Where to Drink Well in the North York Moors

Here's where to drink well, the pubs that brew their own, the ones CAMRA rates for cask, and the places that take wine seriously. With the durable facts you can rely on, and the changeable ones (what's actually on tonight) left to the pubs' own pages.

The moors' own breweries

The area brews a lot of its own beer: Helmsley Brewing Co in Helmsley, the Great Yorkshire Brewery behind the New Inn at Cropton, Ryedale Brewing at Sinnington, Brass Castle at Malton and North Riding at Scarborough, with Whitby Brewery out at the abbey. Two pubs brew on site, the New Inn at Cropton and the Helmsley Brewing tap. So you can drink the beer where it is made.

CAMRA-rated pubs worth the drive

Where a pub is recognised by CAMRA we say so, with the year, because the Good Beer Guide is reassessed annually and certifies one thing: cask ale kept well. According to CAMRA, the Black Horse on Whitby's Church Street has been in the Good Beer Guide every year since 2007; the Sun Inn at Pickering has twice been the local branch's Rural Pub of the Year (2017 and 2019); and the New Inn (Cropton), the Helmsley Brewing tap and the Grapes Inn at Slingsby were Good Beer Guide 2023 entries. The Birch Hall Inn at Beck Hole is something rarer still, on CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, and a former Pub of the Year, a tiny, unaltered gem on the Goathland–Grosmont rail trail. Always check the current Good Beer Guide (WhatPub is free) before making a special trip.

Stay and drink: pubs with rooms

The happiest way to enjoy a good cellar is to book a bed above it. Several inns here have rooms as well as ale, see our guide to pubs with rooms, so you can drive out, stay over, and drive home unhurried the next day.

Wine

Beer isn't the whole story. Some of the moors' inns and restaurants take wine as seriously as any cellar, and where a pub describes its list as a real strength we'll say so, attributed to them. And flag the lists that reach beyond the usual supermarket staples to interesting growers and regions. This is a part of the guide we're still building; the durable recommendations here will grow, and a pub's current list is always best checked on its own page.

Low and no alcohol

Good alcohol-free beer and proper soft drinks are increasingly part of a decent pub's offer, and we'll note them where a pub documents them. As a genuine choice, not an afterthought.

Drink well, plan well

In Plan My Day you can now filter for real-ale pubs and, from the same verified list, build a day around a good pub, a walk and somewhere to look at. What's on cask, and what's on the wine list, changes week to week, so treat the specifics as a starting point and confirm with the pub.

Frequently asked questions

Which North York Moors pubs are in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide?

Recent entries include the Black Horse in Whitby (every year since 2007), and the New Inn at Cropton, the Helmsley Brewing tap and the Grapes Inn at Slingsby (Good Beer Guide 2023). Check the current guide on WhatPub, as entries are reassessed each year.

Which pubs brew their own beer?

The New Inn at Cropton (Great Yorkshire Brewery) and the Helmsley Brewing Co tap both brew on site; several other local breweries supply pubs across the area.

Where can I stay and drink in the moors?

Look for inns with rooms, the New Inn at Cropton is one. So you can enjoy the cellar and stay the night. See our pubs-with-rooms guide.

What's the most characterful pub for real ale?

The Birch Hall Inn at Beck Hole: a tiny, unaltered two-bar pub on CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, on the walk between Goathland and Grosmont.

Are there good wine pubs in the North York Moors?

Yes, several inns and restaurants have serious lists; we note a strong wine offer where the pub itself highlights it, and always suggest checking the current list with the venue.