Ye Olde Starre Inne, York

Supposedly the oldest pub in York, this is one that will inevitably appeal to the tourists. A sign over Stonegate highlights its location. Although you have to walk through an alleyway that leads into a small outdoor courtyard before you find the pub itself. The first thing that hit me was the loud music blasting through the alleyway and into the street, which seemed a little out of character for the surroundings. Inside, there are multiple dark and cosy rooms all around with a bar towards the rear. Plenty of what looked like tourists to the city were tucking into pub food that didn't look too authentic, no doubt all looking for the traditional English pub experience. There was one old boy drinking at the bar. Luckily the music inside wasn't as loud as it had been outside! Whether the pub is Greene King or not, I'm not sure. However, both IPA, Abbot and a house beer called Ye Olde Starre Inn were all on. Although, there were also 3 guests in Timothy Taylor Landlord, Theakston Old Peculier & Ainsty Flummoxed Farmer. The cider was Old Rosie. I ordered the Flummoxed Farmer and enquired about a CAMRA discount and was told by the rather dismissive barman that he would give it me anyway! I suppose when customers are guaranteed, customer service is secondary. The beer itself was ok and was at least something different from the otherwise mainstream range. I can see why this pub has never cropped up on my radar before and with so many fantastic hostelries in York, I doubt it will again.

It's many years since I was last in the Old Star Inn, to give it its orthodox spelling, but I wanted to remind myself why. Once through the narrow passageway from Stonegate there's a small courtyard with a white-painted building with a few tables outside; through here and we're into the pub proper, and proper old it does look. But even before entering there's an unmissable assault upon the ears from modern pop music emitting from loudspeakers seemingly mounted in every corner. Navigating my way through the small maze of rooms and corridors, I soon found the bar with its four beers and a cider, and a couple of empty hand pumps. Landlord, GK IPA and Abbot seem to be fixtures, but I went for Ainsty Flummoxed Farmer, a blonde in good condition. A group of bar hangers impeded my attempt to get my habitual photo but I overcame my shyness and asked them if they would mind moving momentarily, which they did. Looking around I found a really pleasant and much quieter room, probably the only one in the pub with no loudspeaker, although the pounding music still made its way in here, admittedly at somewhat reduced volume. The pub makes it onto Camra's heritage inventory of unspoilt interiors, but with only one star, perhaps implying that a lot of what can be seen is not as old, original or impressive as it might seem to the untutored eye. If I feel tempted to call in here again, I hope I will remember to click on the heritage link (below) instead. Though as I get older there's a fair chance I will forget and find myself popping in again. So here's a reminder to self: nice building, not much of a pub.

Yes this pub is found at the end of an alley accessed from Stonegate, but it is pretty hard to miss with ‘Ye Olde Starre Tavern’, ‘Established 1644’ and ‘York’s Oldest Licensed Inn’ written on a beam across the narrow street. The patio furniture outside the front of the pub was mostly being used by diners, there is more seating in a small enclosed area with a large television showing muted rolling news at the rear, but this was empty. My midweek visit was just before lunchtime so the many floor boarded seating areas in this sprawling dimly lit pub were fairly empty, but there was a queue snaking from the bar as people queued behind each other to order food. The lone barman was doing his best, but why on earth he was on his own I don’t know. I counted seven hand pumps that were drawing Greene King’s IPA and Abbot alongside Ye Olde Starre Inn Bitter (whatever that is), Black Sheep’s Best, Old Peculiar, TT Landlord and Weston’s Old Rosie cider. Standard and premium keg was also available. This pub certainly has some history to it and is well worth a look, but the Greene King ownership and family friendly food led status means that it isn’t somewhere I’ll be seeking out again.

More than adequately described before so I won’t bother, did anyone mention it’s down a narrow alley off of Stonegate? The sign crossing over the road is a give away as to location (next to Evil Eye). Counter is at the back of the place on the left, home to an eight pull set, two were off the others being fairly local with Ainsty, Brew York, one each from the Masham breweries and Greene King IPA to break the spell. Mid end kegs on three mini T-Bars. Busy with a few tourists and locals on my visit but no students as previously, it was Christmas so they’d gone home.

Official site of Ye Olde Starre Inne - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Official site of Ye Olde Starre Inne - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Enjoyed my visit here , its a rambling sort of place , lots of nooks and crannies to explore when its not to busy , 8 handpulls only 2 from GK , Abbott and IPA , the other 6 were intresting locals , i had Treboom Yorkshire Sparkle , Jorvick Flaxon Blonde and Ainsty Angel all in good shape . Only real complaint were the Gents that had the smell of Ye Olde English Sewers . OK its a bit touristy but thats what i was being .

York’s oldest inn apparently and I can well believe it - a rambling interior with some yards for outside drinking. Sadly Greene King have clearly been bad news for it, as they usually are. Menus and generic corporate decor everywhere - besides the ye olde interior, you could be in any other bog standard GK house. 8 real ales is great but not if I have to pay £4.90 for them - disgraceful really. Slow service and the stench of cooked fish everywhere. Can we just insist on Sam Smiths owning all pubs like this?

Decent enough pub with a selection of real ales. The Abbot ale was particularly good in here. Would revisit.

Nice old pub tucked away down a little alley off stonegate lies the Ye Old Starre Inn. Sadly since the Greene king takeover of punch taverns this pub has suffered with its beer range deteriorating badly. Before there were six really nice ales from far and wide that have now been taken over mostly by the crap Greene king stable, IPA, Abbot, Greene kings London glory and the Taylor walker house beer now take up for of the pumps with no were near as much rotation as used to be the case in this pub. The prices are also creeping up with ales differing between the £3.40-70 range depending on strength. This is ab great shame as the pub is a great place to sit especially in winter with numerous open fires and warm comfy bench seating throughout. There is a really nice un altered decor to the pub that is one of its main visiting points. This is a great shame as this used to be one of my favorite pubs in York put as with all things Greene King it has been worsened. on a side not the manager with grey hair is a horrific human being and such a nasty spiteful bitter man. This has been brought to my attention by many workers and patrons, the sooner he leaves the better this place will become as the staff are really nice.