UPDATED JANUARY 2020! Having lived in York for over three years now, and having visited many of the drinking establishments around town, I finally feel like I’m qualified to write this post! There are tons of amazing restaurants in York, and a lot of fantastic cafes and coffee shops. But York is definitely an excellent city for drinking and going out. Rumor has it that there are more than 365 pubs in the city, one for every day of the year!

From historic pubs to posh cocktail bars, there really is something for everyone in this city. I originally published this in July 2018, so this is all updated as of January 2020 with the newest and best places in town! In no particular order, here are the bars and pubs around the city: the best places to drink in York!

Interested in a FREE 10-page York Mini Guide? Included in this York Mini Guide are: The top experiences and things to do in the city Where to eat & drink (cafes, restaurants, pubs) The best daytrips outside the city An itinerary for how to spend 3 days in York Click here to get your free copy!

House of Trembling Madness (Stonegate)

This is one of my favorite places to go in York, and somewhere I always take visiting friends from out of town. The bar is very small, and it can be tough to get a seat. But the medieval theme, complete with animal heads on the wall, wooden furniture, and fur throws, sets it apart. It’s a bit pricier than other bars, but it’s a fantastic place in a great setting. Top tip: you can buy any of the beers in the downstairs shop to enjoy upstairs—they just charge a small extra “opening” fee to make it legal! I always refer to this one as “old” House of Trembling Madness, since they opened a new one in 2018!

Address: 48 Stonegate // Website

House of Trembling Madness (Lendal)

The “new” House of Trembling Madness is housed in a beautiful, historic building on Lendal. Spread over several floors, there is a lot more space here and the decor is all Georgian-style. They also have funky selection of beers on tap, along with a huge craft beer shop in the basement. This is one of my favorite places to meet friends and catch up. Ladies, make sure you pop into the toilets since they’re absolutely gorgeous! (Something I rarely ever say about a pub!)

Address: 14 Lendal // Website

Cosy Club

If you’re looking for Gatsby-themed, 1920s-style interior, this will be your best bet in York. Cosy Club is housed in an old movie theater, and is a beautiful space. The lamps, lighting, comfy couches, and open front wall make it the perfect place for drinks—especially in the summer.
Address: 19-22 Fossgate // Website

King’s Arms

No list like this would be complete without my favorite pub in the city: King’s Arms. Located in a phenomenal location right by the River Ouse, King’s Arms is one of the cheapest places in York. As a Sam Smith’s pub, it’s between £2-£2.50 a pint! On any warm, sunny day in York, everyone heads to the river for a beer here in the sunshine. The pub frequently gets flooded—so don’t miss the flood level signs by the door when you walk in!
Address: 3 King’s Staith // Facebook Page

Evil Eye

This place is the absolute best place for cocktails in the city. They recently made the news as a Guinness Book of World Records holder for most gins on offer—they have over 1000 varieties for sale! The cocktails are great, as are the specialty shots. It won’t be cheap, but it is well worth the money to treat yo’ self!
Address: 42 Stonegate // Website

The Hop

If you’re a fan of beers and especially ales, this is the place for you. The Hop has a beautiful back room, complete with a massive skylight, but the selection on tap is really what sets it apart. They’ve got around 20 beers and ciders on tap to offer, so whatever kind of pint you’re looking for—chances are they’ll have it! They also do delicious pizzas and calzones. They run a lunch special during the week for a pizza and a pint for just £6.95!
Address: 11-12 Fossgate // Website

Blue Bell

Right across the street from the Hop is York’s smallest pub: Blue Bell. While I’ll always love this place as it was the site of my first ever lock-in, it’s a great place to come for a nice atmosphere and friendly staff. It first opened in 1798, and still has the original Edwardian décor from 1903! It is very small though, and tough to find a seat. There is a back room behind the bar, so if the front room is full always check the back! Best of yet, as of a few months ago you can now pay with card instead of it being cash-only!
Address: 53 Fossgate // Facebook Page

Lamb and Lion

This pub is located right next to Bootham Bar, one of the gates of the city walls. While the pub itself is on the small side, it’s the massive beer garden that sets it apart—and earns it a spot on the list. There’s loads of seating, and views both of the city walls and of York Minster! Lamb and Lion is great for summer weather.
Address: 2-4 High Petergate // Website

Brew York

Brew York is a fantastic place for drinks, as it’s a brewery first and foremost. The taproom is spacious, and they have a riverside outdoor terrace that looks over the River Foss. The atmosphere has always been busy but never raucous when I’ve been, and there’s no better place to try one of their beers than the brewery itself! They’ve expanded to include a huge beer hall upstairs as well—they loads of space and usually about 40 beers on tap!
Address: Enterprise Complex Walmgate (off Walmgate, between St. Denys and Piccadilly) // Website

Pivni

Housed in a beautiful Tudor-style building, Pivni takes over three floors of wooden beams and sloping ceilings. Despite being a small space, they’ve got a good beer selection, and board games if you come with friends! It can sometimes be hard to get a seat—make sure to check all of the floors for seating!
Address: 6 Patrick Pool (by Shambles Market, off Church Street opposite Swinegate) // Website

Valhalla

Located right across the street from Pivni, Valhalla is York’s Viking bar, and proud of it. Where else in York can you drink mead from a horn?! The name is from Viking folklore and means “hall of the slain” in Old Norse. There’s a small selection of interesting craft beers, and they’ve got some pretty tasty sharing platters. Check out the bones in the floor as you walk in, and don’t miss the ceiling either. You can see some Viking runes carved into it, which are the names of some of the employees!

Address: 4 Patrick Pool (by Shambles Market, off Church Street opposite Swinegate) // Website

The Habit

The newer addition to my favorite places to drink in York is the Habit on Goodramgate. Two words: Minster view. Although it looks small from the outside, they have lots of seating upstairs, and an outdoor terrace with views across to York Minster! I only visited here recently but was really impressed—especially with their selection of ciders on tap. It stays open until 2am on weekend nights too!
Address: 40 Goodramgate // Facebook Page

Fossgate Social

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to include Fossgate Social on this list, because during the day it definitely is more a coffee shop and cafe than bar (and it’s one of my favorite coffee shops in the city!). But one of the things that I like most about Fossgate Social is how seamless it transitions from cafe to pub. There’s a great atmosphere in the evenings, and they have an eclectic mix of beers on tap. While they opened the Micklegate Social across town the other year (with an even bigger selection of beers there!), I must admit I still prefer the one on Fossgate!

Address: 25 Fossgate // Website

Cave du Cochon

If you’re looking for good wine, look no further than Cave du Cochon. This is by far the best wine bar in York! While it doesn’t come cheap, it’s high quality and some of the widest variety I’ve found in the UK. Cave du Cochon is the only place where I’ve found Georgian wine, definitely one of my favorite parts of my trip to Georgia! The manager is a great guy with some insane stories—if you have any questions at all, the man knows literally everything about wine. I love this place for a nice treat when I want to splurge!

Address: 19 Walmgate // Website

The Local: Rose & Crown

Of course, I couldn’t make a list of my favorite bars in York without a shout out to my local pub, the Rose & Crown. Chill for drinks, fantastic for food, and the best and friendliest staff you’ll ever meet—Rose & Crown is the best pub I know. They’ve got a big selection for whiskies and gins, with rotating ales as well. It’s simply the best!

Address: 13 Lawrence St // Website

York is just two hours away from London by train, making it an easy daytrip or long weekend away. I always use Trainline to find the best deals for train tickets. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Planning on staying overnight in York? You should if you’ll be trying as many of these spots as possible! I’d recommend the following places:

• Budget: Safestay York or the Fort Boutique Hostel
• Mid-range: Hotel Indigo or Galtres Lodge
• Luxury: The Grand

You can book hostels in York here, and check out hotels in York here!

There are so many fantastic bars and pubs to enjoy in York—I hope this helps in planning your trip to York!

Have you ever been to York? Where were your favorite bars, pubs, and places to drink?!

You might like my other posts on York:

The Best Restaurants in York, England

The Best Cafes and Coffee Shops in York, England

18 Hidden Gems to See in York

The Best Snickelways in York

20 Things to Do in York That Are Absolutely Free!

The Complete Guide to the Best Instagram Spots in York

The Best Walks in and Around York, England

5 Things You Must Do in York

All of my York posts!

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Interested in a FREE 10-page York Mini Guide? Included in this York Mini Guide are: The top experiences and things to do in the city Where to eat & drink (cafes, restaurants, pubs) The best daytrips outside the city An itinerary for how to spend 3 days in York Click here to get your free copy!