Golden Fleece York
BEST FOR
Up to age 18
WHERE
York
What it’s like
A proper working pub in York where teenagers can join a Sunday roast or afternoon tea, with a kids menu for the rest.
This one's a pub through and through, so don't turn up expecting a trail or a treasure hunt despite how it gets filed. What you're actually booking is a table, whether that's for a Sunday roast with unlimited roasties and Yorkshire puddings, a burger and chips, or the afternoon tea if you fancy something a bit more done up. There's a kids menu too, so younger ones aren't stuck picking at a side of chips while everyone else eats properly.
Booking matters here, at least for the things worth planning around. Afternoon tea and any special menus need booking in advance, and some of those bookings ask for a deposit, which you can then put behind the bar as a tab, which is a fair way to do it. It's open long hours, from 10am through to midnight daily, but there's a firm cut-off for anyone under 18: no under-18s after 8.30pm, and they can refuse entry to under-18s altogether if there's a high-profile event on. So this is really a daytime or early-evening visit with teenagers, not a late one.
If you've got vegetarians in the group there's a proper vegetarian and plant-based selection, not just an afterthought. One thing to flag if anyone in your party is coeliac: the gluten-free dishes are prepared in a kitchen that also handles gluten, so it's not a kitchen set up for genuine coeliac needs even though the option's on the menu.
Group bookings and birthday parties are both catered for, which makes it a sensible pick if you're planning something bigger than a family meal, a sixteenth birthday with a proper roast, say, rather than a soft play do.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Teenagers up to 18, given the after-dark cut-off for under-18s
- Booking
- Advance booking required for many offerings including afternoon tea and special menus
- Food
- On-site pub serving hearty pub food including Sunday roasts with unlimited roasties and Yorkshire puddings, small plates, sharers, burgers
- It's open daily from 10am to midnight, but under-18s have to leave by 8.30pm
- High-profile events can mean under-18s aren't let in at all, so it's worth knowing before you plan around one
- Deposit bookings convert into a bar tab rather than being lost
- Gluten-free dishes are cooked in a kitchen that also handles gluten, so not suitable for coeliacs
Plan your visit
Do we need to book?
For the everyday menu you might get away with walking in, but afternoon tea and any special menus need booking ahead. Some bookings need a deposit, which then goes on your bar tab.
Can teenagers stay late?
Not really. Under-18s aren't allowed in after 8.30pm, and they can be turned away entirely if there's a big event on that night.
What's on the menu for kids?
There's a dedicated kids menu alongside the main pub food, so under-18s aren't just having a smaller portion of the adult dishes.
Is there anything for vegetarians or gluten-free diets?
Yes, vegetarian and plant-based dishes are on the menu. The gluten-free options aren't handled in a separate kitchen though, so they're not right for anyone who's properly coeliac.
Can we book a birthday party here?
Birthday parties and group bookings are both things they do, so it works for a bigger gathering rather than just a table for four.
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