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The Sun Inn, Llangollen
Llangollen
LL20 8HN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Sun Inn
Latest Visit 13/4/24:
The Sun was my favourite pub of the day the last time I was in this neck of the woods. Although, it didn't quite hit the spot on this visit.
The pub was much busier, with a live act featuring. We retreated to a small snug (accessed from the rear yard) which I hadn't noticed on my last visit. This is quite a pleasant and quieter place where we could watch the Iranians launching missiles at Israel on a TV and contemplated World War III!
Just 2 cask ales were on for this visit - Windermere Pale, which ran out before the glass was full and White Rat. In addition, real cider has also disappeared. As a result, my visit here was shorter than I had planned and we called our taxi to take us back to the hotel much sooner. On a positive note, the pub does once again have a pub sign outside!
Original Review 17/10/22:
I'd been warned that this pub might be closed. A customer in the Chainbridge Hotel said that it is always closed whenever he went past. As Steve of N21 states, it doesn't open until 7pm and is in fact now more of a late-night venue. I'd left my visit here until last intentionally. However, I arrived and wasn't even sure if the building I was standing outside was the Sun Inn. As can be seen in the image posted by Delboy 20, there is no pub sign hanging from the front, just an unused bracket. Nothing on the walls or on the windows gives the game away. Although, looking at the picture, there is still a Sun Inn sign on the side of the building.
After verifying I was indeed at the Sun Inn, I ventured in to find a good old fashioned town boozer with a reasonable selection of ales, in addition to a real cider. Being open mic night, there were several people in, pretty much all of whom turned out to be musicians. Although there were more than enough drummers. All were happy to engage in conversation.
The real ales were Ossett White Rat, Salopian Oracle & Enville Stourton American Pale Ale. The cider was Thatcher's Stan's Cheddar Valley.
The musicians were bemoaning the lack of customers. Perhaps a pub sign might help draw people in who think it is closed? Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed the atmosphere here and whilst I stayed for a couple, I could have easily stayed for longer had my stomach not been demanding something to eat. Indeed, if there was such thing as a currygalore.co.uk, I would rate the Royal Spice, a little further west along the A5, just as eccentric and enjoyable as the Sun Inn.
Pub of the day for me. I hope it survives. Please erect a sign!
On 30th April 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2495 recommendations about 2494 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Sun Inn
Now reopen again but only in the evenings and even then not till 7.00PM during the week and 6.00PM on a Friday and Saturday.
Quite quiet when I visited on a Sunday evening but a good line up of beers available with all six hand pumps in operation. The offerings were Three Tuns Solstice, TT Landlord, Salopian Oracle, Ossett Brewery White Rat and Elland Brewery 1872 Porter with Old Rosie Cider on the final pump. Tried the Salopian and Ossett brews and they were both in very good condition.
Live music is slowly coming back with the Open Mic nite on Wednesdays and the Local Bands night on Fridays reinstalled. Unfortunately there is no sign of the Thursday night Jazz evening being reinstated in the near future because, as the young barmaid explained in a factually correct but perhaps could have been slightly more tactfully put “they’ve all died”.
I fear for this one due to its position stuck away from all the town centre action and if there was any justice in the pub world it would swap places with the Bull on Castle Street.
On 28th July 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2125 recommendations about 2001 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about The Sun Inn
Still closed but I was staying just around the corner and there was work going on inside every day. The bar and fixtures are still in place so hopefully still going to be a pub!
On 25th October 2021
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1661 recommendations about 1561 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Sun Inn
Sadly this pub doesn't open until 5 and if you're in Llangollen for a day and have trains to catch home then you're not gonna get much time in here. Which is a shame because it is a good pub.
On 16th June 2015
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Hurdle left this review about The Sun Inn
A very popular pub on the A5, just 350 yards east of the town centre. The large main room has two open fires and is slate tiled. The stage to the left of the lounge hosts live music, usually Jazz on a Thursday and Rock or Blues at the weekend. The limited edition Yellow Submarine Jukebox entertains when the band is not playing.
There is also a back room 'snug' with attractive cut-glass mirrors above the bench seating. The door leads to a covered outside area which has large screen TV and three large ornamental flying turtles! Often described as eccentric? Yes, thats why its so good!
Six changing Real Ales are always served. See the web photo for latest selection at sunllan. com which is updated regularly.
Now open at 12noon every day until late for the summer (Winter opening time 5pm, but customers are encouraged to use the landlords other pub, The Ponsonby Arms, just across the river, that opens all day, and serves 10 changing guest ales and 2 real draught ciders).
On 6th July 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 707 recommendations about 645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Sun Inn
Owned by the same people at The Ponsonby,this pub is aimed at a younger crowd but delivers the same high quality real ale experience from the six handpumps.The front room is square and open plan with some supporting iron columns while to the left side is a raised area for a pool table,yellow submarine juke box and table football.Behind the bar was a back room but inaccesable on my trip.We headed here after quaffing in the Ponsonby and were pleased to see a number of their customers ,several of the bar staff and guv'nor make the same journey.It was all together more lively despite the non appearance of the band due on at 9pm.
The ale choice was from Salopian Hop Twister (excellent £3.20),Kelham Island Pale Rider,Ulverston Rule Brittania,Three Tuns Stout with a cider on a pump.
I really enjoyed my visit to this GBG listed pub and I would always make it a double header with the Ponsonby whenever in Llan.
On 15th September 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2737 recommendations about 2737 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Sun Inn
This is a welcoming street corner pub on the busy A5 road approx ¾ mile south of the centre of Llangollen.
Attractive art nouveau coloured glass doors lead into a dimly lit interior. Sadly, since my previous visit, the nostalgic old schooldesks ( complete with inkwell slots ) have disappeared. Furniture now consists largely of circular wooden tables and chairs and, with a small vase of flowers on each table, there’s something of a resemblance of an old fashioned Home Counties tea shop look, at least from a seating perspective.
The walls are decorated with a number of old brewery posters – eg Brains, Felinfoel, Hancocks . Up a few steps on the left hand side is a games area with a large table football machine and a pool table. This area effectively acts as a stage for the live music events, which are mainly on Fridays and Saturdays, but also now include an Open Mic night on Wednesdays and jazz on Thursdays. The corridor to the toilets has posters showing who has performed here over the years, and who is due to perform shortly.
There’s a small snug bar and an outside beer garden.
Beers on were 2 beers from Phoenix ( the infamous Wobbly Bob and Monkey Town Mild ), 2 beers from Purple Moose and Blackwater Brewery Reggae, which, I was told, was a Salopian beer rebadged. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular. The landlord here also owns The Ponsonby Arms closer to town, although, somewhat unusually, I didn’t see any flyers or posters encouraging me to visit this pub – so I didn’t.
It’s still well worth the short walk from the town centre to get here, but note the late opening – 5pm – on Mondays and Tuesdays.
On 2nd November 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]