Manchester Press

Simple but tasty breakfast /​brunch. Gets busy so expect to queue for a table. Good service all round. I wouldn’t rush to come back though. I think there are better places.

i’m from new york. the bagels were bad. the food was eh. there was literally nothing on the menu that looked delcious to me. a lot of gluten and a lot of trying too hard to be north american. i know its hip and stuff, but its not that delicous.

Just popped in for a coffee just after lunch. It’s down a laneway off of Little Bourke Street, just round the corner from Brother Baba Budan. The place was busy and the staff friendly. I had my signature double shot latte and it was great.
The menu is bagels, bagels and more bagels. Shame I’d already eaten as they looked good. Small selection of cakes available too.
I’ll come back for a feed next time!

Hmm. Coffee was nice enough. Service was nice enough. But come on, only bagels?! And for that price!!! Maybe it was my fault for not looking up the menu for the first time before trying somewhere new, but after all the hype about this place I expected a lot more.
Basic food options + nice coffee, which you can get anywhere. So 3 stars because the staff were nice & coffee was nice enough. Much better brunch or lunch options out there…

Today morning, my friends and I wanted to go for brunch but we did not plan which place to go. I checked on Unilocal and find out that Manchester Press has good review for the food. So we decided to give a try.
I ordered the Open Bagel with Chorizo and it was delicious. My drink was a latte. Totally love it.

This is one of my two favorite brunch places in the city (along with the Hardware Societe). It is Melbourne’s little mecca of bagels, and not just any bagel — they do gluten free ones too! And they’re delicious, which is always a pleasant surprise in a gluten free baked good.
My favourite bagel is the mixed berries and mascapone cheese breakfast option. It typically comes with a blueberry bagel, which could only make it more amazing (but sadly isn’t available gf). The bagel comes halved then smothered in topping, with some pistachio sprinkles. Oh it’s good.
Another favourite is the maple bacon and banana bagel. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds, for the bacon enthusiasts out there who know how great maple bacon is.
The avo and feta smash is a great savoury option, as is the chorizo.
Basically, you can’t go wrong with the bagels on this menu. I have to admit, after over a dozen visits, I’ve never tried the salads, though they also look great. As a glutard, I’m often faced with salad being my only option on the menu, so I make a point of enjoying great gluten free options when they’re there — and they are abundant at Manchester Press.
Not to be overlooked, the coffee is fantastic. Their sweet selection is also delightful, with plenty of gluten free options that I’ve tried — I’m not worried about what I order here, because I know it will be delicious.
Simply, Manchester Press is the kind of place that is quintessentially Melbourne — it has a great atmosphere, fantastic food, and excellent coffee. They are yet to disappoint me.

Have been here twice this week and has been great both times. Bagels have generous toppings and the coffee was good.
It was busy on both occasions but still had friendly and efficient service.
Great ambience — definitely recommend going for brunch /​lunch

Bagels everything. Good spot for breakfast or lunch because everything on the menu involves a bagel. My favourite is the salmon bagel. Definitely takes me back to the states. Great place to catch up with friends

Awesome space down an alley. Coffee was delicious. Avocado feta smash bagel with chorizo was filling and tasty. Smoked salmon was a substantial portion. Highly recommend this spot for a big, healthy breakfast.

Manchester Press has a raw, factory floor and unfinished vibrance to it. And I absolutely love this about it. There is a very obvious and deliberate nod to the building’s previous life, that I find not only charming but respectful.
The tables and chairs really do pay homage to it’s industrious past with lots of repurposed furnishings, including what I can only assume to be large spools that once held reams of fabric. In an age of consumerism and waste, Manchester Press is quite a unique experience.
The staff are all young, hip and there to get the job done. They are neither the warmest nor chirpiest team of floor staff I’ve encountered, nor are they the coldest. But whether or not that matters is another thing. They are purposeful, unobtrusive and I’m ok with that.
I’ve been going to the Press (just nicknamed it, high fives all round) for a couple of years now, on about a fortnightly basis. They are reasonably priced, if not a touch on the expensive side, hence the fortnightly visitations. The salmon bagel is a delightfully heavy breakfast if you’re up for it. The bagels are always delicately soft, the salad crunchy and the salmon is fresh. Servings are always generous and exactingly presented and served. It’s really no surprise that during busy periods your name needs to be placed onto a waiting list. My advice: join the queue.

Before you potentially waste your time in the queue, realise that this place only serves bagels. Somewhat disappointing for the traditional weekend breakfast seeker. Perhaps a menu in the window would help in this regard. While the staff seemed friendly, the interior is small, cramped and if you’re lucky enough, you too could be seated at the bar with your face up against a blank wall…

For a place known for it’s bagels it was underwhelming. Something NQR about the avocado smash, for my sensibilities.
Other than that, the staff are cool. The décor is cool. The location is cool. Maybe just best for a coffee.

Bagels! We had to line up to get into this place, but the size and quality of the bagels and coffee was worth it. Huge heapings of veges on mine and salmon on my partners. We shared a table with a bunch of other people and the staff were so friendly, they really make it personable.
The place itself looks like a warehouse that’s barely had a repaint, but it has a nice feel to it. They don’t have any cooked meals because they don’t have a real kitchen for it, but undoubtedly you can get the bacon you are after nearby if you want it. For now, what they do, they do well.
Bagels!

Awesome coffee. That’s all I really have to say. The food looks great, too, but both times I’ve been it’s been so busy that getting a table required a pretty decent wait. Maybe next time!

It’s a small menu but there are some amazing things on offer. Yes they are mostly bagels. Usually a wait but the queue manages itself. Great coffee.

I first came here in December 2012 and i still love it! The avovado and feta smash bagel is my favourite along with the freah apple juice. Coffee is also good!
Staff were very accomodating to finding us a spot with the kids. Service was quick and friendly!

Another cool find with the help of the Unilocal app!
I wandered down the lane and into Manchester Press on a gorgeous Wednesday morning. After a little confusion over whether I was supposed to seat myself and if I was supposed to order at the counter or at the table, I settled in and had a look around.
This is obviously a pretty happening place with people coming and going getting their coffees and sweet treats. 10am on a Wednesday wasn’t busy, however they do have a ‘waiting list’ hanging on a hook outside for you to write your name on so it must get busy at times.
The place has a kind of ‘industrial’ feel but has some quirky touches like the big sketches hanging on the walls. I love the giant bowling pin in the corner!
Once I got down to reading the menu the problems started — everything sounded amazing! From Bircher muesli to several varieties of bagel, I wanted one of everything!
In the end I decided on the ‘Maple Madness’ bagel — a raisin bagel topped with bacon, banana, marscapone and maple syrup. Perhaps not the healthiest decision but one I am definitely glad I made! Next time I’m going to ask for the addition of peanut butter — a flavour combination I think would be magical, and just kick it up a notch for me.
The other food options I saw coming out also looked pretty amazing too. I’d love to try the smoked salmon or smashed avocado options too.
Unfortunately the coffee didn’t inspire me — and I think in a place like Melbourne you need to be on top of the coffee game! It was definitely drinkable, but a little on the lukewarm side and nothing super great.
I would definitely venture back for the other breakfast options and to give the coffee a second chance :)

Mmm. came to this little hole in the wall after seeing some pictures on instagram. I forgot to ask the guy for a cute latte art! It’s ok, I still got a little rosetta.
They have amazing bagels. *_​* I got the lox one I believe, and it had baby capers, smoked salmon, cream cheese, and a plain bagel. Nothing too fancy it seems, but it tasted so good! I actually wish I tried somethign more adventurous, but I was feeling boring that day :(The prices were pretty good for both the food and coffee, and they do brew really good coffees.
I’d been searching for bagels around Melbourne, and I was definitely satisfied. It may be a little hard to find, and you’ll have to wait when you find it (I had to wait for a party of one!!) but it’s worth it in the end! :)

When I think of Manchester Press, I think my neck of the wood (Brunswick East)… I think it has a lot to do with the décor and layout, which sort of distressed, unfancy and rustic. I think it used to be a former gallery, which would make sense given the large open plan seating area.
Anyway, it also represents what’s very good and unique about Melbourne in that it’s in small/​seedy laneways that you find real gems.
We went on a Sunday for lunch and it was really busy. I think the wait was about 20 mins or so. It was worth it though. The coffee’s really good and you have to try one of their bagels (it’ll be hard not to anwyayz!). I had the chorizo bagel but tried a bit of the pulled pork as well and both were really good.
I like the place, I really like it and I’d love to rock up on a quiet arvo and just have a coffee there and chill. It’s probably due to the warm vibe that it emits.

We were looking for a good brunch place on the Unilocal app and it straight up delivered!
Hidden in a laneway (typical Melbourne) in a converted garage/​warehouse, instead of writing your name down, the host mark your name in chalk by the door. Cool.
We were craving bagels (I haven’t had a good one since America) and this place looked like it specialised in them… and how!
I ordered the pastrami bagel, which was basically a Reuben bagel, and my gf ordered the Hungarian salami bagel, both which were closed face. I got mine on sesame seed and she got hers on poppy seed. Both were pretty ill.
What was also pretty ill was the coffee… didn’t expect my flate white to be that good.
The wait on a Monday for brunch was not too long, maybe 10 minutes. I would definitely come back to try their other bagels… especially the lox. The portions on that thing are so ridiculous you might get mercury poisoning.