Jonny Q.

I've gotta say that I've been going to Takk on and off since it opened a couple of years back and if the truth be told, I never really enjoyed it compared to some of the other NQ coffee shops - it just always seemed to be lacking a bit of atmosphere. Fast forward to the present day and it's actually now one of my favourite hangouts as I've been trying to liven up and mix up where I spend my time. It's got great coffee, tasty looking snacks (some of the main meals look great as friends I've met have eaten) and the staff are super friendly - plus the music is really good every time I pop in. I'm definitely one of the MacBook brigade who works in here regularly and it does get pretty busy late mornings, lunch times and just after - if you're after a quick coffee with friends make sure you have a back up plan as it can get packed and you may not get a seat!

Michael B.

I'm a sucker for anything and everything Scandinavian. Takk, for me, epitomises all that I've grown to love about their way of life: it's a simple, stripped-back, friendly and relaxing space full of natural materials and quirky design. You can order at the counter to take away, but if you can stay in and sit at one of the tables (most are repurposed old-school wooden desks which look great), then you'll be able to soak in the atmosphere whilst enjoying a leisurely coffee, brew and snack. Pots of tea come to a very reasonable £2.20 and you can get two cups-worth. They have a decent selection of both teas and coffees (the latter costing slightly more). I've now added one of their FORLIFE 'Stump' teapots to my wish list - they were great with their in-built infuser for loose tea and contemporary design. I haven't eaten in here yet but what I've gazed from other customers' orders has looked very tantalising indeed. It seems to be more geared up towards breakfast and brunch, with croissants, sandwiches and salads for the most part. As other reviews have mentioned, it's popular with the 'Internet Café' crowd, so don't be surprised if many, if not all, of the tables are occupied with bloggers or internet entrepreneurs at busier times of the week. If you do have an hour or two to while away, head to Takk and you'll be booking your flights for a trip to Iceland in no time.

Chris T.

A really cool Northern Quarter Coffee Shop on Tarrif Street, its right next door to the Kosmonaut Bar, Its very very cool with great places to relax and chill, Its set out very well indeed and its very open plan, The staff are really friendly and cute, The coffees are great and cost anything between £2 and £2.60, there is also a lovely selection of home baked cakes at £2, the customers are cool and cute too :) Its one of the best coffee shops I've ever been too and can't wait to go back!

Laura F.

I'd read some great reviews about Takk and heard some good things too, so today I popped in for a coffee and a spot of lunch. What a lovely place. It was very busy when I arrived, and there was one small table left in the corner. The guy behind the counter suggested i go and throw my coat on it so that i didn't miss out. What a legend. It's pretty large inside, i think midday on a Saturday was just their busiest time. The exposed brickwork gives the coffee shop a great look. I was intrigued by the bookcase - i didn't go and have a closer look, but i can imagine this coffee shop being the type of place you could spend an afternoon reading. It really is lovely. There's free WiFi and plug sockets dotted around the place - and i saw a few people working away on laptops in here. It's a good environment for it. I ordered a latte - which was very good. I also ordered the B.A.C sandwich - which consisted of smokey streaky bacon, smashed avocado, tomato and chipotle ketchup on soft crusty bloomer bread. One of the best sandwiches i've had for a while. I had a rose lemonade too.

Calvin T.

Lovely little place secluded in between the Northern Quarter and Piccadilly Train Station. Food: The food was delicious! Love the tinned plates. Coffee: The place to go for coffee fans (V60 & Aeropresso) available. More coffees and equipments are available next to the counter to be taken home. The beans have been roasted in Berlin and has been imported from all over the world. Atmosphere: Simplistic and warm given the wooden materials and furniture.

Mateo M.

After finding Takk rated highly on TripAdvisor I accidentally went to the bar next door thinking it was Takk. I finally made it here after having lunch there. It was time for an espresso and a piece of chocolate brownie. The staff and layout was nice - a few folk using their computers on the misfit benches. It was light and airy and I could see myself spending an afternoon writing or reading. The espresso was "special". A bit of Kenyan coffee rather than the normal dark roast left me surprised and a bit disappointed. I'm Italian and just returned from Italy so I was expecting the normal stuff, but the brownie was divine!

Daniella P.

Delicious coffee and what a great place to work/hangout! Multiple seating options and a cute interior. The cappuccino was great, as was the granola breakfast!

Victoria B.

Often park on Tarriff Street these days and pop in here on my walk to Piccadilly Station. Can't drink coffee anymore (caffeine allergy, makes me so sad!!) but did have decafs and teas. Really the best spot to stop in the NQ for coffee. Bright and airy, exposed brick walls and wooden benches. I believe it's Icelandic inspired? Friendly staff and loads of people working on laptops so if you need to get on Wi-Fi this is the place. Quite hipster!!

Shrimoyee C.

The only reason I am giving 4 stars is because they didn't have any syrups for my latte (yeah I like them extra sweet and nasty) but besides that I am a fan! Takk is definitely going to be my next favorite coffee/work/meeting place in Manchester. It is very well decorated with wooden floors, furniture and book shelves which makes this place a perfect place to sit and get some work done or have meetings. My friend Dan ordered for a Falafel sandwich, earl grey and cake and seemed like he enjoyed his meal. I was not hungry so went for a caramel latte but sadly they didn't have syrups, but they were so awesome that to compensate that they made me a flat white with chocolate (and I melted). They have a wide range of bottled soft drinks like ginger beer, mango juice etc too. You will find lot of people having work meetings here, or some people just sitting there and doing their work done (unlike some places where you feel like a weirdo to sit alone). The whole atmosphere was very relaxed and makes you feel very welcome. I landed up having a very interesting conversation there with a young chap who runs his own techy firm next door (I think cafes like these are a great place to meet new people). I found out later that Takk also hosts a lot of networking events inside for young businesses and start-up companies. Verdict: Great place to relax with friends/ work/ read.

Rebecca G.

I'm gonna say that this is my favourite coffee house in Manchester: although I can't quite decide as their are a number of gems around here in the NQ. It's an uber-cool retreat, a calm but by no means dead environment. Icelandic inspired and trendy. Takk have recently invested in a kitchen. They now serve proper brunches. Their bread stockist is Trove, you can certainly expect a fairly gourmet affair of things-on-toast. No other coffee shop around here offers such a quality breakfast/coffee combination. Do watch this space though, the kitchen is new to Takk and I anticipate that their food menu will be evolving soon. For now it's quality basics. Quality never seems to be compromised here- I can vouch that the brownies are awesome. I'm fussy with brownies. Hard-core chocolate fan over here. The coffee is some of the best this city has to offer. Takk are really trying to take their coffee to the next level- and so far it's going tremendously well. Not only do they have quality espresso prepared by well trained baristas, but they also offer cold brew (of course they do- it's totally in right now), V60 and syphon brew techniques. Good to know that they also have a more than decent decaf option from Passion Fruit coffee roasters (based in chorlton). Their decaffeinating method is Swiss water washed- so ideal if you're avoiding those nasty chemical processes often used to create decaf. (Turning an avoidance of caffeine into an deceivingly unhealthy choice). Takk has lots of 2 person tables and a couple of big communal tables- so can suit family's, groups and more intimate catch ups. There will always be someone with a MacBook doing something edgy too. I will give this place 5 stars if they make their food menu a bit more radical and interesting which I think will happen before long. For now it's 4, but a 5 for the coffee!

Josh O.

Currently my favourite place to get coffee in the city. Unmistakably in the Northern Quarter, as the beards, brickwork and bare lightbulbs quickly indicate, Takk is a place you can come to spend alone with a cup of coffee and a book; for a quick coffee date with a friend (or laptop!), at one of the school tables along the wall; or in a large group, huddled round the beautiful new bespoke long table. They serve excellent espresso-based coffees, as well as a rapidly rotating selection of longer coffees made with either V60 or Aeropress. In summer, their cold-brewed coffee over ice is just the ticket. The quality and variety of their coffee is easily among the very best in town. A selection of moreish cakes complements your caffeine hit well. Their sandwiches always look appetising, though I can't comment from experience. I've stuck with their weekend brunch menu, where the fine-dining background of the kitchen staff shines through in plates with levels of craft and flavour above those of your typical coffee house. Their huevos - spiced beans, black pudding and poached egg piled high on a sourdough base and accented with herb oil - is a particular favourite, as is their bacon, avocado and chipotle ketchup sandwich. If you're after something lighter, the baked egg with salmon or the granola will serve you well. Repeat visits to explore the menu are well-rewarded and highly recommended. A spartan, Icelandic-inspired aesthetic may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you're in search of excellent coffee and delicious food. Once you've been to Takk, it will be.

Josh M.

I always like it when a coffee shop has some take home stock like bags of beans from their coffee supplier or some kit (aeropress, v60 etc) I find it is a very good indicator of a place that has a passion for their industry and therefore make a decent drop. A very comfy coffee shop with edison bulbs which give that warm golden glow, floor boards and brick walls add to the place making it modern yet relaxed. With the businesses around it's not surprisingly to see lots of people on laptops sending emails or finishing off reports. There's a bookshelf at the back of the coffee shops filled with an assortment in case you walk in without any reading material. I've stopped in several times on my way to and from other places and always found the staff pleasant though not as talkative as some coffee joints around MCR and the flat white is very tasty. I will have to drop in for some of their food in future.

Vahishta M.

I spent an entire afternoon working on my blog at Takk and the time went by so very quickly. It didn't feel like I was working because my toes were always tapping away to the music. The cafe is a very warm and friendly space. I've been to places where customers are locked away in insular booths, unable to make eye contact with each other. Takk is about as far from that layout as it's possible to get. The large room that serves as the main seating area is dominated by a central table that's more of a community table - when we got there two separate groups of people were using the table and by the time we left, they were chatting with each other and the groups seemed to have merged. Surrounding this large table is a collection of smaller, more intimate two-seater tables - but even these are closely spaced so you can always look over and strike up a conversation. The food is decent, nothing to swoon over. Standard coffee shop fare: sandwiches and pastries, at reasonable prices. The coffee was great (I had a cappuccino) and the roast ham sandwich I tried was very good. If there's one small peeve I had with Takk it was that they had a very generic selection of items on the menu - nothing really jumped out at me. Also, it makes me work very hard!