Weekender: York bar goes Viking with axe-throwing plans

A new restaurant in York called The Hilt is taking the city’s Viking history seriously with a bit of a novel attraction – an axe-throwing range.

The Hilt, which is set to be located on Goodramgate, has applied for a licence for the premises, according to York Press. The site next to Savers is currently empty.

According to the owners Alex Cronin and Josh Goodwin, the new Viking-themed venue will also feature a bowling alley-style area to let locals practice their axe-throwing skills.

The 80 seat restaurant will offer American-style food “with a Nordic twist”, and create 20 jobs for the area.

Alex said: “It will be Nordic-themed like a dark forest. York has such a massive Viking history and we wanted to play with that. It fits very well with the axe-throwing centre.

“We are trying to shift the idea away from bars in York that are just there for people to get drunk. One of the issues with drinking in York is that there’s not really much to do other than drink. This is a really great alternative to what you can do.”

Safety will be a high priority, and axe throwing only available to those 16 and over, and who aren’t inebriated.