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Disappointment of the week with Gann
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House of the Trembling Madness, York
York
YO1 8AS
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Graham Coombs left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
As described in more depth previously, this is an upstairs bar over a bottle & tin shop with considerable character and some very fine beers but which often suffers from being over-popular. It describes itself as a "medieval ale house", where each of the three words is true but doesn't necessarily make the whole phrase! Very happy to call in though and check the beers out, especially if lucky enough to bag a seat. Cask ales on this visit were Verdant Burnthouse Porter, Two by two Autumn Pale and Elusive Stand up and be counted, with a fair range of craft keg also.
On 15th November 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Oggwyn Great left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
I didnt really take to this place , its well described in previous reviews and normally the sort of place i like , friendly staff , decent beer my Northern Monk Dont Mess with Yorkshire was a good pint , a decent mix of customers , lots of quirky stuff scattered around .
Maybe i was just in the wrong mood .
On 27th September 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 797 recommendations about 683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
Well described below and, as ever, Mr PSM nails the details.
I found the hidden bar inside the bottle shop fun and it was liberally decorated for Christmas on my visit. My daughter was very fond of the place feeling as though she was in a Harry Potter film.
The staff were busy but efficient and chatty nonetheless and all the food is prepared behind the tiny bar. It's done well though and I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch here from the slightly quirky menu.
Cask beers were: Howling Hops XX, Vocation Life and Death and Abbeydale Methuselah. They're not frightened of strong ales here and I enjoyed those I tried. There are also six kegs offers which included beers from Deya, Siren Craft and Northern Monk on my visit. The barman told me that as they have so few pumps they aim to put the best available beers on. I can't argue with that!
The only thing to be aware of was that it became very busy and we often saw queues for the bar in the bottle shop and spilling on to the street. Such is York's popularity during the Festive Season so it's worth picking your time to visit.
A unique and engaging spot with great beer.
On 9th January 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alex Conway left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
A very nice bar situated upstairs above the bittle shop with a small bar on the right as you enter a cramped room full of taxidermy that makes for a nice unique feel. there is a very nice relaxed atmosphere in here with candles and low music that attracts a nice clientele happy to sat and quietly enjoy a beer or some food.
On the beer front there were three real ales that were all in great shape. I opted for the bad seed cascadain dark ale which was a magnificent pint but outrageously expensive at £4.30, i was horrified.
There were also a good number of imported European beers on draught including a nice Trappist beer at £2.70 a half.
Overall a very nice relaxed bar to sit and enjoy fantasist beer although the price will be mostly be keeping me away as it was outrageous to charge that for a local Yorkshire cask ale.
On 12th March 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 457 recommendations about 457 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
The House of Trembling Madness is a bar that is situated above a bottled beer shop.
Once inside you enter the bottle shop,you have to go up a flight of stairs to get to the bar,there is a small area to the right which was full on my Saturday dinner visit,the main room is fairly small and has a mix of seating types,some had what looked like sheep skins on them.
There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Thornbridge Ashover which went down very well,i could not make out the names on the other two beers.
Decent background music was playing and food was being served.
I felt quite comfortable in this bar.
Pub visited 23/5/2015
On 23rd May 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
You enter the shop where you can find 700 bottled beers to choose from. Then up a narrow steel staircase to the bar and medieval lounge. There were two beers on tap, both with a high ABV, so went for the Black Iris at 5.9. Being an animal lover, I wasn't comfortable with the trophy wall of various animal heads on display. This is an expensive bar with pretentious twits running the place and not a pub in any shape or form.
On 12th August 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
Certainly something different and treat yourself to something out of the ordinary. A bottle shop downstairs with a bar upstairs.
On 18th May 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
I like to pop into this bar as the guest beerare not the usual run of the mill. Wonderful, they had Great Yorkshire Chocolate Orange on, but 50p more than I had been paying for it elsewhere. It was in good condition though. The other beer available was Revolution Arctic Blonde. The room itself is decorated with many heads, feet and other bits of animals adorning the walls like an old baronial hall.
On 5th March 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
From the street, this place just looks like a bottle shop, with two ground floor rooms packed full of interesting bottled ales and foreign beers. But the staircase midway into the shop leads up to a pleasant bar in what appears to be a very old building. The room has white walls with plenty of dark wood beams, many of which are reputed to be old ships beams dating back hundreds of years, although I have no way of verifying this. There is a good mix of seating, including pews, banquettes, benches, standard chairs and a couple of low seats made from old barrels. A semi partitioned snug type area can be found near the top of the stairs, inside which there is a TV screen (turned off during my stay) and an animal skin stretched across one wall. This is a precursor to the amazing array of animal heads that dominate one wall, all of which seem to been given a fierce appearance by the taxidermist, which is fine for the lion’s head over the servery, but a bit unnecessary for the rabbit. The dead animal theme stands alongside a music theme, with various musical instruments tucked away in just about every nook and cranny going. It’s a slightly odd mix, but I thought it showed a bit of British eccentricity and gave the place plenty of character. Some plinky Spanish-style music was playing over the speakers, which got a bit annoying after a while, but aside from that, the pub has a good, relaxed vibe to it and even on a mid-week afternoon, there were quite a few customers in.
There were only two hand pumps in operation, dispensing Red Willow Wreckless (£3.20) and Hop Studio XS. A strong keg range included Brooklyn Lager, Jever, Westmalle and Kwak, whilst a blackboard explained that three of Brewdog’s super strength bottles are available here (Tokyo, Sink the Bismarck and Tactical Nuclear Penguin). Red Willow beers are always a welcome sight and I enjoyed a lovely pint of the Wreckless, served to me by a very chatty barmaid. Food is available as well and the menu includes a few interesting dishes – not your typical pub fayre. Most main meals came in around the £9.00 mark.
I always enjoy taking a look around the bottle shop downstairs, but this was my first time in the bar and I think the two compliment each other nicely. It might not be top of everyone’s list of pubs to visit in York, but I would certainly consider a re-visit if I was doing a crawl around the city centre.
On 18th February 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Anonymous User left this review about House of the Trembling Madness
Where do I start with this little diamond? The first thing I noticed when I entered the place was the ceiling. It was full of supporting wooden beams and arches. Then I noticed the many stuffed animal artefacts dotted around the room. It was a really cosy and intimate. Apparently it has only recently just opened, but by the amount of customers I’m sure it will be a huge success.
The food what they was cooking looked really tasty and offered European cuisine. The Bratwurst sausages and burgers smelt terrific.
Again the bar served European beers along with a fridge full of Belgian and German delights. I opted for the Schneider Weisse wheat beer which was divine but quite costly.
My only minor gripe regarding the place was it’s limited handpumps. It only had two both being from the Buxton Brewery. I did sample one of them and they were very well kept.
Aladdin’s cave it certainly was as a trip to the gents revealed a mass collection of various spirits including some very rare single malt whiskies.
An absolute must when in York!
On 9th October 2012
- rating: 10
[User has posted 0 recommendations about 0 pubs]