Pivni, York

Pivni is the original bar from the people who run the York, Sheffield and Euston Tap pubs. Located in a lovely old timber framed building down one of York’s many pleasant alleyways, the pub has a lot in common with its perhaps more famous offspring. The beer is clearly the star here, although that’s not to say that the building isn’t without a certain degree of charm as well. The ground floor has enough space for a compact room with banquette seating running underneath the front windows complemented by a few low stools and tables. The floor is tiled and there are plenty of dark wooden beams to give it a nice traditional look, whilst the walls have been decorated with a number of metallic beer signs. The servery runs the length of the back wall, save for a glass panelled storage room that allows you to peek at their stock of bottled beer. Upstairs is a cosy looking lounge with a couple of rows of tables. It’s a nicely decorated space which is well worth settling down in, especially when the bar area gets busy. There were only three ales on during my stay – Highland Pale, Sunny Republic Beach Blonde (£2.80) and Cromarty Happy Chappy. The likes of Thornbridge, Stone and Kernel were represented on the keg front, as were the usual range of beers from Czech brewers Bernard, whilst a bottle menu listed some not unreasonably priced offerings from around the globe. My Beach Blonde was in good shape, although not the most interesting pint I found in York. Fans of the Tap pubs will perhaps be a little disappointed by this smaller enterprise, but it is certainly interesting to see where that chain originated. I thought it was a pleasant enough place to stop off and try something interesting, maybe best visited out of peak times when it can get very crowded.

This little gem goes from strength to strength - the founder member of the fast growing empire of York Tap, Sheffield Tap and Euston Tap chain. There are always 4 handpulled beers on the bar - usually a Thornbridge plus 3 others. They are good for showcasing new breweries and sometimes have all 4 handpulls from the same brewer. Add to that a plethora of keg craft beers from across the pond and a good selection of bottles and you're onto a winner. One of York's "must visit" venues.