Where to start…
Royal Oak, Rhandirmwyn.
– for Mynydd Mallaen, Doethie Valley and Cwmrhayadr. Chris the barman is an ex Fullers? brewer. Lee, his predecessor kept a good pint and Chris is doing a really good job too. Open fire, three or four guest ales, a 3, a 4, and a 5. Plus a good cider too. We have lunch there every Christmas day and have done so for the best part of a decade. Fantastic bar food, now even better.
The Ancient Briton, Penycae, near Abercraf. Perfect for a pint or two after the stupendous descents into the Upper Swansea Valley. A regular watering hole. Missed my most recent pint there (Butty Bach) whem Kim went and fell off and ended up in A+E, the inconsiderate sod 😉 real Ale, real fire, allow dirty boots as does the Royal Oak.
The Wern, YstalyferaA stunning pub in the least likely of settings. A regular champion brewer for many years. Pork scrathings and pickled eggs too. Fabulous clientele. A treasure trove of artefacts in the bare boarded bar, inc an OMO packet priced at 1/3! If you like old bricks, mining memorabilia, foul jokes (pinned up in the unheated, prehistoric toilets) mummers or Amazing beer- this is the place to go. Some decent riding too, but it takes a bit of finding. Unlike the previously mentioned pubs, no beer garden.
Rose and Crown, Rhosaman
Lovely old traditional miners vilage pub/hotel. Good beer, pig snacks, lively locals who also ride bikes- like the bloke who bought an electric bike and rode it to Mumbles, Swansea, approx 20 miles away. Battery died, he had to pedal back. He's 70? years old and to quote 'had an arse like a f'ing blood orange' Class act.
And then there is the Wernoleu Hotel, now rebranded as the Ammanford Hotel- another regular Camra award winner. A lovely beer garden with some serious steps to be ridden. Free food too on occasion!
Out of Wales we have
The Plough Inn, Coldharbour landlady has sometimes seemed tetchy, but beer good and some reasonable 🙂 riding close by.
Found this place in the Quantocks- blummin great, must get back soon.
And finally, maybe my favorite hostelry of all…
L'Abricotine, Les Brocheau
or maybe here…
La Lapisa. Some of the best cheese I've ever eaten!
or here Lac Vert, Refuge de Chesery
or here…Chalet Floria, La Praz, Chamonix– AMAZING views, service is superb, situation cannot be faulted