The York Tap-Review

Handy for commuters

Set just next to the railway station, the moment you come in from the harsh winter chill you are welcomed by a large, spacious area with open fires, stained glass windows and a big glass domed roof. 32 different taps adorn the wide circular bar around which the pub is centred. There are places in which quantity comes at the price of sacrificing quality, but this is certainly not the case at The York Tap.

Each and every one of the bar's cask ales, some of which are unique to this pub, comes from some of the finest breweries around, such as England's very own Thornbridge and Dark Star, as well as several international beers from USA, Belgium and more. The different flavours of beer available ensure one is able to try radically different tastes for an entire evening. There are IPAs, stouts, bitters, beer with chili and one that simply tasted like a glass of toffee, as well as many, many more.

Cider lovers are also catered for, as well as those looking to try something a bit different, the Cantillon Raspberry lambic beer showing that fruity beers needn't taste like someone dropped a bag of sugar into a bottle of Tizer. As if this weren't enough, the bar's bottled beer selection is virtually unrivalled, with fridges stacked with bottles from all around the world, offering a wide variety of some of the highest quality bottled beers there are. The menu for these reads like a wine list, full of detailed descriptions of each beer, meaning almost anyone will be able to find something they like. My own personal recommendation would be the Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale, a rich yet crisp and hoppy brew, perfect on a cold November's evening.

Having visited The York Tap three times since it opened (all in the name of journalism, of course) what has also struck me is the rapidity with which the stock changes. Even from my first to my second visit, most of the beers I had seen were no longer there, replaced by other equally fantastic ales. This high turnover shows the place's already immense popularity and ensures each pint served is served fresh, as all good cask ale should be. The variation in stock from visit to visit also shows that the management here give a lot of thought and consideration to the beers they serve, guaranteeing their customers quality beer every time they come here.

York residents are already spoilt for choice when it comes to great pubs; Pivní, The House of Trembling Madness and Brigantes just to name a few, but the kingpin of all of these now must surely be The York Tap. The sheer size and scale of a project like this is certain to cement York's reputation as one of the best towns for beer in the country, with a lot of visiting tourists now unlikely to make it any further into the city than the station platform on which this pub sits. I will never have to resent a wait at York station due to a delayed train ever again.

This being a review, I almost feel obliged to say something negative about the place, so I will end this article by complaining about the fact that each time I have been here, I have ended up spending far more money than anticipated. York's lovers of good beer have gained something truly special in The York Tap.

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