BITE user comments - Tony_Earnshaw
Comments by Tony_Earnshaw
Great to have a real ale pub which serves customers until midnight, even later at weekends.
The staff are a real mixture when it comes to beer knowledge. Some know it and appreciate it, whereas I get the impression that some of them don't drink it themselves and consequently don't know much about it.
But at least we York beer drinkers have somewhere to go, late at night!
14 Mar 2007 15:35
Can be very busy at peak times - there again, which York pub isn't? - so don't come expecting a quiet seat on a weekend evening. But at least the crowd is a knowledgeable one, with an appreciation of good beer. Pleasant staff, who'll help anyone out with making a selection from their huge range of beers.
The hard floor at the front of the pub causes an echo-ey effect which can drown out conversation when it gets noisy. But if that's the only drawback I can think of, you can imagine what a good pub this is.
14 Mar 2007 15:28
This wonderful pub's hard to find and you won't notice it if you're simply passing the end of the street. I've been visiting Scarborough for thirty years and didn't know of it! The pub and its sign are hidden by the church hall (or whatever it is) next door.
If you're leaving the station, look out for the newsagent diagonally opposite, and then head down the alley next to it. Then you'll find the Alma.
Best thing about this pub? The helpful staff!
12 Jul 2006 11:22
The refreshing thing about Indigo Alley is that there's a healty age range of patrons. Young and old, the whole community's here, and that's always a good sign.
Blow-your-head-off chilli pies available for �2.50.
12 Jul 2006 11:17
Unbearably smoky at times but still one of York's best. I've never had a bad pint here in thirty years of drinking. Plenty of choice for ale buffs, and comfortable rooms.
Popular with football fans whenever there's a big match on the television, but they politely make way at the bar if they can see you need a drink, unlike some other York pubs I can think of ....
10 Mar 2006 11:34
A lovely, lovely pub with top-quality beers. The service is excellent and I've never had to ask for a top-up! The staff know what they're doing and, just as important, make an effort to train new bar staff in the peculiar ways of real ale buffs.
My only gripe is the inescapable fug of cigarette smoke that seems to pervade the place at busy times. Ventilation is non-existent. But, when it's quiet, there's no better place to go for a decent pint.
10 Mar 2006 11:27
Brigantes Bar and Brasserie, York
My only gripe about this pub is that it pretends not to be a pub at all, but a "bar and brasserie", like all the others in the Market Tavern chain. It's a pub!!
And what a pub. Clean air, a great range of beers, and reasonable (for York) prices. The helpful staff know what they're doing, too, which always helps. For choice alone this pub goes straight into York's top ten. Unmissable.
10 Mar 2006 11:18
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The Phoenix, York
March 2007, and the Phoenix has yet another new landlord, but first impressions are that he's doing a great job.
The Phoenix has three interesting real ales on offer: Jennings Mountain Man and Banks's among them, on my visit.
The Phoenix's interesting (and smoke-free!!) U-shaped lounge is unlike the lounge in any other pub in York that I can recall. It can be a tight squeeze when entering and leaving but the friendly locals don't mind that.
17 Mar 2007 12:39