House Of The Trembling Madness // Stonegate (The Original)

Been meaning to visit here but the first time I couldn't find it and the other three times it was at capacity so glad I finally managed to visit. Such a a brill place with quirky décor. The food is amazing The bottle shop on the ground floor is amazing and do pop to the unique toilets !

Fabulous place and hidden in a shop but when you get upstairs it really is unique. A large variety of beers and ales to choose from - listed by country, which was impressive. Decor is fantastic. Great atmosphere and lovely staff. Definitely worth a visit when in York. Great shop too, so much choice in miniatures! Awesome idea!!

Cozy ale house on top of a beer shop with a fantastic selection of quality beers and spirits. The food menu is good, honest food without faff but it delivers a range of flavours from meat platters to beer & cheese soup, and even a 1lb pie! Always a good variety of different beers on tap/cask and a well stocked fridge. All drinks from downstairs can be taken upstairs and drank with your food too.

To enter the pub you need to enter the store and then go upstairs. The staff is super nice and welcoming. They saw us discussing whether we should climb the stairs with the suitcase, and they offered to take it into their storage room. The bar has very interesting interior and cool view (see the pictures). The soup was really nice, as well as the bread and the butter we got alongside. I liked the music. The only minus is that the surface of the table wasn’t smooth, so I was holding my beer most of the time.

A must visit if you’re in York and you can make it up the stairs. Some absolute crackers on sale on cask and keg plus a huge selection of cans and bottles on the other floors. This is such a popular place it can get busy but do persevere, you won’t be disappointed.

Lovely little pub. Lovely atmosphere. We didn't get a chance to try the food but it looked nice. Good range of beer and it looked like whatever you could buy in the store downstairs, you could then take upstairs and drink. Stairs are quite tight as expected in beautiful old buildings and toilets are downstairs. Service good. Will be visiting again!

This is a real hidden gem. It's upstairs and you enter via stairs in the middle of the ground floor shop. The shop itself has a wide selection of beers from around the world as well as beer glasses. We bought some Delirium and Chouffe glasses that were reasonably priced. The upstairs bar is quirky and has a medieval hall feel about it though some people might not like the stuffed animal heads on one of the walls. There's a good selection of interesting beers on tap as well as bottled beers. We've walked by without knowing it was here but will definitely visit again when we next go to York

Wow. What a place. Absolutely buzzing with atmosphere on a Thursday night. We didn’t order food (apart from a couple of packet of tasty Yorkshire Crisps) but the food & portions looked awesome. Great selection for all tastes (Carnie, Veggie & Vegan). We got the only two seats at the very narrow bar and had a right laugh with the no-nonsense bar crew. It was so easy to order drinks using a number on the display next to the bar. The beautiful wooden rafters and full taxidermy wall make the upstairs bar one of the maddest place to get a pint. I think there is a potato is a big cat’s mouth. Standard. Sheepskin covered church pew and candles in bottles with years of dripping wax adds to the madness. As well as the incredible selection of cask & keg, they had Whitby Rum on the shelf. No generic spirits here! Oh and the soundtrack… The bar crew were playing what they like. Not what the brewery tells them to. Refreshing! Can’t wait to return.

As of July 2025, at a different location than indicated in Yelp. Now near the Museum Gardens at 14 Lendal. Three level pub will great selection of beer. I found an 8% abv IPA from Deya that was the best beer I've had in the UK this visit. Funky decor: lots of antlers, crucifixes, cherubs, and paintings of nude women. I'd definitely go again for a pint. Didn't try the food.

Fantastic ambiance and decor. This multi level bar is not a bar per se but beer and gin joint. It's in need of a bit of a cleaning but at night your probably don't notice, lol. All in all kinda a fun hang out.

I was interested in this place based on the name and after seeing their extensive beer selection. My wife and I came in for a drink and a small bite to eat. I ordered the steak pie with mash as this was a small plate but it was quite large given the price tag. We stayed on the 2nd floor with the small bar and food menu. The decor was very interesting with the artwork. Our server was new and seemed a bit nervous but no issues there. Definitely a place to remember and I would come back with some friends for drinks if I ever return.

An interesting layout in a very old building, the downstairs is a store with spirits, beers, and other items for purchase and the pub is upstairs. High ceilings with large, ancient oak beams peak where a huge iron candelabra-like light fixture hangs imposingly above the tables. On the largest wall at the end of the room hang about 15 mounted animal heads of unknown age, including a massive pig, a wild boar, deer, antelope, and other species that watch you as you drink and eat. The boys at the bar were quite full of themselves and neither very friendly nor helpful. I was told that I had to order drinks and food at the bar and had to pay each time, so I ended up with three credit card payments when one would have sufficed, but that was probably too complex for them to figure out. We started with a pint of cask ale and a shandy, then I had to go back to the bar once we figured out what we wanted to eat, a Cheese Platter (€17.50) and a Steak and Stout Pie (£11.50) with mashed potatoes and mushy peas. The cheese platter looked quite impressive at first glance, but once I removed the four thick slices of bread, the bowl of coleslaw, three apple quarters, a bunch of grapes, pepperoncini, olives, girkins, sage, apple cider jelly, and butter from the board, the remaining small chunks of cheese were far less than imposing. Not much of a cheese board, but it was okay, nothing to write home about. The steak and stout pie was fairly big, but the pastry was thick and there was not very much steak or stout in the center. However, the accompanying mashed potatoes and the bowl of mushy peas were bountiful. The pie tasted good, the potatoes and gravy hot, and the mushy peas very tasty. I had to go back to the bar for another pint and credit card charge before we finished and left somewhat satiated. In all it was ¨OK¨, nothing special, and I doubt we will return our next time in York. Customer service seems to be lacking when it comes to Generation Z. Maybe it is a lack of proper upbringing or inadequate training, I am not sure which, but this was a recurring theme during our week in England. and something I had neither experienced poor service when I lived in the country nor during our many visits in years past. Very disappointing. ComabtCritic Gives The House Of Trembling Madness 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

My friend's sister recommended this place. The pub restarant is upstairs. Downstairs are lots of choices for beer and liquor products. Upstairs is a cozy small pub and we decided to grab a bite. What a glorious find!!!! We ordered the sausage and the sausage special (pork and apple) both with a huge amounts of mashed potatoes and mushy peas. I'm not a fan of mushy peas but these were yummy. The sausages were delicious and the gravy was excellent. I ordered the aubergine and tomato soup with artisinal bread. It was very good but a bit too peppery for me. My boyfriend enjoyed it and everyone shared their plates with me. Great portions, wonderful food, friendly service. What more could you want? And with a name like House of Trembling Madness you certainly want to enter!!!! A very delicious find in York!

I was in York alone, walking in the rain and feeling sorry for myself when I found this place and knew I needed to go in for the name alone. Such a great little place and lively. Order at the bar and find a place to sit. There are multiple levels and I settled for a cozy spot in the basement. Actual lit candles on the tables and just the place for my mood! Great beer selections. I had the small portion meat pie with mushy peas and potatoes and it was way too much food and yummy. Great place and I went back later with friends and enjoyed it all again!

Wow, this place is incredible! As good as it gets when seeking out an authentic English style pub. The quality of the food and service was second to none, not to mention the ambiance. Set in a many centuries old building in the historic section of York England (Stonegate), the building began life as part of a Norman House dating back to 1180 AD. The lower portion contains a shop/liquor store, with the pub situated on the second floor. Upon walking upstairs, we were hit with the hearty aroma of home made gravy being cooked behind the bar in a massive stock pot by the bartender and chef! I ordered the Steak & Ale pie, and my wife ordered the Venison & Stout Pie. Both were massive, and served with mashed potatoes 'n gravy, and mushy peas. If I recall, each meat pie cost roughly $17 CAD, and chock full of the most tender succulent pieces of meat. Real shame you can't find this quality food in any of these supposed "English Style" pubs here in Canada. Most are aware, pub life plays an integral role regarding culture all over the UK. That being said, they tend to put a lot of emphasis on the quality of the food being served, using fresh ingredients and serving home made pub food. Sadly this is something North American pubs fail at. If a pub in the UK serves poor quality food, word spreads quick, and people don't go. When in York, you need to check this place out! Pretty sure they have another location in York as well.

This is the review for the original location. This place is awesome and one of the bettter places to drink beer in York. You walk through the beer storefront to go upstairs to get to the pub area. One up there, you will see the Hunter's motif. I looked at the menu and could believe the prices. All of the boards showed that they came with all of this stuff, for £10? Surely the portions are tiny. No. No, they are not. But do you know what was tiny? The kitchen they prepared everything. It's all behind that little bar area. I don't know how they crank out great food from that area but they do. We had the hunters and madness platters, two soups, and a steak pie tapas for four of us. It was a ton of food. The 'tapas' pie was certainly large enough for a meal which makes me scared to see what the normal sized pie looks like (envisioning Jeoffry's wedding pie in Game of Thrones....). This place has a great vibe, great food, great value. 5 stars all of the way.

Absolutely amazing Loved the food and the people are lovely will go back next time Do reccomend for a great time

Just not for us old codgers. Full of young uns on each multiple level drinking and swearing and being extremely loud. The opposite of a speakeasy or anything remotely sophisticated.

One word: Wow. Well I guess I have to say a little more here at Yelp.:D Great old historic building, authentic atmosphere, excellent customer service. I had a yummy G&T that was well served. My food choice was the venison and stout pie with mashed potatoes and gravy. Outstanding! The portion was so large but I couldn't stop eating. Gave my mushy peas to my husband - not a fan. My husband also enjoyed his beef and ale pie. Highly recommended if you visit beautiful York.

Lovely breakfast, award winning bacon, so bacon and egg sandwich in gorgeous bread and cafe latte. Perfect. Great, friendly service. Room full of character. Will be popping back later for drinks

Absolutely amazing interior space, good drinks too. Do not miss this place when you are in York.

Be sure to visit their bottle store next door. The bar didn't have anything that was super interesting but I was able to get several beers at the store. Thanks

Atmosphere can not be beat. Medieval Ale House much? Epic. Crazay. Stick a fork in me- I am done.

Great name, historic building, and atmosphere to spare. Loved the old half timbered walls, animal heads looking down on you, and windows with a view of the Minster. Great music mix. A very hard table to get on weekends. Large beer and cider list. And the food...man oh man so good. Steak and ale pie was out-effing-standing. Two solid choices for soups, each one with a little special twist to it. We had the tomato, red pepper, and bean, which was almost like a vegetable chili, and the parsnip and butternut squash, which was a little curry influenced. Top it off with a cheese plate, with a wide variety of local cheeses. Just a great pub experience in York.

Today after checking out the original location with the wall of heads last night, I sought out the second location in a restored Georgian three story house on Lendel, just 10 minutes walk from the other pub. As of now, there is no Yelp entry for this location (which is why I am adding a review and pics for this pub as well). Cool antiques and very odd portraits abound. I started in the basement which houses the bottle shop. There among a vast assortment of trad and craft bottles and cans, I found my favorite style, Flemish Red Ale. I purchased three bottles for less than 7 pounds--Duchess de Bourgogne, Delerium Tremens Red, and Rodenbach Red. I went to the second floor and discovered a choice of 11 draughts and 2 cask ales. Enjoyed 1/2 liter pours of an Elderflower Saison by Little Earth Project and a Timmerman's Strawberry Lambic. Both sour fruit beers and very quaffable! Next I dropped down o the first floor where they have 11 more draughts! I ordered Timmerman's Peach Lambic, Northwest Monk Vague Raspberry Melon Kolsch, and the very cloudy--looks-like-a-smoothy, North Brew Triple Fruited Gose. For just 1 pound to help wash it down, I purchased a slice of black pudding and Chorizo bread topped with a Serrano pepper. They also have some very interesting deli salads and other breads with assorted fish, cheese, and meat toppings. Plus there are larger dishes (all for 10 pounds or less) for the heartier appetite. The most unique beers served in very unusual locales that I've had yet to encounter. This place is pure poetry. Coleridge would have been proud! You can almost feel his ghost in the corner drinking a pint in an opium-induced stupor.

The House of the Trembling Madness. Isn't that the best name you've ever heard for a pub? Or more correctly, a medieval drinking hall. Not just a pub, but also a cafe, a shop selling over 600 ales, and a real site of history. The rear end of the building started life in 1180 AD as the first Norman House to be built in York and still that wall holds up the old ship beams your head, those beams sailed the seas over 800 years ago. It's impressive for that build up alone before you even get there! The cafe area of the Trembling Madness is through the shop and upstairs into the garret of the building, which has been kept exactly how you would expect and hope it to be, with a wall of mounted trophy heads, the chunky beams mentioned earlier, traditional furniture covered in throws and cushions, and dripping wax candles. The only anachronistic is a pleasant one... classic rock music playing as accompaniment! The food on offer is simple, in the form of burgers, platters, pies, stew and bar food, but it's done well, focusing on the food being of good quality rather than a huge variety of options. There is something on the menu called "Viking Willy Salsichon" too. I opted to go for something from the breakfast/lighter menu in the form of Yorkshire Rarebit, whilst my partner decided on a platter, and after much debating between which one to go for, chose the Madness Platter. As the space is cosy, it means that you often end up chatting to the other patrons, but this is Yorkshire, so it's all good and pleasant, especially when they share their personal favourite items from the menu or the ale shop etc. Our food arrives and to put it bluntly is bloody delicious. The Yorkshire Rarebit is perfectly seasoned and flavoured and comes with a "small" fresh salad. The Madness Platter is massively tasty, with some real little treats; the bread in particular was very good! The service in the place is friendly and very casual, the staff often heard laughing, joking and playing around, but in a good way. I visited twice on the trip to York I made this time, and both times the place was very busy, proving its popularity with locals and tourists alike. The only sad thing I've heard is that it may be closing or relocating in a year or so as Betty's Cafe next door wants to expand their business into what is now Trembling Madness. I hope they don't do it to be honest, but if and when Trembling Madness move, I imagine they'll do their bit to keep the charm of wherever they move, whilst still providing good food and drink. I hope to return.

Great food, good service, acceptable food. Very college dive bar type feel, but went for lunch so it was a bit more mellow. Lots of outdoor seating.

Madness I tells ya! Maaaaaddddnesssss!!!! This was my GFs favorite place in all of York. I liked it too, but maybe not quite as much as she did. First, it's TINY. Way smaller than expected. The pictures make it look like a giant beer hall. The entire place could fit in my living room in the States. It was crowded, but not too loud. The high ceiling, and wacky taxidermy really cut down on the noise. We met some lovely people at the table next to ours, and got to chat with them for while. Everyone here is friendly and delightful. Like most British pubs, order and pay at the bar, get your drinks, and they'll bring your food to your table. GF and I both got Meat and Cheese boards. Brilliant. The food was excellent, especially the meat pies. I could just live on that pie forever. Good quality bread, pickles, eggs, cheese, everything was delicious. We also discovered Cornish cider here, and had more than a few of those! All told, we give the House of Trembling Madness a Cthulhu-worthy 5 Stars!

On a birthday jaunt around York my boyfriend and I wandered past this shop. We stopped. Double take. I'm sorry, what? "The House of Trembling Madness?!" I think that is literally the best name for a shop ever. We had to go in and see. Through the entrance you are greeted by large fridges stocked up to the gills with an assortment of ciders, a sweet counter behind which is an array of tobaccos, and shelves hosting yet more beloved booze. Venture you on in to the back room, and you will unearth a host of delicious gems; an exhibition of worldly bounty, spanning proper English ales, American beers and Belgian delights. The rustic nature of the room lends itself to further enhance the ambiance of the setting, a cove of wooden shelving, barrels and bottles, that feels almost underground. It's like a bunker of merry mirth, a larder of alcohol, and I would happily camp up inside. Thereupon I purchased a modest array of delicious beers to put towards my Christmas hampers. The lady who served me was lovely, giving me a hand with which ciders would be good to purchase, and the prices were fairly standard. Whilst it's never that cheap to buy specialist alchohols such as this you'll be hard struck to find a more fully stocked ale-ery, and it's a fabulous one at that. Go forth and enjoy! I know I'll be back for something rare and delicious soon!

We stopped in The House of Trembling Madness twice while in York, once for a drink and once for lunch. It's a combination of shop, liquor store and pub, and it makes the combination work. The atmosphere is fun; the building dates back to the 12th century, has a view of the Minster and animal heads all over the walls. They have quite a few beers on tap, as well as a few really excellent ciders. Don't come here if you're starving, because without a kitchen food's a bit slow, but well worth the wait. My Belgian Beer & Beef-- Yorkshire beef cooked in Chimay-- was one of the best stews I've ever had, and my husband liked the Hunter's Platter as well. All of the entrees are under 10 pounds, so it's very reasonable. Just one of the many places we loved in York. If you're in the area, definitely check it out.

OMG, WTF - York could possibly have the best off licence that I've been to in the UK and that is 'The House of Trembling Madness!' Situated on one of the busy windy ancient streets of York, this total gem of a place is in a strange place, more reserved for cream teas (Betty's smaller branch is next door) and trinket shopping but upon walking past I was mesmerized by the fantastic window display. Did someone say craft beer...and lots of it? Cavernous, with a small shop up front and a den of delight in the back - the selection of well known but rare in the UK American beers was incredible. On this occasion I picked up a large bottle of Stone's Black IPA for £7.99 - an absolute dream and the nice thing was that they didn't just have one bottle on the shelves, they had tons of the stuff! Loads more Stone, loads more American craft beer, loads more world beer - wow! If you're after some presents for beer aficionados then this is the place as they also have a great selection of beery gift packs in the back. Just as were leaving we noticed that they also have an upstairs cafe/bar which serves all sorts of tempting treats - if only we hadn't already eaten! Oh well, that's another reason to get back to York pretty soon and get the full set!

I'm not a drinker- I just came here for the food and atmosphere. I was very satisfied with the food. I had the Madness Platter which was a sampling of various local specialties. The next night I had the Steak and Ale pie which was very filling and reasonable priced. Wish I could have came back a few more times to try more of the menu items. The staff was busy, but friendly at the same time. The pub was a little tricky to find. Walk inside the shop that sells a huge selection of bottled ales- then look for the stairs to go up. Be aware that this pub is small and almost always crowded or completely full. Here's a few tips: Avoid the peak hours and try to go early or late. Once inside, you seat yourself. Just look around for empty seats. Be prepared to wait around for someone to leave and you usually have to share a table with other people. To order food- find a menu on one of the tables. Ask another table for their menu if they're not using it. Go to the bar to order your food and pay when you order. They'll ask you to point to where your sitting- and take the food to you when it's ready. The food may take 30 minutes or longer. Also some menu items may be unavailable so have a back-up choice. Overall this is a fun place to eat and drink. It's small, crowded and noisy- so be sure to keep that it mind when deciding to come here. The crowd seemed to be a lively mix of locals and tourists.

Whoops I forgot to review this awesome beer shop and pub. It's quite hard to find but totally worth it. It has an excellent bottled ales selection covering every style and country under the sun in the shop below and on top a small but high quality pub including a load of dead animals on the walls and good snacks. Avoid in peak times as it's deservedly busy but has a lack of standing space in particular.

Let me just say that any review I write here will pale in comparison to how truly awesome it is to have a pint here and chat with the proprietors. To start, you can barely tell the place exists from the outside. You have to walk through a small shop and head up the stairs in the back to find it. The floors and ceiling are slanted like any proper York establishment, and the walls are adorned with a cornucopia of the Serengeti. The beers on draught are flat out amazing. When I was there, they were mostly Belgian beers and of those, mostly Trappist ales. They had both Kwak and La Trappe, which quite literally redefined amazing beer for me. As if that weren't enough, the food is also outstanding. I had some garlic sausages on my first visit that read like a billboard for delicious UK cuisine, and on a return trip I had a spicy chicken and sausage gumbo that would've made a New Orleans chef weep tears of pure joy. The staff are also utterly fantastic. Everyone is friendly, talkative and just plain cool. I got into conversations about Trappist ales, about travel (being a digital nomad) and a handful of other topics, all interesting. A visit here is one of absolute pleasure. Were I to live in York, this would be my weekly hangout. I can only hope every city I visit has at least one place half as awesome.

What a fabulous place this is. Talk about a real find? I walked upstairs expecting to find more beer for sale but no! Upstairs is a brilliant fine ale pub. The walls are bare brick with mounted dear, boar and other assorted livestock heads. Look through the tiny window and you can see York Minster in the background. This is a very small pub but has a huge atmosphere. We need something like this in Leeds. The staff are great too. The only down side is the toilets are down 2 flights of stairs. But that just added to the quirkiness of this place. Because in the basements, behind glass screens are a plethora of whiskeys and gins and vodkas and the list goes on and on. Had a great experience here.

By no means am I a beer drinker, but I was blown away by the selection of beers they stocked! Impressive, and I didn't think it seemed over priced. Head on upstairs for a bite-if you're a fan of pies, you'll like this steak and ale pie. I admit, I'm not a huge fan of pie in general but this was probably the best I've had. I opted for the starter size for £3, and a bowl of leek and potato soup for £5. Thought it would be a nice light lunch. Boy, I was wrong. The pie was a good size. The soup felt like it was a jumbo bowl and a half, which came with 4 slices of thick bread. I'm usually a fan of potato and leek, but I thought this was bad. Everything was blended, as it should be. But every bite was so stringy. I figure it might be really old celery .. Anyway, the breakfasts are cheap, you can get full for under a tenner, and they're open till midnight (though the kitchen might close earlier). Also, they sell an assortment of pies to go at the main till!

Tourist review. This place was a HUGE surprise. They have 3 floors. The basement and ground floor are a liquor shop. They have a huge variety of spirits from places around the globe. We didn't check prices as we were there to eat. The top floor is a pub and is decorated like your Harry Potter fantasies. Old school wood floors, exposed beams, animal heads, cozy corners, and lots of wood and leather. It felt like a movie set come to life. We wanted dinner, but were a bit apprehensive on what they might offer. Boy, were we surprised! The menu isn't large, but the food was something out of a 5 star restaurant! Huge portions, delicious flavors, and very responsible pricing. The presentation was top notch! I was not expecting that. This place is a gem. I wish I lived in the area, as I'd love to be a regular. Please visit for a meal or a pint. The place is kid friendly and the wee ones will feel like they've been to Harry Potter's favorite pub.

Enjoyable lunch and a few beers. Beer selection is quite good. Service is slow but food is good. The facility is what makes this worth a try. This is a several hundred year old building with exposed timber beams, and a ton of atmosphere in the upper floor.

We love this place. Good food. Great ale. Outstanding atmosphere in a 16th century pub. You cant go wrong here.

If you're within 50 miles of the place you will feel yourself magnetically pulled towards it's epicenter. Don't be alarmed when a mysterious force leads you upstairs and places a pint of the finest in your hands. For bonus points I'd recommend trying all the cask beers and then attempting the amazingly scenic walk back to the train station.

Another highlight on our trip to York. It's a small Tavern but your patience will be rewarded with one of the best pub experiences in York. Awesome decor, very friendly and attentive staff. Great food options from a full on meal to great smaller snack options. A must stop for any York Trip.

We really wanted to like this place. The decor is like inside a lodge with all the taxidermied animals. Great beer selection and wine prices are affordable. We went to the bar to order everything after we sat for 5 minutes without being acknowledged. Kinda weird considering there's hardly anyone there. Then, we got two waters which she came and took after we finished. She didn't refill them or bring them back, just took them. So now we have no drinks.... They bring the food. We eat. The burgers are not burgers like my husband and I are used to. The meat had a microwaved or baked quality? Strange for a burger to be baked. While I believe the meat is fresh, the madness relish and the meat flavor combine where it tastes more like meatloaf than a hamburger. Came with a side salad with a horseradish based dressing. Not bad at all! Preferred it to the burger. Just not my cup of tea. Oh well!

Wow. What a selection of beer, what an unassuming entrance (it's a small off-licence, right? Wrong), what an incredible amount of history infused through every part of this place. I love the fantastic selection of beer, with plenty of Belgian stuff but also from Germany, the UK and other countries. I love the history of the place - that it was built at a time when it was not allowed to advertise itself as an alcohol-drinking establishment, hence the lack of any obvious signs of its true identity on the street front. Also the fact that the wooden beams on the top floor came from ships 800 years ago is... well.... pretty unique to say the least! The top bit can get a little crowded but it's still worth hanging out there for the unusual atmosphere, the stuffed animal heads on the walls, the beers on draft and the free wifi.

First time here and it's the sort of place you don't mind that the service is slow because it is worth the wait. I'm in the cosy upstairs bar just now where there is a nice selection of bottled and draft ales including Octoberfest beers because it's that time of year. I could have lunch here but I think the plan is to move on. Earlier I explored the shop downstairs where they have 600 beers in stock and 1200 featured on their website. A beer geek's paradise. The wifi password is "feelingtipsy" and I am after just 2 half pints. They like to serve strong beer here.

A really lovely place to have some drinks with friends with a large assortment of beers and beverages to choose from. I especially like the quirky decor, specifically the wall of vintage taxidermy. Who mounts the head of a domestic pig? The food is standard pub fare with a few happy surprises. The old upstairs bar is fun and lively, just prepare ot get cozy with some strangers because it is small and can get fairly crowded, fairly quickly. Overall a lovely place if you can avoid the mad crowds. If you are looking to pick up some unusual ales to go this place is ideal.

Now this is the pub I was expecting to visit while in the UK. Nestled above a liquor store you would never know it was there unless you took a trip upstairs. What a surprise. I totally felt like I took a step back in time and I liked it! The dim lighting and the small bar/seating area made it totally intimate. Ale/Ciders were quite tasty and reasonably priced. Service was great - the staff were so nice. Do yourself a favor and go spend a few hours here - you won't be sorry.

Hello Yelp! It's been awhile... So this is one the first fine pubs I visited once moving to York and I recommend it to anyone visitor or resident in town. Set over three floors this place is as quirky as it's name suggests. In the basement admire the cabinet of weird and wonderful spirits, from whisky to tequila vodka and everything in between. The ground floor and entrance to the shop take time to admire the weird and wonderful collection of alcoholic beverages and snacks. To the back enjoy their quite extensive selection of ciders and beers from both international and of course local breweries (heads up to Yorkshire brewery!). You will find here you hoppiest of the bunch to the more dark and delicious brews so enjoy and try something different! (i believe people refer to the liquor store as the Bottle in case you ask a local!) Upstairs is an original Medieval pub full of ambience and character. It is very very popular and of course quite small so you may be disappointed on the busier nights. The food here is delicious if your nose hasn't already told you so! Great little place for a pint and grub!

Stop what you're doing. Go to York. Join the queue. Go upstairs. Drink here. Don't be a loud annoying git. Just have a quiet pint, then another. Then another. I pride myself in finding good pubs in the UK. This is one of the best.

Amazing place! Incredible selection of beer, and fantastic upstairs pub with medieval atmosphere. We had the Fisherman's Platter, and it was delicious although portions were huge. The rarebit was cheesy and amazing. Very fun and quirky decor!

Wonderful little spot and well worth the wait downstairs in the (fantastic!) beer shop until there's space in the bar. The building is ancient so there's lots of old wooden beams and tudor style decor upstairs, along with stuffed animal heads and some musical instruments! The staff are great and they've a fine selection of local, national and imported beers and ales. Also, the food platters promise interesting bites and tasty treats! A serious thumbs up! c*

I looooove this shop/pub.. I make sure I come here EVERY TIME I visit York to stock up on my mead and other assortments... This place is great for gifts or self indulgence... Downstairs they have really expensive specialised stuff locked in cabinets which includes rare whisky for a £100+!! Upstairs its like being a kid in a sweet shop...hundred of craft beers and others to chose from...I always buy my mead and wine here...as they offer things like Cowslip wine, and ginger...the prices are reasonable too! I literally brought a shopping bag with me and filled it with mead, blackberry wine and elder flower wine...which came to £30..the staff are always helpful and wrap each bottle like a newborn child.. Upstairs contains a compact pub, which is always rammed..I have yet to try here ..because last time it was just too busy to sit down comfortably.. Overall a very homely shop, which is extremely busy all the time,,,but hey worth it for those difficult to get hold of tipples...they are not good for buying generic wine, port or cider from ..but everything else...come here!!

The beer selection is great and they have every beer you could imagine in the shop downstairs. I wouldn't get any of the food though - we were sat at the bar and we could see them just heating cheap supermarket bought food in a microwave. They then tried to dress it up to make it look like it wasn't - talk about Mutton dressed as Lamb. They need to invest in more staff too as it seems they cannot cope when it is busy. Many people were complaining about waiting over an hour for food. Perhaps they should have just nipped to the supermarket seen as it was the same food. Also, the guy behind the bar was rather rude and needs to invest in a belt. I don't need to see your arse crack when I am supping a pint. If it wasn't for the beer selection, I wouldn't visit again.

This is a review of the shop only. Wow. Yikes. Oh my. Now here is booze shopping nirvana. Two rooms with an unbelievable range of beer. A fantastic selection of spirits in the toilet downstairs (yes, really). Who knew there were easily 20 different absinthes? (behind the till). I've not seen quite such a wide range anywhere before. I only came away with 3 bags' worth - could easily have been much, much more.

This place has a very cool setting: situated in the attic of some building right in the center of town, the walls are covered in animal heads and we felt like we were in some old cottage. Would be a great place to go in the winter. It's a very small space so luckily we got a table right in the corner. They serve a great variety of beer and have a small and meaty food selection. I didn't like the pie so much though, thought it was too dry. The meat platters looked great, next time if I'm ever back here will definitely try that instead!

We dropped by here every day during our visit to York. This is a small charming bar of yore above one of the finest off licences I have ever had the fortune to frequent. Upstairs first - the walls of the bar are adorned with animals heads like some kind of hunting lodge. It's a little bit cramped for space. At the bar there were 3 hand pumps and a handful of keg options. Myself I went for a Wild Beer Bibble, another tasty beer from a brewery I highly recommend. If you cannot find anything you like upstairs (and if the case how is your two handed search for your own buttocks going? ) then you can purchase from the off licence down below and bring it back up. You'll never run out of new things to buy downstairs - the beer selection was both vast and awesome. Drinkers of lesser booze are well catered for too. This was shortly before Christmas so there were even vodka and whiskey advent calendars, which make awesome gifts! I guess a beer one would be too massive, mores the pity!

This place is INCREDIBLE. The bottle shop is not only extremely well-stocked but has the best selection of gluten-free beers I've seen anywhere. It was so good my suitcase was pretty much just full of beer when we left York! The ale house is an unforgettable experience...that is if you can get a table as this place is always packed. The food is simple and hearty with the combination of the beer, decor and food transporting you back centuries. A must for anyone visiting York

I am German, so I thought I know a lot about beer. But the truth is, I knew nothing. A very nice collection of beer helped me to celebrate a night of trembling... No, not really, but a very interesting, cosy place with good food as well