Grofield, Abergavenny

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.

The Grofield is a food orientated pub with a U shaped layout, wooden floors and a modern decor. It's been more than well described below. The dart board remains unusable and the outside Gent's toilet has been ruined by the addition of a makeshift plastic and wood shelter to cross the yard. There are just four hand pumps but only three were in use on my early Saturday afternoon visit. Beers available were Doom Bore, Rhymney Best and Baa Best Bitter from Chepstow. I went for the Baa (forgot to note the price) which was in very good nick. This is a pleasant enough place that is GBG 2017 listed but it's a bit too food orientated for me. On a lighter note I would prefer to see the walk across the yard to the Gents fully exposed to the elements.

Located opposite the cinema in the posh part of town. The interior (with horseshoe shaped bar) is very modern and a bit characterless, bar some modern contemporary artwork but fairly cosy at least. Some splendid leaded picked-colour glass in the doors hints at a lost past. GBG 2014 listed though only Doom Bar and Rhymney available; however my Rhymney was in superb condition and served up by friendly staff. Unusable dart board, tables in the way. Worth prioritising if the quality of my ale was anything to go by but it lacks a bit of charm to make it truly stand out.

To outward appearances an ordinary back street local, just off the main shopping streets, and the signs outside promising real ale tempted me through the door (a very nice door with stained glass panels). Inside, unfortunately, it's had a modern wine-bar type makeover, with blonde wood and leatherette everywhere. The beer was OK, but I didn't feel like staying long because it's just not my sort of pub. On four hand pumps there were Wye Valley HPA, Rhymney Bitter and Sharps Doom Bar, with one pub vacant. I had the Rhymney, which is a nice malty Welsh ale and went down a treat, but it went down very quickly and I was off to somewhere hopefully more to my taste.