Black Boy Inn, Caernarfon

Official site of Black Boy Inn - www.black-boy-inn.com

Official site of Black Boy Inn - www.black-boy-inn.com

Very attractive old inn, with bars at the front and on the left-hand side and a dining room to the right. Very traditionally furnished and decorated, with a good deal of character all round. Also has tables out front for the better weather. The restaurant menu isn't exactly cheap, but some cheaper options are available in the bars. Five real ales from handpumps on the two counters, including an excellent Honey Porter, one of a pair of Conwy beers. Well worth seeking out.

A sign outside this pub in the attractive surrounds of Caernarfon's historic centre, proclaimed it to be the 'Welshest Pub in the World', which was enough to convince me to check the place out. This turned out to be a wise choice as this is a very pleasant and atmospheric pub dating back to the 17th Century with a three room layout. We entered to the right hand side where a passageway leads left into the front bar and right into the dining room. The dining area is a sizable carpeted space with lots of hefty dark wood beams and a big inglenook fireplace opposite the door with images of Caernarfon Castle and the town walls painted inside it. A stove was lit in the fireplace, creating a warm, cosy feel in the room as the rain poured down outside, and some bellows and a couple of ceramic dogs flanked a large Whitbread sign above the mantle. There is a similar fireplace at the far end of the room, this time with an anchor and a black boy figurine inside and various horse brasses and other bits of brassware dotted around. Pew and chair seating has been arranged down either side of the room, which is ideal for diners, and the walls are decorated with some nice paintings of the pub and various nautical scenes. Another nice touch was the light shades which were made from miniature ship's wheels. The front bar is the best preserved room of the three and has a chunky wooden bar counter to the right, lots more dark wood beams and some functional bench and chair seating in a smartly carpeted space which was also full of diners. The Public Bar is on the left hand side of the pub and was by far the liveliest spot. This room is bare boarded but surprisingly cosy with more bench and chair seating in limited supply. The servery is to the right and has some pleasant dark wood fittings whilst the walls are lined with pump clips, old enamel signs and various collections of bank notes. Two more inglenook fireplaces can be found round here with lots more decorative bits surrounding them. A corridor around the back of the pub links the two sides and passes a patio garden with a large buoy as a centrepiece, whilst more benches can be found on the pedestrianised street to the front of the pub. A couple of blackboards in each bar listed the ale range which on this visit comprised Bragdy Lleu Blodeuwedd, Draught Bass, Bragdy Twt Lol Tŵti Ffrŵti, Cwrw Llyn Cwrw Glyndwr and Big Bog Stog Milk Stout plus one real cider. I gave the Stog Milk Stout a try and it was a fantastic pint in top condition. The staff were very friendly, greeting and bidding farewell to everyone in Welsh and English, which along with the beer selection and locally sourced food, was the full extent of the pub's 'Welshest' credentials as far as I could see. We ended up having lunch here and the food was reasonably priced and very good quality. This is a cracking old pub that worked well as somewhere to stop and enjoy good food in a smart, well presented dining room, but also offered a very distinctly separate dedicated drinking area in which to sample some great local beer in a lively environment. I thought this was a homely, welcoming pub and would be surprised if there is anywhere that can better it in town.