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Minster Inn

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Recently, we at thepubsofyork.com finished reviewing all the pubs and bars inside the City Walls. Like a small boy who’s allowed to play outside his front garden for the first time, York’s premiere pub review website could not wait to spread it’s collective wings.

But despite shedding the geographical constraints that had forced us to review hideous puking dens such as Nags Head and Rumours,  we didn’t initially venture too far from the stone walls that had previously restricted us.

There was no need to, for the Minster Inn, located on Marygate just behind the Museum Gardens, was always high on our ‘to review’ list.

Quite simply, it is one of the best pubs in the city, or any other city for that matter.

Iit’s not just us who think so. The Minster reguarly appears in CAMRA’s York branch ‘Best of’ lists, including most recently as the Winter pub of year 2009.

And there’s a whole host of reasons why everyone who finds it seems to like it so much. The mighty fine selection of well kept real ale it serves is certainly a big factor, as is the friendly and convivial atmosphere which we’ve always encountered.

Thankfully, this ambiance isn’t lost amongst  noisy fruit machines or down the back of comfy leather sofas, it is lovingly enveloped in all four rooms, by the attractive interior, which for the most part, is a perfect example of an Edwardian pub and still contains many original features.

We’re not suggesting that anyone visits a pub solely to check out their lavatories, but, if If you’re needing any more reasons why the Minster Inn demands you pay it a visit, then the outdoor (in the literal sense of the word) toilets that nestle at the back of the pub, next to the small beer patio, should seal the deal. Unfortunately for all you new fathers out there, these facilities do not double as a baby-changing area.


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Rating: 5.0/5 (2 votes cast)

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Posted in Bootham, Gillygate & Marygate, Highly Recommended, Location, Real Ale, Real Ale Heaven | No Comments »

Bay Horse, Marygate

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

One of the finest pleasures York has to offer, especially on a fine summers day or a crisp winter morning, is a ramble through the Museum gardens.

As you wander merrily around the potted borders, you can cast your inquisitive eye over a Roman Tower, 1800 years old, clamber over the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey (at one point the most powerful and wealthiest abbey in the the North of England) or feed the pigeons, squirrels and chavs with your left over pasty.

As nice as all these activities most certainly are (apart from feeding the chavs; they only accept White Lightning and Benson and Hedges) you would do well to carry on through the museum gardens, emerge onto Marygate and get yourselves into the Bay Horse, a smashing pub that is deserves your custom, not least because it could quite easily have been a dozen or so swanky flats.

The Bay Horse had been serving drinkers for more than a century, before closing in late 2003. It appeared the writing was on the toilet wall when the building was the subject of two planning applications to convert it into residential use, after being laid empty for five years or so.

To the delight of pub-goers, the developers failed in their bid and the premises was bought shortly afterwards by the Little Pub company, who set about a programme of renovation and re-opened as a pub in the Christmas of 2008, and thepubsofyork,com are most certainly glad it did, for it is a cracking pub.

The stylish wallpaper, comfy upholstered seats and contemporary lighting may be a bit too ‘modern’ for some purists but seeing as though it was so recently and extensively renovated, anything else would probably feel a bit contrived (and if you do want ‘traditional’ head up the road to the Minster Inn which is as traditional as they come).

Six hand pulls are readily available at all times and on our last visit, Greene King IPA and Rocking Rudolph (by the same brewery) were sampled and both were well kept and eminently drinkable.

The friendly bar staff can also serve you a packet of ‘Real Crisps’ which has been stated before on these pages, are the greatest crisps known to man and there’s even a plasma screen in the corner which shows live sport, so football fans needn’t miss out on their weekly fix of Uncle Jeff.

In fact, thinking about it, bypass the Museum Gardens and head straight here, you won’t be disappointed.


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Rating: 3.0/5 (4 votes cast)

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Posted in Bootham, Gillygate & Marygate, Food Available, Live Sport, Location, Real Ale, Real Ale Heaven, Within the ring road | 2 Comments »

Maltings

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

If you are visiting York or have never been in this pub before and you like your pubs stupendous, you really should make sure the Maltings is on your itinerary.

The painted black stone exterior of this small one-roomed boozer could perhaps give the impression of a dark and unwelcoming hostelry, the type of place where you order a pint, realise your mistake and neck it without even taking your coat off.

Once you step over the threshold, any preconceived notions of gloom instantly disappear and you are left with a mild sense of euphoria. The Maltings, quite simply, is a wonderful, wonderful pub.

There are more real ales and ciders than you can shake a stick at and, despite other establishments running it close, the compact bar could boast York’s finest selection (Koko and the Rook and Gaskill are others vying for this crown). Regardless, there’s far too many tipples on offer at the Maltings for thepubsofyork.com to list on this tiny part of cyberspace, so, if you want to read about their jaw dropping selection, head over to their website, here.

It’s not just the fabulous selection of ale that makes The Maltings special, although that alone would make it well worth visiting. The interior which, amongst other, less notable features consists of an attractive tiled floor, old tin signs stolen from Beamish (maybe), and a ceiling and bar counter which are constructed from old doors (!). All of this works together to give the the place a nostalgic homely feel, which definitely aids thepubsofyork.com’s chat of football, music and which is the best episode of Sharpe.

You can also enjoy some spankingly good pub grub along with your chosen drink and not only this, when your bladder has had its fill, the powers that be display a page of a broadsheet above the urinals. This simple touch in the gents toilets (oo er) makes a micturation both informative and enjoyable (which is othwerwise only achievable when taking a podcast of Countryfile into the throne room).

If you haven’t already guessed, thepubsofyork.com love this pub and would happily have the evening do of its wedding reception here if it were allowed. In many other cities in the UK this place would be top dog, but it says something about the quality of the pubs on offer in York that there are one or two which are probably just as fabulous.


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Rating: 4.0/5 (7 votes cast)

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Pivo

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

thepubsofyork.com love Pivo. You could say we’re Pivophiles.

This cracking little pub-cum-cafe bar humbly sits in the heart of York, in a 12th Century timber framed building. The beer on offer in this place is outstanding and far too extensive to remember by memory only, so a quick look at their website tells us they:

currently boast 3 cask ales, 11 other exceptional draught products including 2 Weisse beers and the only unfiltered pilsner currently available in the UK. The bottled product range features around 60 beers from across the globe.

Just what we like to hear.

Pivo is very small, but perfectly formed. The downstairs bar probably won’t be able to fit more than a dozen seated customers in and whilst the upstairs is bigger, you’d struggle to fit two football teams up there. This isn’t a bad thing though, in fact, if anything, it adds to the character of the place, once you’ve snaffled a seat in Pivo you feel empowered, just like you did when you were at school and sneaked a quick sit on the teachers chair.

The upstairs room, as well as being a fine example of a wooden frame building, also boasts a very good jukebox, something which thepubsofyork.com wishes there were more of in York.

No-one likes listening to the complete works of Cliff Richard over and over again (head to the Slip Inn in Clementhorpe if that’s your bag) but they do have their place, afterall, what’s better than good company, good beer and your own hand picked songs coming out of the speakers?

One last reason to visit Pivo (and one of the biggest reasons why thepubsofyork.com are often found there) is the chance to sup Aspall’s Suffolk Cyder – a drink close to this website’s heart and one near the top of the ‘drinks to take to a desert island’ list.


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Rating: 3.1/5 (7 votes cast)

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Brigantes

Monday, August 31st, 2009

If you didn’t know it was there, you’d be forgiven for never getting as far as Brigantes – there could never be a good pub amongst the cheesy, vodka fuelled groping dens of Micklegate, right? Wrong.

This wonderful pub, which is named after the pre-Roman tribe who controlled most of what is now North Yorkshire, sits on Micklegate like a shining light in a sea of darkness and vomit.

Once inside, it’s easy to forget everything else other than the wonderful selection of ales in front you. On thepubsofyork.com’s last visit there were no fewer than SIX well kept beauties on offer, all served by friendly, knowledgable bar staff. (There could have been more than six on offer but after several pints, thepubsofyork.com’s mental ‘rithmatic leaves a lot to be desired).

The plain, simple interior of Brigantes means you can get down to a good old chinwag without having chrome/BBC news 24/drinks promotions popping into your eyeline, only the old beer tap labels stuck to the ceiling give the bar (effectively one large room) any real colour.

The function room upstairs provides a convivial space for you to celebrate any particular occasion. thepubsofyork.com can recommend it wholeheartedly for such a purpose after hosting a very successful soiree here to celebrate some forthcoming nuptuals.

There’s also food on offer which is very good, although York’s #1 pub review website don’t sample it as much as they should, mainly because of the ‘Real Crisps’ which Brigantes stock – in particular the Roast Ox variety – which are possibly the best crisps known to man and the perfect accompaniment to a pint of real ale.

If there’s any negatives about this place it is maybe derived from the fact that thepubsofyork.com have never had a ’session’ in here. This could be because of it’s ’sore thumb’ location or the fact it has a somewhat transient atmosphere caused by the flow of suited office workers popping in at lunchtime and after work, but that really is about it.

The journey to Brigantes, especially on a Friday or a Saturday night, is a treacherous one, but once you’ve traversed the swamps of strumpets and have evaded the aggressive beasts that roam these parts, you will be rewarded with an oasis of real ale and a place where you can easily wile away a few hours without ever having to clap eyes on a mini skirt or a pair of Rockports.


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Rating: 4.0/5 (3 votes cast)

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Guy Fawkes Hotel

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

It’s interesting how us Brits turn a blind eye to ‘one of our own’ religious nutjobs with a penchant for mass scale terrorism isn’t it …. fancy a pint in the Bin Laden Arms? No? Of course you don’t. Because a) such a pub doesn’t exist in York and, b) if it did, it wouldn’t serve alcohol.

In little over four centuries, Guido Fawkes’s PR people have done a great job, he’s gone from a Satanic demon and Catholic terrorist to swashbuckling, courageous renegade. This 21st century image of him means you can now sit and enjoy a pint in his supposed old home (he was born in York don’t you know) and watch the world go by without a care in the world, or a balaclava on.

And it’s a mighty fine place to watch the world go by. Situated just next to the Minster and in the heart of York, the Guy Fawkes Hotel definitely deserves a visit, not least to sample the excellent selection of real ale on offer.

There were six taps available on thepubsofyork.com’s most recent visit, as well as the mass produced stuff and the much loved (by thepubsofyork.com anyway) Addlestones cider.

Once you have bought your tipple you can sit in the small lounge next to the bar area, the external courtyard (next to Guy Fawkes’ cottage) or the two rooms adjoining the bar. The indoor areas are lit by gas lamps and a sprinkling of candles on the tables mean that if you squint, you can just about imagine you were in a 17th century tavern.

The handsome wooden furniture adds to the ambience and manages to just about not seem ‘contrived’, while the mahogany panelling and dark, painted walls give this place a definite historic feel.

Apparently the Guy Fawkes Hotel also does a mean bit of pub grub and offers equally respectable lodgings (on a bed and breakfast basis) should you require somewhere to rest your weary heads.

The Guy Fawkes’ has been in the local news a bit recently; firstly the old owners went into administration which caused a bit of a hoohaa and more recently it was closed down on a busy Friday night by pernickety licensing officials for a minor transgression of the licensing act. It reopened almost immediately and thepubsofyork.com hopes nothing else affects it’s ability to trade, as it really is a damn good boozer.


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Rating: 3.0/5 (2 votes cast)

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Last Drop Inn

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

The last time thepubsofyork.com dropped into the Last Drop Inn it was a busy Friday night and the air was filled with the happy chatter of laid back drinkers.

There’s every reason to be as relaxed as a hibernating brown bear when you visit this place; the staff are friendly, the choice of drinks superb and the surroundings comfortable. This was the first of York Brewery’s pubs and it remains one of it’s best, with the Three Legged Mare pushing it close for pole position.

Like all of the brewery’s bars it has no juke box, slot machines or pool tables – just great drinks. It says something about the quality of pubs in York city centre that this is probably not the areas top dog.

With Becks Vier, Carling, Carlsberg, Staropramen, Erdinger, Heineken and Guiness on offer you should probably find a beer behind the bar that you fancy. With York Brewery’s IPA, Terrier and Ghost Ale also up for grabs there’s a big chance that you’ll find something that you love! The last time thepubsofyork.com was here it also spied GWR’s Whistle Blower, Stowford Press cider, a box of vision destroying Old Rosie, a whole host of great bottled beers and a superb array of whiskers, sorry, whiskies.

The pub has two main areas for thirsty patrons to enjoy their drinks, and the first you’ll come across is the lower level by the entrance door, which has ten or so tables of varying sizes.

Four small steps take you up to the bar level where bar stools nestle around converted barrels, which are handy for slumping on after a couple of pints of the aforementioned 7.3% Old Rosie. There’s also a very small beer garden (where smoking is not permitted) with chunky furniture that can accommodate about eight people should it not be raining.

The toilets are upstairs and thepubsofyork.com can only admit to ever entering the male facilities, which feature the classic ‘2-2-1′ configuration: two urinals, two wash basins and one cubicle, and these have always been clean when York’s premier pub review website has been in to empty its bladder.

Food is served between the hours of 12-5pm each day and on Monday and Tuesday nights live music can be enjoyed, while Wednesday night is quiz night. The only entertament on offer for the rest of the week is good old fashioned conversation and the enjoyment of superb drinks, which thepubsofyork.com thinks is about the best form of fun.


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Rating: 3.3/5 (4 votes cast)

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Yorkshire Terrier

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

The Yorkshire Terrier sits on Stonegate, one of York’s most touristy streets, behind (in fact, connected to) a York Brewery shop selling it’s own beers, t-shirts, and glassware. With this in mind you’d be forgiven for thinking the Yorkshire Terrier is a bit tacky. Not a bit of it.

The vast selection of beer is the main reason to visit the Yorkshire Terrier. When thepubsofyork.com last visited, the friendly and informative bar staff could have poured a pint of Centurion Ghost Ale, Yorkshire Terrier, Guzzler and Constantine (all these four are York Brewey’s own). Dragon Slayer, Youngs Special and Lytham Dark add to the quality of real ale available and Erdinger, Krombacher and Old Rosie give the discerning punter a very viable lager/cider alternative.

If this lot doesn’t appeal to you, or you have no taste buds, four ‘commercial’ beverages are available for the unadventurous.

Once you’ve ordered your beer, there are three areas for you to choose to sit in and sample your tipple. The two comfortable seating areas adjacent to the bar are probably your best bet and boast easy access to the bar (why would you want to be further away than you need to be from this well stocked beauty?).

The third place available for you to park your posterior is in a light, bright and airy glass ceilinged room which subsequently possesses the lux levels of the sun. This place is probably best avoided if you end up in the Yorkshire Terrier on a summer evening with an ugly blind date.

There’s good food on offer and a weekly quiz (two of the ways to thepubsofyork.com’s heart) and both make this place even more appealing.

Thepubsofyork.com can think of not a single reason why you shouldn’t venture to this cracking little pub. Even the shop shuts at a reasonable hour so you needn’t worry about sampling one too many of the ales on offer and ending up with seventeen polo shirts and more pint glasses than Burkina Faso (it’s unclear how many pint glasses Burkina Faso own, we assume it’s at least eight).


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Rating: 3.8/5 (4 votes cast)

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Three Legged Mare

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

The Three Legged Mare (or ‘Wonkey Donkey’ as it is known to locals) takes its name from the gallows that used to stand on the Knavesmire, and follows, rather morbidly, the hanging theme started by one of its sister pubs, The
View The Pubs Of York Locations in a larger map“>Last Drop Inn. Both are run by York Brewery, who in turn, are owned by Mitchells Hotels and Inns, who hail from, dare we say it ….. Lancashire. Thankfully though, the introduction of a red rose into proceedings hasn’t affected the quality of this consistently good boozer.

There is a little beer patio to the rear of the building in which you could just about swing a cat, you wouldn’t want to though. Not unless it had been stunned and even then it’s going to weigh the best part of a tonne.

But don’t fret, there’s plenty of room in the long and comfortable bar proper, or in the bright conservatory, and when sat inside, you’re even closer to the impressively stocked bar, which is a very good thing.

Needless to say, for a pub supported by it’s own independent brewery, the ale on offer is of extremely good quality. On thepubsofyork.com’s last visit there were six hand pulls on offer (three were sampled – all great), along with two quality ciders and a terrific selection of Czech and Belgian bottled beers.

The York Brewery pubs have a no juke box, no fruit machine and no children policy so your beers can be enjoyed in peace and you can give your chat about how peculiarly high the urinals are your full attention.

With food served at lunch times, quiz night on a Monday and live music on Sundays, thepubsofyork.com could certainly camp out within the confines of the Three Legged Mare, if only the beer garden was big enough.


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Rating: 3.5/5 (4 votes cast)

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Koko

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

thepubsofyork.com thinks that this is a gem of a bar (but then again they also think that ITV’s Sharpe is the best TV drama ever made so don’t necessarily take our word for it) and well worth visiting.

Ko Ko is situated on Goodramgate among the charity shops and next to Caesers Italian restaurant, with a couple of other decent pubs close by.

It was converted into an “International Bar” after the owners decided they’d had enough of trying to sell fantastic bottled beer to tourists from their shop. The transformation saw the rows of shelving and dusty bottles shipped out so they could be replaced with a sumptuous bar positioned against the back wall. Part of the refurbishment process included stocking the premises with truly amazing beers, fantastic spirits (check out the incredible selection of whiskies) and a stupendously good selection of wines.

The owner knows his stuff on the beer front, he’s packed in lovely local real ales and top class international lagers, which are well kept and not too pricy at all. The expensive looking stereo behind the bar usually plays cool music later on and further enhances the relaxed vibe.

Ko Ko attracts a wide ranging clientele; young trendy student types (including the randy couple thepubsofyork.com once saw in there who had obviously enjoyed one too many fruit beers and forgotten they were in public) mix with glamorous orange older women and lovers of real ale who tend to be male and hairy. The varying groups must surely flock here for the same reason – the lovely environment and high quality produce.

In a bold attempt to flout all known building regulations the male toilets are not only ridiculously small, but outside in the rear yard, this actually isn’t that uncommon in York’s city centre pubs. What is uncommon in most city centre pubs is the view afforded from KoKo’s front window, that of the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe – the magestic York Minster, Ko Ko is a bit like Arsenal in this sense – shit at the back and stunning up front.


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Rating: 4.9/5 (8 votes cast)

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