I enjoyed a quick meal here and really enjoyed my tea and light snack. Staff were kind and this was an ideal experience for me.

Annie's in Manchester is quite an interesting place, located on a slip road on St Anne's Square, Old Bank Street, it is quite a small building with very interesting decor, it is more of a tearoom, but also they do have a resturaunt menu, mainly British cuisine which does seem overpriced. Many people might recognize Annie's as being owned by Jennie McAlpine and her partner, Jennie is a British actor who is from the Manchester area, being born in Bury and she placed Fizz in Coronation Street. When I visited, it didn't have a nice feel to it, it just felt a really small place and quiet, myself and another party were the only ones in there, before they originally vacated, the service didn't improve because of that, the guy who served me seemed nice but he did seem a little pushy, trying to stay near my table when I was trying to concentrate on my order, so kept coming over too soon before I decided on what I was to choose, he had a decent knowledge on what on the menu was gluten free but they didn't have a menu or allergy book, which was awkward and made it more tiresome and frustrating for me, as well as harder to order. I was also upset that Annie's wouldn't accept my Tastecard, despite it not stating that it must be on the main menu and after 5pm on their website, they even seem really strict on having to pre-book it, meanwhile places like Pizza Express and Prezzo, also in Manchester don't seem to care if you waltz on in, after speaking to Tastecard they should have accepted it as it says nothing in the terms and conditions about certain menus you have to order from and times, which was frustrating. They also had loads of menus too, they just thrown on my table with no explanation,which just was rather unusual and didn't seem too welcoming or friendly either, which was a shame. At the end of the day, due to the awful atmosphere, bad selection on the menu, poor service, poor menu and high pricing, I decided to walk out which made me quite sad as I have wanted to try Annie's for a while now, as from the outside it does seem quite nice, but sadly it doesn't seem to be, which is a shame and I feel sadly warrants a one star review, and for now due to breaking Tastecard terms and conditions, which they agreed and signed up for, warrants a place on my "Places not to go list" read more

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Great value for money, especially when you dine on the £10.95 early evening menu. This menu isn't very extensive but has some tasty options on it. The manager is very attentive, which some may find a little full on but we didn't mind! I got the goats cheese salad which was yummy and my friend was very happy with her chicken dish (she opted to go for the a la carte menu). I also got the breaded mushroom starter which wasn't bad. We got some pink fizz, £25 for the bottle so all in all I paid about £25 for 2 courses and half a bottle of fizz :) The actual venue is very cute, there's a bar upstairs with fairy lights and cosy armchairs. Perfect for a brew and slice of cake. The restaurant downstairs is a little quiet usually but I'm not too fussed about that. Those seeking a 'buzzing' atmosphere may want to book later in the evening or go elsewhere. read more

Annies - British Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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I quite liked my little stop in Annies last week! I needed somewhere to work for an hour or so and recharge with some caffeine and location wise Annies fitted the bill perfectly. Where they are you have the choice of Starbucks or Annies and so I thought I'd give the little guy a chance this time over the noisy big brother. I had an Americano which was well priced at £2.90 and I sat there working away for just over an hour. There wasn't any interruptions from staff members trying to get me to buy another coffee or cake either, just friendly smiles whenever I caught their glance - I like that a lot as it makes you feel more relaxed and at ease. I popped downstairs to use the toilet and I was really surprised at how big the restaurant area is down there. Lots of tables and nice, classy, old school decor as well. You wouldn't expect that looking at the spot from outside but they use the space really well! Cosy, relaxing and an affordable alternative to SB next door! read more

Appropriately named Annies sits in the narrow Old Bank Street, just off St Ann's Square in Manchester City Centre, a little spot of sparkling lights and gold highlights in a dark rainy street. It is a restaurant and a tea room, so a few days beforehand, I made a reservation for Afternoon Tea. As we enter, a staff member welcomes me and after I explained we had a booking, she lead me downstairs to the main restaurant. As the main restaurant is a basement area, there are no windows, HOWEVER... this somehow works because of the clever placement of lamps, candles, fairy lights, and full wall mirrors, giving the place a curious and interesting night-time lounge feel, and due to the darkness behind the lamps, makes it feel like somewhere to explore. It also has some of the same kitch quirks from the casual upstairs cafe area, including lights made from bowler hats and top hats, and classic plates on the walls. Owner Jenny has been quoted as saying she wants a "home from home" feel, which was ironically on the nose for us, as we were sat by a standing lamp which is the exact same one we have at home in our living room, and the same cutlery we have! As our coats are taken and hung up, we are introduced to the host/manager who remembers me from booking with him over the phone, but much to his surprise he hasn't booked us onto the system, which he said was for no reason other than jokingly admitting "I'm crap", before leading us round to our table, which further to his confusion is bedecked in "Birthday Girl" banners and balloons. He removes them and leaves us with the Afternoon Tea menu and a drinks menu, but oddly not a tea menu, which is the main part of an Afternoon Tea! After we get settled into the deep and comfortable armchairs, we're joined by a waitress to take our order, and who tells us the sandwiches that come with the Afternoon Tea, happy to replace some with others per our taste if need by, but she can't remember off the top of her head, and so dashes off to bring us the Tea list. The menu was nice, but not very clear about what the teas actually were, or who they were by; ie: "Palm Paradise (Flavoured Black Tea)", but it didn't explain what the flavouring is, this applies to the rest of the tea menu. I'm sure the other teas are delicious but I'd rather have a bit more detail about them before I have to decide, and time to look over them before my order is taken. As it stands, we order the Earl Grey. You can't go wrong with Earl Grey at Afternoon Tea! The only thing about the layout I found strange is that the ladies were on the far left of the restaurant, and the gents on the far right, nowhere near each other. Also sadly, our table was right on the main "traffic route" to the ladies, but that can't really be helped. Our Afternoon Tea is promptly brought out to us, and is beautifully presented, (but purists might sneer that the tiers are in the wrong order, with sandwiches on the centre tier! tsk tsk tsk!) ;). The tea is delicious, but at this point we realise that the darkness of the venue makes it a little hard to see everything clearly, resulting in a couple of... shall we say "mis-pours"? But to be frank, the pleasant atmosphere and ambience was worth it. We started with the sandwiches, which were tasty, but lacked a little something, perhaps a chutney or something. The scones were absolutely perfect, very light and fresh, they split perfectly, and were lovely and soft. Maybe lacking a bit of fruit, but they were delicious so I don't care. The top tier was the cakes, which on this instance were a strawberry tart, a vanilla slice, and a small Victoria sponge. The sponge was lovely and light, and perfect for an Afternoon Tea, but as tasty as the other two were, they were a bit too big to be finger cakes, and we had to ask for a couple of forks (which resulted in two staff arriving at our table both presenting two forks at the same time!), the host delivering a great gag about us being "forking demanding" (ha!), but more than happy to oblige. The strawberry tart fell apart in my hands when I tried to take it from the cake stand to move it to my plate, so it was more of a "splodge" on my plate, but a very tasty splodge! Overall the Afternoon Tea was very nice, and the tea was delicious, but in my opinion it was a bit expensive at £39.90 for two, considering what was offered, but I suppose that's to be expected from a City Centre venue, especially given the current fashion for Afternoon Tea. As we pay, there's a hilarious moment when the waitress takes the card machine and walks around a bit trying to get signal. To be expected from a sub-ground area, but it must drive them mad having to do that all the time! As we leave, the head waiter tells us that next time we should remember that we're meant to take the experience over a few hours, lounging and chatting, rather than just an hour. We were only visiting for a lunch break, but next time may bring friends/family and take that advice! read more

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Tucked in just off St Anne's Square this is the perfect location to hide away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy tea and cake. There's afternoon tea available for those who are interested and if you're after a normal meal then there is a downstairs restaurant that serves the usual sorts of food. There are often special offers on especially early bird type things for those who are going to the theatre. I went in here on a lousy, rainy Saturday afternoon with my friend. We were seated in big comfy arm chairs and served right away. I had their vanilla tea and my friend decided to go for the cream tea with a scone. The tea pots are big enough to give you two or three good sized cups of tea and the selection of teas, coffees and other drinks is pretty good. We chatted for ages and didn't feel rushed even though we'd finished our tea, etc. Staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was warm and cosy. I'd definitely recommend Annies to anyone who wants an escape from the city for an hour read more

This is a really cosy place love the decor (cross between cabaret show / granny's living room or very glamourous show granny?). We ordered the cream tea with a choice of 6 different teas for £5.75. The scone was nice and fluffy with a bread like texture. I only wish they can give me more clotted cream and jam. The service was okay though we were waiting for a while before someone came to take our order. After the food arrived we were left to our own until we decided to leave. I will go back again during the week because of the deal they do for cake and tea for about £5ish. But in terms of service I wouldn't expect much. read more

Annies - British Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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Came here on a weekday evening after work as a friend wanted to try it out. Entering we thought the place was empty but it turns out there's a downstairs - quite a cozy atmosphere in contrast to the upstairs so it was a pleasant surprise Annie offers an essentially 'English' menu and we both embraced this going to the cheese and onion pie. When it arrived it was absolutely delicious but portions were rather on the small size - a small pie dish with a teeny dish of beans and about 8 chips in a pretty stack. Can't fault the taste but could have eaten it twice! To fill in the gaps I had sticky toffee pudding for dessert which gave me the stodge I was hoping for (in a very tasty way) Overall undeniably tasty but pricey for what you get. read more

I went here for tea and cake after a Saturday afternoon shopping at about 5pm, the back part seemed to be closed so I didn't get to see all of the restaurant but the part I did see is beautifully decorated, very stylish and has a nice atmosphere. The cakes were nice, hot chocolate was lovely and my mum enjoyed the scone although the portions of jam and cream were small. All in all a cute little gem in the city, I would certainly come again maybe for a meal and there was a poster advertising live music here which would be fun in this luxurious setting. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Annies - Annie's tea and cake time - British Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Took mum for a birthday lunch before going on to the theatre. Instant welcome from owner Chris, and the lovely Jennie McAlpine was just on her way out! She gave my mum a lovely hug and kiss, wishing her a happy birthday! We were seated downstairs, in the restaurant, where, although quite dark, there is a lovely relaxed atmosphere. we chose the three cheese and onion pie after hearing rave reviews on twitter. I have to say we weren't disappointed, we had the option of a mashed potato topping or pastry lid. We chose the pastry, and teamed it with fat chips and a side. Sides were quite expensive - nearly £4 for a few florets of broccoli, but the quality of the food was excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful, but I did note that nobody returned to us during the meal to see if everything was ok, or to ask if we wanted more drinks. as it was, everything WAS okay, and we enjoyed our first experience of Annies. read more

We went to Annie's on a Sunday evening last month. The restaurant is downstairs which can be confusing as there isn't a sign nor staff to direct you that way. We were greeted warmly by lovely staff who showed us to our table and sorted out our drinks. The menu is a huge mismatch with pricey wines paired with pub style food. I'm not sure who would come here and pay £150 for a bottle of red wine with their Sunday roast but who knows! Speaking of Sunday lunch, my friend ordered it and it wasn't great. The meat tasted like the type you get in a packet for sandwiches, the potatoes hard on the outside and powdery in the middle, the gravy had a skin on and the veg had turned to mush. I ordered the seabass which was supposed to come with spring greens. Correct me if I'm wrong but I always thought spring greens were shredded green leaves? What arrived was peas, mangetout and picked courgette. It was lovely, the seabass was cooked beautifully and the veg was crunchy... just not what it was advertised as and pricey for just shy of £14. For dessert I ordered the cheeseboard with my friend going for the jam roly poly. The latter was ok, nothing amazing but stodgy as it should be. The chutney on the cheeseboard was beautiful and clearly homemade. The cheeses also good but I wasn't told what they were nor was this information on the menu. Tasty enough though! The staff were attentive and friendly. We waited a fair while in between courses which was frustrating considering we were the only ones in the restaurant. The food is average yet I've also tried their jam and biscuits which were lovely, perhaps afternoon tea would be a better option? read more

A friend took us to Annies in the week as we had never been before, where we all enjoyed drinks and snacks, and friendly service, but when I returned (3 days later) with friends who had not been the service was poor, not friendly at all. Cappuccino had gone from £1.60 to £3.00 in 3 days, no snacks available, I witnessed 7 people leave as they wanted a snack in the bar. Clearly the staff did not care, abruptly told nothing at week end!! how hard is it to have a few snacks or pastries at weekend for shoppers ? Not the way to attract repeat customers in my opinion, we were going to book a meal for a birthday while we were in, but after today's experience did not bother. read more

Went valentines day, To Annie's after giving it superb review last time. Very pricey for poor level of menu £ 40 each . Special occasions you do pay more as aware off. Seems so poor of choice this time around & vegetarian would have had not any decent choice. Starter was below standard for a established restaurant . Main meal average & desert like you get in average cafe. If I could of turned clock back would of gone to ford Maddox brown wether spones in rusholme as did last year on valentines day as much better quility at £ 10 each top quility meal & bottle wine . read more

I was really looking forward to trying Annie's as I had heard good things about it but unfortunately it fell far below my high expectations. After spending half the afternoon wandering around Manchester in the pouring rain we couldn't wait to sit down and have a delicious piece of cake and tea. When we arrived the waitress greeted us warmly and we looked at the menu. The cake selection was limited but sounded nice. However when we came to order we were told that they had sold out of 2 of the cakes so that left us with a even more limited choice. The atmosphere was zero and it felt a bit like being in Costa coffee rather than an independent. The cakes weren't the best I've had either. Next time we will definitely head over to the Northern Quarter as there are so many places who do it better there. read more

Great people work here (Rowan and Erin in particular) and the food is awesome. Its a hidden gem. See for yourself.

We chose to eat at Annie's because of the press it was given at its opening. We were greeted by front of house who was pleasant and welcoming. Felt genuinely welcome. We were shown to our pre booked table and offered the drinks menu. Clearly set out and priced. Expensive drinks, but then it is in the middle of the city! Husband chose braised lamb shank and I had pork loin chop. Both were cooked to perfection! Lamb accompanied by mash and gravy, which was divine. Chop had cider gravy, whole baked apple and caramelised red cabbage and shallots. Flavours were superb. Deserts were slightly boring. I had Manchester Tart which no raspberry jam inside. Husband had apple crumble which was extremely small but tasty. I ordered a liquor coffee with desert, but this only came once we reminded the waiting staff once, and was sent back because it had no liquor in it! It was still on the bill however, which we had to press to have removed. Jenny McAlpine (Fizz from Coronation St) came over and chatted before the meal, even though she looked very busy, which was a nice touch. She was very involved with the running of the place and as we had deserts she was setting a table for a birthday booking. Overall, it's worth a visit. Expensive in comparison to other places but great atmosphere. Clean and friendly too! Would go back, without ordering coffee ;) read more