Another Heart to Feed

Another Heart to Feed is the pick for people who want brunch to surprise them. Its Melbourne-inspired menu goes beyond the usual, with dishes such as Eton mess French toast and elevated takes on smashed avocado and poached eggs, which is where it earns its place above the more coffee-focused options below. On food creativity it arguably out-punches Evelyn's, but it ranks third because it's smaller and harder to get into: the rooms are compact and weekend waits for walk-ins are common. It runs largely on a walk-in basis and only takes bookings for parties of seven or more, so small groups turn up and queue while larger tables should reserve ahead. It also pours natural wine and serves strong specialty coffee, so it works for a special-feeling weekend without being formal. There are two sites, on Hilton Street in the Northern Quarter and on Burton Road in West Didsbury, so details vary by branch. Indicative spend is around £16 per person. The trade-off versus a bigger cafe is capacity and consistency at peak times; go for the cooking, not the elbow room.