Griffin

Readers say ‘charming', ‘fabulous', ‘difficult to fault', and ‘one of the best pubs in the Guide' about this tremendously accomplished dining pub that pays close attention to getting every aspect of its business just right, and looks after its guests extremely well. They stock a terrific range of drinks, serve great carefully sourced food, care about the children and dogs that visit them and set a relaxed atmosphere. The back bar is quite pubby in an up-to-date way: three leather sofas sit around a low table on pitted quarry tiles, by a high slate hearth with a log fire, and behind them mixed stripped seats around scrubbed kitchen tables on bare boards, and a bright blue-and-ochre colour scheme, with some modern prints. The acoustics are pretty lively, due to so much bare flooring and uncurtained windows; maybe piped radio. The two smallish front dining rooms that link through to the back bar are attractive: on the left, mixed dining chairs around mainly stripped tables on flagstones, and white-painted rough stone walls, with a cream-coloured Aga in a big stripped-stone embrasure; on the right, similar furniture on bare boards, big modern prints on terracotta walls and smart dark curtains. Efficient staff serve a fine array of drinks, including a thoughtful choice of wines (with 20 by the glass and carafe), welsh spirits, cocktails, an award-winning local bottled cider, locally sourced apple juice, non-alcoholic cocktails made with produce from their garden, unusual continental and local bottled beers, sherries and beers from Breconshire, Montys, Otley and Tomos Watkins, on handpump. Good wheelchair access, and outside tables. This is a lovely place to stay, with nothing missed. Bedrooms are comfortable and tastefully decorated, and the hearty breakfasts nicely informal: you make your own toast and help yourself to home-made marmalade and jam. Children can play with the landlady's dog and visit the chickens in the henhouse and dogs may sit with owners at certain tables while dining.