If you love chocolate, breakfasts or coffee then this will be your idea of heaven. Slattery is a coffee shop, deli and cakebakery in Whitefield with a history that dates back to 1967.

The menu is so expansive, and the sheer volume of available foods and drink is so large, that you'll need a magnifying glass to see the small print. It reminded me of the joy of eating in an American diner, in that the aim is not just quality but also the quantity of choice, although on my second visit our post 3pm arrival meant that a lot of the menu was off limits. Slatterys closes at 4:30pm, and this is more of a morning venue, with an upmarket take on the Bacon Butty, old favourites like beans on toast, and the rarely seen potatoe cake, and even an Irish barm brack. I dont think I've seen cinnamon toast anywhere in Manchester before, and it's certainly worth trying.

My first time in Slattery's was on a weekday lunchtime, and I made the mistake of opting for the Chocolate Challenge. If you're the wrong side of 15 stone then you'll struggle to eat the huge slabs of chocolate cake, cream and ice cream, but if you do manage to snaffle it then you'll be rewarded with a chocolate medalion. Give that you've just worked your way through half a Cadburys factory this seems like an unnecesary reward.

There's an applaudable selection of coffees, teas and smoothies, and with each hot drink you'll be given a Slattery chocolate disc. This was so delicious that I ended up buying a bag full in the deli downstairs, which I demolished on the way home.

Service is acceptable, although at times the staff seem a little stretched. One downside was having to wait for a table when there were clearly tables free, but they do offer one of those new fangled 'vibrating mats', which will light up and buzz when you're ready to be seated. Until then you can relax in a side room with a newspaper.

The dining room is just one part of this huge building. Upstairs is a small cookery college, which aims to teach students how to cook with chocolate, and on the ground floor is a deli and cake shop. It's impossible to wander around here without your jaw dropping open, and despite the relatively small size of the deli (it takes up around a third of the floor space) it gives many of the city centre delis a run for their money, at least in terms of cakes and chocolate.

Don't be put off by the location. It took me about ten minutes to get to Slattery's, and it's a simple as jumping on the M60, leaving at exist 17 then heading towards whitefield. If you're feeling brave then you can always drive through Cheetham Hill, as this will eventually bring you out at Junction 17.


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