The Minster Inn (York)

The Minster Inn is a beautiful little Edwardian pub just beyond the City walls, tucked down the narrow street of Marygate, which runs along the section of walls surrounding the Museum Gardens and down toward the Rive Ouse. You enter via a central corridor which leads off to three small rooms and the rear beer garden. Despite the narrowness and room size access is pretty flat and decent throughout, there’s just the usual entrance steps to consider, not bad for such an old building.

The first of these rooms is on the right-hand side is open to the corridor as it’s the most important in the pub, the bar. It’s a cosy little space with a real fire, timber floor and wrap around bench seating below leaded windows. These look out onto the walls and mature trees of the park. There’s just enough space here for a couple of tables and some stools at the bar so you can get huddled in with easy access to the beer. Speaking of which there’s a good range of four cask ales served at average prices alongside plenty of the usual keg staples, wines and gins, etc. Service is always great and the staff are very friendly.

There’s a welcoming snug opposite with wood panelled walls and Victorian tiled floor and fireplace, warmly lit by antique industrial style lamps. The larger room to the back keeps that traditional feel but is a little lighter and more spacious, especially suited to sit with the family and enjoy one of the Minster Inn’s superb homemade stone baked pizzas.

Out the back is a wonderful little enclosed courtyard partially covered with wooden roofed pergolas and with some built-in wooden bench seating, as well as a couple of standard tables and chairs. It’s lovingly decorated with all the old pub signs as well as plenty of flowers when in season. It’s a great little sun trap and the covered section certainly helps with the changeable English weather. Out here you’ll also find the entrance to the Minster Inn’s stable style toilet block but don’t let that put you off, there’s series of cubicles with a central sink area all finely decorated with fresh, bright and clean tiles and wooden shiplap panels, it’s one of nicest toilets we’ve found in our explorations of York.

To summarise, the Minster Inn is one of the cosiest and welcoming pubs that we’ve visited, set in beautiful surroundings, it’s a true hidden gem. Because it’s a little way out of the centre it has a peaceful and welcoming air of a proper community pub, it’s definitely worth your time to pay them a visit.