The Flour & Flagon, Manchester

I can't remember what prompted me to call in here, and still less what caused me to stay for a beer. There's no real ale, and my choice lay between Brewdog Punk IPA, Blue Moon, Innis & Gunn and Beavertown Neck Oil. Walking out would have been a better option, but I was on a mission to tick as many pubs as I could in the year, so I sipped my cold, fizzy half of something or other while writing in my notebook "next time I'll ask for Orangina instead". Next time? What was I thinking? Date of visit: 24th September 2022

The Flour and Flagon has a long bar on the rear wall that faces the entrance and seating in the windows either side. Banquette seating is found to the right and left and in the right rear is a sunken area with a pool table and high banquettes. Televisions throughout were providing the background music via Kerrang! Standard and premium keg were available and I only spotted two hand pumps, both of which were unused. The friendly barman couldn’t find a half glass so I received a very generous half in a pint glass. This place is a bit too studenty for me so I don’t plan on returning.

Visited again in the run up to Christmas 2021. Six hand pulls - two for cider, one was off, and the remaining three offered beers from Titanic (Steerage, Plum Porter and Iceberg). The Plum Porter was spot on. A few people in but fairly quiet and calm, though the atmosphere changed when a group of scruffy lads came in and started getting a bit loud and boisterous. The Plum Porter was on fine form. Another pub I would be happy to re-visit.

Visited mid December on a Saturday night. This feels like a proper pub with a nice atmosphere. Three or four cask ales at the bar and we were offered a taster, which is nice. There were also one or two ciders. I had the Ruby Revolution by Three Brothers, which was certainly pleasant enough. Definitely one of the better pubs visited in the area on that night.

Official site of The Flour & Flagon - www.flourandflagon.co.uk

Official site of The Flour & Flagon - www.flourandflagon.co.uk

A very wide pub with several different areas. To the left is mainly seating in alcoves and some decent dark wood. The rest of the pub is set up as a student bar. There are 2 pool tables, a two seater Fast & Furious game, a sit down Pacman, table football and a jukebox. There's also some of that really crap wallpaper that's supposed to look like bookshelves. Three ales available on my visit, all of them rather uninteresting, so I just had a half of Cottage Sunset. It was OK, but totally uninspiring, like all Cottage beers. Not one to come to specially, but if you're going to the Sandbar it's probably just about worth a look in.

Very loud place typically students lounging about chairs and tables moved all over the place so its hard to get to the bar a lot of talking with them but not much drinking. Will walk past in future