Manchester’s Alice in Wonderland themed tearooms has just DOUBLED in size – take a look

Take a trip down the rabbit hole as Manchester’s Alice in Wonderland-themed tearooms have moved to a new, bigger home.

The Richmond Tea Rooms has been such a big hit since launching nine years ago in the city that its owners needed a bigger space than their original Richmond Street home.  So they’ve now been able to DOUBLE in size with the launch of a new venue just around the corner on Sackville Street.

Fans of the original kitsch interiors, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s magical fantasy world, will be delighted to see the same quirky style at the new location.

And now they have three distinct “zones” to enjoy afternoon teas, fresh baked cakes and a full menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner treats.

When you walk into the tea rooms, through an arch of flowers, you enter the main Wonderland area, complete with red and black velvet furnishings, melting clocks, chandeliers, King and Queen of Hearts portraits and a sashed canopy.

To the left and next to windows that look across to Sackville Gardens is the orangerie, styled like a garden room with wicker chairs and a blue sky ceiling.

Then take a winding staircase down below and you’ll walk into the enchanted forest – a large new dining space which is also the location for the venue’s hugely popular bi-monthly Mad Hatter’s Tea Party events, and can also be hired for private parties.

The Richmond Tearooms is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Andrew Underwood and Nicholas Curtis, the latter of whom has always had a love for the Alice in Wonderland story which inspired the original venue.

Click or swipe below for a full gallery of images from the new Richmond Tearooms:-

Operations manager Emily Gratton said the move has already seen a huge increase in guests for their all day afternoon tea offering.

She said: “It started out as just one room on Richmond Street, but it did so well that Nick and Andrew had to extend into the back and then to the second floor, until eventually we just needed more room.  This building on Sackville Street had been empty for a while and we’ve had to completely renovate it, replace floors, replace everything to get to where we are now.

“But there’s been a great response and we get a lot more passing trade here, what’s a really big selling point is the fact we offer afternoon tea right through the day, from breakfast onwards.  It’s a quintessential British tea but with a twist.”

The tearooms have become famous for its range of cakes and fresh-baked scones, with six staples on offer every day – Victoria sponge, chocolate fudge, coffee and walnut, lemon dream, carrot cake and Boston cream – alongside daily specials and gluten free options.

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party events are hosted by Manchester’s superstar drag queens the Family Gorgeous, who appear in Channel 4’s Drag SOS.  Guests at the events are encouraged to get into the Alice in Wonderland fancy dress theme for the over-18s event which includes drinks and nibbles and live entertainment.

Meanwhile, Nick and Andrew still own the premises on Richmond Street, and are busy refurbishing the venue for a new bar concept that will be announced soon.

Richmond Tearooms, Sackville Street, Manchester is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 8pm, Friday 10am – 9pm, Saturday 9.30am to 9pm and Sunday 9.30am to 8pm.