Java Bar Espresso

Java is my favourite place to get a coffee in Manchester without a doubt. I’ve been the to the one near Oxford road train station a couple of times, but Victoria is my «local» and my most frequented.
Styled on a typical Italian espresso bar, it serves great coffee, cakes, snacks and your usual coffee shop bits.
What I love about Java is, they actually seem to care about serving great produce. Pesto can been seen being hand made along with cheese boards and cuts of meats. Compare that to the newly opened Starbucks a couple of doors down where you feel like a number on a conveyer belt, I can’t understand why someone would go anywhere else.
I try to wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual just to get a coffee there; to sit back and enjoy the Italian music and the chilled vibe with bustling commuters nipping in and out.
As for a tip, a previous review mentioned a 50p charge for paying on card. This is true, however contactless is free of charge.
In summary, great coffee (and cheaper than Starbucks), the staff are always friendly and every 10^th coffee is free! They also stock loads of booze for that after work unwind. Enjoy!

This was my first time in the java shop I used to always use them when it was a little Hut in the station.
It’s a lovely little shop it has inside and outside seating they do coffees, cakes and they even have a selection of alcoholic drinks so it’s great for any time if the day.
Definitely worth a visit great staff lovely atmosphere highly reccomend if you are in Victoria station.

I used to always go to Java when it was a little hut on the station. But since it’s been an actual shop i seem to just walk past and i dont no why. It was lovely inside and so much choice. I only had a cup of tea while I waited for my sister but they sell all sorts cakes, muffins, pastries, sandwiches, cookies, nuts, crisps, wines, spirits, cocktails, coffee, flavoured teas and more.
Would recommend a visit

It’s so bloody small in here!
I knows it’s in a train station approach and they are rarely going to have a full house sitting in, but even with me and the 2 other guests sitting down I felt too cramped in!
I initially popped in to get a coffee and a small breakfast before back to back to back to back (you get the idea) meetings. Sadly they didn’t have any cream cheese to accompany the bagels. I don’t know if that’s my love for America coming out or not but cream cheese and bagels go together like fish and chips in my eyes!
The coffee itself was tasty and I’d go back if picking up a coffee to go, however with the amazing competition just a few minutes walk away — it’s no contest.

A hidden gem of a coffee /​wine bar situated inside Victoria station, I must have walked past it hundreds of times.
Today I popped in for a coffee and some breakfast on my way to catch the metrolink and was pleasantly surprised. It’s very small but quite cute. I ordered a latte and a ham and cheese toastie to go.
They have a varied breakfast menu and have fresh sandwiches to either eat in or take away.
More people should try here instead of Starbucks pretty much next door. It’s better value and better coffee.

When you arrive at the train station 30 minutes early, there’s not much you can do apart from sit and wait. Top that with the fact Victoria is going under a major refurb and you’ve got limited options.
But Java is the best of these.
It’s quite small inside — as the woman with two small children, one in a buggy, found out — but they’re happy to help you manouver around. There are plenty of bits for sale as Natalie W. mentioned, but I just had a tea (huge mug) and chocolate muffin; slightly tasting like marzipan and topped with chocolate sauce, it wasn’t the best muffin I’ve eaten but it took me through to dinner.

This is a great little coffee bar and sandwich shop that has the typical Italian marble counter tops while actually being fancier than your average Italian station coffee bar. For example, you can buy fresh pesto and reblochon cheese. Also, before Xmas they were selling stroopwaffels and seasonal bottles of gluhwein. Meanwhile, they have sandwiches on a variety of bread including foccacia and flat bread (piadina). Not the cheapest but worth it for the quality I would say.