to be spent at KLINIK in Cheshire.
£30 per person / 1 The Avenue, M3 3AP / 0161 831 0288 to book / sunset. uk.com Lowry Hotel The Lowry Hotel recently announced a very special afternoon tea for Mother’s Day- and it features bottomless cake.
Hosted in the Grand Ballroom, with a magician on hand for entertainment, there’s unlimited