The Flat Baker

This was our second visit to The Flat Baker in Ancoats recently, and the first time we’ve dined in at their lovely cafe rather than just grabbing takeaway.

My wife and I popped in this morning and opted for their signature savoury items. I finally tried the Sweet Chilli Cheese swirl – with its chilli sauce, spring onions, and mozzarella all wrapped in that signature soft, buttery dough with a perfectly flaky exterior. It was exceptional and unlike anything else you’ll find in Manchester – a real unique treat!

But my absolute favourite remains the Feta and Wilted Spinach swirl, which we’ve ordered before and had to get again today because it’s just so delicious. Similar construction but with those tangy feta and spinach flavours – both are standout items on the menu.

We paired them with an oat milk flat white, which was hands down the best we’ve had anywhere (personal taste, of course!).

There were plenty of tempting pastries on display, but we stuck to the savoury signatures this time. The Flat Baker is a must-visit on the Manchester food scene – highly recommended for breakfast, brunch, or just a delicious coffee and treat. We’ll be back soon!

Feels a bit overrated and overpriced compared to other bakeries in Manchester or Liverpool. We tried the popular pistachio croissant — the filling was generous and tasty, but nothing special, more like a good supermarket pistachio paste. The croissant itself was decent but not very flaky.

The tiramisu was interesting with croissant layers and a chocolaty or caramel-like cream, but we couldn’t really taste the coffee or wine flavours. The coffee, however, was the best part — rich and nutty with a nice Brazilian bean flavour. The spinach and feta swirl was slightly disappointing with very little feta, and the Nutella cruffin was overly sweet with too much sugar and not much pastry flavour.

Staff were friendly and the café felt cosy, especially on a rainy day, but dine-in prices are quite high compared to other bakeries in the city.

The best croissant in all of Manchester, maybe even the UK. The pistachio one is incredibly good and flavorful. We also tried the lemon one, which is definitely worth it too. The place itself is very pleasant, especially on sunny days

We were expecting the croissant to be served with ice cream, but upon arrival, we were informed that it’s only available during summer—not in winter. We ended up ordering the pistachio croissant instead, but it was just average, and the price felt slightly on the expensive side.

Might give it another try in the summer if I’m back in Manchester!

I've tried all three of their vegan bakes - Tonka cookie, Cinnamon Swirl and Banana Walnut loaf and all of them were 10/10. I put a candle on the cookie fory birthday, it's thick, doughy and had the best chocolate in it. And was only a couple of quid, their coffee is quite affordable too.

The new cafes are much appreciated addition to having to wait in the cold, be aware on weekends  there Normally is a long queue, lots of runclubs and people go here for breakfast! However, it goes down reasonably quickly. The staff are always friendly and helpful -  they do seem always a bit tired.

They always have a very wide selection of food. However, I really wish they'd rotate some of the vegan options, it's a bit frustrating seeing these awesome new bakes - pistachio croissant - but vegans, dairy free individuals have the same thing. Also oat milk is 40p extra, I understand the price for coffee is low but it's annoying.

That being said, it's a great place to quickly pop around if you're in Ancoats, it's for some good cake.

Halal Status for The Flat Baker