Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 17th March 2024) with Mobyduck
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Will Larter
Submitted on Thursday, 22nd June 2023
With picture contributions to 11515 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (3 more images)
Detail Pages
Charles XII, York
Heslington
Postal town: York
YO10 5EA
Reviews of Charles XII (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about Charles XII
A seemingly small village pub that has been extended back and opened out, making it a large open plan room with the bar counter on the left. Some tables were reserved, and there was a bunch of four students, or ex-students, at the bar doing their best to confuse the one server by adding different tequilas to their lunch order and then asking for the bill to be split four ways. As she was on her own I began to despair, but the licensee had been in the cellar and returned to serve the equally desperate guy who was in front of me at the bar, and then me. She noticed my interest in the beers (six hand pumps, one with cider and three real ales) and told me that there was also Fullers London Pride ready for pulling through if I wanted to wait. I thanked her but said I was happy with my original choice of Ainsty Bantam Best, and on taking it to my table in the front window, for a good view of the heavy rain, I was pleased to find that it was very good (NBSS 3.5). It's not all students here, with several people of my generation among the busy lunchtime crowd. There's still a cheap deal on cask beers on a Tuesday (see Alex's review from 2016) but it's gone up from £2.25 to £2.80 - not a price you see so much these days, so if I ever return to Heslington I'll make sure it's a Tuesday.
On 22nd June 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3697 recommendations about 3440 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Charles XII
A pleasant pub with a good well-run sort of feel: a fairly traditional interior with a bar along one side and comfortable enough, although perhaps a couple too many large tv screens around the walls. Not quite as focussed on students from the nearby university as it has been in the past, but of course they still form a large part of the custom. Quite heavily targeted at food but pleasant enough for a drink, especially outside term time. The garden is well-furnished and again set up for eating. Note the car park is pay and display with refund at the bar. At time of visit the ale range was temporarily reduced to IPA, Doom Bar and Wainwright but there is usually a local ale or two. Condition was good however.
On 6th July 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3296 recommendations about 3233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alex Conway left this review about Charles XII
I first visited this pub the day before mothers day and was very dissapointed to see eight hand pulls with no beer and no food available. Little did i know that the very next day it closed for three weeks and a £160,000 refurbishment so I suppose I can let them off.
On a recent visit the layout has remained unchanged with a nice lick of paint and influx of new tables and bar fronts etc. There are now only six hand pumps and on my visit they were dispensing Roosters Yankee, Black sheep bitter, Great Yorkshire brewery yorkshire pale, Sonnet 43 bourbon milk stout (now re branded as Raven bourbon milk stout) with one pump turned around and another unclipped. The Black sheep bitter was nicely kept and the raven, one of my favourite stouts was ok but far too cold to be enjoyable. I paid £2.25 a pint as this is a deal they do on a tuesday for cask ale which is very reasonable but on other days i think the beer is still reasonably priced being a student heavy pub.
This is a student heaven being the closest pub to the university so expect it to be busy on most nights. The pub also does a large amount of food deals most nights of the week which adds to its popularity. Not everyones cup of tea but i was happy to have a few drinks in here and would be happy to return as it is very wallet friendly (on most drinks, some are randomly very expensive compared with the normal price around here so be wary before ordering).
On 29th April 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 455 recommendations about 455 pubs]
View more reviews of Charles XII (4)
Pubs Galore is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
- Official site of Charles XII - www.greatukpubs.co.uk
- Facebook - Charles XII
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Charles XII - whatpub.com
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 16 August 2013 by Alan Winfield
- Car Park : Yes last updated 16 April 2014 by Alan Hurdle
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 16 April 2014 by Alan Hurdle
- Karaoke : No last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 11 April 2016 by hondo .
- Micropub : No last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Pinball : No last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Pool Table : No last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Quiz Night : Yes - occasional - last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 11 April 2016 by hondo .
- Real Cider : No last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs
- Wheelchair Access : Yes last updated 16 April 2014 by Alan Hurdle
- WiFi : Yes last updated 06 July 2020 by Graham Coombs