Pollen Bakery

You'll find Pollen tucked into Cotton Field Wharf, down a stretch of New Union Street that's quietly become one of Manchester's best bits for eating and drinking. It's an old industrial space done properly—exposed brick, high ceilings, natural light flooding through big windows—without trying too hard to be Instagram. Grab a seat by the water if you can. The sourdough here is the real deal: proper fermentation, good crust, the works. Their croissants have proper lamination, their cinnamon rolls are genuinely worth queuing for, and the coffee's solid too. It's packed most mornings but moves quickly enough.