Angel Inn, Neath

This is a nice looking country pub conveniently located for one set of the famous Brecon Waterfall Walks and dead opposite the Brecon Waterfalls Centre. Internally it is one large carpeted bar area which wooden tables mainly aimed at diners with a pleasant enough traditional feel and pub decoration including a collection of jugs hanging from the beams. Then there is a separate low ceilinged bar room section to the right hand side with a commanding large stone fireplace which was not in use for my visit and I guess is used for the coachloads of elderly walkers this pub attracts. We chose to eat and drink here before tackling the waterfall walk and in that respect there are two hand pumps on the small bar area but only one on the go with a passable Rymney bitter. And the lunch time food we had was plain and uninteresting. Unfortunately, although the pub was nice the service levels were not very welcoming. The young barman gave a very good impression of suffering for his profession. But as I witnessed him being forcefully dictated to by someone who I assumed to be the Landlady, not very professionally in front of waiting customers who then, instead of assisting with the waiting punters, turned heel to prowl the rest of the pub leaving him to it, I’m not overly surprised he wasn’t motivated to provide a quick and friendly service. This place doesn’t have to work too hard to be full of visitors and therefore they don’t try hard and enticing people to return for further visits didn’t seem to be a priority. We left with the impression that for the Landlady at least, paying customers were something that had to be suffered rather than encouraged.