The Maltings, York

Cant add much to the excellent reviews below,this is a good ale house with a quirky interior.I particularly enjoyed the ram and ewe clock above the bar and the old VD clinic notice,both a good reminder of the joys and pitfalls of the nearby Micklegate bar scene.Not much totty action in here but solid ale quality.I was a tad disappointed by the ale range but did enjoy the Rooster's Yankee.Close to the station and below the ramparts of Lendal bridge ,the pub stands next to two large Aviva office blocks and should be visited on any crawl in the city.

There were a half dozen or so ales on during my visit – I noticed Black Sheep Bitter, Rooster Yankee, and the one I had, York Brewery Guzzler, which was excellent. Mrs R was also highly impressed by the quality of the filter coffee on offer, which she said was the best she had had in a York pub. I didn’t notice any food or see any menus – at least there were none available at 4.0 PM on a Tuesday, although maybe there are at other times. This pub almost defies description. I very rarely like pubs that are painted black, as this one is, as they generally indicate an interior that has been left devoid of any character. But this is most definitely an exception to that rule. There are odd things everywhere in here; doors on the ceiling, parts of doors on the front of the bar counter, a toilet bowl in situ next to the table at which we sat, old train tickets next to one of the fireplaces, masses of old metal plate adverts on the walls for such things as Ogden’s St Bruno Flake and Albion Brewery Fine ales and Stouts. Above the fireplace in the little room on the right is a Fuller’s Brewery mirror, which is an unusual sight this far north. There is some floor tiling in front of the bar counter as you enter the pub, the layout of which indicates that the internal structure, including the position of the bar counter, was once very different from what it is now. I would call this a quirky sort of pub, of a distinctly individual and unique nature, which may have been deliberately designed to look a bit shabby. Nonetheless, it is still very much a real pub, and one to which I would very much like to return.

Famous eccentric pub, the nearest good one to York railway station. Always Black Sheep Bitter plus six changing guests on the handpumps, classier European beers on draught and in bottle, generous helpings of food available from the Soup Dragon. Almost always busy due to the high quality of the beers and the pub's character. The customers are best described as “eclectic”. The interior is largely tatty and made of timber offcuts, decorated with old enamel signs. The ceiling and bar front are made of old doors. Occasional beer festivals are held here. A unique, wonderful pub and not to be missed.

Official site of the Maltings, includes an extensive beer list, menu and events listing - www.maltings.co.uk

Official site of the Highwayman Inn - www.thehighwaymaninn.net