Valhalla in York

Very novel place next to where we were staying. Great food and good atmosphere

Valhalla is a very popular Viking themed pub spred over three floors. There is a wide choice of draught drinks including mead, cider, and hand pulled cask conditioned real ales, some brewed exclusively for valhalla. The ones we tried were very good. The staff are very welcoming and the pub is dog friendly.

Highly overpriced, very disappointed . Paid £35 for the “ragnarok platter” which I was expecting to be large enough to fill up 2 people however it was just a wooden board with tiny portions of different starters. Didn’t fill 2 people at all and wouldn’t pay more than £20 for something that size. 2 pints of their lager set us back over £12 as well. Would not recommend for the small portions and overpriced drinks.

Popped in for a bite to eat. Lovely little place. Loved the glass floor as you walked in. Staff friendly. The food was good, the beer was great.

Absolute fire 🔥 would recommend to anyone but most especially with anyone who wanted to eat at a viking type table and eat viking type food among friends. Mead and meats what more can you ask for!

Excellent pub with a fantastic atmosphere and vibe - I highly recommend. There are a selection of beers and ciders to choose from at the downstairs bar and first floor bar. Pints were £5.50 when we visited (April 2025)

Now this is a pub 🍻 Viking themed as you would expect, reasonably priced for a city centre too. It gets busy though, we sat outside on the shambles but inside had buckets of atmosphere. Well worth a visit if you are in York.

Has grown with good vibes and clientel over the years. New surprises waiting.Can only get better.Still as popular as ever. Great food selection has now grown with some excellent choices. Music still rocking and the vibes and atmosphere full on at the weekends. Can get Extremely busy. Best time for families before 17.00 .

The food was quite low quality. The meat is low quality. Ribs for example are the packet kind you get from Aldi but not as tasty. We left the sausage. The chips were pretty good. If you like Metal music maybe this place is for you and justifies the food. On the otherhand if you're more here for a meat feast it's not worth it.

A must visit for anyone interested in vikings but generally anyone was welcomed in the business it had alternative music that myself and partner enjoy! We had some good foods and so lovely drinks really enjoyed the whole experience!

Didn't eat here,but had lovely time! Visited 3 times while in York,lovely staff, great selection of mead, live music on the Friday night.

Great place, the mead is amazing

What a brilliant place, first time we've been,had some lovely beer and the staff were very helpful.👍🍻😋

Best atmosphere of any bar in York

This place is amazing, it's our go to spot every time we are in York. Great food selection, beer and mead.

Fantastic little pub that serves unique beverages with a distinct Nordic twist! My Danish family fully approved this establishment!

Excellent pub. The Viking ish theme doesn't hurt. Similar sort of beers to The Pivni, which is about 5m across the lane from it. I'll definitely be going back the next time I'm in York. It also gets good food reviews, so that will be literally on the menu next time 😁. Give it a go if you are there 👍

The best place in York and one of the bestest places in whole UK! Literally! Food is absolutely phenomenal, drinks are excellent, bar staff amazing, atmosphere, people, music everything is just on highest level!

This is without a doubt our favourite places to visit when in York! We’ve been here over 5 times now and thoroughly enjoy our visit each time. The music and atmosphere is great and very cosy and welcoming ! Not the mention the food is fantastic quality and good value for money! They also stop a wide selection of drinks (and my favourite mead!!) - if you are in York you must pay Valhalla a visit !

Very nice pub, great atmosphere and very Viking 😍

Was at a "Morning Advertiser" get together in York & this was one of the pubs on the "tour". A great great pub. I didn't have food but did have a few pints of the local ale & stout which was brewed a few miles away by a "chap called Tony". Pubs like this aren't made any more unfortunately!

There were 8 in our group and had trouble getting in, we were told by the door person that we needed to split ourselves between the 3 floors?? Got served in good time, drinks are expensive! Thenplace was very busy and there were no seats available!

Absolutely loving this bar! The vibe is so awesome. Loved the music playing constantly. Staff was really kind and helpful. Lots of alcoholic beverages to choose from and the loaded fries!!!!! Absolutely finger licking amazing haha. The platter was really tasty as well.

Milking the city's Viking heritage? Perhaps 😆 but they do have a selection of reasonably decent mead. The décor is a bit OTT but again it's designed to entertain tourists.

The Mead is out of this world!!

Really nice lovely 😍 place to sit have a amazing meal the Radnor was so tasty..thank you really enjoyed this

Wonderful atmosphere, good choice of drinks

Very nice atmosphere, welcoming staff great place

Incredible place to drink. Very impressed with the feel and drinks choices. We only had drinks, but the food was very highly recommended

Seen this place online and had to go for a visit when i was in york for my birthday the selection of ales is amazing and the mead was lush! And the food was amazing did not take long at all and we unfortunately did not finsh it all! But friendly locals and staff and great food and drink!

I love this place, was my first visit but won't be my last... The food was delicious, especially the pork pie!

Exactly as we'd hoped. The platter of food was delicious, the music and atmosphere were great. Hubby loved the ruby beer! Will definitely visit again.

Came here for drinks after walking around York. Loved the place, the music and the whiskey availability! Have to say, probably one of my favourite bars!

The food tastes really good and good value for money, me and friends ordered 2 ‘Ragnarok’s to split between the 5 of us, the presentation of the food is top tier and the atmosphere perfectly befitting the restaurant name!🍻

Very cool spot, pictures don't do it justice the viking theme is brilliant. Great on a weekend as well not to crowded. Will be going back!

Great spot to stop for a drink . Really quirky place , mead tastes incredible if you want something different. Atmosphere was good as you walked in with viking music 🎶 definitely recommend 👌

Awesome place, can't wait to visit again

Pleasant pub. Gluten free beer options including a gluten free stout. The music isn't too loud, just atmospheric metal

One of the greats. Had the best time here! Highly recommend as a top choice.

We shared the Ragnarok platter and it was absolutely delicious. The meat was cooked to perfection and the chiosnwee delicious. Service was incredibly fast. We went late on and it was very dark upstairs. Not an issue for us but could be if you have difficulty seeing in low light, so worth mentioning.

5 ⭐ as always, best pub in York! Great beer, food and most importantly... Music 🎸

Fabulous loved it made it to the top floor odins table 😀

Perfect Breakfast place, but little toast on the muffins would have done the trick.

Great metal, ale, decor and atmosphere!

Not a very student friendly pub. And very vocal about this. I shall not be returning here and neither will my student friends seeing as we aren't very welcome here...

Great place, food and the atmosphere was good. Gets very busy so finding a table may be tricky but worth I.

Great find, with a feel buzz and great atmosphere. Staff were friendly and the beer was great.

Viking themed bar with a fantastic selection of beers and meade. Great food too.

Amazing place if you like medieval building and vikings. We didn't eat there but the food looked amazing and they sell mead which is a massive win for me!

What a banging place to go! Food was awesome , lively place, alittle on the loud side for music but not bad, good playlist! Service was quick for food , staff pleasant and toilets were to bad either .

Amazing experience very spooky to

Place looked great and the mead was tasty but sadly nothing special, worthy of a vist if your around the area.

It is a theme bar, however, it does it well. Is it a bit generic and oriented towards tourism? Yes, but for what it is it is great. The vibe is really fun and laidback, the «old» interior is fitting and it pairs well with the historical ties York has to Scandinavia. They brew their own beers and mead as well, they are mediocre, but fun to try! Music is cool as well, worth visiting for sure.

(As a Norwegian student coming to see and study the remnants of our culture) I ordered a ginger beer to specifically be alcoholic, turned out to be non alcoholic. Went down to get a new drink, and after receiving a lot of back talk and attitude, she asks me what I wanted instead and opens the drink, and then she pulls out the card terminal in front of a huge queue. In a place enameled in my own culture I have never been treated worse. 0 stars if I could give any.

Amazing bar! My favourite bar during my visit to York. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and the beer selection was incredible! My first try of mead was excellent!

My favourite place in york..always a good atmosphere 👌

Amazing! Loved it! We did kind of take over with there being 7 of us, but they managed to sort our massive food order with no problem at all. Really gorgeous food, amazing atmosphere, just loved it 🥰

Brilliant place the kids loved it 2

I've been to some shocking bars in my time but this one took the cake. After having it recommended to me for years for the supposed good food, ale and atmosphere, singing and friendly and involved vikings behind the bar, my advice to anyone would be to steer clear. The beer was top notch, that and the decor are the only high point of the entire experience. The 'platters' as they call them were missing half of the items, what I actually ended up with was a deconstructed ham butty with no butter, the toilets were a disgrace, I'd suggest the owner teach the incredibly rude, inexperienced and socially inept bar staff how to use a mop and bucket. The service itself was disgusting. I understand the owner likely wants cheaper labour by employing younger people behind the bar, however the staff are rude, entitled, look for excuses to be offended, and quite frankly malicious when it comes to customers. Things I witnessed them doing included screaming at a man for allegedly misgendering one of them, when what he actually did was apologise for tripping on the uneven floor and accidentally nudging into a staff member, they then stopped serving the gentleman. Another example is the outrageous treatment of a gentleman with autism related speech issues. I've noticed another review from this very person and you can even tell by the review wording itself that this is purely medical, the staff didn't care, and based on the reply from the owner neither does he.... for shame. Another example, a woman who was asked to leave the bar not being allowed to retrieve her handbag from the premises, the staff not caring and being entirely unreasonable, intentionally and knowingly causing her distress. I do suggest that the owner take this review as well as others as constructive criticism, learn from this, and either replace or vigorously drill into the staff members that they need to grow up, get off Tiktok and try to act like actual human beings. If you don't, a bar which has so much potential and should be a focal point of Jorvik Viking Festival is going to go right down the toilet, a toilet that also has not seen a bottle of bleach. Happily there were plenty of other bars dotted around York with much better atmospheres, nightlife, food and service, so a lovely weekend was still had.

Absolutely amazing venue. Staff are very welcoming and friendly. Food is lovely. Only down side was some very rude and obnoxious ' vikings' who were then asked to leave by staff much to the relief of every other customer. Will definitely be making the journey up from Kent again in the very near future. Thank you valhalla team.

A great Viking inspired restaurant with a wide selection of drinks and great food menu. We tried the Mead, Stout and Gin which were all nice drinks. The tapas was good for £20 for two of us, and we shared the glazed sausage, chicken wings, and meatballs which were all delicious. The sauce of the chicken wings were definitely a favourite. A great place to visit, recommend booking for a meal as was quite busy in the upstairs restaurant.

I had one pint of oding judgement dark ruby ale and they stop me of having another pint of oding dark ruby ale because they say I was too drunk to have another oding judgement dark ruby ale and they kick me out because I struggled with my communication because I was autistic. There is nowhere to sit, and poor train staff are very rude.The only cool seat in the vallhall pub was the long table with oding art. Don't get me wrong, but I love the viking theme. The only thing was unfairly judged by the manager to not serve me no any Alcohol drink Because they say I had too much to drink and I only had one pint of oding judgement dark ruby ale. I got kicked outside and told them I was unfairly judged by the manager of vallhalla Pub yorkshire. They ruined my day and upset me because I couldn't have another taste of oding judgement dark ruby ale All I would like was one more pint, and I'm off back home. I've been unfairly judged and misunderstood. Warning ⚠️ DO NOT enter if you're a real viking. Signing off Bradders Jonsey.

Well this place gets super busy, and even though it’s on 3 floors, with a bar on the bottom and first floor, it can be challenging to get a seat. Great variety of beers, ales and meads on sale, sadly I had eaten so I didn’t try any of the snacks on offer, but this place has a fabulous atmosphere, great choice of music and the staff were all great, I had a good evening here.

5 star across the board! If you love vikings, rock music, meat boards and mead then this is the place for you!

Been coming here for years, came for jorvik festival and was told we was told we was too loud, seriously it's a viking festival, the staff are miserable and rude

A rock/metal pub with a Viking theme. Good beers, ciders and mead! The food platers are great value.

Whilst the pub it's self looked cool, the playlist didn't match the aesthetic. We had the mead flight which wasn't explained to use just poured out and handed. It felt more like a family resteraunt than a viking themed pub. More tourist trap than anything else.

Best place to get a pint in York.

Very cool vibe in this pub! Love all the valhalla references and the drinks were amazing!

A super cool bar right in the city centre! All servers were super nice and friendly. Drinks and food are decently priced. Only knocking off a star as our platter was a little cold, but still tasted incredible, and was very filling! The bar itself is also quite cramped and VERY dark. A few lights would help lol. Other than that, it's definitely worth a visit!

Nipped in for a pint 2 hours later good atmosphere rock music played in background staff all friendly tried Yorkshire tapas absolutely delicious definitely recommend and decently priced pint definitely worth a visit 😀

Some of the food was not that well seasoned. the atmosphere and service was top quality.

One of our favourite places to go to when visiting York! The food and drink is always amazing, the staff are lovely and the atmosphere is great! Would come here everyday if I lived locally. We sometimes drive the two hour journey just for the meat and cheese boards! Went tonight after a terrible experience elsewhere and this place saved the night! Couldn’t recommend anywhere else more.

Real Viking vibe, great alternative music and friendly staff. Food was tasty and you could tell it was sourced local and fresh!

Don't be put off when you first enter as it's very small and quite dark. The sharing platter was amazing, perfectly cooked and a great price. Had the pork pie and pickle for a starter and it was Lovely as well. Definitely worth a visit for a different eatery experience 👍

One of many excellent pub's in York. Superb ales, mead and food I must say. Particularly impressed with the friendly and knowledgeable staff who made my visits all the more special.

Our kind of place. Quirky and atmospheric vibe with Rock music that we love! We arrived late for lunch and early for dinner which meant it was quiet but as we left it was filling up fast! It’s on 3 levels with downstairs full and more of a drinks vibe so we moved on up to the first floor that has a separate lounge and an area with tables for eating. We ordered vegan board and tapas which looked great and tasted delicious. Great start to our city break!

Very small nice place but drinks are quite expensive over £8 for a pint of cider and a coffee .Didn't eat here so can't comment.

Great pub, great atmosphere, made in the old style, wooden rafters, atmospheric wood, animal skulls, a bit in the style of Heavy Metal, glass floor at the entrance, nice service and a two-story pub, you can easily spend time talking to another person over a good beer. I recommend

Not far from the market this is a must bar to visit. Spread over 4 floors make sure you climb the stairs to the top meeting room. Decor is great, a very cosy pub with a great range of beers.

Great night in here having a beer and watching Carlton perform lots of great hits from different genres. I loved his Proud Mary rendition. Find out when he is playing and go see him 👌 I haven’t rated the food because we didn’t eat.

The name lived up to its expectations, brilliant atmosphere and cosy vibes.

Great selection of beers food is banging and rock music playing in the background... My kind of heaven 🤟

Really friendly staff and food was lovely Proper Viking atmosphere We travelled from far to visit and left happy!! Highly recommend

Excellent atmosphere, during all times of day! Lovely friendly staff both on bar, on door and floor! Inexpensive tasty beer and food that is well seasoned, hot and presented well.

We visited Valhalla while visiting York with family. Very rustic, viking/nordik type old pub with huge character and great atmosphere. There are plenty of local drinks on tap and a joy to experience. It is completely different from the normal type of traditional pub and was so interesting with the different types of rugs, tables, and furnishings, etc. We didn't have food on this occasion, but saw an excellent range of platters being brought to other tables. Can't wait to go back!

The food was delicious…. highly recommend.

Hired the farther of all halls right at the top. The service and food were top dollar. Toiles within reach

Had a lovely drink here and listened to Carlton playing upstairs. Absolutely lovely staff and such a great vibe. Carlton plays such a good mix of tunes on his guitar and sings like an Angel. We’ll be back! I have a video to share but it won’t let me, it only accepts photos. You’re rubbish Google!!!

Very good drinks and food as well. Little kitschy but good and pleasant. Metal music. Visited two times.

It definitely has a Viking theme, but the music was not metal so much as Springsteen! Still it was something a bit different and that is what I was hoping for.

Was a little dubious about this venue as often places with a “theme” tend to be lacking. I was very pleasantly surprised though. The food, beer choices and service were great. In fact the team were very gracious with us (a large group) and couldn’t do enough. One point I’d make is that they need to serve their mead in wine measures (125-250ml) or by the bottle for groups. Otherwise it’s a fantastic venue.

I was very happy with the food and the service

Wonderful atmosphere, helpful staff and excellent selection of food and drink!

Went for a quiet beer, the pub is fantastic and well worth a visit , it has a great selection of beers and ciders,and a great viking atmosphere

Friendly staff, good beer, great atmosphere , always go there when I visit york.

Where has this place been all my life. Amazing venue and atmosphere. And boy, that MEAD is something. My wife and i must have drank a bottle. Can't wait to return.

Brilliant place and their beer's awesome!

6* Came for a drink, first visit, had for a few more. This is now one of my favourite pubs/bars in the world (I've been to quite a few globally). It's amazing. Obviously Viking themed, cosy and intimate with a great vibe. Good choice of drinks especially the mead menu (they have a menu devoted to just mead!). Good prices. Staff very friendly. Merchandise to buy (which I did).I would definitely recommend a visit here if looking for a watering hole with something different.

So the 1st time in York for 20 years we tried 6 pubs this evening, Valhalla came out top. Good selection of beer, don't be put off by the small bar area, 2 more floors upstairs. We didn't eat, but the food looked nice. Also great selection of Rock & Metal and not too loud. Till next time...