ONLY three York boozers have made it into the newly-published Good Pub Guide 2001. Both The Maltings, Tanners Moat, and The Tap & Spile, Monkgate, were also listed in this year's Good Beer Guide, out last month.

The Black Swan, Peasholme Green, makes up the triumvirate, gaining praise from the book for the "marvellous building", "straight-forward bar food" and "well kept" beer.

The Tap & Spile, winner of the Evening Press Town Pub of the Year award in 1999, is described as "traditional and popular", which should delight genial host Andy Mackay.

The Maltings' interior design is obviously not to the judge's taste: it is said to be "entirely contrived, with a tricksy decor strong on salvaged somewhat quirky junk".

He did like the "jovial landlord (quite a character)". Shaun would no doubt have a one-word reply to that description. And in the introduction to the Yorkshire section, the Maltings is described as a "merry magnet for real ale connoisseurs".

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire venue The Star at Harome won the Good Pub Guide's Dining Pub of the Year award. Its food is "exceptionally delicious without breaking the bank".

The Guide is published by Ebury, price £14.99.

u IT comes in a funny-shaped bottle, it is a funny colour and it tastes absolutely lovely.

While the new 5.3 per cent wheat beer from Ruddles might lack the strength of Belgian wheat beers, it has all the quality of an English tipple, which is why Bar Talk can thoroughly recommend it - even if it has a strange ring pull lid.

Unlike its cloudy continental counterparts, Ruddles Wheat is crystal clear. It costs £1.75 for a 500ml bottle. Interesting and nice.

LOTS of York landlords were hoping to cash in on the big England v Germany clash today. The Northern Wall, Fossgate, is once again offering some of the best facilities with two enormous screens and five other monitors. Not only that, they are preparing for the mid-week clash with Finland by subscribing to which ever funny digital channel they need to - one of the few pubs to do so. Thomas's on Museum Street is another.

And Thomas's is even putting on a football special for the mid-week game offering hot dogs, cheese burgers and pies and peas. Landlord Jim Melsom, whose hair is nearly Finnished, says "you won't get food poisoning off my hot dogs like you do at a normal football ground".

THE opening of Applause, in Harrogate, was interesting this week. The impressive cabaret bar offered an array of entertainment.

Many punters seemed at first bemused by the scantily-clad dancers who were high-kicking and singing Broadway classics.

But when they did their strange illuminated glove dance on a darkened stage, the crowd began to enjoy themselves.

The harmonic quartet to follow were equally impressive and then Bar Talk had to return to York. The column was driving and no matter how exciting the bar, there is only so much Britvic 55 you can drink.

We vow to return on the train and try out the 'twobicles' - the double thrones in the ladies toilets - or be arrested in the attempt.