Afternoon tea in Manchester

Open since 1903, The Midland is Manchester’s oldest hotel and was famed for its afternoon tea from the very beginning. A huge refurbishment in 2021 has transformed The Tea Room and an array of actually-rather-forward-thinking menus are well worth the trip. You can nab vegan and gluten-free options, as well as their traditional and ‘Royal’ selections.

Address: The Midland Hotel, 16 Peter Street, M60 2DS, Manchester 

Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, from 12pm-4.30pm; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Afternoon tea is served all day, every day. 

Expect to pay: From £38-60 per person for afternoon tea selections, and £15 for children's afternoon teas 

Had Alice emerged from the rabbit hole in modern-day Manchester and found herself pining for a spot of tea, she may well have ended up at the Richmond Tea Rooms. Now in a bigger premises on Princess Street in the Gay Village, the tea room has to be seen to be believed, taking camp to a whole new level. Look out for special events including burlesque nights and a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. 

Address: 46 Sackville Street, M1 3WF, Manchester 

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, from 9am-7pm; and Friday to Sunday, from 9am-8pm

Afternoon tea is served all day, every day. 

Expect to pay: From £13-47 for afternoon tea options, and £16 for children's afternoon tea 

One of the most stunning dining rooms in Manchester, Tender restaurant (overseen by Great British Menu star chef Niall Keating) sits in the grandeur of the former Stock Exchange building, which also houses the most excellent cocktail bar, Sterling. There are few settings with more wow-factor for your afternoon tea, and you’ll need your elasticated trousers on for this one. Finger sandwiches are chunky boys with fillings like pastrami and dill pickle, but there are mini savouries too, including my favourite, a hefty slice of pork and pistachio sausage roll. Scones are given a cheffy flourish with lavender and vanilla, and served with blueberry jam. Little cakes include macarons, mini trifles and a spectacular chocolate and passionfruit coin that works better than you might expect. Your tea is served in a copper pot, and refilled as many times as you desire so you can take your time. You’ll pay extra for fizz and cocktails, but while you’re there, it would be rude not to.

Address: 4 Norfolk Street, M2 1DW, Manchester

Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday, from 12.30pm-9.30pm; Saturday, from 12.30pm-4pm and 5.30pm-9.30pm; and Sunday, from 12.30pm-5pm; closed Mondays

Afternoon tea is served Thursday and Friday, from 12.30pm-3.30pm; and Saturday to Sunday, from 12.30p-4pm.

Expect to pay: From £35 per person, or from £40 per person on Sundays with live music.

Halfway up Beetham Tower – once Manchester’s tallest building – sit the two floors of Cloud 23, a bar offering some of the best views in the city, plus afternoon teas of sandwiches (including a hot pot one!), scones, cakes named after iconic Manchester buildings, and unlimited teas and coffees from £35 per person. 

Time Out tip: There's a smart casual dress code, and sportswear is not permitted.

Address: The Manchester Deansgate Hotel, Beetham Tower, 303 Deansgate, M3 4LQ, Manchester 

Opening hours: Monday, from 12pm-10pm; Tuesday to Wednesday, from 3pm-10pm; Thursday, from 12pm-12am; Friday, from 12pm-1am; Saturday, from 11am-12am; and Sunday, from 11am-10pm

Afternoon tea is served from Thursday to Monday, from 12pm-4.45pm. 

Expect to pay: £35 per person for normal afternoon tea, or £45 to include a cocktail or champagne.

Naturally drawn to life’s old-timey pleasures? Then take a trip to Sugar Junction (don’t worry, it’s nothing like Towie’s Sugar Hut). There you’ll find vintage wallpaper, mismatched crockery and enough nostalgia to make you wonder what decade you’re really in. The menu’s pretty trad, too – but expect a couple of surprising treats.

Address: 60 Tib Street, M4 1LG, Manchester 

Opening hours: Sunday to Friday, from 9am-6pm; and Saturday, from 9am-7pm.

Afternoon tea is served daily, from noon. 

Expect to pay: From £23 per person, or £28 with a glass or prosecco

Slattery in Prestwich is Manchester’s very own chocolate factory, and it’s been here since the 60s! A magical place to visit for kids (and adult chocoholics), the afternoon tea is particularly worth jumping on the tram for. Served every day from 11:30am, there are numerous variations on the traditional afternoon tea, including kids’ options at a lower price, but it’s the luxury chocolate afternoon tea that gets our walnuts in a whip. It includes the prerequisite finger sandwiches with fillings like poached salmon, and Coronation chicken and it takes things up a notch with chocolatey extras. Your scone is a chocolate chip version, you can choose a mocha, milkshake or Slattery’s legendary hot chocolate for your hot drink, and the cakes are all chocolate-based, think eclairs, brownies and (joy of joys) a pot of melted Belgian chocolate for dipping.

Address: 197 Bury New Road, Whitefield, M45 6GE, Manchester 

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, from 9am-5pm; closed Sunday and Monday. Afternoon tea is served from 11.30am.

Expect to pay: From £11-36 for tea options, and £12.75 for kids' afternoon tea

If you’re looking for something a bit different, how about a Pan-Asian influenced afternoon tea? You can find that at Sora, which sits at the top of the new Malmaison hotel with its rooftop terrace overlooking Albert Square. Instead of finger sandwiches, there are two tiers of savoury treats, one is all about the sushi, the other includes things like chicken yakitori skewers and red prawns. Sweet treats feature Japanese flavours like the ubiquitous matcha (which also makes an appearance in the scone), and the slightly more leftfield, miso. Served with a cocktail rather than a glass of fizz (for an extra tenner), this afternoon tea is also available in a vegan version.

Address: Malmaison, 23 Deansgate, Princess Street, M2 4EB, Manchester 

Opening hours: Wednesday to Thursday, from 12pm-12am; Friday to Saturday, from 12pm-1am; and Sunday, from 12pm-11pm 

Afternoon tea is served from Thursday to Friday, and Sunday, from 12pm-4pm. 

Expect to pay: £35 per person for normal afternoon teas or £45 per person with a cocktail included. 

Housed inside the iconic former Free Trade Hall, the five-star Radisson hotel has two restaurants, including The Library, which hosts afternoon tea with cakes made by Bake Off: The Professionals champ, Ashish Wagh. And how delightful it is. Available only Thursday - Sunday from noon to 4pm, it’ll set you back around £39, but it’s well worth it for a taste of proper indulgence - especially if you upgrade with a bottle of fizz from their impressive Champagne and English sparkling selection. 

Address: Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, M2 5GP, Manchester 

Opening hours: Bar: Tuesday to Thursday, from 10.30pm-5pm; and Friday to Monday, from 10.30am-11.30pm. Restaurant: Tuesday to Saturday, from 12pm-4.30pm (last orders at 4pm); and Sunday to Monday, from 12pm-10.30pm (last orders at 10pm)

Afternoon tea is served Thursday to Sunday, from 12pm-4pm. 

Expect to pay: From £39-51 for afternoon tea selections