Jalou York

You head down to Micklegate and find Jalou tucked away where it feels like a proper local haunt rather than another tourist trap. The cocktails are genuinely well-made—they're not messing about with gimmicks or oversized garnishes, just solid spirits work and the kind of attention to detail you'd expect from somewhere that takes its craft seriously. It's the sort of place where you can rock up for a Friday night with mates or settle into something quieter midweek, and the crowd shifts accordingly without losing its character.