The Angel Inn - Pontneathvaughan - Pub Review

Reviewer: KLF
Rating: ★★★★★

Introduction

From its free car park in the busy Waterfall Country on the outskirts of the Brecon Beacons, The Angel looks like an inviting traditional country pub. Signs on its large patio, full of olive trees and shrubs, advertise local coffee beans, a dog’s menu, and the fact the car park is for customers only, with fines issued to those not entering their number plates at the bar. Something I guess is a necessity in such an area where cars are parked all along the road for about a mile due to a lack of parking facilities in such a busy location.

Facilities & Entertainment

It has a large car park for customers and a spacious, pleasant patio area with plenty of tables amongst shrubs and olive trees.

On our visit it was advertising the Six Nations being screened in its side bar alongside its weekly quiz nights, monthly car shows, live music and craft workshops. They even have a Valentine’s themed murder mystery dinner coming up.

The pub, on our arrival on a dreary February afternoon, still saw a number of tables occupied in its main restaurant and two tables in the side bar, which is the dog friendly area. Both rooms were charming, with jugs, walking sticks and other interesting artefacts hanging from the ceilings and bunting over the bars, creating a welcoming, fun atmosphere even though the pub itself is very traditional.

Its decor is quirky and you could spend hours just looking at the photos, ornaments and old books dotted around. There was even a book swap with some really good offerings.

Food on Offer

The menu was extensive and offered plenty of vegan and gluten free options.

The dishes we opted for, steak pie and chips and faggots and mash, were obviously homemade and were delicious, with real chips. They also had a ciabatta menu available and ‘light bites’, which were small plates such as halloumi fries, chicken goujons and chicken wings.

The children’s menu was like no other. It offered smaller portions of the main menu, no chicken nuggets or smiley faces, just proper meals.

Beers on Tap

There were four real ales to choose from along with a great selection of lagers and ciders, both on tap and in bottles.

Their bar menu is huge and all Welsh drinks are clearly labelled, including a large selection of gins and whiskies.

Price Range & Value

The food arrived in very generous portions and, with the meals being obviously homemade, offered great value for money.

The pie was delicious and the real chips just finished it off. We will definitely be back as we saw a fish and chips going out and that looked fantastic. Other interesting items on the menu included a Burns Night burger with haggis and pepper sauce to dip, garlic and stilton mushrooms and their own faggots.

Customer Service

Staff were friendly and the bar staff were happy to give us tasters of the ales so we could decide what we wanted.

The food came out piping hot and the wait was not too long considering it was quite busy.

Events & Special Nights

The menu advertised plenty of events at the pub. Quiz nights, classic car meet ups, murder mystery dinners, live music and craft workshops. It looks like there is never a dull moment.

Atmosphere & Accessibility

The Angel has two rooms. A carpeted restaurant with the main bar full of quirky memorabilia like jugs on the ceiling, old photographs and plates. There is also a side room which is dog friendly, with a large fireplace and walking sticks on the ceiling.

The toilets were clean and they had a disabled unisex toilet with baby changing facilities. A large, free car park made it accessible and the outdoor space had a large number of picnic benches.

Location & Nearby Attractions

The Angel is perfect for those wishing to visit the Four Waterfall Trail as it is situated right next to the gate of the trail. The falls are beautiful and you can easily make a full day out of visiting both the area and the pub.

Overall Impression

We will definitely be back. The beers, food and decor are well worth the travel.