If there’s something York can do well – its a pub and a pint.
And the Big 7 Travel magazine seem to agree with us, as several Yorkshire watering holes feature in their 30 Best Pubs for a Pint in England list.
One of them is right here in the city centre.
Coming in at number seven on the list, The Blue Bell on Fossgate is described as one of the most ‘historically important pubs in the city’. Not only is it steeped in history, but it serves up a perfect pint too.
Big 7 Travel writes that “established in 1798, the current interior dates back to a 1903 refurbishment, and the building itself is Grade II listed. It is also one of the smallest pubs in the city, with a strict no-groups policy, and people occasionally have to be turned away because the seating capacity is so small.
“The beer speaks for itself, too: there are five permanent cask ales on draught, with several more changing guest ales, so the selection never feels stale. Food is also limited to toasted sandwiches and pork pies, with a free cheeseboard on Sunday evenings.
“The Blue Bell remains intimate, traditional and deliberately resistant to becoming a major tourist attraction, despite the pressure to do so in a 21st-century city.”
Two more North Yorkshire pubs have made the list too, one even coming in second place! Number two on the list is the tiny village pub Birch Hall Inn in Beck Hole, North Yorkshire. This pub is especially unique as it “consists of two tiny drinking rooms with a traditional sweet shop in between.”
It’s a proper escape from reality, as the magazine explains; “With a cosy log fire, a pint of the local Beckwatter beer and good company, you can enjoy a pub experience like no other when you visit Birch Hall Inn. Plus, there’s no WiFi and no phone signal, making conversation and good beer the priority.”
The final North Yorkshire pub in the guide is The Craven Arms in Appletreewick, at number 27. Tucked away in the Yorkshire Dales, The Craven Arms is “exactly what you want from a rural country pub.”
This pub has the “perfect cosy atmosphere for a good pint”, and has been seen on TV for interior scenes of The Drover’s Arms in All Creatures Great and Small.