Manchester Press

Instagram: @joicejlau

My internet is finally back up and running after my area's cables got damaged in those raging Melbourne winds over the last two weeks, thank goodness! You really don't appreciate the necessity of the internet in the 21st century until you're left without it. At the same time, it was a nice little pause from being wired up 24/7!

Anyway, as my return to blogging, I thought I'd do a brunch-oriented review today. Manchester Press is a good summary of Melbourne brunch: eclectic, warehouse space found tucked away in a laneway. An interstate friend was in town for the weekend and our usual "thing" is to go for a girls' brunch, so I proposed Manchester Press, knowing that she enjoys artsy places like this and having seen the photos. Sure enough, it lived up to its expectations in that department.

The menu was relatively short; the focal points were definitely bagels and coffee. Although I'm not a coffee drinker myself, my friend rated her coffee highly and it was served with beautiful coffee art. Our other friend and I opted for the "juice of the day", which in our case was watermelon, rockmelon and mint. Can't say no to a beautifully made, all-natural, fresh juice!

At the time of my visit, I did not find the menu particularly vegetarian-friendly. There were virtually no savoury vegetarian items, with most of the bagel dishes coming with things like salmon, salami or pulled pork. The meateaters will be right at home here - looking at the menu, I thought that the combinations are very thoughtful and gourmet-quality, and judging by my friends' orders, the ingredients used are only the freshest. As for me, I looked to the sweet selection and ultimately opted for this bagel with marscapone, mixed berries, and pistachio dust:

The fruit marscapone was well done, being neither too heavy nor too sweet. If anything, I perhaps would have liked to see a few more berries in the mix. As for the bagel itself, well, the fantastic bagels which I had the privilege of trying in New York still set the benchmark for me, particularly in texture - the NYC bagels which I liked the most were ever so slightly softer and less dense in texture than these, but that may be my personal preference. And my benchmark is informed by awfully high standards, given that I woke up to bagels from famed NYC bakery Balthazar's in my hotel breakfast every morning! The Manchester Press take on the bagel is definitely great quality and one of the best I've tried in Melbourne and I would be happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a bagel fix here. Also note that you can ask for plain, seeded or fruit and nut bagels with your order as you please.

Manchester Press is one of those places which keeps a tight focus on doing a select few things, and doing them well. I'd come here if you're in the mood for good coffee, bagel-based dishes, and perhaps some fresh juice and cakes/slices on the side. If you want a more conventional meal with less bread or bagels and more things like cooked meat, pasta, risotto, and so on, or a menu with more variety in the type of dish served, I would look elsewhere. Meateaters will be happiest here judging by the menu, though I believe that since my visit, the lack of savoury vegetarian choices has been remedied with the addition of a bagel served with avocado, feta, chili and mint mash and cherry tomatoes, rocket and pine nuts. Overall, I was definitely impressed by the quality of what I had and by the atmosphere, and would definitely recommend Manchester Press to anyone looking for the kinds of things which fall within the focal scope of their work.

Rating: A+

Vegetarian Friendliness: 6/10

Price Range: $

 

Manchester Press

8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne

VIC 3000

Australia

 

(Ph): (03) 9600 4054

(W): www.facebook.com/manchesterpress
 

 

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Instagram: @joicejlau