Address: 194 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3ND, United Kingdom
Phone: +441618330890
Rating: 4.7
based on 172 reviews.
Food Quality
Pros:
"The food is delicious, and the menu has a variety of options to choose from."
"The food was lovely, the sauce on the toast was spicy and tangy, it was definitely the highlight of that dish."
"My steak sandwich looked fantastic. Good amount of pink steak and a tasty caramelised onion."
"The french toast was mine and the berries, the sauce, the toast and the mascarpone cream was absolutely perfect."
"My friend and I love the steak sandwiches very much! Imagine the juicy and flavorful steaks."
"The Cheddar Corn Fritters is a must-have! Creative, fresh and yummy dish."
"Love the Deansgate Federal. Always on point with the food."
"The food was the best we've ever had for breakfast! The halloumi and 'shrooms with chorizo is OFF THE SCALE!"
Cons:
"I ordered the weekly special shakshuka and my partner ordered eggs benedict. Both were fantastic."
"I ordered an eggs Benedict with salmon and bacon and a side of toast with Marmalade. The meal was ok but hardly any hollandaise sauce."
"I was pretty disappointed on my visit to Federal today... this was NOT an açai bowl. It was so runny it was like a cold soup!"
"Usually we enjoy going to federal. On this occasion the French Toast let it down."
"Went there to be told there would be a 15 mins wait to get seating, 30 mins later still stood outside waiting in the cold with two kids."
"Coffee and brunch were good, but let down by the french toast. Its not the same anymore and not as delicious as it used to be."
"Completely agree with another reviewer. This place is just not what it used to be. Their french toast is not good anymore."
"The most disappointing thing was the coffee which might as well have been a frappe it wasn't hot or warm."
Service
Pros:
"The cozy ambiance and friendly staff make it a great place to start your day."
"Service was great too."
"Always greeted with a smile usually by Kate who makes the whole federal experience even better."
"On arrival I was greeted by a friendly server, Kate who helped find me a table."
"Very welcoming atmosphere from the staff followed by a great spread of breakfast choices."
"Staff were lovely and food and drink came out super quick."
"The staff are all so welcoming and genuinely warm and friendly."
"The staff were super friendly and helpful when there was a mix up with our order."
Cons:
"There was a varied drinks and food menu. The staff were very friendly. The Lamington French total is one of the greatest things I've eaten!!"
"The only thing I would suggest is having a bigger gap between tables."
"Then how we were treated totally changed in a shocking way. Second waitress put our coffees on the table heavily with huge noise."
"Ok cafe, it was nice to see sourdough bread on the menu, which I do like. The staff were friendly and attentive so no issues there."
"Expect a wait at weekends, pretty busy all day. Good food tho not sure what makes it 'antipodean', other than serving Milo."
"Staff very quick to take order and bring water to the table. Over 30 minutes later we asked when the food would be ready."
"Cramped, could do with removing some seats. Got told 10 minute wait for a table, waited 20 minutes outside in the cold."
"Heard rave reviews about this place so wanted to check it out. Went there to be told there would be a 15 mins wait to get seating, 30 mins later still stood outside waiting in the cold with two kids."
Ambiance and Location
Pros:
"The atmosphere of the cafe was very nice and cozy."
"This bustling city little brunch spot is located on Deansgate and perfect for a post night out scran."
"It has a really good vibe, all the staff seemed happy and it just had a great buzz around the place."
"Possibly the best breakfast cafe in the Deansgate area! I like their industrial style decoration, it is so on theme with Manchester's history."
"First of all expect to queue up to this place regardless of the weather so if you're planning on going make sure to grab an umbrella."
"A cute brunch spot with good service. VERY busy on the weekends, but may be less busy than the other Federal location in town; be prepared to wait!"
"Best flat white in Manchester. The only negative is the clientele."
"The food and coffee are delicious. It is a very dog friendly place, which is great for us!"
Cons:
"The only thing to look out for is the size of the cafe. It is slightly small so it would not be ideal for large groups of people or those with large luggage bags."
"Never have I ever stood in line waiting to enter a restaurant, but I’m so glad I did! The only thing I would suggest is having a bigger gap between tables."
"It is a fairly small cafe, so would recommend going outside of peak brunch time to avoid queuing."
"The place is popular as the food is great. So better get there as early as possible to avoid waiting for long. If you're in a big group, might not be a great idea.. their tables are small for 2 and 4."
"When we arrived here we had to wait outside as all the tables were taken. It was around Christmas so I suppose it's to be expected that it was busy."
"Went there to be told there would be a 15 mins wait to get seating, 30 mins later still stood outside waiting in the cold with two kids."
"The food here is absolutely outstanding and reasonably priced. The downside is on a saturday morning it is uncomfortably busy."
"Very nice place staff are really friendly also dog friendly which is a bonus as my four legged friend elsa likes to join us for breakfast, food was lovely nice size portions would definitely recommend ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"