Fossgate Tap, York

Bar/restaurant/cafe serving 6 real ales and food.

A brand-new, stripped-back hipster bar (shop conversion). Interior has an gratingly fake ‘distressed’ look, like Linda Barker’s been let loose after a few sherbets and no agreed plan. Split over two levels, the upper area bar is painted in battleship grey, with the lower area home to general seating and slightly classier maroon walls. Six pumps, with five ales on - a pretty generic selection, little to get excited about. I went for the house beer which was brewed by Theakston - at £1.80 a half I’d contend that it was overpriced and, on drinking, pretty dire in taste (publican or brewer was hard to call – but I suspect neither is entirely blameless). Really naff. If you’re going to do a pub that appeals to the under-40’s, walk the extra 10 yards and go to the Hop, where they Get It Right. The Sutler is an ill-thought out parody.

I visited Sutlers Bar about an hour after arriving in York from London so obviously I went for a half of the Camden Brewery keg option. Whilst being served by the extremely friendly barmaid I noted that the bar supports six hand pumps and a host of premium lager fonts. Gastroesque traditional pub food was available with the mains coming in around the £14 mark. The interior consists of three sections with a slim seating area to the right and a slim central bar with floor to ceiling windows that face onto the busy street outside. To the left is a larger seating area where there is also a flight of stairs that I did not ascend. I do not recall any distractions such as background music or televisions. I enjoyed my beer, but others in my group who had opted for real ale were not so impressed. This isn’t a place I would go rushing back to, but I would consider popping back in if passing.

Newly-opened, upmarket, split-level bar / café with rustic furniture but restrained gastro-pub decor. Five of six handpumps in operation, including 'house' 3.8% bitter (£3.50, brewed in Marsham, almost certainly Theakston given the branded glass and the adjacent clip being Old Peculier). Far from a traditional pub, but I think it appealed to me slightly more than it did to my companions so it will be interesting to see how the place develops.

A newly opened bar on a street corner, formerly the Army and Navy Stores. In fact it is so new that the pub signage isn't up yet. Wooden floors, lots of grey paint, rustic tables and recycled church or school chairs, one end of the bar has a series of small draws built into the counter. Effectively three areas, on entering from the corner the first section is a bit like a sitting room, this then leads on to the main central area where the bar is, then again to a room at the end which has the majority of the searing options. Stairs lead up from here to somewhere. Cask options were Tribute, Hobgoblin, Old Peculiar, there own branded Sutlers beer, Little Brew IPA plus another which had a sign dangling from it informing "be ready Friday". Further along the bar a row of keg fonts offered continental lagers and a couple of ciders. I got the impression the pub's target clientele were probably an upmarket younger trendy crowd, and I felt that food was likely to be important. We were asked directly if we intended eating. The place didn't really hit the spot for me, hard to say exactly why, I suppose it felt rather clinical. Maybe it will improve as things bed in.