The Blue Bell (York)

Hidden away behind a very unassuming façade of glazed red bricks is the very quaint and very small Blue Bell, a perfect example of a Grade II* listed Edwardian pub interior. The entrance leads down a small corridor with the main room to the front and a slightly larger back room to the rear. Between there’s a small alcove with a beer hatch for service and a lot of beautiful etched glass.

If you really want to travel in time the décor of this pub gives you the chance, wonderfully preserved and oozing warmth and the reassurance of hundreds of years of tradition, in fact after its last renovation in 1903 the wood panelling had a preservation order slapped on it and thankfully so, as it prevented any horrible modern updating since then. They even have a polite request to take mobile phone calls outside to preserve the ambience.

The bar is situated centrally with access to both of the rooms, both having a wealth of brewery paraphernalia and old paintings adorning the stunning wood panelling. Each room also has an open fire and a few copper topped tables and bar stools. You’ll be lucky to get a seat though as its popularity and size mean it’s usually packed. The toilets to the end of the corridor are just as traditional as the rest of the building but thankfully very well kept and functional. The bar has 6 pumps with a good selection of amazingly well kept cask ales which include their own very own recipe House IPA brewed by Brass Castle in Malton which we highly recommend. 

The whole pub is expertly run by Landlord John since 2016 and his staff are the most welcoming, friendly and enthusiastic we’ve ever seen in a York pub, it’s worth the visit just for that alone, and maybe the great beers too. It is truly one of the few pubs in York that you can go in on your own and feel safe and welcomed and just chat to anybody, whether that be the locals or tourists from further afield, all are welcome at The Blue Bell.