Best bars in York

Ossett Brewery’s Hop is a traditional real ale house with a contemporary twist. The concept’s pretty simple: real ale, wood-fired pizza and live acoustic music. And it works a treat. Acoustic and cover acts take to the stage Friday and Saturday, while Sundays are for open mic night. The pizzeria ticks all the right boxes with a selection of stone-baked pizzas, while the Ossett Brewery tipples – White Rat, Excelsior, Silver King, Big Red and Yorkshire Blonde – go down a treat.

Best name for a pub, ever and something of a York attraction. The House of Trembling Madness is situated above an impressively stocked shop with around 600 beers, ales and ciders from the UK, Belgium and US. It oozes medieval history, with part of the building dating back to 12th century and stuffed animal heads peering down from half-timbered walls. And while there’s no kitchen, they still offer a decent range of snacks and bites. A real one-off.

A compact 16th-century timber-framed pub tucked away in the heart of York, Pivni describes itself as a ‘World Beer Freehouse.’ And they’re proud of their craft beer too with a selection of around 80 available, securing them a few awards along the way. Spread over three floors, it’s one to visit for serious beer connoisseurs. The pub is run by the same team who also operate The York Tap, the award-winning craft beer house by the train station. They clearly know their stuff.

Modern, light, yet with a historic feel, The Three Legged Mare is located just inside the city walls on Toft Green, and is home to the York Brewery. They’ve been producing fine handcrafted real ales since 1996, and you can check out the 20-barrel brew plant thanks to a gallery above the brewhouse, and a viewing panel. Core York Brewery tipples include premium bitter Yorkshire Terrier, the crisp and dry Guzzler, and the dark Centurion’s Ghost. A cornerstone of York’s real ale pub scene.