The five best quiet coffees in Manchester

Need a break from the office or a more central location for a meeting? Coffee shops are ten-a-penny in Manchester with every taste catered for – from the large multinational chains to smaller indie outlets, but not everywhere is suited for the business community. So if you’re looking for a spot for an informal meeting, to make a call or just to grab 20 minutes to think, here’s five great locations for a quiet coffee in Manchester.

Grindsmith

Set within the Deansgate side of Great Northern Warehouse, Grindsmith started out life as a humble coffee cart and with the help of a Kickstarter campaign progressed into its current guise. A co-working space shared with Central Working and Rise Manchester, it provides everything the discerning businessperson needs to get some work done or hold a client meeting. With various seating areas, from the more traditional coffee shop seating at the front to the flexible colourful space at the back, there’s ample space for groups of all sizes and, as you’d expect, free wifi. For coffee aficionados, filter and single-origin brews are available, as well as pastries, cakes and sandwiches.

Grindsmith 231-233 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4EN. Open Monday – Saturday: 8am – 6pm; Sunday: 9am – 5pm. www.grindsmithcoffee.co.uk

Pot Kettle Black

Located within the Victorian splendour of Barton Arcade, Pot Kettle Black was launched in late 2014 by former St Helens Rugby League players Mark Flanagan and Jon Wilkin. The typical coffee shop brews alongside filter coffees and a variety of speciality teas are served and food-wise, healthy breakfasts, sandwiches and not-so-healthy cakes and brownies are all on the menu. A loyalty card scheme is also available, making your tenth hot drink free if it becomes one of your regular haunts, and free wifi is available. It can get busy during lunch time, but it’s one of the few independent coffee shops in the city that’s open later on; they stay open til 7pm if you need a spot for a post-work catch-up. You might also spot the odd famous face from the world of rugby.

Pot Kettle Black, Unit 14 Barton Arcade, Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BW. Open Monday-Friday: 8am-7pm; Saturday: 9am-6pm; Sunday: 10am-5pm. http://potkettleblackltd.co.uk/

Takk

Manchester’s Northern Quarter is home to a variety of more trendy coffee shops, and although Takk is one of them, don’t let that put you off. Inspired by the coffee bars of Reykjavik (Takk is Icelandic for ‘thank you’), the venue is popular with freelancers and professionals, with plugs a-plenty, larger tables for group meetings or small spaces which are ideal if you need to catch up with some work. The coffee selection includes their own Nordic style espresso which you can buy to take home with you. Snacks and pastries are available and there’s also a lunch menu on offer if you fancy something more substantial. As a bonus, the free wifi doesn’t require a password or ask you to sign up, you simply connect and away you go.

Takk, 6 Tariff Street, Manchester, M1 2FF. Open Monday-Friday: 8.30am – 6pm; Saturday: 10am-6pm; Sunday 11am-5pm. http://takkmcr.com/

Café Beermoth

Part café, part bar, Café Beermoth is a relatively new addition to the city. With a very central location close to a variety of commercial buildings but slightly off the beaten track, it’s an ideal spot for meetings or if you just fancy a change of scene. It’s from the team behind Northern Quarter beer shop Beermoth, but it’s not just all about alcohol as the team pride themselves on serving high quality coffee too. Try and grab a seat in the comfortable booths if possible, and as they open their doors at 8am on weekdays, it’s a great spot for an early morning meeting. Alcohol is only served after noon, and it does become a bit livelier in the evenings so plan more formal meetings for before then.

Café Beermoth, 40 Spring Gardens (Brown Street entrance), Manchester, M2 1EN. Open Monday-Thursday: 8am-11.30pm; Friday: 8am-12.30am; Saturday: 10am-12.30am; Sunday 12pm-11pm. http://beermoth.co.uk/

Central Library Café

ne are the days of libraries being a place for silent study with food and drink banned by militant librarians; Manchester’s Central Library is now set up as an ideal spot for quiet meetings or conference calls. The ground floor has tables and chairs scattered around – from larger tables in the more bustling café area, to smaller tables and individual seats tucked in among the archives bookcases. Grab a coffee from the café and find yourself a seat anywhere on the ground floor and get connected to their fast wifi. Tip: it’s quieter further back if you need to make a call.

Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester, M2 5PD. Café open Monday-Thursday 9am-7.30pm; Friday-Saturday: 9am-4.30pm. http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/500138/central_library/6330/the_caf%C3%A9_at_central_library