please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
After a very pleasant weekend in the Cwellyn-owned Big Bunkhouse, I find the negative reviews here a little hard to believe.
The pub is attractive from outside with immediate parking for 3 or 4 cars and plenty of roadside parking opposite. The few picnic tables provide ample al-fresco drinking opportunities. Inside is cosy with low cielings and a fireplace which looks like it would pack a punch in winter. The side room, with its more restaurant feel, is lighter and less beaten.
The staff were perfectly fine; the young French girl (she could be Belgian, I suppose) was particularly polite, the landlady rather helpful with bus info and the landlord nothing like the monster so many of the other reviews make him out to be.
Beer choice was extensive with 7 ales available. Prices didnt seem to be particularly exhorbitant.
Food here is definitely on the gastro side of things and is a little pricey as a result, but you get what you pay for and the Pork belly on Friday plus the roast on Sunday were both utterly delicious. Availability seems to be a bit hit-and-miss (lamb proving to be popular as usual for a Welsh pub) but this is understandable as the majority of the produce is locally sourced.
If the pub does have a downside, it is the pointless advertising screen; either get a proper telly or stick a picture there.
The pub runs the local campsite and associated bunkhouses and farm buildings. The campsite has excellent facilities and the 'no music' policy ensures a quiet atmosphere. The bunkhouse is well equipped but is clearly designed purely as a sleeping place (I guess if you want to relax, you go to the pub) as the diner/ lounge area is sadly lacking in comfy furniture.
Overall, a very enjoyable experience. So much that I have booked one of the farm dwellings with a group of friends. Dont change, Cwellyn, youre doing nothing wrong!
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Not sure I'm feeling the vibes on this page - there's a lot to love about the Cwellyn in my view - particularly if you're a real ale fan.
In terms of the ales it really is a haven in Snowdonia: on our last visit over Christmas (2011) there were 6 or 7 on draft (from both local and some of the better national brewers, eg Cottage Brewing). All but a couple were very decent indeed, and there's the always welcome Leffe Blonde, too.
Food wise - yes, there's a gastro approach to the food, with prices more-or-less to match, but quality is top draw - I've had some fantastic meals in there.
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PLEASE - Enjoy the location and spare a minute to consider how difficult it is to sustain a business all year for all to enjoy. Some of the money earned here has gone to improve facilities for the beautifully located campsite. Yes the owner ' may be a character' and certainly has a direct approach but myself and my teenage son climbed Snowdon in the rain, camped in the rain and felt more at home in this pub than some others that didn't encourage, campers, children or people who were a bit bedraggled!
Give it a chance but obviously avoid it if you expect it to bend for your expectations. You may have experience some unique customer service but I respect that this pub needs to be open when I next want to visit!
Martin Sims.
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This really is a pub to avoid over over over priced go to snowdonia parc instead
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After a hard days trekking through the beuatiful Snowdonian Mountains you may be so lucky to fall into Ryhd Ddu and notice the warming lights of a true country establishment glinting on the horizon...STOP...get in your car and drive away.
Tired and weary my family and me became mesmerised last Monday after a long day walking and the result was a large dent in my wallet and four of the worst meals I've ever seen.
We ordered from the descriptive menu what sounded like relatively straight forward 'Pub Grub', overpriced but no doubt going to worth every penny. We were served a flat piece of grey gammon with a 100mm by 30mm wedge of pineapple complete with skin, a burger with a spoon of relish, a 'meat' lasagne burnt solid in its bowl and a 'veggie' lasagne likewise, all served with a handfull of pale limp oven ready chips. Four small rolls smeared with garlic butter and covered in some kind of thick red cheese (probably red leicester) were also delivered to the table to pass as the garlic roll with cheese side order.
These meals along with a pint and half of lager and 2 small cokes came to over �62.00 (i've kept the receipt). I was so disgusted and disappointed I returned both my wifes and my meal for a refund (the children were hungry and had started eating otherwise all meals would have gone back).
We all have to make a living and I appreciate the work that goes into maintaining a place like this throughout the winter months. However there is no excuse for the standard of the food that we were served.
BEWARE when the menu says that your meal comes with chips or potatoes, it does....everything else is extra, read the menu carefully.
P.S Lamb's still off the menu. In Wales EH! who'd of thought. MacDonalds if your reading this you're missing out on some prime hungry customers who don't want to get ripped off in Rhyd Ddu.
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I've just been told the steak and chips was �18.95!
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You will need big pockets or a VISA Gold card to eat and drink at the Cwellyn Arms. A pint of Staropramen was �4.50, pint of soda water was �2.00. Steak and chips was �17. Desserts were �5.95. If you can stomach the overpriced food, small portions, rude, unfriendly Landlord, and long wait for the food then you won�t mind being a tourist getting fleeced in this pub. No doubt he needs to charge these prices to run his battered up Daimler that is parked outside. Most of the items were off the Menu. No Lamb for the Sunday Roast Dinner was a big disappointment. After all you come to Wales expecting some lamb! Be warned - the prices on the typical menu on their website, are not typical of what you will pay in the pub!
The Cellwyn Arms is the only pub in the village of Rhyd Ddu. No locals seem to drink in the pub. Hardly surprising as most of the village has now been turned over to holiday homes.
Shame really given the beautiful location. After one visit you will not want to go back to the Cwellyn Arms.
This place is a tourist trap, with extortionate prices.
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And another thing, these parasites put up the price of drinks after 8.00pm on a Friday evening.
The price of drinks is already daylight robbery so to do this is akin to rubbing salt in the wound.
The huge flat screen monitor as you go in the pub, advertising so called specials, local events and local firms - ruins the ambiance of what could be a nice pub - real fire and in a lovely location.
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Nice location, real fire but a rip off !
The landlord is a miserable git who doesn't care about customer service because he makes enough without worrying about repeat business.
It is the only pub for miles and this is clearly reflected in the attitude of the staff.
I was asked by one staff member if my meal was OK, I commented that a few extra chips would be nice and she returned a few minutes later saying that any more would cost extra.
My girlfriend's meal was more like starter to be quite honest.
Tip - use the bus or train to get down to Waunfawr and go in the Snowdonia Parc Brew Pub where the food and beer (real cask ales too) is about 60% of the price of the Cwellyn Arms, the staff are human and they can get you a taxi back to Rhyd Ddu for a tenner !
4 of us visited the Snowdonia Parc Pub twice and on both occasions the beer and food was excellent and reasonably priced and the staff were more than helpful.
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Called in for a drink while driving home. A pint of soda water and lime cost �2.90. The expensive beer and lager is one thing, but that is daylight robbery.
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Totally agree with the comments above regarding the landlord. A really miserable git who isn't interested in talking to customers about their complaints.
This pub is majorly over-priced for both beer and food. A pint of lager cost me �4.50 last weekend! That's more than you'd pay in a London club.
I also ordered a lamb hotpot which was served in a petri dish, was extremely watery and disppeared in about 3 mouthfuls. Spend �35 in this pub in about an hour and left feeling I'd been mugged!
Yes it is the only pub around but this is no excuse, if you can wait 10 minutes drive to either Caerarfon or Betws Y Coed, much nicer pubs and restaurants here.
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Hello Cwellyn Arms
I have been meaning to reply to the comments made by anonymous acquaintance about the cwellyn arms pub but never seem to have the time but today I have 10 min to waste so I have decided to waste it on the anonymous acquaintance. I will reply to his comments in the order they were made
Firstly the pub caters for the trade that is available to them e.g. Climber, Walkers, passing trade and local people driving out to eat. Over 50% of the village is holiday cottages (and it has always been like that even before the present landlord arrived on the scene 29 years ago) as for Central London prices why should we in Wales be cheaper and anyway you can't see Snowdon from London. CAMRA do not hold their AGM there and they certainly don't get free food or beer off the landlord. As the anonymous acquaintance has already said it is not cheap and he definitely doesn't give his beer away
As for the larger nearly a fiver that is probably the Belgium larger Leffe which is 6.6% which sells that in the Leffe chilled glass @ �2.45 for 1/2 the glass actually holds 14 fl. oz. so you don't have to be a mathematician to work out �2.45 divided by 14 fl. oz. multiplied by 10 fl' oz. (which is half a pint) = �1.75p for 1/2. = �3.50p for a pint which is not expensive if you consider the strength and there are cheaper alternatives if you want something cheaper.
As for he "Doesn't give a monkey's" he has been there 29 years they are open all day every day even in the winter they also serve food all day even in the winter when they might only get 1 or 2 people "falling off snowdon knackered and thirsty" but they are still open and serving food and drinks all day for them and if people are arriving late travelling from say London they serve food till 10 p.m. which is later than anywhere else around there. They always try and look after all their customers
Local Customer
Living in Rhyd Ddu
Born in the Village and still enjoying living here where you get people from all over the world stopping off at the pub when they fall off snowdon "falling off snowdon knackered and thirsty"I can remember when the pub was closed over thirty years ago and good it was when it reopened.
Has the anonymous acquaintance run a pub for 30 years in hard times and good times I think not
ps as for him being miserable when you get the odd assholes in the pub its enough make anyone miserable
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Although can be a little expensive the pub is really nice, especially in the summer. ..what your paying for is the beautiful location and lush atmosphere. The foods really tasty and the staff are lush
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Spent a weekend recenly courtesy of the Cwellyn Arms at their Bunkhouse at Bwythn Bach.
Firstly the accomodation - Where can you get what amounts to a self catering flat for �15 per person. Bunks, shower, loo and a cooker / sink area. I've had poorer accomodation in the Greek Islands and at an awful lot more money. You can pay almost that for just a tent pitch these days!
Secondly, at the pub there was a very good range of real ales - not just heavy bitters but really nice pale ales such as Honey Fayre and Wellow Gold.
The restaurant was also excellent. The table d'hote menu was inviting. Given the small number of covers some of the main courses ran out quickly - but this simply meant that we had the chicken supreme, which was probably the best main course on the menu.
The landlord and landlady were characters - but frankly given the rudeness and unreal expectations of some of the clientele (i.e. excellent food and drink and rock bottom prices) it would be enough to make anyone a little jaundiced! Personly we found them charming and accomodating as were all of their staff. I have no hesitation in recommending them and giving 10/10!
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The head chef Tom is a diamond! the staff are always upbeat although theyre paid pitance and treated like slaves. ..watch out for the dodgy bloke at the left hand end of the bar. ..Milky.. ..
Also avoid the Bols Blue. ..expiry date 1990...tut tut
anonymous - 10 Jul 2007 12:35 |
A comment from an anonymous aquaintance:
the pub is run by a miserable bloke- hates locals, overcharges wildly for his beer - central London prices - but is always in the CAMRA book because they have their AGM there - free beer and dinner - funny that'
Apparently he had one lager on at nearly a fiver over christmas'
Doesn't give a monkey's - reckons he has enough customers faling off snowdon knackered and thirsty every day - doesn't need repeat business'
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Very Nice Location,Large Selection Of Ales. The bus driver who picked us up from outside did jest "So u've had your most expensive beer in Wales", but overall it is a gr8 little pub off the beaten track. 9/10
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A nice pub set right at the foot of Snowdon. Very popular obviously therefore, with walkers and their thirst can be quenched with a nice cold pint of Starapromen lager at only $4.20 a pint!!! I jest NOT �4.20 A PINT!!!! I had a pint of bitter and it was �2.60! A nice pub with nice bar staff and great variety of beers including Leffe (Blonde & Brun) on tap. 9 real ales on all the time, lovely log fire, nice outdoor seating area, but just VERY expensive to eat and drink there. I didn't mention the food menu did I? Mmmmm. Same as the beer really. Very nice but dear. Having said all that, I would go back, but couldn't afford to use it as a local. Just as well as I live 150 miles away!!
DoctorWu - 24 Sep 2005 21:27 |
