Royal Victoria Hotel, Caernarfon

In a delightful situation on the edge of Llanberis right next door to Castell Dolbadarn, the Victoria Hotel is surrounded by glorious countryside and views spoiled only by the car park opposite the mountain railway station. The Eryri Bar is signposted from the entrance and is fairly easy to find. Less easy to spot the real ale - the two hand pumps are hidden behind a pillar, almost as though the management would rather not sell it to their customers. Having expected to find real ale I went in search of it, but the Conwy Welsh Pride sadly had nothing to feel proud about. It was changed without demur and the same brewery's Clogwyn Gold was in good condition, though it's a rather dull beer even at its best. It was quite busy here on the last Saturday in July, with plenty of people sat in the rooms around the bar and plenty more in the garden. Llanberis is not much of a real ale town, but this one would be worth seeking out, despite being a hotel bar, if they would just give those hand pumps pride of place and allow them a chance to serve the beers before they go off.

Official site of Royal Victoria Hotel - www.theroyalvictoria.co.uk

Official site of Royal Victoria Hotel - www.theroyalvictoria.co.uk