What Ye Olde Starre Inne is, and why people seek it out

The pub is a timber-framed building whose main block dates from the 16th century, with a wing added around 1600, and it was trading as The Starre by 1644. Its own history runs through the English Civil War: the pub says it served as a hospital and mortuary for wounded soldiers, and a heritage account places that use in its old cellar. If you like a building with a story attached, that is the draw as much as the beer.

The 'oldest pub in York' label needs a little care. The pub calls itself the oldest in the city, while a heritage account gives the more precise claim that it is the oldest with a continuous documented licence. That account also notes the licence sign has hung over Stonegate since 1733. That is a fair way of putting it: old, yes, and Grade II listed, but the superlative comes with an asterisk.

There is also a ghost-tour flavour to the place, with tales of a Royalist officer, two black cats bricked into the walls and an old lady on the stairs, and the pub has a cameo in Susanna Clarke's novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Take the stories as pub folklore rather than fact, but they explain why the passage and cellar get more than their share of curious visitors.

Where it is: off Stonegate, under the sign

You will not see the pub from the street. The sign hangs over Stonegate, and you walk down a narrow passage beside it into a courtyard where the entrance sits. Stonegate is in the heart of the old city, close to the Shambles and Barley Hall, so the pub is squarely in the middle of things rather than on the edge.

That hidden entrance is part of the appeal and part of the trap: first-timers walk past it, so look up for the sign rather than scanning at eye level. If you are meeting someone, agree on the passage mouth on Stonegate as the meeting point, because the lane is easy to miss from either direction.

Getting there on foot from the Minster and the station

From York Minster the walk is short and flat: head south through the lanes towards Stonegate and you are there in minutes, which makes the pub a natural stop after the Minster or a wander along the walls. From York railway station the walk is longer but still manageable on foot, roughly twenty minutes across the river and into the old centre.

The centre of York is pedestrianised and congested, so walking beats driving for this one. If you arrive by car, use a park-and-ride or a city-centre car park and walk into the old centre rather than trying to drive right up to the pub.

Inside: panelling, an old staircase and a roomy bar

Inside is a spacious bar area rather than a cramped old boozer, with historic features surviving the pub's many renovations, including an early 18th-century staircase, 17th-century panelling and 19th-century glasswork. Look for those details as you order; they are the reason the building feels older than the menu.

The pub is wheelchair accessible and has free Wi-Fi, so it works for a longer sit as well as a quick pint. It is family-friendly, which means you can bring children, though the atmosphere shifts towards drinkers later in the evening.

The courtyard and three terraces, with the Minster in view

Behind the bar the pub opens out into a courtyard and three beer gardens or terraces, which is unusual for a building this old in the middle of York. The outdoor space is the reason to come on a sunny afternoon: you get a proper suntrap with a view towards the gothic towers of York Minster rather than a bench on a traffic-heavy street.

In colder or wetter months the terraces lose their pull and the indoor bar gets busy, so the trade-off is simple: come for the garden in good weather, and book ahead for the indoor rooms when it rains. Ask about reserving an outdoor table when you book, and arrive ahead of the lunch and early-evening peaks if the garden is the point of the trip.

Food: pub classics and dietary options

The menu is traditional pub fare: hand-battered fish and chips, pies, burgers and a Sunday roast with the usual trimmings, plus vegan, vegetarian and non-gluten-containing options. The pub also runs seasonal specials, so the board changes through the year rather than staying fixed. Expect solid, freshly cooked pub food rather than fine dining, and order accordingly.

For Sunday lunch, the roast is the dish to aim for, and booking is the sensible move because weekend tables go quickly. If you have dietary needs, say so when you book rather than at the table, so the kitchen can plan.

Drinks: what is on the bar

As a Greene King house, the bar leans on the brewery's own beers, including Flint Eye, Prior Life and Greene King IPA, alongside a wider range of draught and bottled options. That means reliable, well-kept beer in a historic setting rather than a rotating craft tap list.

If you want a more beer-led session, York has other options: Brew York has its own taproom and brewery out on the Osbaldwick Industrial Estate, while Trembling Madness pours an eclectic range in a Georgian mansion in the centre. Use Ye Olde Starre Inne for the history and the garden, and those for a deeper beer list.

Opening hours and serving times

The pub publishes its hours by day: generally 11am to 11pm Monday to Thursday, 11am to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 11am to 10.30pm on Sunday, with food served from late morning until around 9pm. Treat these as a guide rather than gospel, because seasonal changes and bank holidays shift them.

Check the pub's own page on the day you plan to go, especially if you are travelling for a Sunday roast or arriving late in the evening. If you are making a day of it in York, the city's other attractions are worth pairing with the pub rather than trying to cram everything into one afternoon.

Bookings, access and who it suits

You can book a table online through the pub's site, and for Sunday lunch or a larger group it is worth doing so, since a historic pub in the middle of the tourist centre fills fast. For a drink in the bar, ask the pub or check the booking page about whether you need to reserve ahead at peak times.

The pub suits families, dog owners and wheelchair users, thanks to its dog-friendly policy, accessible facilities and free Wi-Fi, and it is a sensible stop for a mixed group who want a bit of history with their lunch. It is less suited to anyone looking for a quiet, locals-only pint or a cutting-edge beer list.

Honest trade-offs

Stonegate is one of the busiest lanes in York, so expect a tourist-heavy crowd, queues at peak lunchtimes and a certain amount of noise in the courtyard. The building's age is genuine, but the corporate ownership means the offer is consistent rather than adventurous, and the dining room can feel more like a chain pub than its panelling might suggest.

If that trade-off does not suit you, the good news is that York is small. The Blue Bell, York is a classic, compact alehouse with a very different atmosphere, and it is worth comparing before you commit to one pub for the evening.

What is nearby for the rest of your day

The pub sits close to Barley Hall, a restored medieval house, and to the Shambles, the overhanging street that most visitors come to see. Both are within a couple of minutes on foot, so you can eat here and then walk straight on into the rest of the old town.

Allow around an hour to an hour and a half for a meal and a pint, more if you want to sit in the garden on a fine day. If you are ticking off York's food and drink stops, Brew York, York and York's Chocolate Story are both a short walk or bus ride away for a different kind of visit.

Is Ye Olde Starre Inne worth the detour?

Yes, if you want a pint in a genuinely old building with a courtyard and a Minster view, and you are happy with dependable pub food rather than a destination menu. It is best as a lunch stop or an early-evening drink in the middle of a day in York, booked ahead if Sunday lunch is the plan.

Skip it if you want a quiet local, a serious beer list or a table without tourists around you; in that case, plan around a smaller alehouse and come back here on a weekday instead. Either way, check the hours on the pub's own page before you set out.