North Yorkshire pub and bar guide
Here's a guide to the pubs and bars of North Yorkshire - good or bad, we bring you the most talked about venues and the places you have to visit at least once. We've included a few user reviews, to give you an idea of what to expect when you get there. Or you can follow the links to see full details and all reviews for each pub.
The One Eyed Rat, Ripon
Address: 51 Allhallowgate, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 1LQ
Phone: 01765 607704
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Reviews by BITE users:
The Phoenix, York
Address: 75 George Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9PT
Phone: 01904 656401
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Nearest train stations: York (0.8 miles), Poppleton (3.6 miles)
Reviews by BITE users:
We arrived just as the live music in the back room was about to start so we sat in the front sung area & chatted to the barman.
4 ales on the pumps, I had a couple of pints of Ridgeside Brewing Co’s Roosevelt @ 4.5% and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord which were both on fine form.
The music was lively, entertaining & not to loud or intrusive from where we were sat.
We whiled away a few hours chatting to the locals & enjoying our beers in this quality pub, another one for the will return to list…which is growing!
The Black Horse Vaults, Whitby
Address: 91 Church Street, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO22 4BH
Phone: 01947 602906
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Nearest train stations: Whitby (0.3 miles), Ruswarp (1.4 miles), Sleights (3 miles)
Reviews by BITE users:
A very friendly little 2 roomed 2 bar pub with a courtyard to the left as you enter. The back room has a very nice stain glass window with the words 'Black Horse Vaults'.
Both rooms are adorned with pictures of the local area, while the front has an interesting light hanging from the ceiling.
3 guest ales and 2 regulars on cask, both of the regulars from Tetley's. I opted for a guest which was Robinson's Wizard @ 3.7%, a very nicely kept pint.
Friendly barmaid, quaint décor, good beer .... this pub scores 8/10 for me.
Royal Oak, Ripon
Address: Kirkgate, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 1PB
Phone: 01765602284
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Reviews by BITE users:
On arrival it was very busy, several couples, a group of girls but mainly blokes.
Like my previous visit’s here the ales are excellent, on this visit I tucked into several very good pints of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. Other ales available were Golden Best, Ramtam, Boltmaker and Saltaire Blonde.
Cracking pub and I can highly recommend the full English breakfast we had the following morning.
Older crowd in here than the Unicorn around the corner, it was about a 3rd full with most of the tables and chairs taken up by groups or couples, food had stopped being served so the restaurant part was empty.
Timothy Taylor's Golden Best was again in excellent form just like on my previous visit.
I’m due to be back in Ripon in March and we are planning on staying here next time as they have rooms.
The Royal Oak is another cracking pub in Ripon, great little City with friendly locals and good pubs.
4 Timothy Taylor ales on the pumps, which were Landlord, Ram Tam, Boltmaker and my choice Golden Best @ 3.5%. The 5th ale available was Saltaire Blonde.
2 seating areas at the top of the stairs as you enter the pub with the U shaped bar to your right. Light and airy inside with lots of trendy lights hanging from the ceilings. The walls are painted a different colour in each room, while hanging on each wall are pictures, drawings and photos all in gold frames, this adds a warm decorative feel to the 2 large rooms. To the rear is a large dining room with an open fireplace.
Music playing softly, a couple of locals chatting to the barmaids at the bar, not that busy on my visit but still a very nice pub
Unicorn Hotel, Ripon
Address: Market Place East, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 1BP
Phone: 01765602202
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Reviews by BITE users:
The Wetherspoon’s real ale festival was on with 5 of the pumps given over to festival ales, my pints of Greene King Benjamin & Hyde's Bruges were good with the Benjamin being particularly decent, it went done well.
With the pub open to 1am the clientele was mixed and very friendly. We wiled away a couple of hours here chatting and drinking after a particularly long drive up from London.
I know it’s a ‘spoons but I do like The Unicorn.
The downstairs bar area of this hotel / pub looks like it may need a bit of touching up but the rooms upstairs are off a high standard.
Being a ‘spoons there is a good choice of ales which was better on this visit than the one I made at the end of November, during my various visits to the bar over my 2 night stay I drank Daleside Bitter @ 3.7% & Moorhouses Pride of Pendle @ 4.1%, both good well kept ales and at a cheap price.
On all my visit to the bar the service was quick and attentive.
Busy at all times but especially busy between 10am and 12 noon for breakfast and lunch. The bar closes at midnight but as a resident you are allowed to take drinks to your room which is a bonus.
Decent ‘spoons, good ales and the hotel part is excellent value for money.
The Big Angel, Whitby
Address: New Quay Rd, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 1DH
Phone: 01947 602943
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Nearest train stations: Whitby (0.1 miles), Ruswarp (1.2 miles), Sleights (2.8 miles)
Reviews by BITE users:
First impressions - a smart looking pub, though unnervingly quiet downstairs considering the number of people in. Seemed a bit soulless. There is a second bar upstairs with more seating and the same ales are available on both bars.
I spotted Greene King IPA, Doom Bar, Columbian Creek (Osset Brewery) 3.8% and Jorvik Blonde 3.8%. Two local Whitby ales were "coming soon" - a shame, as I would have liked to have sampled them.
I went for the Columbian Creek at £2.65 for the pint - expensive for a Spoons but still on the cheap side. A pleasant pint. Service downstairs seemed very slow so I tried the upstairs bar which was running a bit better at the time of my visit.
6 ales on the hand pumps, my couple of pints of Saltaire Blonde were very good.
I really like this pub, the chaps behind the bar are chatty but not intrusive, the locals are all extremely friendly, especially the couple of chaps that we’re playing the piano while a young lady sang, which was very pleasant and rounded the evening off nicely.
Pleasant décor and very ale and good quality lager orientated, just like my last visit I score the one eyed rat highly.
7 ales on the pumps available, all ales were light in colour with the exception of the porter from Hop Studio. In addition there are 2 real ciders and a few top quality lagers. My choice of Phoenix’s Flash Flood @ 4.1%, which was very good.
Narrow frontage opens up into a long thin pub with a large open seating area to the rear with a piano. In the front seating area a real fire was burning and added to the relaxed atmosphere.
The landlord was chatting to several locals at the bar. The One Eyed Rat has been in the GBG for over 20 years and in my opinion (from this one visit) guarantees you a friendly welcome along with cracking ales and no quiz or fruit machines or televisions.
Another must visit pub if you haven’t been already.