The Clarence Inn, Brecon

The Clarence is a town pub that has had a fair bit of money thrown at it to clean it up, extend the front bar and provide food & accommodation. The front room is carpeted, has two dart boards and prominent TV screens which thankfully were turned off. The back bar has a wooden floor and all low tables and chairs. At the back there is a large proper garden with real grass. It was quiet on my Wednesday late afternoon visit with just a couple of locals playing darts. There were just three beers Wye Valley Bitter & Butty Bach and Brecon Six Beacons. I went for the Butty Bach (£3.20) which was in first class nick. This is a pleasant enough pub but for me the nearby Brecon Tap was a better option. I suspect this is a good place to stay when in Brecon.

The Clarence, or Clarry as it is known to the locals, doesn’t look much from the outside but is probably one of the best pubs in Brecon for food and beer combined. It is still a two-room town centre pub which, according to a couple of locals I got talking to went through a major renovation late last year with a large extension to the pub incorporating a new kitchen and a more contemporary décor. And much better toilets apparently, which seemed quite an important point to the ladies. The front bar was extended and is a good space for drinking and the larger back bar is more aligned to dining and is usually set out restaurant style, except when the large screen is pulled down for big sporting events such as the rugby. And then there is a very spacious garden outback laid to grass and usually with several garden bench seats and umbrellas. I say usually because another key feature of the external space is the superb large roofed wooden stage at the back of the garden which makes this an excellent venue for the Brecon Fringe, and there was a full program of live acts over the three days of the festival and the garden was always rammed. The bar has several handpumps dotted about and I think there were at least three, possibly four ales on. The house ales come from the Wye Valley Brewery and the Wye Valley Bitter and Butty Bach were on plus at least one other from the local Brecon Brewery. But I only had eyes for the excellent Butty Bach, especially as they also had it on the pop up bar servicing the garden during the fringe. Well served and I recall it being a wallet pleasing sub £3 for this Londoner, and that’s at the inflated festival price. We didn’t eat here, but again according to locals has a good rep and that seems to be borne out by reviews on Trip Advisor. I would certainly recommend a visit to ‘the Clarry’ when you are visiting Brecon.