The iconic Manchester bar where world-class coffee and productive meetings come together

Atlas Bar is the place to be if you’re looking for a fantastic spot to enjoy a top-notch coffee or hold a business meeting

This legendary staple of the Manchester bar scene has been honing its coffee craft for over a decade, offering an unparalleled coffee experience along with a welcoming atmosphere for both casual and professional gatherings.

Atlas Bar’s world-class coffee

Atlas has made some serious moves to ensure they are creating a world-class coffee every time they brew up, with several new investments.

Mark, the owner of Atlas Bar, passionately told us why they had made these new investments.

“Whatever we do, we want to do it the best we can. That goes for our coffee, too.

“We’ve invested in this Sanremo machine, it’s called Cafe Racer. It’s one of their top-end machines.

“The quality is incredible. The coffee machine is made with love in Italy, and you can even see the components inside. It means every cup is brewed to perfection, with minor, subtle things that coffee lovers can truly appreciate.”

One of the highlights of their coffee menu is their cortado. A cortado is a small work of art—a strong coffee with just a touch of milk to soften it.

Mark said: “We make an exceptional cortado, and I don’t think there are many places in Manchester that can match our quality.

“Our cortados are crafted beautifully, with coffee art on top, served in a special glass. For coffee enthusiasts, finding a great cortado can be quite a challenge.”

Atlas are also selling a reusable coffee cup for £5, with free coffee on first use and half price for a takeaway when returning with the cup.

Mahlkönig grinder

Complementing the Cafe Racer is the Mahlkönig coffee grinder, another high-end piece of equipment.

“We’ve also invested in what’s called a Mahlkönig coffee grinder, which grinds to order.

“It weighs the coffee into the holder, and then we’ve got an automatic tamper,” Mark explained.

“So we’re trying to standardise some of these processes to get this amazing coffee experience.”

Mark emphasised their consistent focus on quality and how it translates into the customer’s experience: “I know what I’m looking for when searching for coffee, and I just want to get the message out that we serve great coffee.

“So if you’re having an afternoon meeting or a morning meeting, or you fancy a bit of breakfast and you like coffee, we’re a great destination for it.”

The pursuit of excellence doesn’t end with the coffee machines.

Sourcing the finest coffee beans

Atlas Bar is committed to sourcing the finest coffee beans.

“We’ve been in partnership with a company called Coffee Central, based in Nottingham.

“They import coffee beans from all over the world.

“The blend that we use is a blend of two types of beans, both Arabica beans, which are of a higher quality: one is Brazilian, and the other is Colombian.

“By the time we get it, it’s no more than a week or so old. It’s super fresh coffee, not like being sat on the back of a shelf in a supermarket for two years,” Mark added.

The passion of Atlas Bar’s staff also sets the bar high.

“Every single member of staff that works at Atlas Bar undergoes coffee training with the team at Coffee Central, as well as on-site training with Nadine.

“They’ve all seen the coffee roasting process too,” Mark said with pride.

“We have got some really good baristas. Nadine, who’s been a barista for eight, or nine years, is the main barista. Then there is our oldest son Oliver, who is a whizz with the machine too, not to mention Iliana and Simon, who are also fantastic.

“Nadine owns the machine and no one’s allowed to touch it unless she says so.

“She’s so passionate about making the coffee consistently and making sure all the team are trained properly.”

The perfect place for a business meeting

Beyond exceptional coffee, Atlas Bar is an ideal venue for business meetings.

Mark points out: “If you’re looking for a meeting venue, Atlas is a nice space, it’s got a relaxed vibe, and the food is lovely. There are lots of plug-in points if you’re doing laptop stuff and there are different areas that you can go for some peace.

“There’s plenty of quiet spots where you can get on with your work in a wonderful atmosphere.”

On sunny days, the outside beer garden is also a big hit among patrons, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better sun trap in Manchester when it occasionally comes out.

High-quality, fresh ingredients

Their comprehensive breakfast and brunch menu is another highlight, featuring high-quality, fresh ingredients, many of which are sourced locally.

“We believe what we’re doing here at Atlas stands up against anything else in the city.

“Our breakfasts are fantastic.

“And again, it’s fresh ingredients, local sausage, local bacon, award-winning black pudding that we get made to order and sent up to us weekly.

“The eggs are local. I’ve even met all the chickens! We also make our own hashbrowns too,” Mark added.

Cakes and pastries join the menu

Mark also shared their latest additions to the breakfast menu.

“We’ve started to sell pastries because quite a few customers say they want something a bit lighter, just a sweet snack in the morning.

“We’ve partnered up with local business Holy Grain to serve a cinnamon swirl, cardamom swirl and a lemon cake, which are all absolutely gorgeous.”

Atlas Bar in Manchester is more than just a place to grab a coffee; it’s a destination.

With state-of-the-art equipment, premium coffee, well-trained staff, and a versatile environment perfect for business meetings or just having a relaxed meet-up with friends, Atlas Bar sets a high standard that’s tough to beat.

Atlas Bar location

The convenient location near Deansgate Metrolink station means it’s a perfect place to pick up a coffee to go in the morning or settle in with a gorgeous breakfast or brunch to crack on with the day’s work.

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