The Golden Ball in York

The Golden Ball is a traditional Victorian backstreet local. The interior was altered and improved in 1929 it is thought to be the most complete surviving interwar scheme by John Smith's and is grade ll listed. There is a wide variety of beers, lagers, and cider, including five hand pulled cask conditioned real ales. The ones that we sampled on our visit were in excellent condition. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. This lovely cosy multi-room pub has board games and a bar billiards table in the front room. The pub has a nice outside seating area and is dog friendly. A visit is highly recommended.

Cómo debería ser un pub. Gran elección de cerveza y personal bien informado que estaba entusiasmado con lo que estaban vendiendo. Cuatro habitaciones individuales todas decoradas de manera diferente y un precioso jardín patio. No te puedes perder si te gusta una cerveza agradable.

Fantástico pub, un ambiente tan acogedor y una gran sensación de comunidad. El personal también era muy amable y servicial. Hicimos el concurso de pub que fue genial - un montón de diversión y el nivel justo para nosotros. Yo diría que mi única decepción de toda la noche es que el cuestionario fue anunciado para comenzar a las 8 pm, pero no comenzó hasta pasada la mitad, que por lo general habría estado bien, pero me había apresurado a llegar aquí y sacrificado una comida adecuada de antemano! Aparte de eso nos lo pasamos muy bien.

Atmospheric and traditional pub

A pub with great character and friendly staff. Worth a visit if you are in the area and fancy a pint

The best pub in York? Community owned. Good beers. Free range eggs. Cosy corners. Winner.

A fantastic pub. Visited many times and it is always superb. Just how pubs should be.

This place has bar billards. I haven't eaten here

Used to be a staple post-race venue away from the hustle and bustle with very friendly and welcoming staff and patrons. Now up its own arse and turning down repeat business, tarring all post race-goers with the same brush. Shame.

Good beers on tap, friendly staff. Nice beer garden and also dog friendly.

No vivo en York, pero esta es mi segunda vez en The Golden Ball y se ha convertido en mi pub favorito en la ciudad (lo que está diciendo algo, ya que hay un montón de grandes pubs en York). Una empresa cooperativa comunitaria, con cerveza bien cuidada, personal amable, decoración atractiva (estilo boozer victoriano apropiado) , juegos de mesa y un paquete de tarjetas detrás de la barra. A unos pocos cientos de metros del corazón del centro medieval de la ciudad, pero siempre tan ligeramente fuera de los caminos trillados, por lo que espero que sea inmune a las despedidas de soltero y soltera que parecen pastar por otras partes de la ciudad. ¿Qué no te gusta?

Boring. You can start improving by putting a mirror in the ladies toilet because it is a must. Also the socialist worker poster in the garden room seems boring. It needs some neo gothic ambience there. Clocks colours are too gray. The performances are also not good and extremely boring. Pub area is too small. It also needs to consider capitalist people and vibes. Maybe also put elon musk poster next to the socialist poster so it is all inclusive? Can start with some zaha hadid design architecture and neo interior design furniture. Ambience is too narrow and not stylish. Needs to be futuristic too. Can also look at the inner space station to get some ideas?

Always a good place for a few beers, well worth a visit 😉

Loved it, so encouraging to see that the local community bought the pub. Lovely selection of beer, ale, bitter ect, I will Defo call in again when in York. A must visit

Cracking little local pub with a lovely beer garden.

Love the Golden Ball. Friendly staff, lovely atmosphere and as an Irish person I can confirm the Guinness is good

Superb hidden gem of a pub with brilliant beer.

Hidden Gem, found this by luck and we come when we can. As its wonderful.

Great tradition bar with a good range of beers

Good friendly pub near the city centre and not hugely expensive considering..

A fabulous convivial atmosphere! Delicious drinks, superb company, and delightful music... We will definitely be joining in again, as soon as possible!

Great local community pub serving a fine selection of beer, really friendly bar staff and fantastic atmosphere Also they have some superb gig nights

Great community run pub, with excellent real ales.

Kicked out for drinking our own drinks in the beer garden - understood from a business perspective but the presumed landlord was incredibly rude, accused us of doing so the week before, and kicked us out claiming that it was the law to do so, when that is not the case. Obviously would agree with the drinks being confiscated but the way we were treated in the situation was appalling.

Ace community owned pub, serving local beer and nice atmosphere. It's not a food place (but they do usual crisps etc and pork pie type things), and there's sometimes events on like music nights and things, but I've always felt very welcome here.

Atmospheric and historic pub, unspoilt with different rooms and a snug still in place. Real fires and Great ales. The sorry if pub you want to settle down in and not move all evening.

One of the best pubs in York! Unique atmosphere where you can share time with locals. We'll be back!

This pub is absolutely lovely, great charm, very rustic. Has a great selection of beers, ales, wines and spirits. How pubs should be, a little gem.

Great pub , busy on a wet Thursday evening, good range of bears

This is one of those pubs that feels like a hug. Incredibly warm atmosphere. Good selection of cask, ale and wine and spirits etc. The staff are all easy to talk to and the pub boasts a wonderful interior with a nostalgic feel. The beer garden is great all year round on the live music and events they have on our spectacular. I'd particularly recommend the open mic nights on Mondays.

We used to love this pub, but there are always lots of kids and I wish they had a 'no children after 5pm' policy, or something. We have stopped going as we don't really want an atmosphere where people's toddlers are around us all the time. We keep popping in and trying, but it's always the case, doesn't matter what time it is. I know the parents think their little darlings are adorable, but not all adults on an evening out want this kind of atmosphere. I've been there, done that and my kids were at home in bed what they were little, not on a night out with me. Sorry, I know some may disagree, but it just ruins the pub for us.

Nice beer and a good atmosphere.

Such a relaxed atmosphere! Different rooms. Cosy!

The Golden Ball is a real hidden gem in York, situated in a quiet residential area just outside the City centre and close to the Bar Walls. A traditional Victorian corner pub which was taken over by the local community as York's first co-op pub. It's gone from strength to strength over the years and has been beautifully renovated. Choose from one of the many cosy rooms to make yourself at home and work your way through their superb range of local cask ales, they even have their own house beer brewed by Ainsty Ales which was on top form. There are some rather old school outside toilets to contend with but the long partially covered beer garden is a real joy even in Autumn! All in all along with the welcoming friendly atmosphere it surly makes this one of the best traditional pubs in York, well worth a visit.

Fantastic back street local pub with an excellent ale selection. Friendly and knowledgeable staff and nice other customers to boot!

Great community pub, they could be a bit more adventurous on the beer choice but appreciate they want to support local suppliers.

A fabulous hidden gem. Well worth a visit if you enjoy a quiet pint in a quaint backwater pub.

Myself and my new boyfriend visited this establishment for a delicious Sunday roast. There were several options for Cecil to choose from and I enjoyed the lamb. Superb.

One of the best unspoilt pubs in York.....and there are some really good ones in this magnificent city....the interior is thankfully unchanged since year dot, feels really good…Monday ‘open mic’ is probably the very best in York…🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Busy local community-run pub. Decent selection of drinks. Nice open fire.

Lovely local pub, nice selection of beers.

Just arrived in York. First pub. Awesome!!

Seems to be a local hangout. A customer inside recommended the Golden Ball Pale. Excellent recommendation!

Great local pub, great service from the staff and the beer is always high quality. As a real local pub there is loads going on to get involved with. If you want something off the beaten track then try the Golden Ball.

Amazing community pub, events on regularly

Great old fashioned pub, spooky story told by one of the locals about a young boy dressed in school uniform haunting the pub. Lovely staff, highly recommend a visit.

Good little pub away from the hoards of tourists with good beer selections

Lovely local bar with a range of events. Tuesday quiz is great.

Great community pub. Warm, inviting atmosphere, both the staff and customers made us feel right at home. We'll certainly return when back in the UK.

Guinness was lovely, it came recommended and it didn't let me down. Nice quiet atmosphere, just perfect.

Friendly local pub, with a good beer garden and fun quiz night on Tuesdays

Crisps were delicious, beer was delicious, staff were sound, music was cracking, punters were friendly, and the pub had a fantastically authentic air to it. The best boozer in York

Great old style pub with a good range of beers and friendly staff. Definitely recommend a visit!

Great pub. Do live music on Tuesdays. Nice little beer garden through the back with heaters above most tables too so it's still nice in winter. :) They even offer two types of non-alcoholic drinks (Heineken and another I can't remember). They even have some bike parking outside.

Wow, what a fantastic surprise. Happened past it, thpught I'd give it a shot, and it was incredible. Great staff, great atmosphere. Real local neighbourhood pub. Can't wait to go back. Best pub in York so far!

Good old fashioned English pub. Good beer at reasonable prices Enjoyable visit.

Great range of ales. Lots of eccentric characters.

Fantastic, real, community driven with best beer choice in the city. Would make me want to live in York or Bishophill specifically just to have as a local. Great work and will see you again in December.

Lovely local pub,great beer garden.

Happened across this pub and wow..so jealous of the locals. Fabulous atmosphere great beer....so wish it was near me....

A friendly pub with a good selection of beers

Fantastic atmosphere and excellent beers. We'll worth a visit

Great traditional pub nestled a street or two inside the old walls - always worth a visit for a distinctly British social drink.

Co-op pub with great beer and great people!

Cosy atmosphere and good drink too. Open mic nights are a laugh as well, especially after a long day.

Fantastic community run pub, great cask beers. Went especially for the DJ night and the music was excellent.

I love this pub.!A proper unspoilt community local. Always a decent selection of different beers, always a good atmosphere and not full of tourists

Ten stars. Community run pub. 5 local ales on tap. Great beer garden. Great rooms for a chat. We need more pubs like this

Best pub quiz I've done in ages!

Busy pub in traditional old style - open fire, snug, bar, lounge. Outside there are tables with parasols, ideal for smokers. Wide choice of ales.

Brilliant atmosphere and very friendly staff and customers

Lovely vibe, wonderful staff, and a good selection of beers on offer.

Very nice building, like it being a co-op, only a half-decent cider on.

In my opinion, this is the best pub in York.

Cosy, friendly, old school boozer. Perfect!

Proper pub unlike many city centre offerings, it serves great beer, nice crowd, traditional pub, delicious pork pies and chilled atmosphere

Oh my god, I love this place. Went ice skating and they gave me a free ice skate. Only thing is I fell over in garden and hit my head on a pillowcase. Oops! I probably had one too many ginger beers, but I am ginger so it’s fine.

🇲🇽 Excellent place to have a drink with friends. The patio is very nice and the atmosphere is relaxing. There is only music inside. The people who frequent it are regular and usually the parishioners are over 25. Amazing place to have a drink with friends. The beer garden is also nice and has a relaxed atmosphere.

Great beers and well looked after!

Fantastic little local pub with a great vibe

Not visited since 1995 and it's still a brilliant pub. Great beer, open fires, friendly and relaxed. The perfect pub.

Great pub. Friendly staff and clientele and owned by the local community! Nice American style folk session on Sunday.

Quirky community owned pub. Lovely cosy space.

Love the wee rooms you can sit in

A traditional back street style pub with a great atmosphere. It has a good range of beers all in superb condition. Staff very friendly. A definite must visit again pub when back in York.

Absolutely lovely place, truly amazing atmosphere and beer. Would definitely recommend anyone to come have some drinks here and support a wonderful local business

A traditional pub with a good selection of beers and an excellent outdoor seating area.

Decent pub with a good beer garden as well as some friendly staff only thing that slightly let it down was the old and tiny toilets which is just unfortunately a byproduct of the older building.

Great place, good beer and nice staff. Great little beer garden too.

My Sons Favourite Pub (and he’s a good judge) Lovely atmosphere and service

Lovely local pub without a large screen in sight. Large garden and very friendly staff...

This slightly out of the way pub is worth a visit. Very comfortable. I loved the different little rooms. Very friendly server. A must see.

Great traditional pub. BTW its community owned

Lovely old pub with a great atmosphere. Main bar, plus snug plus another room with bar billiards. Good range of beers with knowledgeable landlady on hand to explain where they're from etc. Court yard beer garden with plenty of tables and chairs. Not to forget the delicious scotch egg's and pies which were available.

A warm welcome at this out of towner. Some cosy bars and an excellent range of Ales all well kept. Nice to see a bar billiard table here which we enjoyed especially as there was no charge. Would go back for sure.

Friendly atmosphere. Very busy. Chilled ambience in beer garden.

Fantastic local, really friendly atmosphere, dog friendly and good prices. Lovely building and fabulous beer garden. Whats not to like.

Before starting an eight days holiday in Prague my twin brother Stephen and I decided to have a week's holiday in the historic walled city of York were we planned to take in all the great sites of this city and visit all the great pubs York is justifiably famous for and The Golden Ball Pub was at the top of our list of pub's to visit. This is a very historic pub ,dating from the 18th century ,first mentioned in 1773 ,this pub was reputably visited by none other than renowned writer Charles Dickens ,the Grade II listed unspoilt interior dates from 1828,it's a multi roomed pub beautifully furnished and decorated tastefully throughout ,there's lots of seating arrangements plus a wonderful beer garden all housed in a fantastic looking pub building. We were here on a Thursday night ,pub was busy ,a great atmosphere ,a quick study of their real ale selection and we both opted to have Acorn Brewery Barnsley bitter ,these were served in pristine condition,we took our beers outside in their beer garden and although a tad cold we soon warmed up under the outside heaters and chilled out enjoying our bitters. My bitter was really good ,in my opinion a much underrated beer style but when served cold and in great condition as in this pub it's such a refreshing brew and very easy to drink ,it was just so good being in such a great pub enjoying a quality pint of bitter. We really enjoyed our bitters in here before we moved on and although our visit was only fleeting as on every other visit to The Golden Ball Pub we had a great beer experience . The Golden Ball Pub is easy to locate along Cromwell Road. Opening hours are; Monday to Wednesday,5pm till 11pm. Thursday,5pm till 11.30pm. Friday,4pm till 11.30pm. Saturday,midday till 11.30pm. Sunday,midday till 11pm. A great pub ,if you enjoy visiting great pubs serving top notch real ale's it's a pub well worth seeking out.

Excellent community pub with quality real ales on draught.

Nice atmosphere, good beer options, and lots of outdoor seating.