please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This was, for me, for years, the nicest pub for miles and miles.
The food was about the best pub Sunday lunch I'd ever had, and the beers lovely.
However, on my last visit, it had changed hands. To her credit, the new landlady had carried on as the last left off.
Unfortunately though, she'd brought with her, unintentionally I'd expect, some sports car obsessed, in-everyone's-faces, quite obnoxious showoffs, whom the previous tenants had banned, but with whom she seemed unable to deal properly.
This ruined it for us and we've never been back since.
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Deservedly popular village pub with a good range of ales, and a large garden in front of the building where an annual beer festivals is held. Lovely place to pass a spring afternoon or a summer's evening, although the pub itself is quite smoky because of its open fires and I'm not sure I'd want to sit inside for hours on end, cosy though it is. Also the food menu seems a bit limited.
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The Plough and Harrow gets as close as is feasibly possible to being the perfect country pub. A beautiful whitewashed building, it has a large garden and two warm cosy rooms inside, both featuring log fires. The beer is top quality - excellent regulars (particularly Hereford Pale Ale), and plenty of guests, always served well, and with a smile. The food is also excellent - unpretentious, proper home made stuff. The kind of place you never want to leave - wonderful.
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Every time I get back to Wales and manage to visit this place, it re-asserts itself as the best pub I know of anywhere in the UK. There is nothing I can fault about it - The surroundings are cosy inside and on a nice day the beer garden is very pleasant, the staff are friendly and helpful, the beer is top notch and constantly changing, there are always at least 4 guests but even the more constant Wye Valley beers are fantastic. There's a good range of ciders, scrumpys and liqueurs too. They also sell Welsh Penderyn Whisky which is seriously worth a try if you appreciate a good single malt. The food is excellent.. Not the most extensive or varied menu, but what they do is done extremely well using local produce and is served very efficiently.
I can't say I agree with the comment made by acrylic about a middle class atmosphere with people keeping themselves to themselves. It's rare that I don't manage to get into a conversation with a stranger there and the place is very popular with the local farmers who do anything but keep quiet in a corner.
I really cannot rate the beer highly enough and you'd be hard pushed to find anywhere close with such a well kept and varied stock. During the two consecutive nights I was there in the last week, I managed to sample: Tomos Watkin's Grand Slam, Oscar Wilde mild from Essex, a summer ale from the Isle of Purbeck brewery, Rhymney ale and Sweet Jane (I forget the name of that brewery) and that was before settling back to the Wye Valley ale. There was not one bad pint among them.
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Having only ever been here in the daytime i find it quite resturanty, not somewhere to get talking to strangers at the bar -since there's only a serving hatch- but not bad for a bite to eat (as a vege i recommend the stuffed peppers.) while observing familys out for the afternoon. A middle class atmosphere where people tend to keep themselves to themselves, nice big garden for sunshine and bbqs, and top range of beers, scrumpys and perry. You don't have to miss out if your driving but can take home the ales in reused 2 pint milk cartons for the same price as drinking in.
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This is a briliant pub. Lots of character, very friendly staff, splendid range of beers, some direct from the barrel, and ciders. The food hits the spot too - not too pricey and the right mix of normal pub grub and bistro-style nosh. Old-fashioned farmhouse interior, nice garden, and there are plans so they tell me to open a brewery. Just wish it was closer to home.
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Wonderfully rustic country pub in a lovely location.In spite of brown tourism road signs betraying its (off the beaten track) location, it is unspoilt and unpretentious. The bar is cosy and full of character including "church pew" type seating and one of the best fireplaces in the business. The tiny serving area has a number of hand pulled real ales with an ever changing range of others served direct from barrels.A nice clean pint of Spitfire at a respectable �2.50!!!
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This pub has changed hands again since most of the negative comments were posted here. It's now back to something like it was under Pugsley's reign, albeit a little less surreal and a little more welcoming to visitors. Well kept ales, good grub & a relaxed atmosphere.
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I visited last week and there was something like 8 good beers to choose from. I had Archers Golden, then a Hereford pale Ale. Both spot on. Then the music arrived, some odd jazz guys from Cardiff and they were as good as the beer. Haven't been in such a great atmosphere in years. A great night.
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had to check it out since it changed hands. What a mistake !!
Won't be going there again, I was the only one at the bar and the barmaid could only interest herself in counting large sums of money and not bother to serve. Another member of staff brought food to those lucky enough (only 8 of us in the whole place) to be served and paid no attention to me at all. suffice to say we left, that's a few less tenners for her to count! No more good times to be had there then. I say we nick Nic's table
Lee Jones - 8 Nov 2004 17:20 |
Brian Francis couldn't be more wrong. Uncle Pugs may have gone but the tradition of the Plough and Harrow is still very much alive and kicking - except there's toilet roll in the gents now. All the fantastic real ales are still there and are going to stay. The live music remains on Sunday nights with the best accoustic stuff around. The food has improved but this is no gastropub rubbish. The Plough & Harrow is easily the best pub in South Wales and beyond and it's going to stay that way for a long time.
Les Urquhart - 2 Nov 2004 11:11 |
The Plough was the best pub in Wales and I can only agree with the other comments below. All is not lost though, the Pelican at Ogmore just up the road is to be recommended - but dont nick my table now that I've mentioned it!!
SFC
Nic - 26 Sep 2004 18:50 |
this was a fantastic place and I'm very disappointed that Pugsley has left it! Another real pub gone then if the comment of Brian Francis is anything to go by
Lee Jones - 9 Jun 2004 12:08 |
Unfortunately the licensee left at the end of March and the pub is now being run by the owners who are about to squander the legacy that has been created. The interesting Real Ales are to go and already the place is losing customers. Owners they may be but they show little ability in running the place to customer expectations. This once was a CAMRA Pub of The Year but they have now signed themselves over to just one supplier of bog standard products that aren't worth going out of your way for.
Brian Francis - 6 Apr 2004 20:48 |
Very old, twin-roomed pub in the middle of nowhere. Stone floors and real fires in both bars. Good, reasonably-priced food is served lunchtimes and evenings. Many real ales available - some on gravity dispense, and a huge range of bottled beers as well (menus provided on each table).
Once you find it you won't want to leave.
Graham - 10 Sep 2003 13:01 |
