Out and about: Idle Hands

Brunch in Manchester

In this newsletter, I’m taking you all the way up to Manchester for a delicious coffee and brunch spot! If there are any Mancunians reading, I’m sure you’ll be thinking, “duh,” but since I don’t know my full audience demographic, I can’t risk anyone missing out on this absolute gem.

We visited Manchester the second weekend of April for my partner’s friend’s birthday party; it was only my second time up there, and I loved it just as much as I did the first time. I’m a city girl at heart, so if I ever decide to leave London (which may very well happen sooner or later), Manchester would be high on the list. The only, but major, thing putting me off is, predictably, the weather. I can handle the cold, but not the constant wind and rain. Thanks, but no thanks. We already get enough of that in London. Anyway, I digress.

We were looking for a good brunch spot for Saturday morning, and Idle Hands, located in the Northern Quarter, seemed like a popular choice (the fact that we saw Amie Lou Wood recommending it in an IG reel may or may not have influenced our decision). With that in mind—and without a reservation—we ventured there worried we’d have to queue, while in reality, we found a table right away.

Idle Hands, aside from having a fantastic name, has a chill, informal vibe with colourful interiors and plenty of vegan options. I usually like to scope out menus ahead of time and arrive knowing exactly what I want, and I was sold on the vegan fry-up from the moment I saw it online, in all its greasy glory. But once there, I spotted their weekend special: wild mushroom tostadas with jalapeño and avocado salsa, pico de gallo (an underrated condiment, in my opinion), ajoblanco, and pink pickled onions. I ended up going for that, and I’m so glad I did. What made it even better is, I managed to snatch one of the very last portions; just as it was brought to our table, they marked it as sold out on the menu board (an undeniable sign it HAD to be good!).

Aside from the savoury stuff, they also had a great selection of vegan cakes and pastries, and of course I had to try one (though for the life of me I can’t remember what it was—just that it was delicious).

The tostadas were so satisfying, saucy and flavourful—definitely not something I regretted choosing over the fry-up, which our friend ordered, and which also looked amazing. But I feel like you can find a decent vegan English breakfast in lots of places in and outside of London, you know? While tostadas are slightly more unusual for a non-Mexican café, and felt like a more special choice.

I’m so glad we tried this place, and I’m sure we’ll be back the next time we’re in Manchester. They even have a little shop inside the café where they sell hot sauces, condiments, wine, and these adorable mugs I fell in love with—so much so that Luke bought one for me to take home.

Until next time!