The Buttery is a small cafe in the Murray’s Mills complex in Ancoats. It’s the kind of place that locals guard selfishly and resent writing about. Small space, maybe fifteen covers, and the pastries are some of the best in Manchester.
Everything is baked on site. Croissants that shatter when you bite into them. Pain au chocolat with actual layers. Cinnamon buns that justify the walk. The savoury options — sausage rolls, filled croissants, quiches — are just as good. They sell out of popular items by mid-morning on weekends, which tells you everything.
Coffee is well-made. They use good beans and the espresso is balanced. Nothing fancy, just proper cafe coffee done right. There’s usually a filter option for anyone who wants it.
The setting is Murray’s Mills, one of the original Ancoats cotton mills now converted into apartments and small businesses. It’s a handsome building with that industrial Ancoats character. The cafe itself is ground floor, small, with a few outside tables when the weather allows.
Ancoats is a ten-minute walk from Piccadilly station, heading north past the new developments. The whole area is worth exploring — Cutting Room Square, the old mills, the canal.
Get there early on weekends. Buy a pastry. Drink your coffee. Don’t tell everyone.