Royal Oak

You'll find the Royal Oak tucked away on Goodramgate, one of York's most characterful medieval streets, and it's exactly what a city pub should be. The kind of place where regulars prop up the bar and the staff know what you drink before you ask. There's a focus on proper cask ales—the sort of thing that matters to people who care about beer—and the atmosphere is genuinely unpretentious. No gastropub airs, no craft cocktail menus, just honest drinking and good company in a space that feels lived-in and welcoming.