There is one thing we love in Yorkshire: enjoying a pint in our favourite pubs. Whether it is enjoying a drink by a roaring fire in those chilly winter months or sitting out in a picturesque beer garden on a blazing hot day, we can’t get enough of a good old boozer.
Luckily, our county is jam-packed with wonderful pubs catered to all tastes and preferences. However, whatever one you go to you’re always guaranteed to have a warm welcome and a great time. We are certainly not the only ones who have noticed this. The Telegraph have released its expert guide to the Best Pubs in the UK. To get on the list, the pub has to have charming character, rich history, welcoming staff, and award-winning beer.
To say Yorkshire is represented on the list would be an understatement. An incredible 42 of our finest drinking holes were chosen by the reviewers. Pubs from the four corners of our county were reviewed in the highest regard and said to be must-visits for locals and visitors alike. So, which Yorkshire pubs made the list? Let’s find out. (Please note the pubs are not in order of preference).
1. The Greystones, Sheffield
What The Telegraph said: ‘Thornbridge is one of the UK’s genuinely elite modern breweries, a byword for quality, particularly when it comes to pale ales made with potent modern hops.”
Where You’ll Find it: Greystones Rd, Sheffield S11 7BS
2. Hales Bar Harrogate
What The Telegraph said: ‘This Harrogate institution offers not only written education but also – courtesy of its decor – a sense of the past, exemplified by gas lighting and Victorian bar fittings.
Where You’ll Find it: 1-3 Crescent Rd, Harrogate HG1 2RS
3. The Highland Laddie, Leeds
What The Telegraph said: ‘There’s plenty of space for drinkers, and the space is beautifully designed – particularly the front room, with its curved claret banquette and freshly lacquered wooden bar.’
Where You’ll Find it: 38 Cavendish Street, Leeds LS3 1LY
4. The Three Pigeons, Halifax
What The Telegraph said: ‘Plenty of pubs have jaw-dropping interiors, but not many as impressive as this.’
Where You’ll Find it: 1 Sun Fold, South Parade, Halifax HX1 2LX
5. Station Inn, Hull
What The Telegraph said: ‘The pub itself delivers a lot more than the exterior promises, particularly the beautifully laid out public bar, complete with checkerboard floor, illuminated globe…’
Where You’ll Find it: 202 Beverley Rd, Hull HU5 1AA
6. W M Hawkes, Hull
What The Telegraph said: ‘Named for the gunmaker who used to operate his business in the building, it doesn’t need many customers to generate a lively atmosphere.’
Where You’ll Find it: 32 Scale Ln, Hull HU1 1LF
7. The White Hart Hotel, Hull
What The Telegraph said: ‘Could this be England’s finest bar? In a city not short on handsome pubs, The White Hart (not to be confused with Ye Olde White Harte, which is 300 metres away) stands alone for its marvellous curved green ceramic bar and mahogany back bar.‘
Where You’ll Find it: 109 Alfred Gelder St, Hull HU1 1EP
8. The White Horse Inn, Beverley
What The Telegraph said: ‘This is a remarkable pub, somewhat updated by current owners Sam Smiths but still largely retaining the atmosphere of the past.’
Where You’ll Find it: 22 Hengate, Beverley HU17 8BN
9. The Old Ship Inn, Bridlington
What The Telegraph said: ‘Over the past few years, Lena and Mark Pennington have established this three-roomed pub as the best place in Bridlington for a pint.’
Where You’ll Find it: 90 St John St, Bridlington YO16 7JS
10. The Old Star, Kilham,
What The Telegraph said: ‘The Old Star reflects the town insomuch as it is a place of unshowy quality, where good beer (and food) is taken as standard.’
Where You’ll Find it: Church St, Kilham, Driffield YO25 4RG
11. The Blue Bell, York
What The Telegraph said: ‘You know where you are at The Blue Bell. All the beer comes from Yorkshire, and there’s a (not very long) list of rules to abide by, the most important of which is not to turn up in a big group, because the pub is quite small (oh, and no mobile phone noise).
Where You’ll Find it: 53 Fossgate, York YO1 9TF
12. The Jenny Wren, Beal
What The Telegraph said: it ‘is a warm, fairly traditional pub, known for live music and homemade food, from bangers and mash to sea bass, plus various eccentric touches, from Christmas Jumper competitions to clairvoyant evenings.’
Where You’ll Find it: Main St, Beal, Goole DN14 0SS
13. The Swan, York
What The Telegraph said: ‘The Swan doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside it’s magic.
Where You’ll Find it: 16 Bishopgate St, York YO23 1JH
14. The Birch Hall Inn, Beck Hole
What The Telegraph said: ‘This is a must-visit pub, a real throwback where (due to connectivity issues) payment is by cash only and where the game of quoits is still played.
Where You’ll Find it: Beck Hole Rd, Beck Hole, Whitby YO22 5LE
15. The Craven Arms, Skipton
What The Telegraph said: ‘One of Yorkshire’s most famous pubs, the Craven Arms has the feel of a well-to-do country farmhouse, with open fires, flagstone floors, oodles of dark wood and the occasional piece of floral decoration.’
Where You’ll Find it: Appletreewick, Skipton BD23 6DA
16. The Tan Hill Inn, Richmond
What The Telegraph said: ‘The interior is very appealing in a traditional way: beams, wheelback chairs, flagstone floors and walls filled with pictures of the pub and the marvellous landscape around it.’
Where You’ll Find it: Long Causeway, Richmond DL11 6ED
17. The Queens Arms, Skipton
What The Telegraph said: ‘If there’s one thing that the people of Yorkshire appreciate, it’s a pie – and if there’s a second thing, it’s ale. High-quality versions of both are available at the Queen’s Arms, which is set in some of the most marvellous Yorkshire countryside you can imagine.’
Where You’ll Find it: Litton, Skipton BD23 5QJ
18. The George & Dragon, Hudswell
What The Telegraph said: ‘If you want to earn your beer at the George and Dragon, walk along the River Swale from Richmond. What starts as a gentle stroll culminates in a huge climb, one that forced me to have a few breathers – but, happily, there’s a beautiful pub at the top.‘
Where You’ll Find it: Hudswell Ln, Hudswell, Richmond DL11 6BL
19. The White Bear, Gun Bank
What The Telegraph said: ‘Most people turn left when they enter the White Bear, towards the dining room, but it pays to look the other way. On the right is a small but very appealing bar, tastefully laid out and overseen by the ferocious head and torso of a Polar Bear, which sits high above the back bar.’
Where You’ll Find it: The White Bear, Gun Bank, Masham, Ripon HG4 4EN
20. The Kelham Island Tavern, Sheffield
What The Telegraph said: ‘Sheffield is frequently described as England’s finest pub town (often, it must be said, by people from Sheffield) and it’s certainly up there. Probably its most famous beer-focused pub is the Kelham Island Tavern, which sits amidst the remnants of Sheffield’s industrial past in the north of the city centre. I’ve visited on a number of occasions over the years, and it has never let me down in terms of beer, atmosphere or snacks (a Scotch egg that cost, improbably, 98p, in 2016; an onion bhaji when I was there a year or so ago). The only possible issue is what to drink; there are 12 cask ales, all of them invariably in great condition, and plenty of keg options too. Not to be missed.’
Where You’ll Find it: 62 Russell Street, Sheffield S3 8RW
The other pubs featured in the list include:
- The Fat Cat, Sheffield
- The Bath Hotel, Broomhall
- The Sheffield Tap, Sheffield
- The Rutland Arms, Sheffield
- The Cutlers Arms, Rotherham
- The Little Plough, Doncaster
- The Coach & Horses, Barnburgh
- The Scarborough Arms, Tickhill
- The Corn Dolly, Bradford
- The Fighting Cock, Bradford
- Whitelock’s, Leeds
- The Cross Keys, Siddal
- The Fox & Goose, Hebden Bridge
- The Grove, Huddersfield
- The Cardigan Arms, Burley
- The Stair Inn, Linthwaite
- The Sportsman, Huddersfield
- The Hermit Inn, Burley in Wharfedale
- The Victoria & Commercial, Leeds
- The Grove Inn, Leeds
- The Big Six, Halifax
- The Royal Oak, Holmfirth
Check out the full list of The Telegraph’s best pubs in the UK here.
Read More: 8 Of The Oldest Pubs In Yorkshire You Need To Visit
