The Best Clubs in York and the Best Nights Out

17/09/2022

Looking for a good night out? Bailey Mcintosh recommends some of the best bars and clubs in the city

Article Image

Image by Chris F

By Bailey Mcintosh

York may not be known as a particularly nightlife-heavy university, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t make some incredible memories; you just need to know the right places to go.

The University of York has four student nights out every week: Entourage Tuesday at Kuda, Salvation Wednesdays, Thursday at Flares and Sunday at Revolution. Each with entry of between £5 and £6 or with a £99 platinum card you gain free entry and queue jump for the year.

Bars
However, the best way to begin a night out is always with a trip to a bar and a few blue shits (triple vodka with blue raspberry lemonade) from The Lowther. A fun fact they always like to tell you in freshers' week is that there are enough bars in York to go out every night of the year and to never repeat the same one twice. Exploring the range of hidden bars that York has to offer can be a great night, however, there are a few regular bars that are a great way to start a night out, being almost guaranteed to run into everyone you know.

Stone Roses Bar:
Right next to Kuda, Stone Roses is a small but busy bar playing indie style music, but don’t be afraid to use the jukebox and play whatever music you want to enjoy. With blue shits at only £4.70, Stone Roses is a cheap and lively spot for pres before heading into the club.

Dusk:
Offering two cocktails for £8, Dusk has become a popular place to go out for some birthday drinks and the calmer mood entails a better chance to have a conversation where you can actually hear each other! Their cocktail menu leaves most drinks a mystery and can make a fun night trying them all. Dusk remains open until 2am giving you enough time to lose yourself in a long gossip.

Drawing Board:
Parked next to Dusk, Drawing Board stays open till 4am for a chance to re-find everyone at the end of the night and to debrief everything that happened. Drawing Board has a brilliant atmosphere and is a great place to sit down for chill drinks and a chat before or after the club.

Clubs
With York’s small selection of clubs, you are likely to find everyone ends up in the designated student club for that night. Each person has different taste in music at clubs but if you’re planning to go to a busy club then some nights are much more popular than others.
Salvation Wednesday:
Filled with costumes and challenges, Wednesday night is your chance to watch all the sports societies make a fool of themselves. Salvation is not particularly well known for its revolutionary music but as a fresher, it is one of the best places to spend some time with your sports society (should you choose to join one) and start conversations with everyone you recognise. Everyone is a social butterfly in the Salvos smoking area.

Flares Thursday:
Flares is the cheesiest place in York and with £2.50 doubles, everyone loves it. Two floors of Cotton Eyed Joe, the Macarena and ABBA remixes leaves Flares as the best place to bond over your ridiculous dance moves and scream the songs until you leave without a voice. As the pit stop for socials before heading to Salvation on a Wednesday, Flares is growing in popularity and may potentially take over Salvation as the favourite club.
Sunday Revolution:
Although being a bar most other nights, Revolution brings in DJs and clears the floor for a Sunday club night. With two floors, it caters to the cheesy music fans downstairs, in addition to the rap fans upstairs. Sunday Revs is something you love or hate, so it’s worth at least trying once but be prepared to spend your night dancing in a queue for the bar.

Events and Activities
If classic club nights aren’t typically your thing, don’t worry, you aren’t limited to the club nights and student bars. There are more tailored events and activities around York, you will definitely find something perfect for you.

Indie Tuesday at Blue Box:
Once a month, you can enjoy an entire night of the 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Blur and more at Blue Box. The small space means it fills quite quickly but it only adds to the atmosphere. Watch out for the high prices on drinks and how fast the tickets sell out, as this is definitely a must-try event for York students!

Underground Fridays at Ziggy’s:
Not an official student night, but definitely popular amongst students. Underground Ziggy’s is one of the only spots in York to offer urban music, making it a club growing in popularity. Ziggy’s is a nice alternative to the typical club styles in York and a brilliant place to find everyone with the same music taste as you.

Karaoke at Glasshouse:
On Friday nights from 8pm-11pm, the Glasshouse on East Campus presents the stage to anyone confident enough to sing. It’s a great chance to stick to an early night on campus but with so much opportunity to enjoy a care-free night with friends.
Jazz Night at Vanbrugh Bar:
On Monday nights, V Bar is filled with jazz by phenomenal musicians and incredible singers. From lively hits to smooth ballads, everyone gets together to dance along and appreciate the brilliant music. I highly recommend turning up with a group of your friends for an environment of great music and great people.

Tips:
Each night in York will be unique and you can spend each night in a different place, but there are some general tips that can be applied to every night. For instance, don’t forget to bring along your student ID card as not only does it gain you entry into the student clubs but, without it, you miss out on a range of incredible student deals. Make sure you have somewhere safe to keep it because a lost card is £10 to replace every time!

The best way to get into town from campus is using the 66/67 bus route, and so it comes in handy to buy the pack of 20 student tickets for £20 on the First Bus app because it comes in handy very quickly. For coming back to campus there is a bus stop outside of Salvation, one outside Kuda and one at Merchant-gate which, past 11pm, are the best places to catch the CB1. The live timings on the First Bus app are usually accurate but the buses run every hour after midnight. If needed, York also has Streamline Taxis, who have their own app upon which you can prebook a taxi. They offer a 10 percent discount to students.

Finally, don’t feel pressured to stick to a typical student night, instead, fill your university experience with moments you want to remember. So, find the right people, try things out and spend your time doing what you’ll enjoy the most!