Y Meirion, Blaenau Ffestiniog

The tidy varnished wood bar aside, this is a pretty basic local over two rooms. Grey paint (sigh), scruffy floor and padded bench seating. Keg only, so a particularly good Guinness did for me. Friendly landlady, although given the place was up for lease I assume she’s only temporary. If some money was spent doing the interior to a more cosy and welcoming spec, this could be a decent pub.

Blaenau Ffestiniog is the sort of place that on arriving back to your hotel they don't ask you if you enjoyed the visit there but more "Why did you go to Blaenau Ffestiniog?". This is the only proper pub in the centre of Blaenau as the Ty Gorsaf is more of a hotel bar and is geared up to the tourist hordes leaving the Ffestiniog Railway. Inside it's a smallish square room with the bar on the left and a large TV which they turned on despite me being the only customer at the time. There is a mixture of carpet, wood and slate on the floor and there is what seems to be a dining room at the rear despite there being no obvious sign of food on my October Saturday visit. I arrived here at midday as it opened and after a while some cyclists turned up and other groups of people, I've been to the old Meirion Vaults a couple of times before when it used to do a decent pint of Tetley's Mild but as Y Meirion it just does Greene King Old Speckled Hen (£3.10). I had time for a couple of these and it was in good condition. The only problem was that it was Greene King Old Speckled Hen. Despite the boring beer I didn't mind this place but it's sad that it's only one of two options in central Blaenau.