13 responses so far ↓

• 1 Disgruntled York student // May 26, 2007 at 12:47 am

  You gave Evil Eye a rating of 9/10 and described it as “The best little bar i came accross in York so far.”

  This is an outrage! Evil eye is overcrowded (probably due to similar inaccurate reviews like this) and overpriced! I’ve been frequenting the bars of York for over a year now and I can’t say I’ve been back to Evil Eye since freshers week due to the prices and the speed (or lack of) service.

  I suggest that next time you visit York you check out Henry J Beans on a friday night. £2.95 for a superb cocktail and (this is a quote) “The only carribean-American DJ in yorkshire” playing quality songs all night. Also, re-review Evil Eye!

• 2 york student 2 // Mar 18, 2008 at 4:23 pm

  I must agree with my fellow student, evil eye is a cool bar on first visit, but the bar staff are unfriendly (every time i have been they ignore the swelling crowds at the nar to attend to their own drinks) the prices are very high (for some good drinks though) Also Jonny depp was a visitor to the evil eye whilst he was in york filming willy wonka (so i’m told)

  If one has the money and patience then this bar is the place in york, but there are 365 bars in york to choose from this ain’t the best.

  I must disagree with my fellow student though, Hnry J Beans is quite possibly the worst bar in york, the food is dreadful and so was the service,. When i went it was full of posh students ergh

• 3 Gilly - York Student // Nov 29, 2008 at 6:42 pm

  My god… these 2 have no idea lol. Evil Eye is a fantastic place, get there early to steal a bed upstairs and you’re set for a night! Take £14 for a good pitcher, take it slowly and you can just sit in the comfort upstairs working through it and nattering for the same time you would probably have spent £14 elsewhere and walked round in the cold looking for a pub that isn’t packed.
  Henry J Beans… AWFUL!
  If you are looking for nice cocktails, somewhere with a reasonable atmosphere and not overvcrowded then my recommendations would probably be The Parish (often under-rated, cheap and good 2-4-1 cocktails in an old church which is a good look), Bobo Lobo (a little pricey, good quality, nice bar staff and usually room to sit).

  As for the comments above “bar staff are unfriendly”; have never had a problem with any of them. Sometimes up for a joke with the customers but all in good humour.

• 4 Kelly // Dec 17, 2008 at 4:48 am

  I had the best night at the Evil Eye Lounge, the Dick Turpin cocktail was my fav, and they are not expensive!!

  The atmosphere is divine, the bar staff friendly and the cocktails to die for.

  Shut up students of York - your just not accustomed to quality venues!

• 5 Jan // Dec 18, 2008 at 3:47 pm

  Evil eye be a fine bar. If you go in on freshers week then like everywhere else in York it will be rammed full of dweeby students who can’t take their booze. Great cocktails, excellent smoothies, internet access (wifi also) and the BEST sunday lunch in York. Yes you may have to wait a while when its busy but so what? chill out and have a drink, its definately one of the most relaxed bars in York (especially during the week) They have an extensive Thai food menu aswell. Great value for money and excellent quality. If youre in a hurry and want a drink pronto maybe its not the place for you. If you want to chill out and relax instead of bar hopping this is the place to go.

• 6 Kodama // Jul 31, 2009 at 4:08 pm

  Food served was far too spicy for a ‘1 star’ (out of 3) spice grade. I could not eat what I was served. The staff member was rude and uncompromising claiming it was my problem if I did not like the food, completely missing the point that I deliberately ordered something supposedly graded as mild. The manager and staff refused to compensate or change the food with a cursory remark that I could choose not to come back.

  It is always a shame when good places are let down by bad people.

• 7 dave // Sep 22, 2009 at 10:31 am

  if you want to buy drugs go to evil eye the owner will sell you some.

• 8 Kali // Oct 24, 2009 at 9:46 pm

  Evil Eye is without a doubt one of my favourite places in York. True, as a student I can’t afford to go there every night (a cocktail will cost you about ₤5) but they have the biggest selection of the nicest and the wierdest damn drinks I’ve ever had. The food is great (and not overpriced), the atmosphere wonderful and the staff friendly. Overall, if you have guests you want to impress, take them to Evil Eye for a really lovely evening.

• 9 Emily // Dec 26, 2009 at 12:50 am

  I will never understand why people do not have the patience to wait. Yes, Evil Eye is packed often, but for good reason. If you go on certain nights it’s bound to be busy, and the longer you wait, the better the drink tastes in my opinion. Which also justifies the price as you savour the drink! I agree that the staff are sometimes a little rude and distant but then I can sometimes understand the mannerisms of rude bar staff, having on occasion been that myself. Not that the customer should have to make do with this, so I feel this slightly lets down Evil Eye’s service. However, I love the bar, the menu, and have yet to try the food but it certainly looks brilliant! Students who complain about prices should also stop moaning - I am a student myself and would rather pay £5 for a good cocktail, bearing in mind you pay for the presentation also, than £1 for a VK that makes you bloated and doesn’t really have the same satisfaction.
  Being a student in Leicester myself I would welcome a good city centre cocktail bar such as this and York should be pleased it has such a place (and the shop is great too, will be going there soon to stock up for my cocktail menu…).

• 10 Spirals // Jun 17, 2010 at 3:00 pm

  I LOVE the food at the evil eye, the choice of drinks is amazing..

  LOL- its not the best place to go if you don’t like spicy food.. perhaps try the falafel?

  However I have also come across a few unnecessarily rude bar staff there (one rude staff in a largish bar is understandable- 3 on one day is not)..

  I’m quite a shy person, and do not easily upset people- all I did was ask for a drinks menu (as they seem to hord them behind the counter) and was basically told to f*ck off.

  This particular time was the weekend- during the week seems to be friendlier.. but I won’t be recomending the place anymore.

  I do get the impression that because of their reputation and being in a tourist/student town they feel they don’t need to keep customers.

• 11 Lauren // Aug 13, 2010 at 1:13 pm

  I personally find the staff at evil eye really rude & a bit ‘up themselves’!
  When you’re paying extortionate prices for cocktails (which ARE really tasty), you expect better service.
  They can be really snide & are always helping themselves when you’re waiting to be served.

• 12 Colin Harrison // Sep 2, 2010 at 10:22 pm

  Nice,bar,dont make me laugh. The place is full of drugs and prostitutes. The next time you go in take a look at the same females who sit at the bar night after night.They prey on the young male students,are at the end of there working life as they are to old and are full of STI,s. One is HIV. As for drugs ,you can get anything you want from here. As for the rude staff,thats down to drugs and drink. I should know,i worked behind the bar for two months. You have been warned.

• 13 Maria // Sep 27, 2010 at 8:23 pm

  The Evil Eye is a really fantastic place to spend a few hours sampling their wonderful food and drink. Whinging students who cannot afford the prices should find somewhere else to drink and maybe the bar will be less crowded. My husband and i will be back in York next week and will be heading straight to the Evil Eye for lots of lovely cocktails( at really good prices, considering how big they are) and some tasty homecooked food.

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