The Punch Bowl (JD Wetherspoon), York

A Wetherspoon’s pub located on a street corner at the end of the Micklegate strip and not far from the station, it is not your usual JDW offering, being somewhat smaller and having a little moiré traditional pub character than many of the company’s outlets. It a U-shape pub with a wood strip floor, and dark wood panelling covered much of the walls with maroon and cream paintwork elsewhere. Curved windows at the front gave good views of the road outside and there were a number of exposed brick pillars as well as a brick fire-place and wood-burning stove, although this was not in use on our visit. A few TV’s were dotted around showing the sport, but the volume was off so this was not too intrusive. A further room to the left had a small sloping section of glass roof giving a light and airy feel and this had views out on to the courtyard at the side. The menu offered the usual extensive selection, and the food appeared remarkably quickly once we had ordered. My Pulled Pork Burger with a Barbeque sauce was part of some meal deal with a drink which got rather complicated as had already ordered something else, and the helpful barmaid promised onion rings as an alternative but unfortunately these did not materialise. The burger itself was ok, but rather bereft of any texture and not really much in the way of taste either, other than the barbeque sauce. There was a good choice of beers on tap with Vale SPS, Ruddles Best, Moorhouse Old Boss, Wadworth’s Ye Olde Admiral, Banks & Taylor’s Bedfordshire Clanger, Lancaster Brewery Albion Connection and Barley Brown’s ESA whilst the Doom Bar appeared to have run out. Ciders were Strongbow and Gwynt Y Ddraig Black Dragon. Overall, one of the companies better outlets, but then there are some very good pubs in York so it needs to be.

A corner site JDW which looks like it has always been a pub however according to Whatpub it is a former pharmacy and butcher's shop. Regardless it does have proper pub character unlike many of the brand's other shop conversions. The bar area is boarded, carpeted elsewhere, there is a bit of a conservatory type area at the far end which prevents that dark and gloomy look you get in some 'spoons. I reckoned on eight festival/guest beers, a good effort, not so the service on Friday morning when one poor young girl was doing her level best on her own while plenty of punters were waiting to order breakfast. in fairness though I visited a few times during my stay in York and at other times everything was fine so probably just a blip.