One of the wonderful things about the city centre is that you’re always just around the corner from discovering your next new favourite spot. And with my lunch plans falling through at the last minute on Tuesday, that’s exactly what happened.
Walking down Princess Street, a tiny sign with the promise of coffee and baked goods lured me towards SEESAW - a coworking space and creative hub neatly tucked away at the end of a cobbled street. It’s quite literally the definition of a hidden gem.
The historic Grade II listed building - a former textile warehouse dating back to 1906 - is situated behind the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel and offers a beautiful view of some of the city’s most grandiose buildings including the hotel and the Palace Theatre, alongside some of the modern day skyscrapers they sit alongside.
On the ground floor lies SEESAW Café where some of the city’s best light lunches can be found. Fronted by head chef Samuel Jethro and kitchen manager Jake Huxley, the menu is light on options - it’s soup, sandwiches or salad.
On my visit, the butties on offer included grilled three cheese and onion, a bacon and egg mayo or bhaji buttle, all available for £6.50 or served with soup for £12 - a choice of leek and potato or cajun spiced chicken and sweetcorn. You could also get a salad too for £16.50 if you were feeling extra hungry.
Opting for the bacon and egg mayo sandwich and the leek and potato soup, I sit down with my pumpkin spice latte - tis the season, after all - and have chance to take in the sights of the city until my food arrives.
The sandwich is made up of a generous helping of smoky back bacon and egg mayo with a dose of chives for good measure. The slightly toasted bread from Birkenhead-based bakery Solobread is a stand-out. Made with stone ground flour from Offley Mill in Staffordshire, it’s crunchy, malty and wholesome bread. The bacon and egg mayo, meanwhile, is smoky, salty and packed with flavour.
But the true highlight comes in the form of the soup. It’s creamy and thick with a fresh crunch of leek. Perfectly seasoned with black pepper and a drizzle of oil, it’s a warming comfort that I’ll definitely be coming back to as we head further into winter.
It also helps that the coffee, courtesy of roasters Cupper’s Choice, is top tier and the sounds of alt-rock queens, like Courtney Bartnett and Momma, are on heavy rotation.
For £12 for the soup and sandwich, it’s pricier than a Greggs but the rich, filling flavours of the soup and the malty goodness of the bread makes it worth that extra couple of quid every now and then.
I’m very glad I stumbled onto SEESAW. Not only for the delightful lunches, but also for the chance to see the city and its many buildings in a new perspective.
Many of us often find ourselves wading through the centre to get from point A to B with as little hassle as possible so it’s not often that we actually get to stop and take in our surroundings - and the beautiful buildings we are lucky to have here in Manchester.
SEESAW, 86 Princess Street, M1 6NG.
