FOR an effortless gathering with family or friends this Easter, head to City Café. They've put together two treats for the Spring celebration – Easter Afternoon Teas and an Easter Sunday Lunch.
The Sunday Lunch is ideal if you want a relaxing family meal without the cooking on Easter weekend.
The Easter Afternoon Teas will be served in the airy, classically-styled dining room overlooking Piccadilly Plaza. It's a traditional afternoon tea including a complimentary Earl Grey Bellini – the perfect accompaniment to your home-baked cakes and finger sandwiches.
Expect fillings such as Scottish smoked salmon, and honey roast ham and English mustard. The cakes are dainty delights that you may want to photograph before you eat. You'll then have two freshly-baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam to finish. A choice of leaf teas will be served. It's a lovely date destination or great for a girly meet-up with friends or your mum.
The Easter Afternoon Tea costs £16.50 per person and is available throughout April from 3pm to 5pm.
The Easter Sunday Lunch is ideal if you want a relaxing meal without the cooking on Easter weekend. It's just £15.95 for three courses, kids under-five eat free, and under-twelves eat half price. And there's an Easter Egg hunt in the hotel to make it extra special for the little ones.
The Sunday lunches at City Café are spot-on. They start with a buffet which you can return to as often as you like. Then you can choose between a traditional Sunday roast carvery with all the trimmings, or a brunch style dish from the kitchen.
You'll finish with a choice of desserts or cheeses. The children might even forget about chocolate for a few minutes when they see the 'Kiddies Ice-Cream Corner'. It's bottomless ice-cream and fat-free frozen yoghurt for the health-conscious. (Tip – Easter Sunday isn't the best day to start a diet.) Children can have their ice-cream in a cone if they like, or as a banana split or with jelly. There's a range of toppings too. And remember this is all free for kids under five – the Easter Bunny can't compete.
City Café is a short stroll from Piccadilly Station in the former Mint Hotel, now a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.
If you would like to book a table for the Easter Sunday Lunch on Easter Day (8 April) or an Easter Afternoon Tea (available throughout April from 3pm-5pm), call City Café on 0161 242 1020 or email manchesterpiccadilly.citycafe@hilton.com
