Part of the nationwide restaurant and bar group Drake & Morgan, The Anthologist finds its home in Manchester’s St Peter’s Square.
It’s a large space, featuring exposed pipes on the ceiling, colourful patterned furniture and a long bar that runs along one side of the room. The Anthologist opens its doors every day from 8am (10am on weekends), with breakfast options ranging from the savoury to the sweet – think smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast, or toasted banana bread topped with mascarpone and honey.
If you’re visiting The Anthologist later in the day, you can dine from the à la carte, which kicks off with a selection of small plates that are designed to share. Choose from the likes of a chorizo Scotch egg with smoked paprika mayonnaise and chicken wings in a maple and chilli glaze, before moving on to mains. There are burgers, 21-day aged steaks and dishes from a grill to choose from, or you can stick to the likes of beer-battered fish and chips served with mushy peas and tartare sauce, or perhaps buttermilk chicken curry with wild rice and naan.
To round off your meal, pick from a concise selection of puddings, which includes apple and cinnamon cake or a warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. If you’re hankering for something sweet at the weekend though, head to The Anthologist’s ‘brunch with a musical punch’, which takes place every Saturday afternoon. Here, you can tuck into buttermilk pancakes crowned with caramelised banana and pecan nuts, all the while enjoying live music and bottomless drinks such as Aperol Spritz, Prosecco, Asahi or Bloody Marys.
It’s not all about raucous brunching at The Anthologist though, as this is a family-friendly restaurant too. The dedicated children’s menu features miniature dishes such as burger and fries or buttermilk chicken and chips, while you can also treat the little ones to a hot chocolate topped with marshmallows. The excellent value pre-theatre menu meanwhile, is a great way to get the family together before heading into town to see a show.