Harry Hotspur

Walk down Micklegate towards the city walls and you'll find Harry Hotspur doing exactly what a local pub should: serving decent pints without trying too hard. There's nothing Instagram-bait about the place—it's all sticky floors, worn leather, and the sort of regulars who've probably occupied the same stool since 2003. You come here because the pints are consistent, the staff know what they're doing, and nobody's going to charge you £8 for a gin that tastes like a craft project gone wrong. The 4.4-star rating speaks to a place that's genuinely solid rather than showy.