ON a visit to the film set of Spencer Tracy’s ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ Somerset Maugham famously bitched: “Which one is he now?” We’ve seen both sides of Deansgate newcomer Over Under, coffee bar by day and cocktail haunt by night, and it’s definitely not a horror story on either cool count.
The selling point of this brand that has proved a huge success at two London sites is the multi-purpose nature of the operation, shutting late afternoon to switch the appearance from barista brunch haven to cocktail mover and shaker den. Not so much smoke and mirrors as discreet re-paneling.
Definitely not a gimmick either when it come to product. The coffee is from Brixton’s legendary Assembly Roasters – a bespoke blend sustainably sourced via the Red Associations programme which guarantees a stable and fair price for single producer farmers there. Most of Over Under’s coffee comes from one trusted farm, manager Cam told us..
ToM’s brunch inspector, already a fan of the reuben toastie – packed with, salt beef, pickles and smoked cheese for £7.50 – was blown away by the quality of his mid-dark roast Americano. Further treats on the simple menu include American-style pancakes, smashed avocado, truffle egg and cress roll and chorizo hash. Suppliers include Brades Farm Dairy in Lancaster, Brownie Owl for cakes in Stockport and Williams of Flint butchers in Flint.
In charge of the cocktails, the full list available from 5.30pm till 11.30pm, is John Burke, a Scot with wide bartending experience from New York to our own Hotel Gotham. Suggestions from a small but perfectly swizzle list are Trident (£8.50), blending coffee-infused aquavit, Cynar, palo cortado, and peach bitters, and, at the sam price, the Coffee Choco Negroni (Brooklyn gin, Campari, vermouth, Aperol, sugar, chocolate bitters and coffee beans.
Over Under, 111 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BQ. 07944 494555.
