Now, what would be nice? We'll start with raspberry ice, and then some cakes and tea...

I love Mary Poppins, and when I saw that Poppins Tearooms was soon to be opening in the heart of Horwich, I couldn't wait to give it a try.


The tearooms occupy a former shop unit, which in turn is part of a house, so I was curious how they could make it feel less of a house and more of a venue, but that's the clever part... they intentionally don't! Split into two rooms, the tearooms intentionally feel like an Edwardian parlour, complete with pretty glass sconces, flock wallpaper, and lace tablecloths. The room to the rear of the building is cute, comfortable and (like the rest of the place) cosy. I chose to sit in the first room, but the rear parlour would be ideal if you want a little peaceful intimacy. 

My initial impression walking in was very pleasant. I walked in from the drizzle and cold wind into the warmth, where golden oldies were playing gently in the background, and a few ladies sat around happily chatting away, laughing and enjoying afternoon teas.

A member of staff, complete in Edwardian service uniform welcomed me, and after I hung my coat on the coatstand beside Mary Poppins' hat and parrot handled umbrella, took me to a table and gave me the menu.


The menu has some really tasty options both in the delicious sounding food menu, and the impressive tea offerings. I opted to go for the mature cheddar and ham toasted sandwich, and a pot of Assam Bari tea, provided by Ronnefeldt Tea, who are more well known for providing tea to five star hotels. Lucky little Horwich!


The loose leaf tea was delicious, and came served in cute vintage crockery. Although this time I chose a toastie, I liked the look of "Tea with Bert",  a traditional cream tea which I'll be partaking in next time!


My toasted sandwich arrived on doorstop toast, lovingly crammed with ham (no miserly single slices here!), and melting cheddar and served with a bijou dressed salad, and a pot of coleslaw. It was a delicious lunch, and the coleslaw was lovely and crunchy too. The price of this lunch complete with tea came to less than £6, which is very good value! Saldly, Poppins doesn't currently accept card payments, but they plan to in the future once they get a little more established.


The owner also told me that she had great plans for the future, not just continuing the Mary Poppins theme (there was talk of a mural and even an upside table on the ceiling!), but other ideas such as tea tasting evenings, and hosting private parties in the rear parlour.

Poppins Tearooms is a lovely place and really good value for what is being offered, in such a pleasantly cosy, warm and quaint setting. Whether you fancy a pot of tea and a slice of chocolate cake, or a bowl of warming soup and a glass of rose lemonade, Poppins is somewhere I would happily recommend.



Poppins Tearooms
142 Lee Lane
Horwich
Bolton
Greater Manchester
BL6 7AF
(01204)  773 520

Poppins Tearooms

by on 15:24
Now, what would be nice? We'll start with raspberry ice, and then some cakes and tea... I love Mary Poppins, and when I saw that Po...
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After a rather disastrous stint as retail blackhole The Triangle, The Corn Exchange has reverted back to its old name, and now plays host to several quality restaurants nestled around its walls, including The Cosy Club, which I'd only heard about, but in passing thought I would give a try, after the menu outside proved tempting, and the idea of it being a casual lounge type affair.


At first I was a bit flummoxed, as I walked to the door outside and went to pull the handle, but it was locked, so I went inside the main Corn Exchange, and could see the restaurant on the first floor, complete with patrons, so I knew it was open, but not how to get up there! So I went back outside, and saw someone come out of the restaurant by attempting to push the locked door, then pulled the one next to it... so I followed suit and pushed it and headed inside, feeling a bit sheepish.


The funny thing is that as soon as you step in, the décor IS decidedly "cosy", flock wallpaper, old framed artwork and tassled lampshades and various curios surround a staircase leading upstairs (there's a lift too).

Walking into the main bar area was wonderful, as the theming continued, opening up into a large domed area with a bar and lots of seating, the wood panelled walls full of old framed portraits and stuffed and mounted deer, all the way up to the ceiling. The best description I could give to this theme was that of a Colonial hunting lodge or an old gentlemen's club. It felt very classy but also very comfortable.


This is the sort of theming I love, and if I'm honest it reminds me a little of The Adventurer's Club at Walt Disney World, and believe me that's a good thing! I was greeted by a friendly member of staff who introduced herself as Stef, and asked where I'd like to sit. As it was quiet it seems that the main bar is used as the restaurant, as the restaurant section itself is sprawling, with a huge amount of additional seating, continuing with the theming throughout.



I chose to sit by the balcony, which gave some great opportunity to people watch over the rest of the interior of the Corn Exchange. I noticed there was a Connect Four game on my table, and although I moved it, Stef told me how they have board games and the such if anyone fancies playing (and later I saw a group of three Korean diners thoroughly enjoying Connect Four, and laughing). She left me with the food and drink menus and said she'd be back.



I was really pleased to see that the drinks list had a good range for those of us who don't drink, not just the usual Coke/Fanta/Lemonade options. The item that really caught my eye was Watermelon Iced Tea, so I ordered one!

It was fabulous! Really tangy and delicious, it made your eye twitch, and was made by a genuine man with a genuine beard at the genuine bar, it wasn't from a bottle. Lovely! I would get this again without question, although Stef also recommended next time I try a berry concoction which is also proving popular.


The menu is full of delicious temptations, from an extensive brunch menu, to sandwiches. panini, burgers and tapas. The puddings look pretty damn good too. Next time I think I'll try the game stew from the mains menu. It's a sign you've enjoyed a place when you find yourself already planning your choices for next time!

However, this time I ordered the buttermilk fried chicken, which came with chipotle mayo, house slaw, and triple cooked chips, and for less than a tenner at that. Stef also said it was no problem to replace the chipotle mayo with standard mayo, as I'm a big girl's blouse and don't like spice very much.

When my food came out, I'm glad I didn't opt for any side dishes as this was a big portion! I was pleased to see that for 'fried chicken'. it was actually not battered but instead coated in a wonderfully crunchy breadcrumb, and gigantic in size, taking up over half the plate. It reminded me more of a schnitzel, but either way it was delicious, juicy and tasty.


It sat on top of a portion of triple cooked chips. Now if you've been to restaurants in the past few years, you'll see that everyone and his grandma claim to offer "triple cooked chips",, but they rarely are, or if they are, they're really not very good quality. HOWEVER, Cosy Club have real genuine triple cooked chips, wonderfully fluffy inside with a good crunchy and crispy exterior. Perfect! Somewhere that really DOES do triple cooked chips, and does them properly!


The house slaw was nice, but I'm a bit of a traditionalist and prefer it with a mayonnaise rather than a dressing, but it was still good, with lots of flavour.

I'm also ashamed to say that I didn't manage to finish! It was delicious but the portion was such a great size that as much as my heart and tastebuds wanted to continue, my body just couldn't comply! Stef showed mock disappointment that I couldn't indulge in a dessert, but was glad I enjoyed my meal.

Before paying, I went to have a look around the expansive restaurant section, where I found lots more tables, but also some quiet and private area with armchairs and sofas, which again felt wonderfully cosy. I also found the beautiful glazed tile staircase leading down to the toilets.



I paid for my food at the bar, and spoke to some other staff members, including the man with the beard who I informed was a dead ringer for one of the portraits on the wall (if it included hipster glasses!). They were friendly and told me how the theming was achieved, treasured they'd found, and how the group of 5 mounted deer heads over the bar were affectionately referred to as One Direction.. They also told me that the glazed tiles on the staircase are pre-war, and from the glory days of the Corn Exchange itself. They work perfectly with the theming of the Cosy Club, that's for sure.

Now here's the best bit.

I had a giant freshly made buttermilk chicken schnitzel type thing with big fluffy triple cooked chips and a hand crafted cocktail... and it was less than £14! For the quality of the food and drink, the friendly and professional service, and the wonderful surroundings to relax in, I think that is really good value!

I will definitely be coming here again. I've already picked what I want! I know lots of folks who will enjoy it here, and even if I'm not looking for dinner, you can pop in here just for an afternoon tipple, or a pot of tea and a relax with your friends. It's so nice to see a new restaurant in the city centre which is not only high quality, but which goes out of its way to make the focus on comfort, relaxing, lounging, and passing the time in a genteel setting from yesteryear.

I know I'm gushing a bit, but I really enjoyed Cosy Club. Bravo!
The Cosy Club
The Corn Exchange
37 Hanging Ditch
Manchester City Centre
M4 3TR
(0161) 933 8255
www.cosyclub.co.uk/manchester 

The Cosy Club

by on 15:16
After a rather disastrous stint as retail blackhole The Triangle, The Corn Exchange has reverted back to its old name, and now plays host...
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