Black Swan Hotel, York

Posh hotel but with a nice bar for non residents, with two beers from Black Sheep on. Comfortable setting. Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2Jb9inN

This review is from late May bank holiday 2016 when the wife & I stayed in the village for a few nights. The Black Swan is a large hotel in a prominent position in the market square that has the small but perfectly decent Cygnet Bar on the ground floor. A lovely interior that's a mix of hotel bar chic and comfy lounge with the added plus of waiter / waitress service if you need it or cannot be bothered to walk the few steps to the bar yourself! Peroni, Bitburger, Aspalls Cider and a craft lager from Adnams on keg plus 2 ales on cask, which were both from Black Sheep Brewery, Best Bitter and Pathmaker @ 4.0% which was a decent pint. Busy during our short stay with a mix of ladies who lunch and couples, most didn't seem to be locals. Afternoon tea was popular. We stayed for one drink before heading off.

A historic, rambling country hotel set in a commanding position on the square in this prosperous town on the southern edge of the North York Moors. Comprised of at least three old properties, this hotel has all the steps, posts, panelling and quirkiness required. I cannot speak for the tearoom or dining facilities, but the bar where we had lunch was a light and airy room, with occasional furniture, a fire and a rather incongruous flat screen television wordlessly broadcasting one of those aspirational property programmes. Much more amusing was the equally aspirational couple sitting behind us. We were relieved to see three handpumps on the stylish bartop: the ubiquitous Black Sheep, together with a couple of beers from the North Yorkshire Brewery: a house beer badged as Black Swan Golden Ale, and Archbishop Lee’s Ruby Ale.Both tasty, but the Golden was a tad hazy, though as North Yorks is an Organic brewery, it could well have been unfiltered. Our meals were generous: as a family we detest small London helpings, and served with charm. Out side the door to the tearoom someone had put food and water under an A frame signboard for the local cat:while we regrouped, a hen blackbird availed herself of some choice morsels. If funds allowed, we would quite like to spend a night here.

Official pages of the Black Swan Hotel at Helmsley - www.blackswan-helmsley.co.uk

Official pages of the Black Swan Hotel at Helmsley - www.blackswan-helmsley.co.uk