Hen & Chickens, Abergavenny

Attractive side-street pub, looking as if it has expanded into two adjoining buildings over the years. The bar is housed in the central part, with various heritage features of interest. The main seating area is located in a lounge to one side, with the dining room on the other and a compact snug to the rear. Traditional furniture and decor throughout. Six real ales on handpump, with four from Brains supplemented by a couple of guests (including Hydes Owd Oak at £3.05). With its efficient and friendly staff, I would have happily stayed for longer had time allowed.

Side-street pub. Pretty much the full range of Brains ales available. The cloth-eared barman auto-piloted to pints. After a bit of kerfuffle my eventual half of Brains Dark was mediocre. It looks like they have extended the original building into an adjacent shop. As mentioned below, there’s a fair bit of character inside and I’ve subsequently discovered that it is listed in CAMRA Regional Inventory of historic interiors. The chequerboard tile flooring caught our eye, as well as the wooden bar back. Had I have had more time I might have tried another beer as it seemed like a tidy venue but it wasn’t quite good enough to warrant the joker. Would certainly pop in again and hope for better service and better beer – would have got an 8 otherwise.