Copyright walesonline
At certain times of year you can't move for 'best of' rankings and and top 10s of places to eat, drink or have a massage. This week is no different as so far we've had a Welsh venue added to the Michelin Guide, our best kebab houses and The Good Food Guide has released their 100 Best Pubs guide. That prestigious list, the inaugural one for pubs, includes five fantastic Welsh pubs. I've eaten in them all, but there's one missing that could make it a six-strong contingent from Wales. I'm absolutely not taking anything away from the five in there, Pontypridd's The Bunch of Grapes is one of my absolutely favourite pubs - not just because I've won the quiz there - and Inn at the Sticks down in Llansteffan is truly a destination pub with an amazingly inventive kitchen team and eye-catching menu. Think re-invented Sunday roasts with mini Yorkshire puddings or Welsh brisket drenched in hot honey. The Bunch is the same, no one expects to be eating masterfully cooked lamb chump with a tandoori flavour so delicate it belongs on MasterChef, down a quiet, dead-middle (it's not a dead end, there's a set of bollards in the middle) street stuck behind a B&Q on the cusp of the south Wales valleys. Hare & Hounds in Aberthin and Heathcock in Llandaff are two of the most brilliant food pubs around, too and their bars are well stocked with Glamorgan, Wye Valley and Bluestone Breweries from Wales, as well as guest ales and breweries from around the UK. Their menus take the best of their very own kitchen garden as well produce from further afield. At Heathcock, my favourite thing to eat is their pie special, while at Hare & Hounds, the Sunday lunch has been the main pull and it's always A-list. Yes, these pubs have great food, but the pub element of their offering is just as attractive. A cosy seat at the Inn at the Sticks bar or next to the fire with a pint after a brisk walk up to the castle and around the coast is a must. With The Bunch and Felin Fach Griffin, as well as Hare & Hounds, the low-ceiling, exposed stone walls and roaring fires make you feel like you are in a real, old school pub. Horses brasses abound and small wooden tables with massive cast iron bases - you know the ones - and an inviting bar where the staff are framed by pumps and bottles and various crisps and snacks. The only downside is that they are spread out so far from each other, a proper pubby pub crawl is likely out of the question. And so, the one pub in a similar vein that The Good Food Guide, I feel, made a drastic mistake by missing out. If you've ever been to this pub you'll know it ticks all the boxes as the above venues do. Cosy, roaring fires, an impressive, well-thought out menu with a few surprises and wonderfully, that aesthestic every Hollywood film wishes a country pub could be. I'm waving the flag for The Red Lion in Penderyn. It sits at northern end of the Cynon Valley, where it meets the start of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and outside in the beer garden you'll get beautiful views while drinking your pint or tot of local whiskey from the nearby Pendryn Distillery. A 12th-century drover's inn, The Red Lion, or Tafarn Llew Coch, is up on the side of Moel Penderyn just a few miles from the much-loved waterfall country or Ystradfellte to Sgwd y Eira - and is the ideal walker's stop off for a pint, lunch or if you're less of a hiker, a beautiful country drive with the treat of a three-course meal of stunningly put together, traditional Welsh fare. It's pub grub done to a thoughtful and skilful level that once you've finished your lunch or dinner, you'll want to book in for the next time. The building - a Welsh longhouse - that used to home cattle now is a lovingly restored, stone dining room, topped out with wooden beams and decorated with traditional pub wares and a roaring fireplace that connects you into the lounge and bar. That bar feels like stepping back in time. Dark wood furniture on black slate floors, blood-red seat cushions and curtains but also it's brightly lit with fairy lights and lamps that reflect off the horse brasses and mirrored vintage brewery branding pictures dotted all around. Read our food review of The Red Lion, here . A carefully thought out restoration by current owner, Natalie's parents, Aberdare natives Keith and Beryl James saw decades of contemporary decor stripped back to the stunning stonework and original fireplaces and the place started to grow into what you see today. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What’s On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here . Do you love a tradtional pub? Let us know your favourite - email kathryn.williams@reachplc.com
