Clytha Arms, Abergavenny

Enjoyed our visit to this fantastic pub which features in the 2019 Good Beer Guide while on a trip round Gwent pubs. The owner is a lover of real ales and is also a chef which puts this on the map for both food and drink. Ciders and Perries are also sourced locally. Hosts varies festivals involving beers ciders and cheeses. Available on the bar at our visit were Brecon Daffodil, Untapped Whoosh, Untapped Border, Kingstone Hapax Nutcracker (a brilliant 6.5% Imperial stout), Felinfoel Double Dragon Export, Fine Tuned Sunshine Reggae. Needless to say we enjoyed the 2 Untapped, the Kingstone and the Fine Tuned beers, and wish this was my local.

Clytha Arms official site - www.clytha-arms.com

Clytha Arms official site - www.clytha-arms.com

Situated on minor road between Raglan and Abergavenny, it can be a rather tricky place to find unless you know the area, definitely one to test out the SatNav. The first thing that you notice when you get there are the extensive gardens with benches and tables. The pub is a farmhouse style building with a pavilion style canopy along the front covering some outside seating. The porch contains a selection of the beer pump clips from the various guest ales that have passed through the multiple hand pumps. On my visit there was an excellent selection that included Rhymney, Double Dragon, Festivity, Old Hooky and Tally Ho as well as Adnams Barley Wine from a barrel on the counter, Old Rosie cider, Herefordshire Country Perry and Theakstons and Westons cider on draught. If you can't be happy with that lot then you really should give up drinking. The pub has won several CAMRA awards and when we were there they had just that day won the South & Mid Wales Region pub of the year and to celebrate all the Real Ales were £1 a pint for the evening. Things really don't get better than that. The interior is divided into 3 areas. The main bar has a bare wood floor, pews in the window bays, fireplace, brewery posters and mirrors, teddy bear figures, ceramics, urns and a table skittles board. Through to the carpeted lounge bar with impressive soot encrusted inglenook fireplace guarded by 2 stone dogs with shields, an old record player and a large settle. Beyond this room is the dining area, quite expensive but food is of high quality. Even a trip to the toilets throws up a surprise in the clever murals on the brickwork. The whole pub is very welcoming and there was a wonderful bubbly barmaid keeping evryone entertained. There were several dogs who also seemed to enjoy the pub as much as their owners. It is all very civilised and friendly and even though there is no music or TV's the bubble of conversation ensures that there is never any deathly silence. To cap it all, they also sell their own hand made soap and chutney. They seem to think of everything here. A fantastic place and I was close to giving it the magical 10 rating however the £1 a pint celebrations may have clouded some of my judgement. I shall one day return and hopefully find enough for the missing point.