Yes, yes, yes. Just my kind of place…read more Somewhere I can drink coffee, relax and be surrounded by modern art. It is hard to find places like this near home. The art here is different, unusual and probably most people will find it strange and meaningless. Yes, there is a big rat head (costume) and a giant teddy bear hanging around. Constantly something is happening - life drawing, film nights and street artist exhibiting their creations. I'm always too distracted doing something or even just sitting on a comfy sofa drinking good coffee. So I've never tried the food here. Drinks are good. It is an interesting place to visit and take a break from your regular cafes. Why don't we have places like this in London ?

The quirky and cool social atmosphere…read more Plenty of seating that ranges from extra comfy to just plain weird. The coffee is great for the price and the tea is the same, the food is decent enough, if a tiny bit pricey. I'd say the staff are mostly awesome and friendly, although there is 1 guy who works though with a really crappy attitude that really puts me off staying whenever he is on the counter. Other than that, its a cool place.

Great cafe serving excellent food at really reasonable prices. Friendly staff and an excellent…read morechildren's play area out the back. Brilliant place for a main meal, quick snack or just a brew. They also do a breakfast menu. Definitely recommend this place.

Big Art is located within the Walker Art Gallery on William Brown Street and is designed for…read morechildren up to 8 years of age. Its full of hands on activities, drawing, painting, model making, stories, songs and dress up. Best of all its completely free. My children (aged 4 and 8) regularly choose Big Art as a choice of a day out during half terms and weekends and as a parent it is just lovely to be able to spend a couple of quiet hours simple playing with the kids away from the normal domestic distractions. They also provide a number of fun worksheets designed for the kids for use in the main gallery too.

Excellent staff, excellent accommodation, excellent service, would recommend highly. Stayed there a…read morefew times now and would say it's better than most. Your own space in a luxury apartment, right in the heart of the city centre

A really useful alternative to the university library.read more

Yes to this place, on so many levels. I love it…read more I'll level with you, when I was reading the menu and deciding what the order for breakfast I thought "this menu is too small" as they only offered around 8 dishes, but looking back, thats all they need! I popped in with Jonny Q for a quick catch up and I was there for a good 2 hours in total - 2 hours in a totally relaxing atmosphere with great coffee and wonderful food! I had the Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Egg Stack which was not only healthy but incredibly tasty - (Ok I had some white toast on the side so that ruined the healthiness but still - an improvement on Burger & Chips for me). Jonny had the pancakes and by all accounts they were great also! My dish came in at £4.50 (minus the toast) which is a very competitive price for a filling meal! I'd also highly recommend trying the amazing Bonbon coffee for a quick pick me up - though only have 1 because it is very sweet! Relaxing, spacious and welcoming - 5 stars.

Amazing place that accepts you for being you. *Warning* @ Social Refuge where they treat you…read moredifferently if your not like them. I visited this coffee shop recently and left feeling pretty uncomfortable with how I was treated. From the moment I ordered, the staff came across as dismissive and noticeably colder toward me compared to other customers around me. There were a few interactions that felt unnecessarily sharp, and it gave the impression that I wasn't particularly welcome there. I want to be fair, but as a straight customer, the difference in tone and attitude didn't go unnoticed. Whether intentional or not, it made the experience feel exclusionary rather than inclusive. It's a shame because the space itself has a lot of personality, but the service made it hard to enjoy. I'd hope they work on creating a more welcoming environment for everyone.

Right next door to Voodou is this cute cute CUTE little place that makes my voice go all high and…read morebabyish. Awww, just look at it! Well, the bottom line is that as well as being dinky and adorable and a little rough around the edges in a good way, it also has delicious food on offer. It's a friendly place, and the manager himself often comes out to have a chat. It's exceptionally clean which is always a great sign, the staff are friendly and smiley and make you feel right at home and the food is across the board fresh, wholesome and very tasty. You can instantly tell the quality is high and there's a heck of a lot of heart to the goings on here. If you're in the Stanley Street area you'd be a fool not to drop in for a quick snack. A FOOL I tells ya!

This place was something special. I went in for brunch and initially it seemed to be a regular…read morecafe. Upon further inspection I realized I was basically sitting within an art gallery. The paintings on the walls were truly breathtaking. The food was pretty good but you're going to want to go for the artwork.

Bramleys is a great tea room, or "coffee house" rather. I think it appeals to older people and is…read moreideal for mum and daugter rather than, a date for example; it's cute not cool. But that's not criticism, I really like it here. With its huge selection of cakes adn proper afternoon tea (with extra pots of hot water) Bramley's is really traditional which is appealing. It's a really bright cafe despite being found just off the covered wheatsheaf walk. Service is faultless; the staff are friendly but efficient and there's a much more sociable feel here than in the multinational coffee shops. The prices area cheaper too! There's good access and space for prams and wheelchairs

Bramley's Coffee House is such a pretty tea room. All foods are so fresh and tasty. I had Thai…read morefishcakes and tastes really great. A pot of tea is really nice , strong flavour. They give you another hot water so you can make many cuppa. They put many lovely cakes on showcase and I always find it difficult to choose one. The staff is very friendly and polite. You can have a pleasant time here without doubts! good place for couples ,with mum and daughter!

I always enjoy my time at Oak Street Cafe. It has the right balance between being tucked away but…read moreknown 'by the right people' - it's rarely empty and has bags of character, but you're likely to find a table either as soon as you walk in or after a wander around the Craft & Design Centre. It's been a while since I've eaten here (any previous reviews of mine are in the Craft & Design Centre listing) but, looking for somewhere light and healthy prior to a recent evening event, we thought it the perfect time for a return visit. It was chilly by the door so we tucked ourselves away in a corner - obviously with a quick look at the counter beforehand so we could see what was on offer! There's a rotating menu of salads, soups, frittatas and cakes and made fresh on the day. Eschewing my usual dependence on meat and carbs, I ordered the salad plate, with the 3 salads of the day and a small hunk of brown bread; carbs are too good to pass up altogether. The salads were red cabbage with grapefruit, which was an unusual combination in my head but tasted delicious and gave the cabbage a tartness; sesame green beans, with a perfect bite; and butternut squash wedges. I felt surprisingly full afterwards and am glad I resisted the lure of the cake for dessert! The other half's cauliflower, coconut and chilli soup was really delicious and perfect for the true winter weather we were experiencing. It was a much lighter consistency than I expected and had a great hit of chilli that wasn't too overpowering. Needless to say, I had plenty of food envy, though my colourful plate was more attractive to the eye. Service was quick and friendly, and as unique as ever. The Craft & Design Centre has a great thing going with this cafe and I hope it continues to attract people to this gem of a building.

I'm trying to remember the name of the café that was here before, I'm sure I've reviewed it, I'm…read moresure it was very nice, but the fabness of Oak Street Café has pretty much obliterated any memory I had. Talk about delightful. Nestled cosily in the beautiful Craft and Design Centre in the Northern Quarter, it's the sort of place you could lunch with a friend, come for a quick pitstop coffee while you're present-shopping, grab a cheeky slice of cake or even bring your mum. Which I did! We had a great lunch here whilst listening to one of the Craft and Design Centre coordinators fetch some stories from elderly gents who used to work at the building back when it was a fish market. It was fascinating. They had a special code they used to speak in too. It's easy to forget the history of this place, so try not to! Check de photographs - our lunch was tasty. Baked falafel, salad, frittata and some really nice coffees, plus the cakes looked pretty amazing too. It was all at a reasonable price with superb flavours and a really unique atmosphere. Who can complain? Just a star lost for the Craft and Design Centre having wifi but the Oak Street Café not giving away the password. I gots to work when I eat!