There are countless bottomless brunches in Leeds on offer so it can be difficult to know which to book for that overdue day date or catch-up with friends. Varying considerably in price, composition and duration, these fixed-price daytime drinking and dining deals are excellent fun and often great value for money if you intend to sink more than a few alcoholic or even, non-alcoholic beverages. But which one do you book when there are so many brilliant restaurants and bars in the city?
Last week, we were invited to try the bottomless brunch at Manahatta on Greek Street. Just a couple of weeks ago, Manahatta announced it had extended the duration of its bottomless brunch from the pretty much standard 90 minutes to a generous two hours of unlimited drinking. When researching for other features, the Manahatta bottomless brunch has always been one of the most recommended by regular local brunchers; not just in Leeds but in York, Sheffield and Harrogate too.
My husband and I have done a few bottomless brunches in Leeds city centre now and, as of yet, have not finished a single one of them feeling disappointed…or sober! Manahatta was on our list of boozy brunches to try and we had high expectations as regards the atmosphere and variety of drinks included but though the food element could perhaps be a little underwhelming.
The popular NYC-inspired bars on Greek Street and Merrion Street offer two versions of bottomless boozing. The Bottomless Brunch is priced at £35.95 per person and is available until 3 pm daily. Those seeking a more upbeat atmosphere and wishing to dance the afternoon away can opt for the Bottomless Party which, available on weekends only, is priced at £39.95. As our partying days are long behind us and our weekends are reserved for spending quality time with our son, my husband and I chose to try the Bottomless Brunch on a Monday afternoon.
It was remarkably quiet at Manahatta Greek Street when we arrived but as we’d booked for a Monday afternoon and the weather was once again atrocious, this was entirely expected.
Aesthetically, Manahatta is everything it promises to be. With its intimate booths, enormous bar and stylish furnishings, it’s a chic and glamourous city centre bar with personality in abundance. We were seated in a curved booth with elegant green leather seating and ambient lighting provided by colourful glass pendant lights hanging above. A comfortable and intimate spot for the quiet brunch date were hoping for.
Almost instantly, our server introduced himself. We had no time to deliberate over the drinks menu as the ever-so-charming Oran presented each of us with an empty champagne flute and began pouring out the prosecco.
Initially, I assumed I’d misread the menu and that the summery cocktails, refreshing spritz drinks and pints of Coors were reserved for a brunch offering we hadn’t booked in for.
It was soon made clear to us that this was not the case. There had been no miscommunication, nor was the lovely Oran being a little presumptuous about our drinks choices! In addition to being able to order our chosen drinks from the Bottomless Bunch menu, the prosecco would be flowing continuously until our two-hour slot was up.
As aforementioned, my husband and I have tried a few bottomless brunches in Leeds. We’ve enjoyed unlimited cocktails with authentic Thai cuisine, copious glasses of wine with steak sandwiches, free-flowing prosecco with Eggs Benedict and several pints of craft beer with burgers, gyros, pizzas and more. However, during each and every one of our previous bottomless brunch experiences, we have never had free-flowing prosecco alongside other drinks. If dining in a group, this a surefire way to ensure that glasses are never empty and brunchers can continue drinking as they await lengthy drinks orders.
I have learned my lesson with prosecco so after three or four top-ups between our orders of Orchard Apple Spritz, Summer Punch and our favourite Strawberry and Basil vodka-based spritz drinks, I declined any more. Although it goes down with incredible ease, this brunchtime tipple goes to my head like nothing else and an afternoon recovery nap was not an option last Monday.
As regards food, we found ourselves equally impressed. Of course, Manahatta is primarily a spot for drinking, socialising and weekend partying so I didn’t expect the food to be much to write home (or online) about.
As one would expect with a bottomless brunch, the Brunch & Lunch menu is short but it is also well thought out with sweet, savoury, vegan and healthy options. Those wanting something a bit more substantial than a toastie, a bagel, a pancake stack or smashed avo can pay an additional £5 to order any dish from Manahatta’s main menu. We were happy with the choices initially presented to us and Mr Wilson-Barrett ordered the Beef Melt whilst I ordered the Lemon & Marscapone Pancake Stack.
Beautifully crisp on the outside and generously filled with melt-in-the-mouth brisket and oozing with melted Monterey Jack and Cheddar, Mr Wilson-Barrett’s Beef Melt was so much better than he had anticipated. A million miles away from the average grilled cheese sandwich, it was flavoursome and filling and left him wanting another! The accompanying pot of Henderson’s mayo added an additional flavour element which my husband appreciated immensely as he dipped, dunked and consumed every last bit with the crusts of his perfectly toasted sourdough.
My pancake dish was equally delicious. I was served three soft and fluffy buttermilk pancakes sandwiched with whipped mascarpone, Yuzu lemon syrup and fresh berries. Even without the creamy, zesty and fruity toppings, I would have enjoyed these. The texture was spot-on and the flavour of the buttermilk was deliciously noticeable. An indulgent but not-too-heavy brunch dish that satisfied my sweet craving and provided me with enough carbs to soak up at least three of the seven drinks I had.
Once I’d begun to feel the all-too-familiar head fog approaching (with 30 minutes of our slot still remaining), we decided it was time for us to end our thoroughly enjoyable bottomless brunch at Manahatta. However, this popular party venue had other ideas and prior to our departure, we found ourselves in receipt of one final surprise. Still bearing his infectious smile, Oran, who had already been so attentive and friendly during our time at Manahatta, made a dazzling approach to our table and presented us with complimentary shots.
A huge thank you to the team at Manahatta Greek Street for making us feel so welcome and for ensuring our day date was so enjoyable!
If you’re looking for a bottomless brunch in Leeds that genuinely fulfils its promise of unlimited drinks AND includes tasty brunch and lunch dishes, I highly recommend booking a slot at Manahatta. Bookings for Manahatta Greek Street can be made HERE.
This review was published following an invitation to dine at Manahatta Greek Street. As we only report on positive experiences, an invitation to dine does not guarantee a published review on our website or coverage on our social channels. The businesses we visit have no editorial control over our content.
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