Alice in Wonderland cafe, Richmond Tea Rooms! Manchester’s gay village & LGBT bars.
Where am I? And even… who am I? The answer seems to vary every day — but for this post, you can call me Alice in Wonderland.
During my Manchester stay, I got to experience the British ritual of high tea… in a Tim Burton meets Lewis Carroll environment. Come down the rabbit hole with me, and we’ll journey through the city’s vibrant Gay Village too.
Photographer Joey Wong thought our rental penthouse at the Light Aparthotel was aptly named — because the windows and sheer curtains created the perfect soft-box for portrait photography. Each day, before heading out, we shot images here.
I’m wearing decadent eyelashes from Velour Lashes (the quality is far and above regular plastic falsies). My lip gloss and eyeshadows are from Anastasia Beverly Hills (get it here). I swear by my Sigma Beauty makeup brushes, which come in travel size and let you blend and contour like a pro.
I wanted my look to be a tribute to Alice in Wonderland, without doing a full-on cosplay. (My haircolor is by Stephanie Hoy – ask for her at Stratosphere Hair in Vancouver.)
My outfit is a little tip of the hat to Disney’s Alice, who wears a light blue dress with a similar skirt shape. The white rabbit necklace is something I made — with a tag from the Miffy store in China!
I met my friends at Richmond Tea Rooms — isn’t this the most adorable English traditional tea house?
The tea rooms are connected to a cocktail lounge, decorated with quirky fixtures like antique clocks and taxidermy animals.
Walking through the entrance, I couldn’t help but feel like I was living in the storybook. The decor takes inspiration from the Queen of Hearts’ royal garden, and the White Rabbit’s pocketwatch.
Inside, a case of homemade cakes and the signs “Eat Me” “Drink Me” hint at what’s in store for diners.
The smiling waiter took us “that way” to the prime tea enclosure, decorated like a garden patio draped in vines and birdcages.
Richmond Tea Rooms was at capacity when we arrived, so I recommend reserving a table well in advance. Ask for this semi-private area, especially if you’re celebrating a special occasion.
Now, the hard part — what to order, from the extensive menu?
The strawberry milkshake was an easy decision, as was the Earl Grey tea. (My steampunk clockwork nail art is by Glam Nail Studio in Richmond, Vancouver.)
There are a few variations on the high tea sets, with names like Queen’s Tea and Alice’s Tea. The chefs can prepare vegetarian and gluten-free options for you. The stacked trays are ideal for sharing, and include both savory and sweet treats, like rainbow layer cake!
All the little details — like a chain of playing cards — make the Wonderland experience come to life. It also helps that everyone around me was speaking in British accents, and pouring tea with their best Victorian manners.
Afternoon tea is something you can’t miss if you’re in England. I was all over the scones, clotted cream and jam.
Cheers to Richmond Tea Rooms, which executes the Alice in Wonderland theme with flair! You can tell that the owners and staff genuinely love the stories.
Japan has an Alice in Wonderland theme restaurant (see photos), but it feels like a commercial enterprise. This, on the other hand, is the Mad Hatter’s tea party come to life.
In addition to the tea sets, you can order a-la-carte items. It’s an opportunity to try traditional English dishes like Yorkshire Pudding and Welsh rarebit (melted cheese and vegetables on bread).
Miffy is my white rabbit for life.
Perhaps you can come here with a group of friends, all dressed up! The staff would welcome you warmly.
Thanks to Visit Manchester for bringing us here. There are so many gems to discover in this city…
… such as the Gay Village, which is where the tea room is located. I didn’t realize Manchester had such a big LGBT scene, center around Canal Street.
Did you know Queer As Folk was set in Manchester? The Gay Village is full of energy — we saw colorful clubs and murals at every turn.
If you’ll recall from my Northern Quarter post, Manchester has a wonderful indie / alternative scene in general.
Every year, the Pride parade takes over, proving why Manchester is one of the world’s most gay-friendly cities.
The sign says it all… G-A-Y, in bright lights! Every weekend, the balcony is packed with revelers dancing to pop music.
The Molly House is more my scene — a vintage-styled, laid back pub that serves cakes, ales and wines. The playlist veers to the indie side, and the music is kept low enough so that you can converse.
Manchester’s city center is unexpectedly small, and it’s easy to get around by walking. From the Gay Village, it took us only about 15-20 minutes to reach New Wakefield Street, an area known for funky murals like this one.
There are entire bars under the bridge, like Black Dog Ballroom. I recommend coming to the New Wakefield area for a walk around.
After a long day, we were glad to head back to our luxe apartment at The Light ApartHotel. It’s a few paces away from Affleck’s Goth/alternative shopping center, and other cool spots in the Northern Quarter. We thoroughly enjoyed this view from our giant window, and free tea and cookies in the lobby.
Thanks to Visit Manchester for the mad hatter adventures! If you’re keen to travel to this gorgeous city, you can find out more info on their site.
More from Manchester — including my New Order and Joy Division music tour — in my England category.
And if you’re intrigued by the Alice in Wonderland teahouse, here are my stories about theme restaurants around the world!
SHARE & COMMENT
LA CARMINA
41 Comments
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You know, I have to stock extra replacement hearts when you fire lethal cuteness like that. wink emoticon ;)
haha
Wow!!!
I keep meaning to go get my nails done there too upset emoticon>_< It's on my list!
Oh you must, Glam nails is the best!
babe! Xx
xxxxx
You have quite the media presence
Amazing style, LC
Thank you for your comment!
Wick’d.
So so adorable! I love everything about this post!
<3 See you sooonnnn
I adore ur eye makeup here.
<3
How cute are you ;-) ;-)
The rainbow cake looks delicious too.
It was sweeetttt
More info available at http://www.canal-st.co.uk and on app too https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/canal-street-manchester/id981111078?ls=1&mt=8
Thank you! Loved Canal St!
Really adorable. The gay village looks fabulous. Jon.
happy for you to visit my home town manchester!
I loved it here!
cute and awesome!!
Fashionable!
Nice!!
Fab!! love to visit Manchester some day now :3
It’s gother than you think ahah!
love how sassy you are in this fun post
^__^
I could spend the day listing the things I love on this post. Let me narrow down to stick to hair, dress, styling, beautiful lighting by the hotel window, Alice in Wonderland tea pot!!!! ♥ Ultra love mode, on!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m glad the fun of the day came across!! Having a great time now in Spain :)
Manchester looks like so much fun :) Especially loving your hair here, super cute!
– K
http://inf3kted.com
<3 <3
Wherere you Darling??
君は再び間違えた フランスに行ってよ O_O wwwww
楽しんでくれて
服はちょっと怖いwww
so cool ^,..,^
^__^
Aren’t you the same gal that was on Andrew’s show?
I was on Bizarre Foods, yes!
Cute!