So I spent the day in Wilmslow (15mins on train from Manchester Piccadilly) thinking I'd have a…read morechange of scene while I worked on a new project and would try and pop a load of new biz's on the Yelp map at the same time. Whether I'm missing a few side streets I'm not too sure but most of the town centre seems to be filled with identikit chains and all the usual brands you'd get on any high street. Venturing a little further off the main drag, I spotted Rise with their board saying "best coffee in Wilmslow" so thought why not pop in and see if they're on the money with this! A nice little coffee shop with 2 friendly guys working, they seem to do a number of food options with me seeing everything from soups, sandwiches and beans on toast on other patrons plates around me. I ordered my customary Flat White and having picked up on the 'Aussie' voice of the barista I thought I was on to a winner. What arrived for £2.50 was a bowl of coffee - pretty much a latte which although wasn't too bad was about 4 times too big to be a flat white. They may serve the best coffee in Wilmslow...but all I could taste was the milk. When leaving urban centres there always does seem to be a drop in levels of knowledge or a bastardisation of a recipe to suit local needs and unfortunately the flat white seems to suffer from this... I should have gone for an espresso or macchiato instead... A nice little place, pop in if you're after a chilled out place for lunch.

Since James took over Rise a couple of years ago it's just gone from strength to strength…read more It's my favourite place to go in Wilmslow for a coffee and a quick bite of lunch! They're easy going and there's good wifi, so it's a great place to perch up for the afternoon and check your emails. At the weekends he has local live musicians playing which is a little bit different to the other things on offer in Wilmslow at the weekend. They also have monthly art exhibitions at the back of the venue! And it's a great pit-stop at the busy artisan markets every month. Again, dog friendly. So it's a winner in my book! James loves dogs too, always gives them a fuss and he has treats on the counter ready in exchange of a belly rub (of the dog of course...)

First, the Cafe portion closed in 2020 or so. But what has replaced it is a huge expansion of the…read morestore area now incorporating a full produce and fruit section, an expansive bakery, and an unbelievably wonderful gift and sundries area that competes with the best of Selfridge's but is all locally crafted goods. This was an incredible discovery as we originally just were planning to stop for a quick breakfast on the way to Liverpool, but instead spent a good 90 minutes just shopping here. Every nook and cranny of the store has wonderful discoveries awaiting like their trademark smoked wild honey, and a complete array of accompaniment sauces, condiments and conserves. Private parking at the access road's end is still plentiful, and they still stock and sell their trademark smoking wood for fireplace and home use. Easily one of Wilmslow's hidden treasures worth the journey just to visit here. And bring lots of shopping bags! The store staff are so courteous and enjoyable to help explore the vast array of items here. They also have gift wrapping available.

Modernity has its price. Sometimes a price we are not aware of until we see a parallel continuum…read morewhere old school has been preserved. Cheshire smokehouse is one such hidden gem. Nestled in the Cheshire countryside just south of Manchester Airport. The Ward family have been using traditional smoking methods to preserve and enhance the delicious flavour of local produce for over a century. You all know I'm a sucker for family run business and this is one such great example. (Current owner Darren Ward is the great, great grandson of JOhn William ward who established the business in 1907) Stepping inside the Cheshire smokehouse, a warm homely feel thou shall be immersed into. A soothing affair enhanced by the fresh foodie aromas of inhouse cooking. Driving through Wilmslow I have often paid a cheeky visit or two just to pick up the infamous Smoked Cashew nuts.. But there's certainly a lot more to this place then that. (There's a shop, there's a Patisserie, a wineshop and a Cafe... short and sweet) The Smokehouse shop caters for all your basic retail needs safe in the knowledge that the products are fresh and locally sourced (No horses were hurt in the making of that statement) ranging from fresh fruits, vegetables, rice and pasta. The in-house Patisserie carries a varied list of delicious artisan breads and cakes and for those looking for some strong dinner table vimtoe, the Smokehouse wine shop carries a healthy selection of over 400 carefully chosen wines and spirits. If all the excitement of so much good food gets too much for you, why not pop upstairs to the smokehouse cafe for a spot of breakfast/lunch/tea depending on your mood/time of day. You'd be pleasantly surprised by the nature of what's on offer at this modest little beauty. A quick recommendation? Try the gourmet sandwiches!!! They might be a tad expensive at around a tenner a pop, but boy was the steak gourmet sandwich I tried worth it! Glancing at the menu if that doesn't tickle your fancy there's a selection of yummy platters served with a warm basket of crustastic bread at around the same price-range and for the not so peckish belly owners may I recommend a lighter load of warm duck salad which is served with roast garlic jam (Yes you heard right) For the die hard food romantics out there the creme de la creme has to be the Ballon D'or of the North West food world, The Cheshire Smokehouse hamper!! Nothing says I love you my food loving comrade more than a voluptuous helping of the Cheshire Smokehouse hamperoffering. Served on a colorful mattress out in the Cheshire country open on a warm-sunfilled-breezy Summer afternoon, few things in this world say picnic opulent greatness better. That's not all my Yelpampered friends, there's a hamper for every occasion. Like a conveyor belt of Louis Vuitton bags the smokehouse continue to churn out new Hamperness every year. Costs range from £35-£150 depending on your disposable incomenss/ specialness of the occasioness (Yes I made up those words, but you get the picture) Par exemple The Smoke house selection hamper will set you back a modest £35 and includes: Smoked Scottish Salmon 100g / Air Dried Ham 115g / Smokehouse Smoked Chicken 150g / Smoked Duck Breast 200g / Dry Cured Sweet Black Bacon 200g / Hickory Smoked Almonds and Cashews 100g /Hickory Smoked Cashews with Black Pepper 100g / Smokehouse Lidded Box. The "Hickory" hamper on the other hand will set you back a few pennies more at £150 but it doeseth cometh with a few drops of juice amongst other treats I tell thee. Namely.... (takes a deep breath) Une bottle of Gusbourne Estate English Sparkling Wine / Brut Reserve Bottle of Niepoort Tawny Dee Port / "Burnt Sugar" Fudge / Choc Affair Fair Trade Chocolate Ba / Chocca Mocca Hot Chocolate Tin / Hickory Smoked Almonds & Cashews (200g) / Fine Cheese Company Parmesan Crackers / "My Cup of Tea" Breakfast Tea / Vallecoppa Pesto / Tracklements Salsa / Guidetti Pasta / Peters Yard Mini Crispbreads / Tracklements Onion Marmalade / Nudo Olive Oil / Thursday Cottage Jam or Curd ....AND.... a Large Lidded Basket!! Thats plenty of decent and indulging oomphh for your buck! To get to the Smokehouse it helps if you have une voiture as it is kinda...no wait... It -IS- in the middle of nowhere... however I'm sure you clever folk can work your way around that right? (Give that internal combustion engine endowed friend a nudge and come along) Please note that the cafe is closed Monday/Sunday, so if you fancy planting yourself there to sample a gourmet sandwich avoid these two UNsmokeHOuseLY days. Cheshire smokehouse is frequented mainly by the not so financially challenged local folk and Foodies from all over the Northwest of England. However the delights of such a magnificent place are there for all to enjoy, so tootle along and try something new. Perhaps even Yelp about something I haven't tried. Who knows...I might let thee tag along on my next voyage .. I'm all Car'd up! Allez

Good for football star spotting if you get the weather right and can claim a seat outside!read more

The best place in South Manchester to get yourself a decent cup of coffee with great companyread more

Good experience here twice now. The staff are lovely and the do a range of matcha drinks of which…read morethe matcha latte was really nice. I've tried the smoked salmon bagel and tuna melt and both were tasty although latter perhaps a bit pricey at £6. Falafel wrap is apparently also vg. I like that they have a Reuben sandwich on the menu, that's properly deli-style! It's in a old car showroom which is round with glass rolls, feels a bit like you're in a diner in Grease which is cool! More cushioned chairs could help make it s bit cosier though. There's a bonus ice cream parlour for the full American-style experience. My friend says the coffee isn't optimal because they don't freshly grind so some of the aroma/flavour gets lost, nor do they stir the milk when making the foam, so the air doesn't pass all the way through. As a non coffee drinker, this was all news to me. Technical stuff! Hence 4 stars although it's not like the coffee is awful or anything. Overall a great spot for brunch/lunch in Alderley Edge.

How come there's no review for this place? Bizarre!…read more The aptly named Aldeli is a perfect spot for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Especially if you're trying to get over your daily city grind and punch. The bagles are heavenly, they're so big you can't eat them so suddenly. The coffee is divine, the tea is also fine. It may far, but it really raises the bar. The decor is magnificent and the lady that served me was an absolute star. So drive down on a lazy sunday. Have a brew, stroll to the edge and blow the cobwebs away.

I don't mind Caffe Nero's - they don't do a bad job of what they do as a high street coffee chain,…read morein fact they seem a bit more authentic, cosy and real than other places like Starbies and Costa. The coffee tends to be a bit richer than the other high street ones and it can sometimes be a great haven if there's work to be done and you're looking for somewhere that's fairly quiet to work - most in Manchester have upstairs areas and are usually quiet during the day. I'd always go here over a greasy spoon or somewhere that's less comfortable to chill out in. Make sure you get a Nero card and you'll get a free coffee on every 10 visits.

We sat on the patio and enjoyed the very friendly table service and Konak Boost Breakfast:…read morescrambled eggs, bacon, avocado smear on toast which is a generous portion. Attentive staff, delicious hot food and the only thing I could ask for was more avocado, but I'm comparing it to California standards. The menu is huge and I'm looking forward to trying more. Pay cash or card at the cashier counter inside.

Food and drinks are nice, fairly quick service, my grandma loves this place , nice atmosphere,read more

Brilliant little Turkish run cafe in the heart of Handforth…read more Extensive menu of breakfasts, light lunches and main meals. Great coffee. I use this as a base as work in sales in the area. Always greeted warmly and looked after by the staff.

This is a typical Starbucks store, serving Wilmslow town centre on Grove Street…read more They have a nice amount of seating and the store is relatively comfortable inside, with entrances at the front and the back of the store, with outdoor and indoor seating. The staff here seem friendly enough, but I do think the service has gone downhill slightly in recent years, with a lot of new staff members coming in. Beverage quality is generally up to the usual Starbucks standards, however stock of food items / specific beverages could be improved, and they seem to be out of stock of items frequently. I do find the store shuts far too early, closing at 18:00 during the week, and 17:00 on a Saturday, which is a huge inconvenience. 3* - Typical Starbucks store, nothing too special, but there are certainly worse spots around town for a coffee.

For a Starbucks it's nice to see an unusual non typical example, and here it is. It's a wacky…read moreshaped building inside with nice quiet corners to sit. It has a dual aspect advantage with doors on the main shopping street and one on the main road (opposite Costa / BP garage). There is lots of parking at the library (down side of BP/Costa) for a small fee (60p 1hr or £1 for 1-2hrs). The staff were prompt and service was Good, with them asking for my name (so the drink doesn't get mixed up, and the barista repeating the order back to me as it was made... this ensures a) I got the right drink and b) it was made to my requirements, one of both of these Starbucks traits often missed out due to laziness). The toilet is in a strange place and was just OK inside, not dirty but just needed a regular tidy up!