REVIEW | Federal Café & Bar | Northern Quarter

BY principle I shouldn’t enjoy brunch as much as I do.

Perhaps 'Bressert' (dessert for breakfast) will be the natural progression for this coffeeshop

It’s Hollywood-American, that uber-Yank way of smushing words together until it becomes another thing entirely, like ‘Brangelina’ or the ‘spork’. It’s indecisive (is it breakfast or lunch? Sweet or savoury?), encourages idleness and, if done with a bottle of Taittinger, a tad pretentious.

Still, I can't help but revel in these slow Sunday mid-mornings and pre-afternoons. Sweet, sweet 11am loungin'. 

To 'do Brunch' usually means a lot of things happened the night before, and that nothing much needs to be done today. Most appealing of all? There's likely to be plenty of eggs.

Federal on Nicholas Croft

Newly-opened Northern Quarter coffee-shop Federal has bolstered the area's brunch offering with a focused and compact menu, suiting its compact space on Nicholas Croft. You could waste an entire afternoon in this snug, corner cafe. It follows a similar identikit to other Northern Quarter coffeshops with repurposed furniture, exposed light-fittings, alongside some curious wall-art.

Preferring the laid-back, wholesome, unostentatious Australian and New Zealand approach, Federal focusses heavily on the mid-morning market, and couldn't be further from the likes of Spinningfields Neighbourhood, with its P-Diddy bottle poppin' yacht party approach to brunch; it’s also far healthier than the Canadian Moose café on York Street, which serves up gargantuan pancakes in swimming pools of syrup.

Cappuccinno

“Go anywhere in Melborne and you will always find great coffee. They expect high quality and get high quality,” says Federal's Head Barista, Vitali.

Federal's flat white is testament to their high standards. The coffee has a rich and distinctive flavour, bold yet smooth. Same can be said of the cappuccino, which comes chocolately and rich (£2.50). Federal say its strong coffee comes down to Kiwi roasters OZONE, one of New Zealand’s largest provincial coffee roasteries. Owner, Claudio, a keen sky diver, first came to the roasters after jumping out of a plane in OZ a few years ago. The coffee in New Zealand and Australia he says is unbeatable. 

"Our Head chef is Australian and we've just hired another barista who is Australian - we're heavily influenced," says Vitali. 

While I've never had the pleasure of enjoying an Australian or New Zealand coffeeshop, it seems they can be easily characterized as 'healthy'. Federal's inspired menu is rich with 'superfoods' such as berries, grains and greens while eggs tend to be the star of the show. Health nuts can choose a 'matcha green tea' latte to help boost metabolism (so we've heard). It comes alien green with pretty coffee art. It tastes like sweet, mushy peas. An acquired taste. 

By 11:45am, the 30 or so seats are filled up, and while it's rude to eagle eye your neighbour’s plate, I can’t help but notice a popular choice - Federal's French toast seems to be a firm favourite amongst regulars (£6). It comes with egg soaked brioche swollen to birthday cake size, drizzled with purple berries and almonds topped with vanilla mascarpone. Neither savoury or sweet, desert nor dinner, it appeals to every tooth. I could have happily had another. 

French toast (£6)

Avocado has been given the clean-eaters seal of approval of late, and Federal's smashed avocado, with two poached eggs on sourdough with smoked salmon (£7.50 - you can also have with streaky bacon or halloumi) felt like a well-rounded, balanced choice. My companion's classic Eggs Benedict came with two bulging poached eggs lovingly made from the open kitchen. The Hollandaise sauce contained 'too much vinegar', he says with mouth full. Yet the overall plate stuns. This is the brunch you want: pretty to look at, wholesome to eat, good sized portions. A happy balance between meal times. 

Smashed avocado (£7.50)

Eggs Benedict (£7.50 with smoked salmon)

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To my joy, Federal also has a booze license, and serves up typical brunch companions of Mimosas and Bellinis. As you'd expect there's also an Australian Shiraz on the wine list. With the opportunity to open late Federal have branched off into 'Brinner' on Friday nights. From 6 to 10pm think coffee-cocktails, steak and eggs, beef brisket and lots of wine. It's a novel idea, perhaps 'Bressert' (dessert for breakfast) will be the natural progression for this coffeeshop. 

In its opening eight months Federal have gained a generous following. This is a great addition for brunch lovers with enough to pull you in at any time; breakfast, brunch, lunch or brinner. 

All scored reviews are unannounced, impartial, paid for by Confidential and completely independent of any commerical relationship.

FEDERAL CAFÉ & BAR | 9 NICHOLAS CROFT | NORTHERN QUARTER |  MANCHESTER | M4 1EY

Score : 15.5/20

Food: 8/10 French toast 8.5, smashed avocado 6.5, eggs benedict 7, coffee 8)
Service: 4/5 Happy and attentive
Ambience: 3.5/5 snug, relaxed, cool.

Green matcha tea latte

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