We met some Welsh in Winchester whom we overheard talking about "the best fish and chips in the…read moreUK." We had to ask where that was. They told us the Prince of Wales Inn in Mawdlam. Hungry, we drove a few hours in the hopes of savoring this deliciousness. We arrived Saturday night at 9, after a long drive, only to learn they stopped cooking at 8. A huge disappointment to say the least. Hungry and tired we wondered what to do. That's when the special happened. The bartender was so kind. Great Welsh beer and cider and plenty of warm, genuine smiles. Plus it was karaoke night and the pub was filled with wonderful, friendly (and TALENTED) locals who made us feel so welcome. One lady brought her delicious homemade cakes and brownies to share! They all sang us a beautiful Welsh folk song as a farewell. It was sad to leave. Thank you, kind people of Mawdlam! We will never forget you. TAN TRO NESA!

Great atmosphere on this very authentic local pub. Lots of history on the walls and also available…read morethrough touch screen iPad on wall showing short videos and the history of the pub and the local area. Small rooms, low ceilings and ancient building. Great pub food. Had cod & chips - fresh fish and well cooked. Friends had beef & ale pie and stuffed potatoes which they raved about. Very generous portions and very reasonable. £38 for 4 with soft drinks

I have only ever had good experiences at the Ty Mawr, particularly with regards to the atmosphere…read morewhich is friendly and relaxed. It's not the kind of place that I'd go to before a night out, for example, but if you fancy catching up with friends over a drink, it's great. The food was good for pub-type food, though it wasn't spectacular. However, it is good whole hearty food that doesn't pretend to be anything other than it is. Again, it's a Brains pub - you can't really get away from them in Cardiff - so if you're a fan of that, this is obviously the place for you. The service is good, though it's not incredible; but I always come away feeling happy overall.

The Ty Mawr (Welsh for Big House for those of you who like that sort of thing) is a big, old house…read moreon the way up The Graig. A local or someone comfortable walking along a darkened country lane on the way back from a pub have decent enough access to the place, though most will opt for a drive up the hill. It can be a great place to grab a pint if you've walked over the mountain from the other side before heading down towards civilisation. It is really popular on Christmas Eve and normally sells tickets for entry, so you'd have to book in advance to avoid disappointment. It's a family friendly pub with large oak tables for groups to have some pub grub and talk about nothing much whatsoever. There are two bars but the second is generally only opened on busy days like during the summer holidays. On a hot summer day the pub opens up and can become quite popular with loads of outdoor seating available and a huge field and play park for the kids to run off the sugar from all that lemonade you regret giving them.

My family and I often stop at The White Hart in Llanddarog on our way to Pembrokeshire. It is a…read morebeautiful thatched pub with excellent pub food and their own brewed beers. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area.

Firstly i will tell you that this is likely to be an expensive experience - but well worth the…read moremoney for a treat now and again. It is a beautiful Thatched Inn, built in 1371. It posseses open fireplaces, and a choice of cozy tables for 2 or 4, and long tables for larger parties in the back. HRH Prince Charles, Dylan Thomas have both visited here, to sample the beer still brewed on the premesis. The food is pricey, but what a meal you get for your money! A huge plateful that would be enough for two! the most reasonable is the Roast dinners, approx £10 a head. The walls and ceilings of the Inn are covered in memorobilia, from horse brasses to farming tolls, there is enough to occupy your mind while you wait for your meal. On your way to the loo you will encounter a full suit of armour, and in the back are fish tanks, and a talking parrot!

No-one ever passes through Gwaelod-y-Garth. Unless you live there, you need to make a special…read morejourney. The Gwaelod Inn is worth that special journey. The village of Gwaelod-y-Garth lies midway between Cardiff and Pontypridd, a hamlet of fewer than 500 souls in the middle of nowhere, but within a 15-minute drive of half a milion people. Even many Cardiffians don't know of its existence. The village lies on the eastern slopes of the Garth Mountain, a 1,000-ft giant that guards the entrance to the Rhondda Valleys and that was made famous by the 1995 film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain starring Hugh Grant. The Garth cradles the Inn lovingly in its bosom. (One of the pics will give you an idea of how the village lies.) The village began life in Elizabethan times as a source of iron ore, and was given a new lease of life in the 19thC when ore became wedded to coal. Many of the dwellings in Gwaelod are old miners' cottages. Such is the layout and context of this hillside village, that new houses are, thankfully, difficult to build. Owing to its monoply of village pub business, the Inn has always been a locals' meeting place. But until the present owners took it over, it languished sadly under a period of poor management. Now happily order has been restored. Barbara Evans and her partner Richie have carefully refurbished the Inn and converted the upstairs into a fine restaurant. Yet the flavour of a locals' local has not been lost. A good-sized room is dedicated to pub games with darts and pool prominent, and these games give way to live entertainment on a regular basis, with Soul, Blues and Jazz acts often appearing. The pub has fully embraced village life once more, holding events for children such as a Halloween Party, regular Charity Nights, and more usual events such as Quizzes. Apart from the Bar, there is an L-shaped Lounge which is really two rooms. The walls have been exposed back to the original stonework, and they are adorned with interesting old prints of the village, and antique bric-a-brac representative of old Welsh life. Log fires roar as soon as it gets cold, which is often. Drinkers can enjoy Hancocks HB, Otley Ale (brewed in Ponty!) and at least two other guest ales. There is a good choice of wine by the glass. Bar meals can be enjoyed downstairs, prepared by the same hand that graces the upstairs restaurant. The menus will always include local specialities: at the moment for example you will find Welsh Laverbread with Bacon, Roast Garth Mountain Lamb, and Vegetarian Glamorgan Sausages. Sunday Lunches are very popular and feature a choice of 7 dishes to start and 10 mains. The Home Boiled Ham with Parsley Sauce is a delight. What more to be said? Ten out of Ten.

If you're looking for a small country pub just a few miles outside Cardiff the Gwaelod Inn is the…read moreplace for you. I went there recently with my mum for lunch and had a great time. The lunch menu was varied and although not cheap the food was very good value. As it was lunchtime we both settled for just a main course, mum having the sea bass with braised fennel (£15) whilst I had the beer battered cod fillet at £9. For those of you who like beer this is a real ale pub and on warm summer evenings I imagine it would be an ideal place to sit outside drinking a pint!

I've become a fan of this pub, particularly since it got done up all sparkly a couple of years…read moreback. Even though it's relatively small it manages to have lots of different areas for big groups and small groups alike who may want a game of pool and to watch the football, or may want a quieter chat around the corner. It has its locals and regulars, but it certainly isn't adverse to newcomers, following the trend of many pubs that now place a lot of emphasis on encouraging families and friends to come and eat. The food is standard pub favourites, and is reasonably priced. The outdoor seating area in the summer can be a great place for a meal. Drinks prices are also fairly standard, with some cheap options if you take the time to ask. It can be busy on a match day so, depending on your preference, plan ahead.

This is a bit of an 80s-style pub, built in 1983, so don't expect any age-old traditions or…read moreinteresting history here. Inside it was all re-done in 2007, though, so it's quite smart and up to date, and what was once a separate lounge, bar and pool room is now a spacious, open plan pub with a big bar, comfortable seating, a pool table, plasma TVs and an open fire. The two best things about the pub, however, are its beer garden (which has a decent view) and its friendly bar staff - it was short listed at the Publican Awards for Customer Service Pub of the Year in 2008/09. Being a Brains pub, there's a cheap food menu plus IPA on tap along with other Brains beers, plus Fosters, Strongbow cider and others. They have a special curry and pint night every Wednesday until 9.30pm which only costs £5.75 and is pretty popular, plus another deal on steak and a glass of wine for £7.99 on some weekday evenings. You can't expect gourmet food at these prices, but for a well-priced, filling pub meal it's not too bad.

Great food, really good choice of food on the menu, staff are friendly, service is brilliant,…read moreambulance is relaxed and welcoming, dog is always made welcome

I went to this pub a few weeks ago with friends and family , we had no trouble booking a table in…read moreadvance for 20 people. There was a lot of things on the menu , I ordered chicken and chips. To place your order you go up to the bar where they take your order. I was shocked and surprised as to how quickly our food was served , I think it took less than 15 minutes for it to come to our table! The food taste great and they have an offer on at the moment 2 meals for £10. The staff served us quickly and were very friendly , the pub was very clean and tidy. I really recommend the pub on the pond if you want cheap good food

It looks cheap the food was not worth the price a I oder a 14oz gammon steak and came a 3 slices…read morehad one of those £1 glass bottle in the shop that was £3.79 which is ridiculous price . And very empty during a Friday night in half term

Nice enough looking pub but was a very packed local, apart…read morefrom the 1 lovely table (pictured) which was mysteriously empty. It was a Saturday night though so what did I expect? Butcombe Rare breedsomething else I don't remember and EPA 'coming soon' so not bad on the ale front. Photo link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8206/8216963970_2a2bd22c56.jpg

Gord and I had a beer Friday evenign at The Kings Arms, which is described as a "200-year-old pub"…read more It's one of the older surviving public houses in the town centre, though it has been refurbished and modernized. It's loud and lively! Cheers!

A large pub (feels a bit like a chain pub somehow) where the screens dominate a bit. 4 ales though,…read morefrom which I selected a very nice pint of Rhymney export. Toilets could be a lot better. A toilet seat would be appreciated for starters!