Layla’s Café – Manchester’s New Canal-Side Addition

Manchester’s food and drink scene has introduced a new café which is situated on the Bridgwater Canal. With a bright, colourful appearance and a desire to serve this community, Layla’s Café extended its welcome to all who visited on its opening day.

Its main twist here is a Middle Eastern vibe, delivered through its breakfast and brunch items. I happened to have heard about this café’s opening while visiting Manchester for the Easter weekend. I therefore decided to visit Layla’s with a few friends to attend its opening and find out whether it has a promising future for its food and service.

The exterior of Layla's Café

Approaching Layla’s Café under Manchester’s rail line, I could hear the catchy music of a DJ’s set. It then becomes apparent that a DJ is present to mark the opening of Layla’s, while visitors dine on their breakfast & brunch items. My friends and I sit at an outdoor table to begin, examining the menu and deciding what we would like to sample. I then head to the counter to place an order of the classic pancakes with maple syrup and caramelised banana, along with a white chocolate matcha.

Given it’s the opening of Layla’s, we expect long queues to place our orders. My friends decide to sit indoors and locate a table while I wait in the queue. I indicate to the barista where I am sitting before returning to our new table.

The DJ performing a set for Layla's Café opening

Observing the mad rush around me, I notice that some of the food runners have some difficulty locating the tables of those who have placed orders. There is no clear table-numbering system, unlike most other restaurants, which can be a major cause of this difficulty. Even having wooden spoons with numbers on the back would make it easier to identify diners. Whether they have plans for this in the pipeline is unclear at this stage, but only time will tell.

My white chocolate matcha then arrives at the table, after a fairly lengthy wait, along with my friend Beth’s hot chocolate. Having never drunk matcha coffee before, I still expect my palate to pucker up and get used to its taste. Each sip of this matcha offers a smooth texture, and the coffee flavour is present but does not overpower the white chocolate inside. I have to work a bit to suck through the accompanying straw because it's a bit thick, but I still get the chocolatey flavour throughout.

The white chocolate matcha from Layla's Café

My friend Beth confirms that the hot chocolate is on the colder side and can be finished in not much more than three gulps. For the price paid for this hot chocolate, it is easy to expect a more generous mug of this warming drink, especially on a cold Winter’s day.

The wait for our food grows longer, and my friends and I begin to wonder when they will arrive. Even Beth's order is taking a while, which seems extreme given she only ordered hash browns. In that moment, the food begins to arrive, and the first sight of my pancakes reveals their basic presentation. Two strips of caramelised banana lay on top of the pancakes, slightly soaking in maple syrup. As well as this, the friend to my left received their Turkish egg dish shortly afterwards, exploding with more colours.

While my pancakes lack colour, I still find myself wanting to consume what is in front of me. Cutting into them reveals a tough outer texture that softens as you go inwards. As the pancakes enter my palate, they have a dull sweetness enhanced by the maple syrup. The caramelised bananas add a subtle sweetness, and I consider how much better it would be if berries were available.

The pancakes I sampled from Layla's Café

Elsewhere on the table, my friend Ryan requests an extra piece of sourdough toast from a food runner to go with their Turkish eggs. A long wait then ensues, and my friend asks the food runner to check on the single piece of sourdough toast. After another long wait, the piece of toast finally arrives, almost too late, given that he had almost finished his Turkish eggs.

A hash brown debacle is occurring for Beth's order, considering she detects traces of wheat in her hash browns. Having checked before ordering, a food runner had reassured her that the hash browns are wheat-free. A series of back-and-forth conversations follows, and it is then confirmed that they sell two types of hash brown (one with wheat traces, and one without). With Beth, therefore, unable to consume what's in front of her, this did not have a sad ending, given that my friend Kai enjoys these.

With our time at Layla’s drawing to a close, one thing’s for certain: a more reliable method of locating tables needs to be implemented. Understandably, openings can be a really busy time for restaurants and cafes; however, implementing table numbers can help reduce the long waits. Also, better awareness of the dishes being sold to diners and a clearer understanding of which allergens are included and which are not.

All in all, it will be interesting to see how long Layla’s Café will continue being a part of the Bridgwater Canal family of Manchester.  

Layla's Café, 9 Catalan Square, Manchester M3 4RU

Food Prices

• Breakfast - £3.00-£8.00 (Served until 12:00)

• Classic Signatures - £11.00-£21.50

• Weekday Offer (Any Benedict/pancake dish and coffee/tea)- £15.00

• All Day Brunch - £4.25-£15.00

• Benedicts - £12.95-£13.95

• Pancakes/French Toast - £12.50-£14.50 (Extra toppings available from £2.00-£3.50)

• Sides - £2.00-£6.00

Drink Prices

• Coffee - £3.10-£4.50

• Iced Coffee - £3.50-£4.50

• Cold Brew - £4.50-£5.50

• Matcha - £5.00 each

• Coconut Cloud - £5.00 each

• Signature Cold Foams - £5.00 each

• Wellness and Functional - £6.00 each

• Non-Coffee - £4.00 each

• Tea - £3.00 each