The Phoenix Inn, York

A splendid beer exhibition pub tucked just inside the city walls in a residential area. Deservedly popular with local CAMRA and a frequent award-winner. It retains a proper historic pub feel, as opposed to the usual tourist traps - describing the interior again is a waste of time as it doesn't really change, apart from the ever-increasing collection of pump clips behind the bar. TT Landlord is the regular ale but you are pretty well guaranteed an interesting choice of changing brews.

Enjoyed my visit to this friendly 2019 Good Beer Guide pub just off the city walls. It was a welcome refreshment stop while I completed the walk round the walls last month. I chose Yorkshire Dales Cafe Amsterdam which was fine.

Listed on Camra's regional inventory of historic interiors, the Phoenix was built in 1830 and had its last major refurbishment in 1897 - subsequent recent work has been sensitively done in consultation with people who know about these things. It therefore remains a traditional pub in which it is a pleasure to spend a period of relaxation with a beer. I went for the Beer Monkey Bitter Revival, which the landlord was able to inform me is one of the successors to Copper Dragon - it didn't taste very much like their Best Bitter to me, but it was a pretty good drink anyway - the pump clip, by contrast, was a complete mess (see photo). I agree with previous reviewers: this is definitely worth a visit. Date of visit: 21st October 2017

The wife's favourite pub in York so after a few beers in various places on Fossgate we made our way here for a couple of night caps. Fairly empty when we arrived so we grabbed a table seat and settled in, within minutes a large group of lads arrived and livened the pub up, looked like they had been at a wedding before hand. 5 hand pumps with a good range of Yorkshire brewed ales on. I had a couple of very good pints of Bad Seed's Columbus IPA @ 4.6% which rounded the night off just perfectly. Always worth a visit when in York.