Last Thursday, Michael and I snuck out for breakfast together before work. I don't pay much attention to the city's breakfast and lunch spots since most of them are shut on the weekend, so Michael did a little online research and suggested Manchester Press. I didn't recognise this café's name. It's a sign that I must really have CBD blinders on because there've been roughly a dozen blog posts about it delivered to my RSS reader this year!
Manchester Press take some pride in their coffee, demonstrating remarkable dexterity with their frothy milk.
Caffeine averse as I am, I was more impressed with the menu. Besides a few cereals (muesli, Coco Pops and porridge atm) and salads, Manchester Press does bagels. There's a solid vegetarian representation across the topping list, starting with simple spreads and working up to more elaborate open bagel plates. Sadly this is not much of a venue for coeliacs, who will probably be restricted to coffee and salad.
Michael teamed his bagel with a soft-boiled egg and avocado ($12). He found the salad a bit unnecessary and it was a little awkward to manoeuvre everything around the plate, but the advertised egg and avo were excellent.
I checked out the "next level" peanut butter and jelly bagel ($11), another open presentation usually taken to the next level with caramelised banana and fresh strawberries. Alas, they were all out of banana! The lightly macerated strawberries carried this off on their own, bringing a bit of freshness to an otherwise stodgy-sweet brekky.
I have a soft spot for bagels, and thus instantly developed a soft spot for Manchester Press. Its light and airy layout and (on this day) prompt and friendly service only sweeten the deal. And they've got the magic ingredient that'll bring me back: it turns out they're open on Saturdays!
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Blog posts about Manchester Press have been overwhelmingly positive, mostly for the bagels and usually for the coffee, see: Tour de Clance, Edible Posts, and O design, Aaron Fong Photography, melbourne cafes photo blog, Short Black, two front teeth, Pocket Carnival, odd sundays..., The Spy Machine, My Bloggable Day, dear melbourne, feedmemelbourne, MelbournianGirl, rhubarb rhythm, Garcon de cuisine, I <3 Eating, Don't Eat Things You Can't Pronounce, A Miniature Take On Food and Miss Adriennely. Negative exceptions come from My Aching Head and foodcautious.
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Manchester Press
8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne CBD
9600 4054
veg breakfasts and lunches $5-14
Accessibility: Manchester Press is located down an unevenly paved bitumen laneway. It has a wide sliding door on entry and plenty of space between tables inside. We ordered at our table and paid at the low-ish counter. We didn't visit the toilets.
Haha, love those coffees! Those bagels look wonderful, even though I'm not much of a peanut fan. The Australian banana shortage is pretty mind boggling...a few weeks ago our local greengrocer was selling bananas for 40c a bunch, a pretty huge difference to $10 a kilo despite us not being that far away from you guys.
ReplyDeleteI don't drink coffee (I have a slight intolerance) - but gosh, how awesome is that coffee art they do! Love it.
ReplyDeleteOh my.. the pb&j bagel looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteZo - it is crazy! I've never been a massive banana lover, but even I'm looking forward to seeing them back at lower prices soon.
ReplyDeleteleaf - like you, I'm enjoying the coffee art vicariously through Michael's habit. :-)
Vien - I loved it! Go try it.
Does the coffee art disguise that the coffee may not be that great?
ReplyDeleteHi chompandslurp - a few other bloggers have been negative about the coffee but Michael liked it just fine.
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