Ye Old Shambles Tavern, York

There were four real ales on at the time of my visit, spread around the small bar in the small front room, with one of them duplicated on a small section of bar through the door in the back room. This was their house beer, Shambles Tavern Stumbler, which despite its name is a 3.8% session beer. Like the other house beer, Shambles Dark, it is brewed by Rudgate. The others available at the time of my visit were Brass Catle Session IPA 3.5% and Roosters Londinium 5.5%. It was quite busy when I was here, so perhaps they didn't have time to offer me any cheese sandwiches and crisps.

I never thought i would see a pub open on the shambles,but one has opened,The Ye Old Shambles Tavern. Once inside there is a small room to the front which has a the bar to the rear right,this room is more of a bottle shop,but there are two handpumps on the bar,there is a separate room to the rear which is carpeted and has normal tables and chairs and one leather settee for seating. I had a drink of Rudgate Ruby mild which went down very well,the other beer was called Shambles bitter. I had my half in the back room and was then given two small cheese sandwiches with crisps,i said i was only having an half but was still given them which i thought was a really nice gesture. Quiet background music was playing which was jazz type. I quite liked this small pub and i gave a couple of pounds to the staff tip plate for the sandwiches. Pub visited 23/5/2015

This almost belongs in the category of a micropub and probably would be if it wasn't for the upstairs overspill room. The front area is a combination of a bottle shop and café with the drinking room being a small area situated to the rear with views of the market behind. This carpeted room has a beamed ceiling, red walls with blackened timber posts and unusual décor including a plastic cow's head, a meat cleaver, saw and a metal bucket. Two handpumps are located in the shop area at the front, on this occasion Rudgate Mild and Great Yorkshire Brewery Yorkshire Blackout. The free little plate containing a couple of small cheese sandwiches and a handful of crisps was a new one on me, perhaps the Yorkshire equivalent of tapas, it was gratefully received. Should you need further sustenance, meals are available, a board offered Cumberland sausage, mash, green beans and onion gravy for just £6.95. An excellent find, busy inside as it is small and located on the touristy Shambles but if you can squeeze in and get a seat well worth the effort.

Cannot add much of real value to the 2 previous reviews apart from on my visit the room at the rear was quite empty, and although i only purchased a half of real ale i still received the complimentary plate of crisps and cheese sandwich from the amicable landlady.

Called in here to find the small downstairs bar area rather full. When I asked for a beer I was told they couldn't serve me unless I was seated, an old local by-law apparently. A couple who had finished gave their seats up, and we managed to have our beers. A surprise bonus was the plate of 2 lovely sandwiches and crisps which we were served with, and others at the bar had them too as a complimentary gesture. The back walls were adorned with shelves of 60 different bottles of Yorkshire beers for sale, rather expensive but bulk purchases got cheaper. We enjoyed our Bridestone's 7C's beer.