Afternoon tea and Underground cocktails ~Manchester.

My friend Fi decided to mark her approaching ‘Big 40’, with a fabulous day out in Manchester. In true celebratory style, we headed into the city for a day of  shopping, cocktails and afternoon tea. 🙂

Fi had booked us a table at the marvellously plush Opus One on Peter Street ( just off Deansgate) for afternoon tea. Giant chess pieces and bold red and black decor give the restaurant a theatrical feel.

Opus One.

Four of us opted for the Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea because it sounded pretty darn delicious. And it was! This menu leans toward the savoury with gentleman size rustic sandwiches on the bottom tier. The top tier includes fish and chips, pork pies and mini beef yorkshire puddings. There is of course still a sweet treat if you can manage it,the obligatory home baked scone with jam and clotted cream. 🙂 All these goodies come with a pot of tea or any hot drink of your choice and as many free refills as you desire. The price is £18.95 per person.

Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea.

And its not just for Gentlemen. 😉

The Birthday Girl chose the Traditional Afternoon Tea which is the same price and includes an indulgent selection of finger sandwiches and dainty cakes and home made scone with clotted cream and preserve. We all ordered a glass of celebratory champagne too with our afternoon teas. 🙂

Traditional Afternoon Tea. Photo by Louise Atkinson.

A Birthday cake surprise 🙂

Opus One proved to the perfect venue to kick off a Birthday celebration. After our food we went on the hunt for a lovely cocktail bar. Of course Manchester has plenty….but they were sooo busy! We did however stumble across a quirky basement bar on Bridge Street ( near Spinningfields) which can knock up a luscious lemon sherbert sour or two. 🙂

The Gas Lamp.

Lemon Sherbert sours. 🙂

Mirror Mirror on the Wall.

Turkish delight Martinis.

Now if its glamour youre after The Gas Lamp will not be your kind of place. This quirky ‘subterranean drinking den’ is certainly more victorian convenience than classy cocktail bar. It was in fact once a childrens mission/soup kitchen and the original white tiling gives it a utilitarian look. Yet it still manages to feel cozy and friendly. I loved my Lemon Sherbert sour and the Turkish delight martinis went down well too. The Gas Lamp also specializes in real ales and has a good wine list. Quite a find!

So the highlights of Fi’s celebrations ( so far! ) included a Gentlemen’s Afternoon tea and cocktails underground.

Where do you like to go in Manchester?