Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Random news of the day with Bucking Fastard
on the Pub Forum
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
The Olde Black Boy is a classic Hull Old Town pub that oozes character. We too sat in the larger back room, but I did take a peak into the front room. A corridor connects the two to the left-hand side. Apparently, there is an upstairs room too.
3 real ales were on - Otter Amber, Skinner Betty Stogs & Wye Valley HPA. 2 real ciders were Weston's Old Rosie & Rosie's Pig.
The rear room has a small toy train running around the ceiling, which can be activated for the princely figure of 50p!
Well worth visiting at least once.
On 10th January 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
A fine twin-room interior to this Old Town establishment, although not quite as old as it first appears since it actually dates as a pub from the 1920s, but still a sight to see. Didn't really get the chance to look at the smaller front bar, but the dark wood-panelled interior of the back bar is enlivened by a good deal of breweriana and other memorabilia. Of the six real ales on handpump, I went for the Portobello Northern Line Porter (£1.90, half) to accompany a pie, and with the friendly barmaid and heritage interest, this was an enjoyable (if brief) stop here.
On 17th April 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
Amazing old pub situated on the cobbled old High Street, well-described below and is on the CAMRA National Inventory of historic interiors. An atmospheric old smoke room to the front and a larger rear bar all accessed via side corridor. The front snug has floorboards, wood fire, serving hatch, black varnish wood panelling, lanterns, original translucent leaded glass windows. Look out especially for the wood carved head of the eponymous black boy above the open fireplace. The rear is more opened-out and has information about William Wilberforce and his connection with the pub is displayed on the dark wood panelled walls plus a grand 1729 picked out in the wood panelling. Both rooms served by a central bar. Both rooms are quite dark (take your pick from ‘atmospheric’ or ‘gloomy’) which won’t suit everyone (candles on the tables in the rear). A top-notch selection of classic indie music being played on our visit, perhaps a bit too loudly for a Friday afternoon though. Six ales on and a good spread; Bradfield Farmers Blonde, TT Golden Best, Copper Dragon Pippin, Adnams Broadside and Portabello Northern Line (replete with LEDs on the pumpclip acting as tube lights) served-up by a friendly barmaid. Went for the Portobello and enjoyed my half though it was (I think) the most expensive one of the day. Pies, scotch eggs and sausage rolls (sourced from a local butchers) also available at £3.20, large and filling and splitting a pork and game pie in half kept two of us going until dinner time. Another quality Hull pub and should be on the ‘must-do’ list. 8.5
On 12th April 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
Lovely old pub with an authentic (historic) interior, a good beer selection and out of the six available I had the Osset Silver King which was a decent drop.Yet another 8/10 for me.
On 21st March 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
A Camra National Inventory pub of Historical pub interiors. Originally a Victorian wine merchants, the premises became a public house in 1926. Original fittings from 1926 include the downstairs panelling, bar counter and fire surrounds. The pub might have scored higher but only downside for me, was the hideously loud music and my unsettled pint of Bradfield Farmers Blond. The welcoming barmaid and fresh pork pies were a bonus.
On 21st March 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
An old pub with a very good interior ,the front Smoke Room is charming with a real fire and it's own bar access,while the rear room has a larger serving bar,a long bench seat,wood panelling,various information about Wilberforce and his mission to stop slavery and the connection with the pub.My Portobello Northern Line Stout was very decent and the pork pie was first class but I did note that ale pricing around £3.80 per pint and £2 for a half might be one reason for the pub being quiet .Worth a look around the interior,and there was a friendly welcome from the barmaid which always helps.
On 20th March 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
Yes, also quiet when we all rocked up on late Friday lunchtime, which is a shame because this is a great old pub. Really friendly welcome from the barmaid working the central serving area but she was probably happy to see a large group of punters descend on her.
Two characterful rooms as well described by previous reviewers the larger back room is quite dark with all the wood panelling and had music playing that was probably a tad loud for a largely empty room, meaning a few of the party retired to the front room with its cosy open fire and impressive wood carving of the black boy.
The spiral staircase takes you to another upstairs room that wasn’t open on our visit , and a small outside terrace before returning via a back staircase to the central passage.
The six beers available for our visit were Adnams Broadside, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin, TT Golden Best, Ossett Silver King, Camerons and Portobello collaboration brew Northern Line Stout and Bradfield Brewery Farmers Blonde. I tried the Farmers Blonde and it wasn’t at its best with a suspicion that it had been put on too early, although the other beers had by the party seemed OK.
This was also utilised as lunch stop as we were tempted by some good looking Pork or Game pies that fortunately tasted as good as they looked and well worth the £3.00 asking price.
This is a really nice pub. It could just do with more customers.
On 20th March 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2109 recommendations about 1991 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
Improving again now. Called in recently on a Saturday lunchtime. It was very quiet, but the quality of the beer had improved dramatically from our last visit. We'll start calling in again now.
22/09/2009
Not the place it once was. Still OK for a decent pint but the beer quality seems to have slipped recently, it used to be fantastic every time you came in. The atmosphere in here seems to have taken a bit of a dip as well. We don't call in half as often as we used to. It is very atmospheric though with it's flag floors and entrance corridor.
On 12th September 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3222 recommendations about 3133 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
Occupying a position on Hull’s historic cobbled High Street – the oldest street in the City – in the heart of the Old Town, is The Olde Black Boy, a fine survivor in area where a good number of traditional pubs have disappeared over the years ( see the photos of them in The Whalebone ). It’s a Grade 2 listed building. Parallel to the River Hull, the High Street and its accompanying narrow streets were, in times long gone by, a lively mixture of seamens’ dwellings, pubs and warehouses where cargo unloaded from the ships was stored.
Previously a tobacco merchants, then a wine merchants, it became a pub in the 1700’s. Contrary to what one might assume – the William Wilberforce Museum is just a few doors away – the name of the pub is not connected to the slave trade, but represents a pipe smoking American Indian which was a symbol of the tobacco trade in those days.
Entered via a narrow alleyway, a cosy quiet and smallish front smoke room features dark wood panelling, a beamed ceiling and frosted leaded windows. A small fireplace features a carved boy’s head in the chimney breast surround. Service to this room is through a small hatch to the main bar where the servery is situated.
Further down the alleyway towards the rear of the building is the larger main bar, similarly wood panelled and decorated with old pictures of Hull, beer related posters and, high up on a shelf, a collection of bottled beers.
The pub is listed in CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.
Somewhat disappointingly for a fine historic pub like this, and probably a reflection of its location somewhat away from the main drag ( despite its “High Street” address), I was virtually the only customer present for much of my recent late August midweek visit. An open mic night – The Buskers Ball – is held every Wednesday evening and I gather that the pub is a bit livelier then.
6 beers were on which included Castle Rock Harvest Pale Ale, Ossett Silver King, Copper Dragon Best, Everards Sunchaser plus beers from Exmoor and Wychwood. The Ossett Beer – at a relatively pricey £ 3.10p – was in good nick. After an absence for a number of years, the pub returned to the CAMRA Good Beer Guide in 2012.
This is one of Hull’s must visit pubs
On 31st August 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Andrea Hughes left this review about Ye Olde Black Boy
This was my favourite pub when I visited in 2005, if it is the same pub, I thought it was called just Black Boy but everything else seems to match up. Back in Hull for an overnight stop on March 3rd, so watch this space! Will be disappointed if it doesn't match up to my memories, sat in here on the Sunday as we were leaving, and didn't want to go home!
On 20th February 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 21 recommendations about 21 pubs]