My Manchester Food Monthly: 6 great places to eat on campus
Published on 3 May 13
Linguistics student Sophie gives us the lowdown on the best campus cafés this exam season
Best café on North Campus: Biko’s North
Runner up: Browsers
A relative newcomer on campus, Biko’s North is located in the Barnes Wallis Building (the North Campus home of the Students’ Union). Formerly Harry’s Bar, the café serves a range of Starbucks drinks at a fraction of the price – yes, that includes Frappuccinos! – and you can get a discount with an NUS extra card. They also serve up a range of yummy cakes, sandwiches and paninis. It’s pretty quiet during the day, so makes for a great place to study if the library’s a bit busy, although there aren’t many sockets (but there is a computer cluster upstairs). There’s also Browsers on Floor D of the Sackville Street building, perfect if you’ve got a morning exam and you need a bacon fix.
WiFi 
Plug sockets 
Comfy seating
Best place to take visitors: Christie’s Bistro
Runner up: Café Muse
This gem is tucked away in the Whitworth Building, with old books lining the walls and leather sofas that swallow you up. Doubling as a fancy restaurant, Christie’s does excellent coffee and a range of posh teas served in glass teapots. If you’re craving a bit of class after your 29th trip to the library café then Christie’s is ideal, although the food’s a little on the pricey side which is all the more reason to take your parents there if they come to visit! Just up the road is Café Muse - the Manchester Museum’s café - with an excellent selection of soups and hot food, but it does get busy.
WiFi Plug sockets Comfy seating
Best place to unwind: Contact Lounge
Runner up: Whitworth Art Gallery Café
Usually referred to as “the odd castle-shaped building behind the Academy”, the Contact Theatre is a University-funded but independently run arts venue, and it has a fantastic café with a delicious food menu (try the fish finger sandwich). Contact Lounge is open into the evening when it turns into a bar, but during the day it’s quiet and relaxed, so perfect for a break when it all gets too much. If you have a bit more time to spare, wander down the road to the Whitworth Art Gallery where you can enjoy a cup of coffee while absorbing the arty atmosphere.
WiFi Plug sockets Comfy seating
Best place to celebrate after exams: Union Bar
Runner up: Kro Bar
Nothing tastes better than NUS-subsidised beer, so make the most of it while you’re a student! The Union Bar has a range of beers, ciders and ales (including Manchester RAG’s very own Hoptimus Prime), an American diner-style menu, and drink and food offers throughout the week. Every semester after exams it’s teeming with students in a post-exam euphoria, so why not join them? There’s also Kro Bar across the road, which offers continental beers, guest ales and 2 for 1 cocktails on Tuesdays.
WiFi Plug sockets Comfy seating
Best place to grab a bite near the library: Small World Café
Runner up: Alan Gilbert Learning Commons
Take half an hour out of your library marathon and wander over to the Small World Café, situated in the International Society building between Kro Bar and the Athletics Union on Oxford Road. For a fiver you can get a plate piled high with various hot dishes - curry, casseroles, tagines, gratins, you name it. There are always vegetarian and halal options, and they also do a mean jacket potato with more filling options than you can shake a fork at. However, it’s closed on weekends, so if you’re doing a Sunday study session or a late nighter then pop to Alan Gilbert for one of their famous foccaccias.
WiFi Plug sockets Comfy seating
Best place for breakfast: Lime Café
Runner up: Biko’s Café
When last night’s revelry is repeating on you and you’ve dragged yourself out of bed for a 9am lecture, seek solace in a sausage or help your headache with a hash brown in the basement of the Samuel Alexander building. Lime Café has all the fried breakfast foods you could ever ask for, as well as the usual range of coffees. If you’re in a hurry, Biko’s Café in the Students’ Union does a coffee and breakfast bap deal for a bargainous £2, and they also sell pastries from the fabulous Barbakan deli in Chorlton.
WiFi Plug sockets Comfy seating