Culture

Tiny Welsh pub named best in Wales and top 10 in UK

10 Nov 2026 3 minute read

Inn at the Sticks, Llansteffan (CRedit: Tripadvisor)

Nation.Cymru staff

A historic village pub which is more than 200 years old has been named Wales’ best and placed in the UK’s top 10.

Inn at the Sticks in Llansteffan, Carmarthenshire, ranked eighth in The Good Food Guide’s 2026 Top 100 Pubs, making it Wales’ highest entry and one of the best across the home nations.

The historic hostelry which has been a pub since 1809 and a hotel since 1881 became a Grade II listed building in 2002.

A spokesperson for the pub said: “8th in the UK. Number one in Wales!

“We’re so excited to share that Inn at the Sticks has been placed 8th in The Good Food Guide’s Top 100 Pubs for 2026, making us the highest-ranked pub in Wales.

“We’re incredibly proud of our team, whose hard work, care and creativity make The Sticks what it is.

“This recognition means so much to us all.”

The pub and restaurant also offers accommodation, a shop and a deli, making it a popular destination.

Its garden hosts live music, events and street food throughout the summer.

This latest honour follows a string of accolades for the business, including being named Wales’ Best Local Restaurant by The Good Food Guide in 2024, just a year after new owners took over.

Inn at the Sticks shared its thanks with supporters, saying: “Thank you to everyone who visits, supports us and makes this little corner of Llansteffan so special.

“Diolch o galon a iechyd da!”

Inn at the Sticks – Llansteffan

Good Food Guide Review
Llansteffan sits on the blue-green Tywi estuary, its ascending streets of pretty houses topped by a magnificent castle. Set at the upper end of the village, close to the church, the Inn at the Sticks covers many bases: bedrooms and a deli/wine bar in addition to the main pub/restaurant space. The setting is rustic in a stylish, uncluttered way, with quarry tiles and wood floors, exposed beams, brickwork and a couple of chunky wood burners.

‘Welsh sharing plates’ describes the menu (expect beef, lamb, cockles, faggots and excellent cheeses), although you might also encounter Asian sticky pork with pak choi, sesame seeds and crispy noodles, or sweet, gleaming Vichy carrots teamed with the breezy, lemony freshness of whipped feta and topped with almond and chilli crumb, basil gel and a drizzle of honey.

Astonishing flavours, colour and verve take this place far beyond normal pub fare although it never stints on the classics. The beef, beer and Perl Las blue cheese pie is on-point in every department, delivering a bounty of big, tender chunks of meat, a deep and dark savoury gravy, and a perfectly risen puff-pastry top. Other standout dishes include cockle popcorn – light-as-air batter, with a drizzle of homemade chilli vinegar and a punchy little pot of aïoli for dipping.

The bar stays high for desserts ranging from a beguilingly soft and gooey ‘bara brith’ sticky toffee pudding set on a butterscotch and tea sauce to a Welsh coffee panna cotta sporting a candied walnut crumb and a sleek caramel sauce. To drink, there’s an excellent choice of wines as well as beers.

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