Cottage Inn, York

Outwardly a 19th century building but much modernised inside and not entirely in a good way. It’s basically one big room with a restaurant beyond, there’s a mishmash of flooring and furnishings, fortunately only the odd wall is grey, others are cream and one has a large 19th Century OS map; always interesting and it’s a popular thing around York. Daft things painted on beams is less interesting. Not as up market as it is attempting, constant music, screens and machines, Friday afternoon building industry customers drag it down a tadge. The counter is straight ahead when you enter, three pulls, one blank, Ossett blonde and a Mancunian traveller in the form of Lees Bitter which wasn’t in bad condition although a bit chilly. Two quad T-bars and a trio of solos cater to keg tastes. There’s some sort of parking problem as signs everywhere, and I mean everywhere, implore you to enter your car registration number or you’ll get what is legally an invoice not a fine. There’s some residual walls but an old pub has obviously been lost.

The Publican, Food Pub of the Year.

Real Ale available including guests from SIBA and a food offering.