The York Palace (JD Wetherspoon), Llanelli

This Wetherspoon's appears to be the best Llanelli has to offer the drinker. It's a former cinema spread over 3 floors, with seating at ground level, the bar itself on the next level up and a balcony overlooking proceedings. The ground floor had a smaller side room to the front left. Despite the 3 floors, it was fairly busy and difficult to find a table. Many were dining, but there was a good mix of drinkers and diners overall, drinkers presumably attracted by the competitive pricing. My pint was just £2.10, £1.60 with a CAMRA discount. The usual suspects of Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best & Sharp's Doom Bar were all on. Guests were Gower Power, Boss Blizzard & Rhymney Gigante Buono. Although the Gower Power was not listed on the app. So, it may well have been one of those they leave clipped but are not actually available for whatever reason. There was no real cider. Rugby was being shown on mute on the various TVs. Still listed in the Good Beer Guide.

The Llanelli JDW is a cinema conversion and much better executed than many of them. It's clearly recognisable as a cinema outside and also inside despite being built up on three levels. The first level would have been the entrance and is small with low seating either side and a staircase in front leading to the largest area where the bar is. There is a wheelchair lift on the right of the stairs. The bar area is fairly typical with mostly high tables and chairs. Finally stairs lead to the third level which just has low tables and chairs. It started out as a Lloyds and I'm sure I could see an idiot booth still remaining on one side of the upper area. The bar has ten hand pumps which had the two GK beers, three ciders, Gower Best & Power, Evan Evans Warrior, Brewster's Decadence and Bullmastiff Top Dog Pale. I went for the Gower Power (£2.39) which was excellent. Llanelli is full of pubs advertising Sport, Karaoke and other such rubbish so this place was a welcome retreat from it all. I returned the following evening and it was just as good. It's GBG 2017 listed and gets a possibly biased 8.

Official page of The York Palace - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

Official page of The York Palace - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk