The River Restaurant at The Lowry Hotel

Set within Manchester's five-star Lowry Hotel on Chapel Wharf, the River Restaurant pairs finger sandwiches, scones with fresh cream and strawberry jam and a selection of pastries and fancies with unlimited tea, overlooking the River Irwell and Calatrava's Trinity Bridge. It ranks just below The Midland because it is a hotel restaurant rather than a dedicated tea room, and it sits across the river in Salford, a short walk from the core of the city; the payoff is calm five-star service, a riverside outlook and, indicatively, a lower starting price of around £32.50 per person (£42.50 with Champagne). Choose it over 20 Stories below if you value quiet refinement over a dramatic skyline view.