The Afternoon Tea Club Reviews: The Great John Street Hotel, Manchester

Last week The Afternoon Tea Club were invited to one of Manchester's premier Afternoon Tea destinations to sample some of their high class delicacies and be stars for the day!

Street View

Environment

Caroline:

It’s easy to see why Great John Street Hotel is the residence of choice for many visiting celebrities. Located a comfortable distance away from the City’s busy shopping district, close to Granada Studios, this boutique hotel offers its guests the very best luxury experience, without being pretentious. As a four star hotel, Great John Street has clear credentials and these are evident from the moment that you walk through the door. Greeted by floods of paparazzi outside, you know that you have entered somewhere special and the hotel certainly doesn’t disappoint. 

Lounge Area

Inside the environment is refreshingly relaxed and immediately makes you feel at home. Their comfortable lounge area is furnished to a high standard with an eclectic combination of leather and velvet chairs, which are wonderfully offset by an interesting mix of feature pieces, including old books, luggage boxes, tea lights and a particularly impressive clock. 

Great John Street’s ability to mark itself as a premier class environment whilst still being homely is a credit to its design team - proving that traditional comfort can be classy! 

Delicious!

Laura:
Entering Great John Street via a cluster of photographers makes you think, ‘okay, this place must be pretty special’. Well we’re here to tell you – pretty and special are this tea room’s middle names.  

‘Great John Street’ suggests an image of archaic builds and traditional furnishings yet one look at this gorgeous hotel and those conventional assumptions are shattered by a sense of sleek and welcoming modernity.

Our afternoon tea was served in the Osyster Bar, a section of the lounge which is decked out in a contemporary sitting room style. Rich textures and homely cushions invite you to make yourself at home and the luxurious sofas will entice you to find an excuse not to leave!

Soft lighting, neutral tones, clusters of clocks and mismatched china give it a truly unique character.

The atmosphere here is perfectly relaxing, with a great mix of people being drawn in by GJS’s effortless charm.

Yum

Food

Caroline:
The food at Great John Street is nothing short of a triumph. The definition of indulgence, your sweet tooth will be more than satisfied with their decadent selections which include a coffee and vanilla cupcake, red velvet and meringue sponge, and a lovely chocolate and strawberry cake. My favourite of this selection had to be the red velvet which was wonderfully sweet and gooey - the perfect dessert. Similarly their presentation was beautiful, with pretty sugar decorations and a particularly impressive caramel rose enhancing the display. Red berries and  summer fruits also framed the silver cake stand, creating an enchanting visual. Their finger sandwiches too were delightful and offered a choice of Beef and Horseradish, Salmon, Cucumber and Cream Cheese, Ham and Mustard, and Egg, whilst their 'Mighty Leaf' Tea was served in abundance.

The overall feel of this composition was one of great sophistication, with a wonderful mix of flavours and textures, which set it apart as being one of the best in Manchester. My absolute favourite to date.

Spun Sugar and Cream Anyone?

Laura:

This is certainly one of the most impressive looking afternoon teas we have ever seen – very rich and all three tiers are bursting with garnishes and edible decorations.  This bold look really shouldn’t work yet it absolutely does – and very well, might I add. Who wouldn’t want a caramel rose on their plate?

Our champagne tea began with a glass of Perrier Jouet champagne, fashioned with a refreshing strawberry followed by an unlimited supply of coffee – so far so good!

To start we had a great range of sandwiches with a good mix of breads and fillings. I think we’re both fans of the salmon finger sandwich at the minute but my favourite on this occasion were the beef and horseradish.

Tea for Two

To follow, we indulged in some gorgeously soft fruit scones with homemade jam and cream. I don’t think that any of our readers need reminding just how big a fan of scones I am, but just in case – I was a teeny bit excited about these little beauties and I was not disappointed.

Overflowing on the bottom tier of our 3 layer stand was a range of pretty cakes and treats. I must admit, I have been waiting for an afternoon tea to feature cupcakes and GJS was the first to adhere to my wish. A red velvet cupcake with a soft meringue top certainly made for a very interesting dessert. I especially loved the surprise layer inside that resembled an Oreo cookie. We were also spoiled with coffee cake and a wonderful slice of chocolate sponge to finish. All of the rich flavours complimented each other really well and made for a fabulous selection.

Scones

Service

Caroline:

The service at Great John Street Hotel was incredibly warm and hospitable. From the moment that we stepped through the door until the moment we reluctantly left, we were made to feel very much at home. Our waiter and waitress for the afternoon were very attentive and made sure that our tea cups were topped and our needs catered for throughout. Their service cannot be faulted. 

Pretty Tea Service

Laura:

Definitely some of the best service we have ever come across on our tea shop travels. Our servers gave us exactly the right amount of attention and not once did we have to ask for our tea to be topped up. The staff were courteous and friendly, even greeting us as we entered the building to guide us to our table. I could not have asked for any more – top marks!

Champagne

Overall Thoughts

Caroline:

I'd heard some wonderful things about Great John Street Hotel in the past, so was very excited to be visiting - They didn’t disappoint. Everything from start to finish was top notch and I wouldn’t hesitate to come back again!

Laura:

I would love to visit GJS during the evening as I can imagine it’s a great place to unwind with a cocktail or two after work. It’s high class all the way but what is so great about this venue is its ability to make you feel special without compromising its genuine personality. It was one of the most relaxing afternoons I have ever had. If you’re after somewhere with great surroundings and want to feel spoiled – look no further than Great John Street.

Cupcake Rating:



Plus The Golden Cupcake...



Great John Street Hotel is located on Great John Street, near Granada Studios, Manchester City Centre. Afternoon Tea Prices range from £19.50 - £25.00 pp (Ladies and Gentleman Jack Afternoon Teas). For more information please visit their website HERE 

As is common in the catering and leisure industry, we were provided with complimentary services for review purposes. Whilst this has not influenced our review, we believe in the full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.   

The Afternoon Tea Club Reviews: Teacup on Thomas Street, Manchester

Environment

Caroline: Oh Teacup, I'll always love you, I really will - You were the first independent tea room we visited in Manchester and our inspiration to start this blog... but I'm sorry to say, you've changed (and it pains me)

Re-opening after a series of sizable renovations, I expected to find my favourite tea room BIGGER and BETTER than ever, and upon discovering their extension to the upstairs area, it's certainly fair to say that it's bigger. However, 'better' is another question. The Teacup of old had an eclectic mix of New York Cafe Chic and Cath Kidston Kitsch, which worked perfectly to combine the American city with the English country. Their use of cute polka dot tablecloths and quirky graffiti wall art, gave the cafe a character which was uncharacteristic of many in the area, and made it the ideal place to spend an afternoon.

However, the new and 'improved' Teacup has unfortunately abandoned all of these things, settling for an arguably blander and safer alternative. The tables, although nice, are simple and wooden, while the wall art is none existant, with the designer having opted for a dark brown colour scheme throughout. The upstairs extension I feel, has also served to make the cafe appear chaotic, which although not a massive issue, has made the place seem less personal than before.

Having said that, I do like the new counter and blackboards, which make a welcome addition, but unfortunately these fail to make up for the loss of the other, more exciting, character 'features'.

Laura: Yes, Teacup has been our go to retreat for quite some timenow, our little place of tranquillity and indulgence where a slice of flourless chocolate cake could take all of our cares away. But I have to agree, change hasn’t necessarily been a good thing for our faithful friend.

The quirky set up of old has been stripped in favour of a much more minimalistic approach. The basic ambience of Teacup is still there but I feel that this extended version takes away the intimacy that I always found so inviting about the tea shop. I still think the place looks very appealing but I can’t help but miss its old personality, such as that found in little quips on receipts that would say things like ‘Tippers make better lovers.’

Food

Caroline: I've always loved the food at Teacup and have my go-to dishes which I always order when I visit, namely their Ham and Cheese Toasties and Flourless Chocolate Cake. Being a creature of habit, I once again opted for these on my last visit, in the hope of experiencing the same enjoymant as before. By and large the food was pretty similar to before, although I did feel that portion sizes were perhaps a little smaller and I missed the small pots of coleslaw and raddishes which usually accompany the meal.

Laura: As a bit of a soup addict lately I opted for the soup of the day which came served with granary bread to dip. As expected, it was lovely. I decided to move away from my flourless favourite for dessert on this occasion and chose a chocolate brownie (My initial choice of a cupcake was unavailable). Teacup has quite the brownie selection and I chose the Malteaser option. It looked absolutely yummy but I was a little disappointed that some of the brownie appeared undercooked and had more of a cake mix consistency to it. Unless this is a type of brownie I’m unfamiliar with?

Teacup isn’t the cheapest of tea shops we’ve visited with a soup costing just over £4 and a £3 for a brownie. I’d have to agree with Caroline too that the portions do seem considerably smaller than the last time we visited and this hasn’t really been reflected in any price changes.

Service

Caroline: Although the service was highly professional and incredibly friendly, there were occasions when we were overlooked. This is probably down to the new floor plan and with experience I'm sure the staff will adapt to this change of scene - we just happened to catch them at a particularly busy time.

Laura: The staff at Teacup are always extremely polite and friendly.Our server offered her expertise on the available dishes when I was told mydessert choice was unavailable which definitely gains them extra points.However, I too felt we were slightly overlooked as we were left waiting a whilebefore coming to the attention of a member of staff who eventually asked if we would like our bill.

Overall Thoughts

Caroline: From reading my review you'd be forgiven for thinking that I hate the 'new and improved' Teacup. I don't - I'm just disappointed that the new changes have taken away some of the cafe's previous sparkle. When reviewed without previous experience, Teacup is still head and shoulders above a lot of other coffee shops in the city and is nonetheless a pleasure to spend an afternoon in.

Laura: I did in fact enjoy our visit to Teacup and would still recommend giving it a go. After all, as Caroline has already pointed out, it’s the tea shop that made us want to create this blog in the first place! I’m sure we will visit again, it really is a pleasant place to get your cake fix but our last visit didn’t completely match up to some other places that are quickly becoming firm Afternoon Tea Club favourites.

P. S We still love you though... maybe it's us, not you!

Cupcake Rating

Richmond Tea Room, Richmond Street, Manchester

Environment

Caroline: Follow that white rabbit, as you enter into the magical world of the Alice in Wonderland, at the Richmond Tea Rooms Manchester...

When I first heard about this place I was very excited, but then I started to worry that it might not live up to my expectations. Well, I have some news for you - it's perfect!
From its throne-esque chairs to its adorable dolls house, this place oozes magic and fairy dust. I particularly loved the 'Eat Me' 'Drink Me' signs above the bar and the mulit-zoned layout which really completed the 'Alice' look!
- Fabulous

Laura: The Richmond Tea Room really does make you believe you have been invited to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Perfectly patterned walls, rich velvety canopies and even an indoor greenhouse all add to the quirky fairy tale environment.

I loved the window seats filled with luxurious pink cushions and the decadent mirrors that wouldn’t be out of place in a Disney movie. Little touches such as Alice artwork, vintage sounds and an old fashioned till register make Richmond Tea Rooms one of the most beautiful tea shops I have ever visited…and that’s a lot!

Food

Caroline: I was SO excited when I saw their pretty cake cabinet and couldn't wait to try a slice of strawberry victoria sandwich - which I must add, was decorated to perfection. However, when it arrived, I was a little disappointed by the cake itself, which I found to be a bit dry (Although I am willing to believe that this was due to us visiting in the late afternoon, rather than earlier on!)

Pricewise, it's a little dearer than other places, with a cake and a coffee totalling £6.00. But when considering the high quality finish of the surroundings, you can't really complain about paying that little bit extra!

Laura: The cake cabinet was a dream for a cake fiend like myself and offered a fabulous range of sweet treats. I too chose a traditional slice of victoria sponge which was wonderfully presented with a juicy strawberry on top. A generous piece but slightly let down by its dry sponge and hardened cream. However, maybe our late visit was to blame here!

Although tempted to go with the Alice theme and try ‘Curious Cola’, I opted for a latte which totalled the bill at £6. A little steep for coffee and a cake but when you’re comfortably sat in somewhere that pretty, what’s a few extra pounds?

Service

Caroline: The staff were all friendly and really went out of their way to make you feel at home - full marks!

Laura: The staff were all very welcoming and I appreciated that we were given a choice of table upon entry, which obviously saw me run for the pink cushions. Pleasant and polite – It’s all we ask for!

Overall Thoughts

Caroline: This place is truely wonderful and if disney had a tea room, this is how they'd do it. I'm already planning my return visit!

Laura: I have already told just about anyone willing to listen about Richmond Tea Rooms. It’s wonderfully over the top, storybook-pretty and their afternoon tea choices looked amazing! I cannot wait to go back.

Cupcake Rating