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The Snickleway Inn, York
York
YO1 7LS
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Steve C left this review about The Snickleway Inn
The Snickleway Inn is an interesting little pub with a front bar area with an L-shaped bar counter that faces tables in the front window and sunken seating along the left-hand wall. On the right wall some instruments were set up ready for a live duet. A small room at the rear houses four tables and a fireplace on the rear wall with a burner under its copper hood. During a recent midweek evening visit premium and craft keg were available alongside the six hand pumps that were drawing Rooster’s Yankee, Rudgate’s Golden Ace, Acorn Brewery’s Freebird, Great Newsome’s Best, Ainsty Ales’ Cool Citra and Theakston’s Best. The service was friendly and the pub was comfortably busy so there was a decent atmosphere. I’d pop back in if passing.
On 9th June 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5247 recommendations about 5215 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Snickleway Inn
A nice old town pub in the middle of the pedestrianised area. heavy on the woodwork and atmosphere but thankfully offering a rather better range of beers than the John Smith's signage might suggest. The peculiar internal layout could only have developed over the centuries, with strange overhead partition above the front bar and a side alcove that might once have been a passageway, plus a very dark back room. It seemed to be more popular with locals than tourists and had the feel of a proper drinkers' pub. Available ales were Acorn Bullseye and Old Moor, Rooster Yankee, Rudgate Yorvik, Bradfield Farmers Blushed and Theakston Best. Quite happy to drink here.
On 15th February 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Snickleway Inn
Called in here as it is in 2014 Good Beer Guide and a pub new to me. They had around 5 real ales on, and we chose 2 from Treboom brewery, Yorkshire Sparkle and Kettle Drum. There was separate seating a step or two down from the main bar area, and there is an outside drinking area at the back of the pub. Locals were friendly and it was a comfy pub to have a drink in. Believe live music is played here too.
The above was in September 2013 and we called in last month. Still a comfortable pub to be in and the selection of ales mainly local. We chose Roosters Scrambler and Leeds Calypso, both of which were fine.
On 12th August 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
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Brainy Pool left this review about The Snickleway Inn
A sign above the bar suggests this was called the Anglers Arms. it’s an extremely traditional pub inside with a respectable older local crowd in (some of whom were playing dominos). Four cask bitters on the bar will thrill the traditionalists even more (though not so much at £4 a pint). This is a really nice example of a classic British pub though with a smiley Australian barman today. I liked it a lot, especially once Half Man Half Biscuit’s ‘Man Of Constant Sorrow’ started playing.
On 21st April 2019
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alex Conway left this review about The Snickleway Inn
The Snickelway is located on Goodrumgate and is advertised as being one of York’s most haunted pubs. It has a very nice dark red painted outside. As you enter there is bar on the back hand right wall with congregating area with some tables and chairs as well as a room to the left on a lower level partly partitioned by a wall that acts as a type of snug. There is also a back seating area with roaring fire that was in full flair on my late November evening visit. This is a very old pub that has a great warn charm to it with very dark wood panelling making it very gloomy and adding to the haunted gimmick it portrays. There is also a good following of locals who give it a nice character and ambience and mean it has some character about it and not just tourists. There is a good selection of mostly Yorkshire beers on the bar and they are always in a very good condition but are very expensive on a tourist street that is becoming pricier by the day. On my visit there was Jennings Snecklifter, Roosters Yankee, Elland Porter, Copper dragon best biter, Kellham Island Easy Ryder and one from Revolutions Brewery, a rather good selection in my book. The Sneck lifter was a very enjoyable pint but as mentioned expensive at £3.60. A lovely old pub full of character and a real draw in colder months as it is a very snug, comfortable and warm place to be. You need deep pockets to drink here regularly but is worth a visit if in York for its great beer.
On 18th November 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 457 recommendations about 457 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Snickleway Inn
Parts of this old, traditional pub date back to the 15th century, although it wasn’t always a pub, having reputedly been, among other things, a brothel at one point. As with a lot of old, atmospheric pubs of this nature, it has a reputation for being haunted with no less an authority than Derek Acorah declaring it one of the 100 scariest places in Britain to visit. It didn’t seem very scary when I visited (in fact, I’d go so far as to say it was a very friendly and welcoming place), but then again, I didn’t apply the kind of rigorous scientific tests that Mr Acorah no doubt went through, so what do I know.
If you can pluck up the courage to enter, you’ll find yourself in a carpeted main bar area with the servery opposite and some banquette and low stool seating under the front windows. There is plenty of dark wood to give the place the traditional feel you would expect and the décor is fairly eclectic, with old lanterns, tools, pith helmets, beer adverts and even a gasoline pump in evidence. There are a couple of additional seating areas to pick from if the front bar is too busy. To the left is a narrow side room on a slightly lower level which has padded bench and low stool seating and walls decorated with framed beer mats and pump clips. Beyond the bar there is a rear room with more low stool seating and a lit fireplace which had drawn quite a crowd into what is actually a fairly small space. Some music played in the background, but conversation seems to predominate here and the chatter generally drowned out the music.
There is a good range of cask ales here and on my visit I found Treboom Kettle Drum, John Smith’s Cask, Jennings Sneck Lifter, Brains Rev James, Salamander Bommy Knocker and Moorhouse Blonde Witch. A very cheerful landlady served up a pint of the Bommy Knocker and gave me an unprompted top up as well.
I liked the feel of this place and thought it had retained a good traditional atmosphere befitting its evocative old name. The good beer range means that this is a must visit for the pub traditionalist and bogeyman hunter alike and worthy of addition to a city centre crawl.
On 18th February 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Rydings left this review about The Snickleway Inn
Always worth a call when in York had a good pint of timmy taylors landlord
On 30th November 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 948 recommendations about 917 pubs]
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Will Larter left this review about The Snickleway Inn
This was my sixth pub in about an hour on Goodramgate, so my notes are not as detailed or as legible as the others. There were five hand pumps serving Roosters Yankee, Jennings Sneck Lifter, Timothy Taylors Landlord and two from Copper Dragon. There's a genuine old feel to the place, though doubtless there's been some artifice involved in achieving that, or am I being too cynical? Anyway, I felt comfortable here and would be more than happy to return. Though I hope they're not still playing that Doors CD next time.
On 29th April 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3740 recommendations about 3477 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Snickleway Inn
A lovely old and characterful building which has in the past served as a brothel. Inside there's a large bar area looking onto Goodramgate and a smaller seated 'corridor' by an open fireplace which has a very comfortable feel. It was reasonably busy on our weekday lunchtime visit and both the landlord and locals were friendly, chatty and full of interesting conversation. One thing we learnt was that the introduction of 5 handpumps and a focus on real ale has been brought in by the current landlord and is a relatively recent innovation.
The 5 ales on included John Smiths Cask, a favourite with a number of regulars, Moorhouse Golden Witch and TT Landlord. The former two were very good.
Not yet in the GBG but probably deserves to be and I'd definitely return.
On 11th April 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Snickleway Inn
Really like this one, you will always get a good pint here. I went for the Moorhouses Blond Witch, Rev James, Jennings Snecklifter, Rudgate Jorvik and a John Smiths cask. Will defo call again
On 19th March 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]