6 top Manchester Pancake Day spots to check out this Shrove Tuesday including Northern Quarter favourites

Everyone’s favourite food-based holiday is almost here. That’s right, we’re only days away from Pancake Day and there are plenty of places in Manchester where you will be able to enjoy a stack or two this Shrove Tuesday. 

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is tied to Christian Easter traditions, falling exactly 47 days before the holiday, or the Tuesday before the beginning of lent. The word “shrove” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “shrive,” meaning absolution. During lent, Christians give up luxuries in memory of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, and pancakes are a good way of using up rich foods like butter and sugar ahead of the fasting period. 

But you don’t have to be religious to join in with the celebrations, which this year fall on 13 February. While they are very simple to make at home – except maybe the flipping part – there are also several Manchester cafes known for their stacks and adventurous toppings. Here are our favourites. 

19 Cafe Bar

Located on Lever Street, this Northern Quarter spot claims to have the ‘best brunch in Manchester’ with a menu of french toast, egg benedict,  English, Irish and American breakfasts, and, of course, pancakes. All their pancakes are £12 per portion and come with Belgian chocolate, Oreo, Biscoff, Kinder, maple and bacon or fruit options. 

The Shack

The Shack in the Northern Quarter are taking bookings now for their annual Pancake Day bottomless brunch sessions. It costs £15 per person and will be available all day on 13 February. There are two returning toppings returning to the menu for 2024 – the OG, which comes with crispy bacon and maple syrup (vegan options available and you can add fried chicken for £2.50), and the Biscoff and berries stack. The three new flavours are the 99 (soft scoop, crushed flake, 100s & 1000s and strawberry syrup), peanut butter and M&M, and cookies and cream. 

Black Milk

Black Milk is usually the first place that comes to mind when looking for a dessert or sweet treat in Manchester city centre. Pancakes are a permanent feature of their menu. They cost £11.95, plus £2.50 extra for a scoop of gelato ice cream. Flavours include kinderella, cookies & cream, blueberry and maple, salted caramel and Biscoff, white chocolate and pistachio. 

Fress

This popular Oldham Street brunch spot has some excellent pancake choices on its menu. Toppings options are the Oreo crush (£12), pistachio dream (£12.50), which includes white chocolate and raspberries, and the bananaberry (£10) with banana and blueberries. 

Moose Coffee

As the name suggests, this city centre cafe specialises in North American breakfast and brunches. You can choose from toppings including maple syrup, hazelnut chocolate spread, ice cream, bacon and more, costing around £9-11. Alternatively, you can choose their Moose stacks, all £12, and they include toppings such as apple and homemade salted caramel, granola and chocolate peanut butter, banana and pecan or berry and mascarpone. They also have a Pancake Day giveaway on their Instagram page, where you can win 4 x £25 gift cards, and they will be serving their Smores pancake special from 12-18 February.

Koffee Pot

Finally, one of the best places to go for a stack of fluffy American pancakes is Koffee Pot on Oldham Street. Their buttermilk pancakes come with a sausage patty, streaky bacon, hash brown and maple syrup. A vegan option is also available. They both cost £11.50.