Sawyers Arms, Manchester

I wasn't really planning on visiting the Sawyers Arms but ended up with a bit of spare time after finding the Rising Sun closed, so thought a revisit to this grand looking corner pub was worth considering. Knowing full well it's a Nicholsons pub I was not expecting miracles on the ale front but they did have Signal Kingmaker, brewed especially for Nicholsons to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III (bear in mind this was back in May). This was a bit wishy washy but certainly inoffensive. I won't be rushing back but as ever it was good to call in again and refresh my memory of the place.

The Sawyers Arms is a wooden floored Nicholsons pub with a large curved bar that supports eight hand pumps. During a recent Tuesday evening visit these were drawing Laine Brewery’s Breaker Pale Ale, Black Sheep’s Twilighter, Nicholsons own Pale, Wychwood’s Hobgoblin Ruby. The Sharp’s Doom Bar on two pumps was off and two pumps stood unused. Standard and premium keg is also available, as is food that can be eaten in the bar area or the upstairs restaurant. The interior is very simple with high tables between the bar and the entrance, and a raised seating area left front. Sky Sports is shown on a couple of televisions and some hardly audible background music was playing. The service was very polite. I’m normally a big fan of this chain’s pubs, but I think this place with its large curved windows has a more interesting exterior than interior. That said, I would return for another pint, but I wouldn’t stay all evening.

like other reviewers, I found the inside a little bland though with some very nice features. Bright and laid back, friendly service. But it’s another Nicholsons pub with a poor selection of real ale - just Mad Goose, Doom Bar and their own pale ale today. I also noticed only bar snacks were available on the paper menu. Not bad, not great, an inbetweener pub on the way to better pubs. And the other clientele seemed to be thinking the same.

I came here post PuG crawl on a Saturday morning,a large Nicholsons corner pub with a distinctively ornate exterior, inside I found it to be relatively bland, a single opened out split level room with plenty of sensible style seating. Eight Handpumps with five beers on, two from Ilkley, including my choice of Smoked Witch, Moorhouse White Witch, Doom Bar and Nicholsons Pale. A functional but not very exciting pub.

Another chain pub on a busy street, but a few nice touches like etched glass and some plaster work give something of a pub feel to it. Upstairs bar also. A fair selection of ales on offer and seemed in drinkable condition.