Bites: Breakfast in Manchester

Start the day in Manchester the way you mean to go on, with a stonking breakfast

Start the day in Manchester the way you mean to go on, with a stonking breakfast

Kro Bar

The Scandi eaterie that's big on blond wood and egalitarian refectory tables was the first of three Dane-ish bars in the city. Being opposite the Students' Union it sells lots of lager. But breakfast, from 8.30am until early evening, is so popular there would be a riot if it stopped sooner. Only the pastries are particularly Danish; put away a full English, veggie or not, bacon or onion and sausage sandwiches and bagels.

325 Oxford Road (0161 2743100)

Lead Station

Where Badly Drawn Boy Damon comes to fuel himself and his kids. Eight years on it's one of the city's off-centre great all-rounders; a home from home for laidback Chorlton citizens of all ages. The Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10am to 2pm is legendary. Full marks for the full works, which includes everything except baked beans, as well as eggs Benedict, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs or veggie fry-up. Weekdays there's less of the same.

99 Beech Road, Chorlton (0161 8815559)

Malmaison Brasserie

Resist the on-train buffet – how hard is that? The Malmaison, one of the earliest funky metropolitan hotels, is right by the station, and serves breakfast from 7am until 10.45am. One of those rare hotels worth eating in whether or not you're staying. There's a spread of fruit, cereals, juices and pastries, or take the cooked route with kippers and eggs Benedict as alternatives to the usual full English.

Piccadilly (0161 2781000)

Sam's Chop House

For a lunch that qualifies as a light 18th-century breakfast, Sam's your man. What must be Manchester's oldest restaurant is also one of the best, using fine local produce in traditional British cooking: lamb's kidneys come with port and Stilton sauce; black pudding potato cake with poached egg and grain mustard sauce, and there's a hash of beef corned in their own press. As Monday to Saturday lunch starts at 11.30am it could count as a late, hearty breakfast. There are beautiful puds like Eccles cakes with clotted cream, and their own beer plus an impressive wine list.

Chapel Walks, off Cross Street (0161 8343210)