The Right Pub for the Right Day in the Conwy Valley

Most pub guides give you a list and leave you to work out the rest. This one works differently.

We run two self-catering holiday cottages in the Conwy Valley, and over the years we’ve realised the best local pub depends entirely on the moment you’re in. These aren’t places that can be summed up by a star rating and a paragraph. Each of the five below is the right answer to a different question: which pub suits today? The answer changes depending on whether you’ve just pulled off the A470 for the first time, crossed a bridge in wet boots or decided tonight should feel like a proper occasion.

From our holiday cottages, all five are within 20 minutes. Four welcome dogs too, which covers most self-catering stays.

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The Arrival Evening: The Tal-y-Cafn, Tal-y-Cafn

You’ve been in the car for two hours. Nobody wants to unpack, find a pan and cook from scratch on night one. Here’s the thing: you pass this pub on the way in.

The Tal-y-Cafn sits on the A470 at the exact point where guests turn off for the cottages. Stopping there on arrival is less of a plan and more of an obvious decision. What looks from the road like a straightforward roadside bistro turns out to have records of a hostelry on this site from 1438. The interior is clean and modern; the menu uses locally sourced produce from within 30 miles and takes that seriously.

Dogs are welcome in the snug, the bar and the outdoor terrace. On most evenings they’re also welcome in the main restaurant (the exception is Friday and Saturday evenings). Expect a bowl of water and treats on arrival for well-behaved dogs. You can arrive tired, sit down, eat well and reach our holiday cottage in less than ten minutes.

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Post-Walk: The Pont-y-Pair Inn, Betws-y-Coed

Betws-y-Coed is the natural endpoint for a lot of the valley’s best walks: the riverside path from Llanrwst, trails through Gwydir Forest, the circuit out to Swallow Falls. You cross the Pont-y-Pair bridge, one of the most photographed spots in the village, and the pub is directly opposite. The walk ends; the pint begins.

The Pont-y-Pair Inn reopened in 2022 following a full refurbishment and is family-run throughout. It’s dog-friendly by genuine conviction (their words: dogs are “welcome more than some humans”). Real ales, seasonal menus with gluten-free and vegan options, a beer garden and ten en-suite rooms if you ever want a Betws-y-Coed base rather than driving back. It works for walkers because it is built for walkers. Boots, dogs, post-hike appetites: all welcome.

One thing worth knowing before you arrive: the pub has three parking spaces. That is it. Village car parks are within a 200-yard walk, so it’s not a problem, just useful to know before you spend ten minutes wondering if you’ve missed something.

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Rainy Afternoon: The Groes Inn, Tyn-y-Groes

Wales has no shortage of pubs that claim to be old. The Groes Inn can prove it.

This is the first licensed house in Wales, with documents dating to 1573. It has been serving travellers from the same Grade II listed building, in the village of Tyn-y-Groes, ever since. Walk in on a wet afternoon and you’ll understand why it lasted. Multiple rooms, low beams, nooks, Victorian portraits and a real fire. This is not manufactured cosiness; it’s a pub that has had 450 years to get the atmosphere right and simply kept going.

JW Lees ales on tap, one changing seasonal beer. The kitchen is taken seriously: Michelin Guide listed, a former Good Pub Guide Welsh Dining Pub of the Year. You don’t need to commit to a full meal. The weekday “Prix Fixe” set menu runs at two courses for £17.45 (three-course price: £19.95). The Sunday sharer has drawn consistent praise in recent reviews, and the terrace and lawn with views toward Eryri (Snowdonia) are worth having a look at when the weather behaves. Dogs are welcome in the bar.

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Sunday Lunch: The Bee Inn, Eglwysbach

The Bee Inn has been the hub of Eglwysbach since 1876. It’s a proper village pub, all food locally sourced and home-cooked, real ales and guest beers and log fires through winter. Sunday is when the kitchen is at its best, and the traditional roast is the reason to plan around it.

Before you go: the Bee Inn is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesday to Friday it opens from 6pm only. Saturday and Sunday it opens from 12pm. Book ahead for Sunday lunch, particularly at weekends. Tables go. The Bee Inn sits close to Bodnant Garden, so a morning in the garden followed by Sunday lunch in Eglwysbach is a combination worth planning deliberately.

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Date Night: The Erskine Arms, Conwy

The Erskine Arms sits on Rose Hill Street, inside the medieval walls of Conwy, about 300 metres from the castle. The building combines a Georgian coaching inn with a 17th-century sail-maker’s cottage, which explains the interior: different levels, connected rooms of different heights and ages, open fires, chunky furniture and original artwork depicting local history. The architecture tells you something significant has been here for a long time.

The kitchen is all-scratch, including the brown sauce. Seasonal specials, local produce, Conwy Brewery and Purple Moose ales on the bar, an extensive wine list and a good gin selection. There are ten guest bedrooms above if you want to stay in Conwy itself rather than drive home.

Dogs are welcome in the bar and the bijou courtyard (a sun trap in fine weather), but not in the restaurant. For a date night, that means a table in the restaurant, which is also why the Erskine earns its place here: it’s not just a good meal, it’s a proper occasion inside one of the most atmospheric medieval towns in Wales.

Parking: No on-site parking. The nearest car park is Market Place / Lancaster Square, LL32 8HT, less than a minute’s walk and £5 per from 6pm to 8am. Vicarage Gardens on Rose Hill Street is two minutes’ walk. Worth knowing before you go. Conwy railway station is one minute away: a genuine option for couples who’d rather not worry about the drive. Read our guide to parking in Conwy for further information.

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Putting It Together

Between them, these five pubs cover almost any occasion you’re likely to encounter during your stay: the first-night meal, the post-walk pint, the rainy afternoon, the slow Sunday lunch and the evening that deserves something a little special. All are within 20 minutes of the cottages. That’s a level of choice most rural destinations would envy.

After a date night in Conwy, the drive back follows the valley in darkness, the mountains black against the sky. You’ll be home and into the hot tub before you know it.

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FAQs

Are there dog-friendly pubs in the Conwy Valley?

Yes, several. The Groes Inn in Tyn-y-Groes welcomes dogs in the bar area. The Tal-y-Cafn allows dogs in the snug, bar and terrace and in the restaurant on most evenings (not Friday or Saturday evenings). The Pont-y-Pair Inn in Betws-y-Coed is dog-friendly throughout. The Bee Inn in Eglwysbach also welcomes dogs. The Erskine Arms in Conwy allows dogs in the bar and courtyard, but not in the restaurant.

What is the oldest pub in Wales?

The Groes Inn in Tyn-y-Groes claims to be the first licensed house in Wales, with records dating to 1573. The Grade II listed building has been serving travellers continuously from the same site ever since.

Where is a good pub for Sunday lunch near Eryri?

The Bee Inn in Eglwysbach is consistently praised for its traditional Sunday roast. Note that the Bee Inn is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and opens Wednesday to Friday from 6pm only. Saturday and Sunday opening is from 12pm.

Where can I eat in Betws-y-Coed after a walk?

The Pont-y-Pair Inn is well placed for post-walk eating. It sits opposite the famous Pont-y-Pair bridge in the centre of the village, welcomes dogs throughout and serves seasonal food Monday to Saturday until 8pm (Sunday food ends at 6pm). Parking at the pub is limited to three spaces; village car parks are within a 200-yard walk.

Are there good pubs near Conwy Castle?

The Erskine Arms on Rose Hill Street is inside the medieval walls of Conwy, around 300 metres from the castle. It’s a Georgian coaching inn with all-scratch food and local ales from Conwy Brewery and Purple Moose. Parking is available at town car parks a short walk away, with evening rates from £5 after 6pm.