Under 48 Hours in Manchester

This was my first (and brief) visit to Manchester and I was incredibly blessed to have the most beautiful weather that made exploring this sweet, sweet city so much easier. So, yeah, feel free to take a little scroll and see what I got up to. 
Note: be prepared for plenty of French toast pictures...




Food and Drink
Nexus
One of my favourite things about exploring a new city is finding independent places to eat and drink. I stumbled upon this little gem called Nexus in the Northern Quarter and as you can see, I just couldn't stop taking pictures. The atmosphere was chilled and tranquil which was in gorgeous contrast to the busy streets. I opted for a glass of Spiced Apple Iced Tea and read a few chapters of my book (The Secret History- Donna Tartt). Bliss!

How beautiful is the setting, though? So lush and green. I can only hope that my future garden can resemble this.




Takk
I'll confess, I'd actually made a mental list of four places that I wanted to try and go for brunch or just coffee (yeah, attempting to brunch in four different places in less than 48 hours is a little nuts). Takk was on that mental list of mine and I ordered a tasty French toast which I washed down with the spiciest and most fragrant Chai tea I've ever tasted. I'll be honest, I've never tried French Toast made from sourdough bread but I'm definitely a fan. 

Federal Cafe and Bar
Another cafe that was on my mental list, and boy am I glad that I came here for brunch. The place itself is quite small but the decor is effortless and lush (it was packed in there so I got a tad shy and didn't take my camera out. Ha!). Again, I opted for the French Toast and I can officially say that this was the most delicious French toast I have ever had. Ever. The brioche bun was fluffy, the mascarpone emphasised the softness of the texture and the salted caramel sauce really tied in the flavours beautifully. SO tasty! I know what you're thinking and I agree, I feel like I basically went to Manchester to eat French Toast and I'm not even sorry about it. Carbo loaded to the max!


Chapter One
Books AND coffee? Yes please! To be fair, I did guzzle down a Pink Lemonade instead here, but it was so warm. SO warm. My friend actually recommended this place and he joined me for a quick catch up which was lovely. Such an unique coffee shop that allows their customers to browse, read books and even purchase them. That just ticks every single box for me and I wish this place would open their doors here in Cardiff. 


Of course, I can't not talk about the decor. Look at those branches? Oh my word. Just look at them.


Places
Home
If you're from Cardiff, I would probably say that Home is about the equivalent to Chapter. The centre showcases more different (and my preferred) film choices so I know that I would frequent this place if I ever moved to Manchester. If you don't fancy watching a film, you can stop here for food and drink, visit the theatre or take a mooch around their exhibitions. There truly is something for everyone.

Manchester Art Gallery
I stumbled upon Manchester Art Gallery whilst looking for Home, and coincidentally the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition had already been suggested to me by the lovely Sophia Rosemary when I randomly bumped into her earlier the same day. Social media makes the world so small, doesn't it?
The aforementioned exhibition was truly beautiful, celebrating and showcasing 100 years of photography. Sadly, we weren't allowed to take photos but in a strange way, that makes the experience a lot more authentic.

Photos
Just a bunch of some photos that I wanted to share with you.





So yeah, that was a pretty brief (but super fun) little trip to Manchester. I've truly fallen in love with the city and already can't wait to go back. I also went to Cow Vintage and Fred Aldous for a little mooch. If they could both branch down to Cardiff soon then that will be much appreciated ;)

Ruth x

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