Numberfour Wine Bar, Pickering

Situated on Pickering’s Market Place, this lively watering hole promises a fun, affordable evening out. Numberfour stocks a variety of drinks, including local beers, lagers, wine, spirits and classic cocktails. This contemporary bar really comes into its own after dark, when you can listen to live music, unleash your inner diva with karaoke or even learn a new skill at a cocktail making masterclass. A Tripadvisor review says: ‘ [I] Love dropping in here for a glass or two of wine. [Numberfour is] a deceptively large place inside [with] TV screens around if you want to keep an eye on sporting events taking place. Music [is] also played which adds to the general sense of a night out.’

Chapter Two Bar, Malton

Residing in a characterful 16th century building that was once a coaching inn, Chapter Two Bar opened its doors in 2016 and is now one of Malton’s most popular venues to enjoy a night out. This informal bar has an inviting, country-style interior with its own accommodation, which has even appeared on Channel 4’s Four in a Bed. You’ll find an impressive array of soft and alcoholic drinks on the menu here, including spirits, liqueurs and cocktails, as well as wines and beers. Chapter Two also serves food and you can accompany your drinks with toasties, sandwiches and nachos, or tuck into a hearty three course lunch here on Sundays. A Google review says: ‘[Chapter Two has] a great atmosphere. You feel at home – [I] think it’s due to a lovely light fire, chatty staff and cosy sitting areas.’

Helmsley Brewing Co, Helmsley

A must for true beer enthusiasts, this micro brewery in Helmsley crafts its own artisan beers on site. If you’d like to learn more about the brewing process, or try some of the best beers the North York Moors has to offer, you can take a guided tour here. This costs £8 and includes a pint at the end. Alternatively, if you’re just hoping for a relaxed drink, you can sit in the bar or its sunny beer garden and enjoy fresh draught or bottled beer, Czech pilsner, cider, gin, vodka or wine. The Helmsley Brewing Co. are known for their Honeyed Golden Ale, Classic Yorkshire Bitter and Howardian Gold. If you can’t decide which beer to try, though, you can sample three with a ‘tasting paddle’ featuring a trio 1/3 sized glasses. A Tripadvisor review says: ‘On a wet and rather miserable evening it was a pleasure to pop into this brewery tap. The young man on duty was most welcoming and, as you would hope in a brewery, was most knowledgeable and informative re. the cask ales on tap. The beers we had were absolutely top class.’

The Dawnay Arms, West Heslerton

Located in the village Of West Heslerton, just outside of Malton, the Dawnay Arms is a great place to stop off if you’re walking the Wolds Way or have spent an afternoon at Castle Howard. This traditional pub is owned by husband-and-wife team Simon Hatton and Jessica Tarver, who took over running it in 2019. Here, you’ll find delicious food and drink along with comfortable rooms to stay in. The Dawnay Arms boasts a large selection of wines, beers and spirits with mixers, which can be drunk in front of an open fire in the pub’s wood panelled restaurant. A Tripadvisor review says: ‘I ate at this lovely little pub for the first time the other week. I was offered a table by the fire so I could warm up which I thought was a lovely gesture, and offered a drink immediately which was then delivered promptly (despite it being quite busy). There is lots of choice on the menu and all the food is homemade. [The Dawnay is] well worth a visit, I would recommend it 100%.’

Omni, Malton

Located in Malton’s picturesque town centre, this family-run bar serves cocktails and a Yorkshire-inspired take on tapas. You’ll find all of your favourite cocktails here, like Aperol spritz, amaretto sour, negroni and espresso martini. Omni also sells beers and lagers such as Staropramen, Belhaven Black, Stella Artois and Ice Breaker Pale Ale, or Stowford Press cider. The bar’s food menu features a variety of small plates that are designed for sharing and grazing. There are plenty of vegetarian, vegan and meat and fish options – all of which are made with seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. These include cauliflower cheese fritters with Yorkshire fettle and truffle, chorizo in cider or baked crayfish, lobster and gruyère gnocchi. A Tripadvisor review says: ‘There simply is nowhere else to go in Malton… The choice and quality of beer is superior to any of the local pubs. The food is just perfect [and] the overall feeling is one of friendliness and efficiency. These people know what they’re about.’

The Grapes Inn, Slingsby

This quintessential country pub can be found in the village of Slingsby, on the edge of the Howardian Hills. The Grapes resides in a Grade II listed building with deeds going back to 1759, when it was described as a cottage with a brew house. Nowadays, the pub’s flawless interior makes the most of this history, enhancing its period features with mood lighting, old paintings and roaring log fires. The Grapes offers a warm welcome to visitors from far and wide, including walkers and those with dogs. Its well-stocked bar offers a particularly good range of beers, with ever-changing specials and guest ales – it even appears in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide for 2023. When it comes to food, The Grapes serves up satisfying pub classics that are fairly priced and on Sundays you can treat yourself to a Neapolitan-style pizza that’s been cooked in the pub’s wood fired oven. A Google review says: ‘[The Grapes is] split into three main rooms each, with their own extraordinary decoration [and has a] nice bar with local spirits and beers. The menu is varied and the food tastes amazing! I suggest it to anyone travelling through.’

Two Burgate Cafe Bar, Pickering

This modern cafe bar in Pickering describes itself as the ‘place to be for good banter, gin and food.’ Two Burgate serves whiskies, ciders, beers and wines, but its real speciality is gin. You’ll find an outstanding selection from all around the world here, including bottles from local distilleries like Whitby Gin, Cooper King, Sloemotion and Masons. If you’re feeling peckish, the cafe offers delicious home cooked food with options such as stone baked pizza or a mouthwatering sharing platter with cheese and charcuterie. You can even watch the world go by if you dine in one of its window seats, which offer great views of Pickering’s town centre. A Tripadvisor review says: ‘What a find! This cosy gin bar [is] going to go far…With an ever-increasing range of gins, including a parma violet gin liqueur which is to die for – and bottled Yorkshire Sparkle from the Treboom Brewery, plus a good selection of hot drinks, there really is something for everyone. This may have been my first visit here but it definitely won’t be the last!’

Royal Oak Inn, Gillamoor

Built in the 17th century, this historic, family-run hotel can be found in the North York Moors National Park, above Kirkbymoorside. The Royal Oak offers real Yorkshire hospitality and serves beers from local breweries including Helmsley Brewing Co., Great Newsome, York Brewery and Black Sheep. You can try one of Miss Mollies gins, which are flavoured like sweet shop favourites, or on cooler days you can warm up with one of the Royal Oak’s many liqueur coffees or enjoy a hot dinner, made with meat and vegetables produced in Easingwold, Wetherby and Pickering. A Tripadvisor review says: ‘[We received] a warm welcome from Margaret and her team in this homely olde worlde pub. The Black Sheep ale was as good as ever and it was just wonderful to chill next to the fire amongst other guests [and] chat with good people around us. Dinner did not disappoint [and] we ended a wonderful evening with Baileys and Cointreau nightcaps.’

Images: @chaptertwobarmalton @thelibrarymalton @thegrapesinnslingsby