Thor’s Tipis returning to Parliament Street and Milner York

YORK’S popular pop-up bar and ‘biggest beer garden’ are promising ‘a ton of surprises’ when they return ahead of summer.

Thor’s Tipis have become a regular part of York’s food and drink calendar, popping up at various venues across the city both in summer and at Christmas.

This year, there are some new surprises to look forward to, says Thor’s boss, York-based Amanda Monaghan.

Thor’s Tipi will open again in Parliament Street from Friday, May 22, while a sister pop-up will return to the grounds of York’s Milner hotel from May 9, billed as offering ‘York’s biggest beer garden’.

The bar inside Thor’s Tipi at Milner York last summer. Image NQ

Amanda said: “The Thor’s team are kicking off summer on Parliament Street, in serious style.”

She said new for 2026 at Parliament Street would be brand new dishes from Spud Shed – the latest venture from popular street food vendors Yuzu.

On the drinks menus will be a new range of spritzes, the ‘Dirty Dr Pepper’ cocktail, and the mega-pint.

Another new addition this year included ‘Themed Fridays’ where music from the same decade would be paired with matching cocktails.

Amanda said: “We’ll be doing different themes for music and cocktails on Themed Fridays, for instance serving up snowballs on a 1970s night.”

She added: “We can’t wait to be back in our spiritual home serving up new and exciting cocktails, live music, open mic events, comedy show, board games and more.”

Richard and Amanda Monaghan, the York couple behind Thor’s Tipis. Image: Anthony Chappel-Ross

One of the biggest changes fans and regulars will notice this year in Parliament Street will be the return of an old friend: “We’ve got a new-look tipi,” revealed Amanda, whose company Fabler, jointly owned with her husband Richard, not only runs Thor’s but also York bars Dusk and House of Trembling Madness.

Recommended reading:

Thor’s has also sought planning permission for five years which Amanda says would be “more cost effective and saves time compared to putting in an application every year”.

Over at The Milner, the Thor’s team are gearing up to open up once again, running, what they call ‘York’s biggest beer garden’ in the spacious hotel grounds, bang next to York Railway Station.

FLASHBACK -Thor’s Tipi when it first appeared in Parliment Street. It now hopes to be a regular fixture in summer through to 2031. Picture David Harrison..

Opening on Saturday, May 9 at noon, the team say to look out for “new food, new drinks, new events and a ton of surprises to help you escape the everyday”.

Thor’s launched its first pop-up bar for York’s Christmas Market in 2015.

It now puts on three venues a year in York in Parliament Street, at The Milner and in Museum Gardens during the winter.

A tipi is set to open in Leeds City Square on Thursday, May 14.

For all the latest, visit: thorstipi.com