The Old Bank, York

Having hoped to re-visit the House of Trembling Madness and having found it closed for a private party, which judging by the noise from the windows sounded quite fun, I settled for another new pub for me, the Old Bank. This is a large barn-like place spread over 2 large floors. There are a few secluded corners, but TVs are spread all around. I arrived at the bar to find some young guy doing press-ups in front of a cajoling group. Having stepped over him, I was faced with a pretty poor cask ale choice. Landlord is the regular beer. The guest was Doom Bar. Punk IPA & Elvis Juice were available on keg. So, I opted for the latter. Venturing downstairs to the toilets, I discovered that the basement was just as busy as the ground floor. This pub appears to be part of a chain and it certainly has an identikit feel with little character. However, it's late night opening and large drinking space undoubtedly appeals to some. Personally, I doubt I will ever be back.

Despite no longer being a Varsity or the equally student haunted Graduate this is still squarely aimed at the student trade with loads of offers if you have the required ID. To a non student type like me it just felt rather unpubby. Very little evidence left to suggest it used to be a bank apart from the name. Lackadaisical service and my pint of Ainsty Bantam Best stank and didn't clear. It was replaced with Ainsty Flummoxed Farmer which was OK. It took them ages to turn the pump clip round as it had to be authorised by the manager. So the manager has to authorise them not to sell crap beer??? This place just didn't do it for me and I can't see us calling in again.

Renamed from Varsity among other things, a large roughly square room on two levels with a counter to the rear right it’s got loads of screens, I didn't venture downstairs. Tables and chair furnishings as food is a major part of the offer. Laminate floors with tiles round the counter. Four pulls with one cider and two bitters, Landlord and an Ainsty, plus a Christmas brew from Acorn, middling to good quality. Two horseshoes of usual stuff plus some solos of more standard kegs. Staff coped well as it was a bit busy and the customers were mostly young men in group or families, it was Black Eye Friday when I visited. Might go back on a crawl.

Facebook page of The Old Bank - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Old Bank - www.facebook.com

The Old Bank page on Great UK Pubs website - www.greatukpubs.co.uk

The Old Bank page on Great UK Pubs website - www.greatukpubs.co.uk

Name change to reflect a former use, although it does not have a splendid banking hall as many such do. Instead there is modernised if slightly cluttered interior in pastel shades of blue and grey, with a reasonable bar counter off to one side and a glass-roofed section at the back. Street level is more of an eating house but downstairs is more pubby, with its own bar open at busy times, and features sports TVs and pool tables, as well as a large partly-covered patio to the rear. Ales on (upstairs only) were TT Landlord, Rudgate Battleaxe and Ainsty Bantam Best, along with a fruit cider and a few Brewdogs for crafty types. Pleasant enough and the beer was ok but not a great draw.

Large 2 floor 2 bar pub serving 3 real ales,5"craft keg" and food.

The Graduate is a large pub that opens early for drinks, so very handy for me when starting a York pub crawl just after 9.30 in the morning. Once inside there is a large square shaped room which is divided into two halfs,the right side is where the bar is,this area has long bench seats to the front left and tall tables and chairs to the front right,there are a few settees in the bar area,the left side is narrow and has normal tables and chairs,this area is carpeted,there is a room downstairs which is a decent size and has a bar but no pumps on it,the seating here is tall tables and chairs,there is also a pool table and access to an outside seating area. There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Yorkshire Pale which went down very well,the other beers were Black Sheep bitter and Doom Bar. Decent background music was playing and the pub had a nice laid back feel to it this early in the morning. Pub visited 23/5/2015