1858, Knaresborough

An impressive former bank building houses a very swish bar and restaurant that feels more city than market town. Lots of dark paintwork, designer furnishings and expensive lighting, with a splendid ceiling over the main room completely ruined by overhead ducting. The back room is a glitzy dining area. Two handpumps featured a rather dubious Landlord and Rockin Rudolph, while keg taps included Brixton Reliance and Neck Oil amongst the eurofizz. One to impress the lady friend, not to drink at.

Facebook page of 1858 - www.facebook.com

Official site of 1858 - www.1858knaresborough.co.uk

Facebook page of 1858 - www.facebook.com

Official site of 1858 - www.1858knaresborough.co.uk

Bar and restaurant in the ground floor of a repurposed NatWest bank building unsurprisingly built in 1858. The bar occupies the former banking hall and has a lovely coffered ceiling sadly obscured by the usual industrial accoutrements of cable tray and aircon pipes. The counter is across a side wall and houses two T-bars of mostly lagery stuff, there’s also Guinness, a cider and a couple of IPAs, two hand pulls lurk at the far end, Landlord with the clip reversed and Roosters watermelon beer “Scrambler”, fairly awful unless you like watermelon. Dark grey walls which I suppose goes without saying, more unusually the seating is matching with leather upholstered chairs at square tables. The side wall opposite the counter has a couple of semi circular booths with cask stools and pouffees at round tables. There’s also a couple of tall tables with stools and a sextet of bar stools. Towards the rear is a separate dining area. WhatPub says there’s seating in the old vault, very likely but I didn’t see it.