Last week The Afternoon Tea Club were invited to Annies for an afternoon of delicious indulgence.
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| Annies |
Environment
Laura:
They have top hat light shades - I was sold there and then. Annie's is about mixing the theatrical with the elegant and they blend perfectly together under the guise of a traditional lounge style restaurant. Everything about the decor has been well thought out from the lavish chandeliers to the individual hand towels in the restroom.
The restaurant is split into several parts for daytime, evening and private dining. I very much liked the downstairs lounge area and it would make a great venue for a private party.
Annie's is classy and stylish yet still incredibly charming and welcoming. There is no sense of superiority even though the level of sophistication at this place says there should be!
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| Hat Lamps |
Caroline:
Annies is the definition of a hidden gem. Tucked away just around the corner from Manchester’s bustling St. Ann’s Square, this little restaurant is the perfect city centre retreat - an almost home from home. Co-owned by Coronation Street’s Jennie McAlpine and Chris Farr, Annies offers its guests a comfortable homeliness which is uncharacteristic of many restaurants in the city centre - and a very welcome change. The furnishings at Annies are stylish yet familiar, comprising of brown hued armchairs and tables, elegantly accented with a variety of quirky paraphernalia, including bowler hat lamp shades and a decadent chandelier. The music choice was equally relaxing, with a selection of tunes from artists including, The Overtones and Michael Buble - as you can imagine, I was a very happy girl!
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| The Full Feature |
Food
Laura:
I must admit, I didn’t know what to expect from afternoon tea at Annies as it is considerably cheaper than a lot of its competitors. But their gorgeous afternoon tea spread proved that price is definitely no indicator of quality here.
The selection of sandwiches was impressive with a good mix of salmon, beef, ham and mustard and cucumber, the ham being my fave. A very good start.
Speaking as a recently converted scone connoisseur – I realised this last week when I chose a scone over a slice of chocolate cake, my doctor’s appointment is booked for next week – I dove for the fabulous scones on our three tier tea. They were perfect, especially when layered with thick cream and strawberry jam, which came presented beautifully in mini jars. A nice touch.
And definitely saving the best ‘til last – the mini cake selection. Flapjacks, chocolate orange tarts and éclairs were on the menu today and made a refreshing change to my usual go to desserts. Naturally I loved the chocolate éclair but the chocolate orange tarts were a particularly wonderful addition and a pleasant surprise when the orange kicked in.
With generous helpings of tea and coffee delivered in traditional patterned china our afternoon was just perfect.
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| Pretty Tea Service |
Caroline:
This week we opted for the Standard Afternoon Tea which comprised of a selection of finger sandwiches (Ham and Mustard, Cucumber and Cream Cheese, Salmon and Beef) Fruit Scones with cute rustic jars of Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam, and a selection of yummy cakes and pastries (Éclairs, Flapjacks and mini Chocolate and Orange tartlets with whipped cream)
For me, the highlight of this selection had to be the éclairs which were wonderfully light and filled with a delicious rich cream - indulgence itself. The tea was also lovely, served in abundance in pretty blue and white china which really added that extra little bit of sophistication. All in all a lovely spread!
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| Sandwiches |
Service
Laura:
The staff at Annies were incredibly attentive and made sure our cups were always full with fresh coffee. Extra thanks must go to the restaurant’s lovely co-owner who gave us the grand tour and gave us the inside story on Annie’s origins. Did you know that Annies was named after St Anne’s Market and also inspired by a famous musical redhead –no prizes for guessing which one! Just absolutely faultless service.
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| Time for Scones |
Caroline:
The service at Annies was both warm and welcoming with no request being too much for our generous hosts. As Laura said, particular thanks must go to Chris who really went that extra mile to make our experience memorable, answering all of our questions with great passion and enthusiasm. The love which all of the staff have for Annies is evident and it is this which will take them far.
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| Oh the choice! |
Overall Thoughts
Laura:
I can definitely see us returning to Annies in the future with a group of friends to enjoy their evening menu or even just for a quick tipple. There is a wonderful atmosphere and we were made to feel right at home - which is probably why we didn’t notice the afternoon pass us by! Oh, it’s a hard knock life.
Caroline:
I loved Annies and will definitely be back soon to sample their evening menu in the downstairs dining area. If you’re looking for a relaxing environment with good food and friendly staff, then you can’t really go wrong with Annies.
Cupcake Rating:
Annies is located on Old Bank Street in Manchester City Centre, at the back of St Ann Square. Afternoon Tea Prices range from £14.95 - £19.95 pp. For more information and menus 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.
