Punch Bowl, York

A highly touristy Nicholson's pub, all beams and panelling but actually not unpleasant at quieter times. If you cleared the fairy lights and other rubbish out you could make a decent pub. On handpump in the front bar were Black Sheep Best, Adnams Deya and Anarchy Blonde Star (didn't venture in the back to see if anything else on).

Blackthorn and Soupy have most accurately described the pub so I’ll just add the current beer range, service appreciation and my jaundiced view of my fellow punters. Five pulls in the front bar, three in the back one, Abbeydale, Titanic Plum Porter, Black Sheep Bitter, Nicholsons Pale, and a Christmas seasonal from Black Sheep. I went for the Abbeydale Moonshine and as usual I wasn’t impressed, not even well kept so definitely confirming my predjudice about Abbeydale Beers in general. Service was good but it was quiet and the other punters? well, some young some old, mostly a bit dead looking.

this is a bang average corporate city pub which comes as a bit of a disappointment given the exterior and the history of the street. four expensive (£4+) real ales on and a poor selection. Interior cosy and nice enough but nothing of real interest and seemed like an antisocial tourists kind of place. Not bad but not really worth bothering.

Official site of Punch Bowl - www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk

Official site of Punch Bowl - www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk

One of four Nicholson's pubs in the center of York and probably my least favorite of the bunch. Six real ales were on the bar and I had a pint of one of my favorites, Hop Back Summer Lightning at £3.50 which was quite a nice drink in here. The pub looks very old and rustic from the outside but i found the interior rather more bland once inside. there are plenty of tabels in the back mainly for diners but i stayed in the bar which can become very cramped. Nothing wrong with this place but nothing to write home about either, the Nicholson's chains usually have an ok selection of beer that they keep to an averagely good standard but their pricing policy is frankly now becoming a bit silly and so tourist orientated locals are being driven away, a sad state of affairs in my opinion even for touristy York.