Foundry Project
The first bottomless brunch on our list is at Foundry, where smashed avocado, bacon fries and the Hangover Pizza (fried egg, buffalo mozzarella, onion jam) await demolition. These guys pack invention into the finer details too - for example, their chorizo ketchup, a fast favourite for potato dishes.
Billed as "the happiest place in Manchester," Foundry prides itself on bare-but-fair presentation: think blue and white bowls, on which the food speaks for itself along with the warm service.
Café North
What's left to be said about this popular Northern Quarter eatery? A lot, as it happens - we could wax lyrical for hours on their poached eggs bathed in hollandaise, mammoth full English or dusted waffles with mint and strawberries. They tend to serve quickly, giving huge appetites less time to gnaw the table leg.
Weekly specials keep the menu fresh so you don't fall back on what you know. Hopefully the Dutch Baby Pancakes will stick around - They already stick to the top of the mouth well enough.
Peter Street Kitchen
After something different? Peter Street Kitchen cook up a storming Japanese brunch dish - raw, smoked salmon on a muffin with wasabi mayonnaise. Pair it with a Japanese Bloody Mary, mixing vodka with soy sauce, shichimi, wasabi and lemon (that'll definitely wake you up!).
Standards like the English and Continental pepper the breakfast menu too, getting all-inclusive for £26 per head. This venue started life in London, bringing some great culinary talent further north, so you know you're in good hands.
The Pen & Pencil
On weekend nights, The Pen & Pencil is rammed with people dancing to Nelly and Niki, swapping burgers for glass after glass of sparkling wine. But in the day, it's much calmer - a line of long tables made for group bookings, and just a hint of music.
On the last Saturday of every month, you get the bottomless brunch for £40: feta, avocado, smoky beans, steak and eggs, and piles of American pancakes dripping in fruit compote. There's also a Brunch Cocktail Special, which we haven't tried but have been assured is delicious, nourishing or least giving the illusion of treating you well at 11AM.
Elnecot
Over in Ancoats, on Cutting Room Square, there's a gorgeous industrial scene for four kinds of eggs. Elnecot's famous for Sunday roasts but their brunch packs a punch too. Think chunky breakfast sandwiches, locally sourced black pudding and vegetarian plates with cashew cream and slow-cooked ragu.
Feeling reckless? Add bottomless drinks for £25, bringing the hair of the dog to your chair. You have two hours from the start of your booking slot to flip between their Earl Greyhound (gin, grapefruit, Earl Grey tea), lager, Bloody Mary or Aqua da Valencia, a fine combo of orange and prosecco.
We love following the brunch mood when it strikes - even better when we live so close to many of these venues, and plenty more in the city centre. Ask us about a luxury apartment a short walk away! Speak to our team and see what's freeing up soon.