Affleck & Brown, Manchester

This is a traditional pub masquerading as an upmarket bar in Manchester’s trendy Northern Quarter. The place has plenty of features that mark it out as a typical pub, from the smart dark wood floorboards to the attractive wood panelled bar counter which runs along the back wall, the initial impression is of an old pub that’s been given a modern makeover, so I was a little surprised to learn that this building was previously part of the Affleck and Brown department store. The place has been fitted with modest, modern fittings, including fancy lamps, plush button backed banquettes and a smart bar back, whilst seating comes mainly in the form of the aforementioned banquettes plus lots of high tables and chairs. The walls have been painted in contrasting colour schemes, which looks quite nice, but there is almost nothing displayed on them, so it all feels a bit uniform and bland. A decent soundtrack played quietly during our midweek visit, which saw very few other punters turn up, although I’m told it gets much busier at the weekend. There are two handpulls on the bar, but neither of these were in use, with a couple of Beavertown and one Brixton craft keg options being about as exciting as it gets. The staff here were very friendly and patient as we ordered a series of ever increasingly complicated rounds, including some decent cocktails from a modest cocktail menu. I had quite a good time in here, thanks more to the company than the bar itself, which was a pretty unassuming affair offering little of interest but doing a few of the basics well enough. It’s a nice building and the service was good, but with so many great pubs around the Northern Quarter, I can’t imagine I’ll head back here again any time soon. Date of visit - 20th June 2023

Third name in a year and refurbished yet again. Now one main room with a small alcove to the rear. A mix of high tables & chairs and dining tables with a pleasant paint job, it's a much better looking bar than before. They also now have 2 handpumps on the bar which were serving Deuchars and the slighly more interesting Camerons A-Hop-Alypse Now which was in decent nick. Better, but still not going to be a regular haunt until they serve some more interesting beer.

A pretty basic cafe bar. There's a raised area to the right as you enter with cafe style tables and chairs. Further to the right are a couple of high tables and stools. There are some great pictures around the walls, very sixties. There's a range of high end lagers on the bar and a short bottles beer list. A half of Mahou was £2.20 which is a total rip off. I'll not be bothering again.