Charles XII in York

Mikey was an excellent server, would fully recommend a visit

Went in on Friday night, super friendly staff! Especially Mikey Great chatting to them as they pull pints!! Will be back soon!

Paige was friendly as a server and a bartender was frienldy too. The food was excellent, and the atmosphere was delightful. 5 stars!

Great pub - I have been visiting for years and I still find the service to be amazing. The manager has always been really lovely and me and my family will be back soon!

Unprofessional and Rude Management I’ve been a recurrent customer here, but after our recent visit, we won’t be returning. My group and I (all over 25) were treated with unwarranted hostility by the manager. When asked for our ID, we mentioned we would step outside to retrieve it and return shortly. Despite this, the manager began rolling her eyes at us. Once we returned with our ID, she escalated the situation unnecessarily—shouting at my entire group and ultimately asking us to leave. We’re reasonable people who value respectful communication, but instead, we were met with aggressive behavior. For clarity: everyone in our group had IDs, and we were not consuming food or drinks from elsewhere. We came with the intention of enjoying a beer at your establishment, as we have done many times before. It’s disappointing to see this level of unprofessionalism from a place we used to enjoy. Not coming back. International people and students are not welcome here.

Was served by a young gentlemen called Marc. He was very friendly and attentive to a rather large drink order. He handled my requests professionally and had a big smile on his face the whole time. Felt very well looked after due to his enthusiasm and was happy to go up and order with him again and again

Was served by a bar staff member called Marc. Delivered an efficient service with a smile and made sure i was adequately satisfied with the quality of my food and drinks. Remembered my drink order when I went up again so would thoroughly recommend. Will be returning here again shortly

Yesterday, my friends and I experienced a very strong case of xenophobia at this place. We were coming from university with some bottles of wine and leftover pizza from an event (we never opened them nor intended to consume them; we had them with us because we were all on bicycles and had no way to leave those items on them). The manager approached us, yelling and telling us that we had to leave because what we were doing was "illegal." We explained that we could put the items on the floor and that we hadn’t opened, consumed, or planned to consume them (in fact, most of the group was at the counter ordering beer and other items to consume). She then went over to the rest of the group, yelling the same thing and insisting we leave. We tried to explain the situation, but she didn’t care. She continued shouting at us and humiliating us in front of the entire bar, so we had to leave. We told her that her excessive anger only demonstrated disdain toward us. At one point, she repeatedly implied that we “probably didn’t understand what she was saying” and that “this is how the law works here.” All of us speak English, and of course, we understood her. We tried to resolve the situation in every possible way, but she just kept yelling and ultimately kicked us out of the place. It was extremely humiliating. We did absolutely nothing wrong. Seeing our foreign faces, she took advantage of the situation. I never want to return to this place again.

I went two times and both times I had bad experience with the staff. The first time I asked information about beers (I am new here and I don't know local beers)and the waiter looked bothered by the question and answered in a very condescending way, laughing with her colleague. Yesterday I was with friends ,we were coming from an event and we had few pizza boxes and 2 bottles of wine with us. We left them on the table without opening them and some of us went to order. We come back and we found the waiter shouting at our friends to leave immediately and that what we were doing was illegal and disrespectful. We tried to talk to the waiter telling her that she could have warned us and we would have put them immediately in our bags without problems and that our intention was not to consume them there. She didn't care and very rudely said many times that we were probably not understanding what she was saying (we are international students but everybody speaks and understands English) and that we were disrespectful and that "that's how things work here, I am sure you don't understand" assuming maybe that we come from Mars. Again, none of us was insisting for consuming our things, it was a very violent conversation in front of other clients as well. But I see from the reviews that it is not the first time this happens and the owner just keep replying "sorry you had a bad experience contact us if you want" but nothing ever changes. Sad. I am not coming back.

Harassment, xenophobia and humiliation. Terrible place and worst manager. Is there a governmental protocol for xenophobic behaviour? If there is, after several denounces, it must be activated in this place.

Why the waiters there are so rude? Last night I was there with some friends, we took 2 bottle of wines there because we just left from a party and don’t want to waste them but didn’t open them or drink them, we’re just talking and wait for other friends order foods and drinks in there. But! A waitress came and told us we need to leave immediately! Almost shout at us and very rude, left no room for us to explain but just said that otherwise she would throw out all of our things! And also! Before that, my friends said that we need to show our resident card to tell we’re over 18 but they didn’t ask that last time! We are all postgraduate students how can’t they tell we are not adult???? Very awful experience this time and will never go back again! Rude and unprofessional!

We came from a get-together with some friends, from which we brought some pizzas that were left over in some boxes and also some bottles that were left over. As we came by bike, we couldn't leave them on the bike, so we took it with us to the terrace, so they wouldn't steal it. We weren't eating or drinking, we just stood there, while some friends ordered drinks for all of us at the bar. A waitress came in a very rude manner, shouting at us, telling us that we had to leave NOW. She didn't give us a chance to explain, nor did he listen to us. We had to leave and cancel what we were ordering. We wondered if if the clients were English they would have been treated in the same way. We will not return. Very rude.

Delightful location on pretty Heslington village Main Street. We reserved a table for four at lunch. We had a selection of toasties and wraps with a free soft drink. Barman Miley was really friendly and competent and took great care to make sure some substitutions to our order were correct. He made sure we were happy with everything on two occasions during our meal. Fantastic service. The pub is sports and student oriented given its location next to the university but the warm and cosy authentic old-pub feel has not been lost. A great place to read the papers, meet friends and have something to eat.

Great service from Alfie, Marc and Isobel.

The Charles has never done me wrong. Between going to uni and living nearby I haven’t had a bad night, nor bad beer in the Charles. The only thing I did wish is that they had a few more ales on offer but the ones I’ve had have always been good, sports is on, double bonus, and the food is great, triple bonus. I know it’s a bit far removed from the centre but if you’re this end of town I whole-heartedly recommend you check into the Charles. The staff are spectacular too and will go to lengths to make your experience worthwhile, Mikey’s a good lad just as everyone else is, can’t go wrong really.

What an amazing experience! Went in to try the new Christmas menu and I had some lovely food and was served by a lovely gentleman John went kind and welcoming. Highly recommend the food

lovely bartenders - complimented scouse people 🤭

Great pub, great customer service, especially Ruby, Mark & Adam

excellent service from Ruby and Adam

Friendly bar staff, Brandon and libby are sound, good student deals

Great service Bar staff are really friendly Option for sport or not Great beer garden

Had the pleasure of Alfie serving us, couldn’t do enough for us

Had a great time here! Great atmosphere and lovely staff. Was served by Adam, very helpful and attentive. Would highly recommend!

Really well looked after by Matt.

Nice vibe. Mikey was very helpful and told us about the 2 dine for £20 deal.

MIKEY was straight fire and John was an incredible host. Would dine again 10/10

Enjoyed a good evening out here with friends. The cheeseburger was quite good. High praise for Mikey who was working behind the bar, he recommended great drinks and was pleasant to talk to.

Cosy pub, great staff, perfect service

Great pub with a cool atmosphere. Super friendly staff, had a great chat with Mikey.

I had a lovely time here aye it was great. Had a great lad, name was Adam who served. Top notch!!

Came in on Sunday and was served by Adam at the bar. He was lovely and attentive and recommend a nice wine to pair with my meal. Would definitely come back.

mikey at the bar was really good, great service

On my most recent visit to the Charles, the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming, making it the perfect spot for a relaxed evening. What truly stood out was the exceptional customer service, especially from a staff member named Mikey. He was incredibly friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. His warm approach really added to the overall experience, and he went above and beyond to make sure everyone felt welcome. Great service, delicious drinks, and a lovely atmosphere—I’ll definitely be coming back!

Woefully understaffed. Took over 45 mins for 2 sandwiches to arrive.

Alfie had a fantastic attitude, really made me feel welcome. 10/10, will definitely return.

Alfie’s service was impeccable, such a great server and made me feel really welcome, had a great time at this Pub!

The Charles is a brilliant place to eat and drink, the young man Alfie was a great server and helped us a lot.

Really nice place, good food, cheesy garlic bread and waffle fries are lovely. Alastair gave great service to our table.

One of the best Pubs in York area

I was served today by Alastair. Wow! What a serving performance. The way he handed out those beers reminded me made me feel a type of way that I haven’t felt since watching NHS Martial tear up the league. Wow oh wow warra server. 10/10 give him a pay raise

An absolutely lovely place with great food and beers and even better service. The people here are just so nice. We were served by John and had fun conversation with him. We had a fabulous time 😍

Great pub great service cheap prices. John is a lovely barman too!

Good value food, great pub for watching the sport. Good selection of beers.

It has lots of offers on for students , but none for the pub requlars ?? But steady away place Brandon & Nora are good nice helpful staff ! No it hasnt changed !

Paige gave great service and was very attentive to all our needs! Well done on your first shift 😀

Not a place I'd be eating again. Terrible food and weird combinations of food

I was served by josh and he was wonderful and very polite to the best of his abilities

Best sport pub to watch a match. It's very close to the University of York. Staff are friendly and helpful. Many different type of beer and good cask ale. They also have student discount

Josh A gave us great service and was very accommodating. The food was good and reasonably priced

Great price for pub food. Lots of space, excellent service

Amazing as always with service and to bring my friends! Ruby and Alastair were especially welcoming throughout! :)

Ruby served us and she was so friendly and professional! Amazing service and lovely atmosphere.

Good lunch deal includes drinks. Order by app. Speedy service Good Armosphere

Visited the other day with some friends for a spontaneous drink and a meal out and had a lovely time! There’s a great selection of drinks to choose from, both alcoholic and non, with the food being tasty and served at prompt speeds. Our server Mikey was great - very friendly and willing to help with any questions we had. Will definitely visit again!

We booked for our daughters graduation meal. On arrival, the waitress (R) said we could either order at the bar or on the app. We ordered on the app. Starters and mains arrived together and R said quite bluntly we had made a mistake on the app, so we just accepted it. Then one of the meals had coleslaw missing, so we asked R to check. She came back and said there was no coleslaw and that was the problem with ordering on the app. She was rude and unhelpful saying "what" 3 times when I said you told me to book on the app. Other customers were as shocked as we were with her rudeness. I asked her to get an alternative to the coleslaw. A short while later, another waiter came out with some peas. I asked him to ask the manager to speak to us when we finished our meal. He came back and said the manager would be over. The manager never arrived. As it was supposed to be a special day, we left without any more fuss. I have never been spoken to so rudely by a waitress before. It was unbelievable. Food was OK, but service was shocking and put a real downer on our special day. I felt sorry for the waiter who was only on his second day in the job and was clearly uncomfortable with how R had behaved.

Friendly bar staff for sure, but ordering using the app is a pain and doesn't really work. Someone forgot all our drinks and took ages to bring them.and for what you get, it's really pricey. £12 more or less for scampi n chips that looks more like off a kid menu in another pub. Nice beer garden, but not great food.

Ruby was cool. Awesome service 11/10 would drink again

Student and local pub with tvs. Enjoyed the mixed appy plate, scampi Chicken chunks and nachos. TTLandlord beer. Nice beer garden.

Very nice garden good selection of beers.

Ruby gave amazing service 😜, so lovely! Deserves a raise xxx

We had a wonderful lunchtime visit here after my son’s graduation. Great food, very friendly barman (John) and lovely atmosphere. Reasonably priced food and drinks too, would thoroughly recommend!

Nice pub in the heart of heslington. This is in a quiet area near York, but there is a good hubbub about the place.

The Charles Xll is a traditional village pub. There is a good selection of beers, lager and cider, including two hand pulled cask conditioned real ales, which were in excellent condition when i visited. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The pub has outside seating in the garden, and is dog friendly.

The Lodge Care Home. We’d like thank all the staff at the Charles XII. We are a Residential Dementia Care Home and during our visit we were looked after so well, with kindness and consideration. The staff were amazing and the food was great. Our residents, their families had a lovely afternoon lunch in the garden. Thank you again, we’ll be back again soon.

Very friendly service, good value good and drinks, and my husband had the best steak he's had in a long time. Ruby, who served us, was lovely and friendly.

A wonderfully atmospheric pub inside with a great garden with lots of additional seating with tables, perfect for those rare hot summer days. The staff went over and beyond to help me select a dish that met my dietary requirements. The food was deliciously fresh with generous portions. Definitely worth a visit.

Great place, Zoe was a really helpful, friendly member of staff. 5star service

Standard pub food. They'd run out of a couple of things which was frustrating. Very busy and not a lot of staff.

Ordered a beef burger and received a chicken burger. No attempt made to fix the mistake when pointed out.

Deputy manager was very rude and manager also.

Atmosphere 10/10 on matchday. Great place for a pint. Bit pricey but fair.

Large space, inside & out. Good selection of drinks. Food & drink are competitively priced, too.

Great wee pub / restaurant on tge edge of York - next to the Uni. Good outdoor space too.

Always come here when in York- great, friendly service from Ree today, thank you 😊

Great pub, Hannah was very helpful

Went looking around the university today and mentioned it. Staff were so lovely and helpful!! We had such a long chat with waitress Ree about her experience at uni and Brandon wrote a list of best student night out destinations including post codes!! Friendliest staff

The food was amazing. The people were soooo helpful and genuinely nice especially our server Ree who was amazing.

A Royal Rumble of Flavour at Charles XII Pub! If you're looking for a place where the burgers are as fiery as the Battle of Narva and the staff are as welcoming as a hug from your nan, then march your troops down to Charles XII pub in York. Trust me, it's worth the expedition. From the moment you step through the doors, you're greeted with smiles so bright, you'd think you've just walked into a toothpaste commercial. The staff at Charles XII are not just friendly; they're your instant best mates who just happen to pour pints and whip up a feast. Speaking of feasts, let's talk about the culinary genius that is Emily. She's not just cooking burgers; she's crafting flavour bombs that could easily qualify as a royal decree. One bite of her smoking hot burgers, and your taste buds are on a joyride to Blissville. It's like every burger she serves is staging a taste revolution on your tongue, overthrowing the mundane meals of your past. And the kids? Let’s just say, if our little princesses and knights had their way, the Charles XII would be our new dining hall, crowned by nothing less than Emily’s majestic menu. They've been enchanted by the children's menu to the point of pledging allegiance to the House of Charles XII, vowing to return with the loyalty of miniature medieval monarchs. Overall, whether you're a burger aficionado, a pint pundit, or just in it for the cheerful banter, Charles XII proves itself to be a stronghold of good times and great food. So gather your merry men and women, and make a pilgrimage to this pub. Because at Charles XII, every night feels like you've won the battle of fun!

One of the amazing Pub in York. Love the food, their service is amazing 🤩

Good pub, fair prices and service is done well. Waffle fries were amazing, brownie was nice too. Kia was great at serving!

It was a great spot our Server Mikey was really cool

they are so bloody slow and then when your food doesn’t come and you ask for it they tell you the kitchen is closed and then bring out more food?? good luck getting a refund!! RUDE

Had a great visit to the charles and was seen to by the lovely and charming Adam. He made sure everyone in our party was happy and satisfied with their meals and the food and atmosphere were great. Will definitely be returning soon.

A large group of us held a 21st birthday celebration at the Charles. The service was brilliant as always, the staff so polite and efficient. Nora and her team do an amazing job keeping everyone happy! The food was excellent, we had a range of dishes and they were all delicious and very well presented. I would highly recommend a visit here, try the new menu and enjoy the beautiful beer garden!

Lovely pint and Bit of food today served by teigan lovely pub

Quick service, good venue and great selection. Staff were really friendly in particular a lad named Alastair

Had a great experience watching the boxing this evening at the Charles. Great service from all the staff especially Alastair, really quick with clearing our table!

The food was good value for money and our server Mikey was lovely and made sure we had everything we asked for. Lovely outdoor area that’s perfect for enjoying the sun, would definitely recommend

Mikey was great as our server on our friends birthday! 5 stars!!!

Matt, our beloved. Very helpful and attentive

Great service, been here many times. Very impressed with server Matt.

Great visit, Matt was particularly attentive and helpful, fantastic service.

Used to be a great place to go. Unfortunately prices have increased quite dramatically over the past few months. We also had an incident being kicked out half way through the World Cup final game as we weren’t allowed in the area without ID’s despite not drinking and some of us having IDs. Manager I believe is not fond of students.

Hannah and the team were fab. Mixed grill was divine

Great food, great atmosphere, amazing student deals our server “Matt” was incredible efficient and friendly he was perfect 10/10 you could feel his smile even from Italy

Great atmosphere. Lovely and quick service by the charming “Matt”. Our food was delivered and checked on in a polite manner. Lovely to see great service. Karaoke had a great atmosphere and was well run and the staffing was friendly. The fudge cake had raisins in which was off putting and I don’t believe included in the menu. But was otherwise nice and delivered quick. Bar staff were friendly and quick too.

Great food, lovely staff. Best fish I have had in a while!

We have been going in here for years as a large group after kids football and we always take parents and players from around Yorkshire here until yesterday when John decides to have a go at visiting parents (one grandfather aged 87) for sitting on a non reserved table that was apparently sectioned off as there was internal painting going on at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon inside. All 29 of us stayed and spent a lot of money and 2 of the staff took offence to us questioning why we couldnt sit there and the fact it wasnt sectioned off when we walked in. The staff then decided to be rude to us for the remainder of the day. We then heard the stand in manager John tell the kitchen staff to tell a customer they had none of a paticular item left as they were too busy. Never again will we go in again which is a shame as some of the staff are really nice. Apologies for the negativity but its the truth. To think we dismissed a friends daughter being bit by a rotweiller in the beer garden last year also is not a nice way to be treated.

Lovely pub, great atmosphere and good student deals. Server Matt was great, served us fast and was very friendly.

Recently I had a lovely experience being catered to by “Matt”. He always checked on our food and asked if everything was all good. He also helped me use my MixR code at the bar. Provided service with a smile