The Blue Bell, York

As usual Mr Bonser has produced a comprehensive review of a good boozer. This is a geniune throwback, a thin, two-roomed back street pub with pump clips, awards and paintings adorning the walls. It is tiny, yet at 5pm on a weeknight it was not unpleasantly packed and there was nice chatter amongst the regulars. Beers available: Wharfebank Nightshade, Rooster's Bangtail (£2.85)m TT Landlord, Ossett Silver King, Rudgate Ruby Mild, Black Sheep and Farmers Blonde. In honour of halloween, a massive pumpkin sat on the bar, due to be auctioned off. I liked this place very much and would return.

The Blue Bell is a small traditional pub in the centre of York. A blackboard outside describes the pub as an "Award winning real ale pub with a 1903 Edwardian interior". It's a Grade 2 listed building. It's York's smallest pub apparently and, once we step inside, we quickly realise why no groups are allowed. The front bar seems to be the haunt of regulars and is a small intimate bar with much wood panelling. The walls are decorated with certificates and awards from CAMRA and other consumer organisations. It is also clear that the pub raises a lot of money for various charities. A corridor on the left leads through to a rear smoke room which is serviced from the main bar via a serving hatch with a glazed glass screen. Unusually, this narrowish corridor has a serving hatch of its own and a small drinking lobby. The smoke room also has dark wood panelling throughout and its walls are decorated with interesting old photographs , including some of Yorkshire County Cricket and York City Football Club teams. This room has round copper topped tables and fixed seating with old bell pushes still in situ. Needless to say, there's no TV's or fruit machines. Period music was being played during my recent early evening visit. The pub is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. It's a Pubmaster pub. On my recent visit, 7 real ales were on, including TT Landlord, Deuchars IPA and Black Sheep, which I gather are the regulars. 4 guests were on - Copper Dragon Golden Pippin plus beers from Rooster, Rudgate and Saltaire ( Blackberry Cascade !) The Copper Dragon - £ 2.85p - was in good condition. This is one of York's must visit pubs in my book and you really should try to do this one - but don't turn up mob handed, as you won't be allowed in.

A narrow terraced traditional pub with an undressed and red brick frontage, with etched window. The entrance, on the left of the frontage, is in fact a corridor that leads all through the pub. The interior has a couple of rooms, served by the connecting corridor in wood panel. The main bar room is to the immediate left and the smoke room is further up to the left. Both are served by a central bar, the smoke room, through a hatch – which is either quaint, or an early device to protect staff from bad breath. The décor is the same wood panel as in the corridor, with wood ceiling, red seating and carpet. There is a collection of eclectic prints, photos and pictures on the walls, with old York, sport and cartoons featuring significantly and both rooms had brick and tile fireplaces and old copper tables. I didn’t eat here, so can’t comment on the food. The service was fine and the clientele mixed tourists and locals, sadly one drunk in the corner wet himself, must have been a good joke his mate told him. There was no TV, or music. Beer; tap and some unusual bottled stuff, with a decent choice of real ales; Roosters Leghorn, Osset Brewery’s Silver King, Rudgate Ruby MILD, Black Sheep Bitter, Deuchars IPA, Timothy Laylor Landlord and Whartfback Slinger’s Gold. I sampled the Landlord, Gold, Leghorn and MILD, all were really decent. It you don’t visit this place you consider yourself accursed and for the rest of your life – but try to do it at a non-peak time, so you can enjoy it for what it is – fighting to get to the bar then drinking outside isn’t seeing the best of this place.

Another of York's gem of a pub found in the 2010 Good Beer Guide, with the features well described by the previous reviewers. The front bar is nearly always busy, and it still retains the feel of a locals pub. Friendly staff behind the bar and good ale choice. Opted for Outlaw Wild Mule and Wharfebank Tether Blond.

This is a small pub at the top end of fossgate. Thh pub is unaltered inside and is on camras national inventry because it is like going back in time when you have a drink here.I went in the bar at the front which had 7 pumps on the bar with some of them being local micro beers.