The Queen Inn, Cwmbran

Attractive location with a little river running just in front of the pub. Inside is a relatively plain knocked-through staple shape in mushy pea green and magnolia with the odd bit of exposed stonework. A GBG pick based on the quality of the single cask (Double Dragon on my visit, metallic edge but that's not the pub’s doing I suspect). A couple of ciders also spotted. Kitchen specialises in veggie food and is therefore this one’s a haunt of the local Pashmina Paŵlynes and yoga brigade. Not one for beer hunters or carnivores but it’s only a couple of minutes from the Bush so you might as well look-in.

Official site of The Queen Inn - thequeeninn.uk

Official site of The Queen Inn - thequeeninn.uk

An attractive looking pub that appears to have been converted from a number of old cottages, it’s in a pleasant setting with a small river running along just in front of the pub, and they have clearly done a lot of work in the garden adjacent to this, although with no obvious access to it, it’s perhaps more for the benefit of the ducks than the punters. That said, there is a further large decking area to the side of the pub. Internally it’s not quite as traditional as expected, and although it still retains some elements such as exposed stonework on the chimney breast, the overall effect was a little disappointing. It’s divided in to three rooms, with the bar counter in the middle and the right hand room appearing to be more of a restaurant. Flooring is a mixture of wood strip and slate style tiling, whilst the majority of the walls were cream paintwork along with lime green in places. There were a few small black beams on the ceiling, with the rest of it being rather drab white painted wallpaper. A rolled up projector screen was in both the main bar and the restaurant area, and there was also a TV up on the wall next to the bar counter, although this was not in use on our visit. A wood burning stove was blazing away in a dual aspect fireplace at one end which was a nice touch, although the wallpaper printed with chopped up logs next to it looked a bit naff. Fortunately there were some real logs stacked up as well. The tables were surprisingly contemporary, whilst the seating was a mixture of regular padded chairs and upholstered armchairs. The solitary beer on tap was Double Dragon, although ciders were well represented with a quartet from Thatcher’s – Gold, Cloudy Lemon, Apple & Blackcurrant and Burnt Orange, as well as Strongbow and Black Dragon. There were also a few beer mats above the bar for several of the Lilley’s flavoured options – whether these were all available or just had been previously, I’m not sure.