Grofield, Abergavenny

Looks a solid traditional locals pub - but aiming for something else. We walked to the bar to be politely asked if we were dining. We said no and they said thats fine, someone will be to your table to take your drinks order. Beautiful beer garden - with staff with iPad POS devices milling around to take your order. Unsure if this is because they want to be a restaurant or maybe a covid hangover. GBG 2025 entry - HPA was pin clear and perfect condition.

Located down a small side road just off the main pedestrianized High Street, and as a consequence perhaps a bit more of a local’s pub compared to many on the main strip, it had a GBG 2025 poster in the window, so we entered with much anticipation. Internally it’s a single, open plan U-shaped room, wrapped around a central bar counter. It’s clearly been renovated at some point, and is now fairly contemporary in style, with pale wood strip on the floor, mostly white paintwork on the walls and ceiling, and some pale grey detailing on the woodwork. The bar counter was clad with some unusual leather style panels in alternating shades of brown and orange, whilst a raised seating area to the left, up a step or two, had low partitioning running alongside it. A darts board was at the back, and a couple of small TV’s were mounted up in the corner, but these were not in use. There was a good sized and pleasant garden at the back, along with some sort of summerhouse arrangement at the far end. The menu offered a decent selection of ‘pub grub’ style dishes as well as a couple of specials, and my Scampi & Chips went down well. Beers on tap were Wye Valley HPA, Doom Bar and JW Lees Tropic Crush, whilst a fourth pump appeared unused. Ciders meanwhile were Thatcher’s Haze and Aspall’s.

Quite busy when I popped in with plenty people eating. Just Doom Bar and Sharps Atlantic on offer. I went for the latter which was fine. Friendly enough service.