Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen
Bar: Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteen
Address: 13-17 New Street
Average Cocktail Price: £5
Review: Huw Burdge
Rating: * *
As a canteen and bar, Ha! Ha! prides itself on good bistro-type food cooked in an open kitchen. But if you go for a drink the chances are you won’t leave with fond memories of the place.
They specialise mainly in cocktails and wine. And though they boast a wide selection, price-wise it’s definitely not the cheapest place to drink in York. At just over five pounds, cocktails are more expensive than their Evil Eye counterparts and undoubtedly not as good. The wine is also pretty expensive - for the cheapest glass you can expect to pay four pounds. So it’s restaurant prices.
The décor is simple - an open plan room, well lit and full of pine-wood. Though this undoubtedly makes for a pleasant dining experience, when the the room empties it is lacking in atmosphere, sterile rather than chic.
The place lacks character; you feel as if you could be in an airport bar somewhere in the world. Most likely Stansted.
To be honest, you would do better popping across the street to Dusk where you will have a much more enjoyable time and get two cocktails for your fiver.
To make Ha! Ha! worth visiting, it might be worth eating. Try the stand-up finger food buffet. It’s £5.95 and decent. Hope that the chicken satay skewer takes your attention away from the bill.
