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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
Kilverts, Hereford
Hay-On-Wye
Postal town: Hereford
HR3 5AG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about Kilverts
Visited 13/07/24
Undoubtedly the best venue on this coverage of 50% of what Hay's town centre has to offer - the other 50% in a few months' time when next here. This is also a hotel. There is a nice, paved, partially covered seating area out the front that was busy when i arrived but quickly became empty as a large group moved on. There are also some tables on the pavement in front of this area, which remained occupied during my visit. The bar is directly facing you as you enter this characterful establishment. Seating in this space is a collection of tables and sofas around front bar with some tall stools at the bar and at a ledge that divides the left and right sides of this bar area. Another log burner that i would again have welcomed being ablaze. Off to the left of the front bar area, there is a very comfy looking lounge and garden room, only open to non-residents pre 8pm. I didn't investigate but i assume the restaurant was over in this part. A long corridor takes to a patio and partly covered area out the back.
There were four hand pulls operational, with one not dispensing. Three offerings from Wye Valley, my choice was the Shindig, which was an excellent pint, plus the HPA and Butty Bach. The non-WV offering was Wicked Wolf from Exmoor, which the clip informed me was a collaboration with Wicked Wolf Gin and so not surprisingly infused with hints of Juniper. Amongst the keg offering were three ciders (Flagon Cider from Robinsons, Stowford Press and Henry Westons), lagers (Madri, something called 1985 lager, and the Veltins Pilsner) plus Neck Oil and Guinness.
Again, this was my first time in this one so i can't believe i have not checked out before with me also defaulting to it being another hotel bar. This is notches above the bar in the Swan at the other end of town. Definitely will visit each subsequent time i am in Hay.
On 15th July 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 631 recommendations about 631 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about Kilverts
Still a decent pub. Still got Bass and Butty Bach on. I went for the Bass this time and it was fine. Called in again a day later to find Glamorgan Brewing Co. Thunder Bird IPA on. Another good pint! Well worth a visit.
On 18th April 2023
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1821 recommendations about 1692 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Delboy 20 left this review about Kilverts
Nice looking pub in the middle of "The Town Of Books". I was glad to have a break from trawling around bookshops so I called in here and sat out the front for a pleasant half hour of people watching. Bass and Butty Bach were on offer. I went for the latter and it was spot on. I would gladly call again.
On 14th July 2021
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1821 recommendations about 1692 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Chris Sawle left this review about Kilverts Hotel
Can't fault this pub, named for local Victorian vicar diarist. Serves great ales and cider.
On 9th October 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 49 recommendations about 48 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Kilverts Hotel
Situated on one side of the town square, Kilverts is an imposing stone building housing a hotel, pub and restaurant. The wood-beamed bar is slightly to the left on entering and offered up four ales, (Waen, Otley and two Wye Valley) alongside Two Trees Perry and Gwent-Y-Ddraig Black Dragon cider. I trundled my way through three of the ales and thoroughly enjoyed the lot, Mrs Quinno enjoyed her perry too. A number of CAMRA awards are displayed as well as a large number of pump clips attached to the ceiling beams. Friendly service behind the bar. Definitely an up-market joint, our session was accompanied by live choral music courtesy of Radio 3. The big screen TV, which was turned on for the football at the request of a customer, was kept muted. We decided to eat here and were very pleased we did, dining in the pub area rather than the dedicated restaurant to the left. My pork roulade was delicious and, given the quality and portion size, was good value. Seating was an eclectic mix of comfy chairs and traditional wooden ones. One small negative was that there seemed to be a couple of sections of the pub (behind our seat for example) that looked a bit mid-renovation, hopefully it isn’t a permanent feature!
An enjoyable visit and based on this I’d say this is a must-do pub.
On 23rd June 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about Kilverts Hotel
Visited the Kilverts in search of a pint of Butty Bach and was not dissappointed. Superb pint in a great pub. Nice staff and friendly locals, who were happy to chat about beer. Not sure what size of pub Soup Dragon wants, but this place seemed big enough to me and was only about half full on a damp Friday night. There was seating for 50 or more in the top bar and down the steps was a dining area with about the same. The place is much more than a pub than the Old Black Lion in town which is where we stopped for the night. I would certainly return to the Kilverts.
On 17th April 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about Kilverts Hotel
A nice stone build in the main square, with dormer windows, front beer patio and rear beer garden.
The interior has a restaurant, which i didn't visit and a pub, which of course, i did. The pub part is one room, with a small bar in the corner. The decor is white, with beamed ceiling and supports, wood panel, along with a stone fireplace at one end and a marble-effect? one at the other. The decoration is a mixture of paintings, caricature/cartoon and the lamented but stunning Audrey Hepburn - oh, and a guitar. There were a collection of wine bottles and an array of real ale beer mats/pump clips. There was a big screen TV, not on. The service was excellent, the clientele mixed and sadly for a miserable person like me, the place was full both at lunch and evening when i popped back. It seems popular with the locals as a couple of the book sellers were in, that i had chatted to, when i returned.
I didn't eat here, but i wish i had. No idea of the quality, but the portions looked decent and nothing can be worse than the Hay Cafe, where i paid £11 for a couple of lamb burgers that were burnt and no thicker than one of the beer mats on the wall here.
Beer; usual tap things, with an excellent Butty Bach,a decent Arkells Moonlight and Brecon Brewery's Kilvert's Gold and an untried Bass on handpull.
I cant really pick much fault in the place, other than its too small for a misery like me - and i probably never bothered before as it is a hotel, rather than pub. I returned to this pub for my last of the trip simply as it was the best - if this place did a MILD, it would be hard to beat.
On 11th October 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]