Good Food Guides names the cosiest pubs in Wales
When it’s cold and dreary outside, there’s nothing nicer than pitching up at a pub to enjoy the crackling warmth of a real fire, the hum of friendly conversation and a perfectly poured pint.
Whether you’re meeting friends, warming up after a walk or simply craving comfort, to celebrate The Good Food Guide’s Restaurant Month, the guide has rounded up 27 wonderful, cosy pubs across the UK that pair timeless atmosphere with great-value dining menus.
Described as the ideal places ready to welcome you this winter, two cosy pubs from Wales have made the cosy cut.
And they’re guaranteed to offer a warm welcome this winter.
The Bunch of Grapes – Pontypridd
A staple of the Pontypridd scene since 1851, this forward-thinking community pub is a veritable hive of activity. Not only a staunch champion of Welsh produce, it’s also home to the Otley Brewery, which sits in the grounds behind the building. There’s a tap room if you want to chill out, as well as a craft beer shop selling an astonishing range of cans and bottles, and assorted special events from live music and cheese nights to macramé workshops.
As for food, local and sustainable ingredients dictate the show, with Welsh heritage proudly showing its colours in the form of cockles on toast with laverbread or a Merthyr brisket pie with mash – although much of the action centres on the charcoal barbecue. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the menu is limited to eclectic small plates – pork belly burnt ends with pickled ginger or home-smoked salmon fishcakes, say. From Wednesday to Saturday, a full repertoire takes over, so expect anything from beer-glazed charred chicken with grilled leeks to buttermilk-crusted sea trout to a vegan laab salad with enoki mushrooms.
Sunday means roasts, while desserts could bring lemon meringue tart or whisky and orange cheesecake. Beer is the drink of choice, with a rolling roster of Otley ales (and others) at the bar.
Hare & Hounds – Aberthin
This snug village pub brims with folksy features: wonky whitewashed stone walls, stripped floorboards, a Welsh dresser loaded with jars of preserved fruits, and a wood burner in an inglenook that contrasts with the polished metal of the open kitchen.
The ever-changing menu takes its cue from the setting – traditional by inclination, but shot through with contemporary freshness. Executive chef (and local boy) Tom Watts-Jones previously worked at Fergus Henderson’s St John in Clerkenwell, and it shows. Welsh rarebit (unctuous, glossy and perfectly charred) arrives on a chunky piece of sourdough (from the Hare & Hounds Bakery in Cowbridge) with a bottle of Worcestershire sauce on the side, while seasonally attuned starters might range from a thick, silky soup of new-season’s asparagus and wild garlic topped with a runny-yolked crispy egg to a fresh, light risotto incorporating plump mussels and more wild garlic.
To follow, our braised, crisp-skinned duck leg – an absolutely wonderful combo of crunchy and fatty – was teamed with velvety butter beans, chunky bacon and a rich cider sauce cut through with the spiky brightness of aïoli. We also enjoyed a tender, perfectly rosy hanger steak with flawless chips and a punchy peppercorn sauce. For dessert, dainty brown butter cakes – oven-fresh and nutmeg-spiced, fluffy in the middle and caramelised on top – were a huge hit, as was the almost impossibly thick and creamy honeycomb ice cream. A compact list of European wines offers plenty by the glass or carafe.
To find out more visit The Good Food Guide
Read more: The Welsh pubs in the Good Food Guide’s 100 best pubs in the UK
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