Pete's Eats is a stalwart of the Snowdonian cullinary experience. As much a feature of the…read morelandscape as Snowdon itself, it can be relied upon for unwavering consistency in terms of the quality and quantity of the fare on offer.
Situated on the High Street in Llanberis it's incredibly popular with mountain walkers, climbers and cyclists alike who visit the National Park. It's a deep and highly extraordinary shade of blue so you can't and shouldn't miss this incredible slab of a building.
I've been visiting the place for twenty years and for most of that time it didn't seem to change at all: two spacious and well lit rooms with plenty of tables were surrounded with walls adorned by mesmerising photos of people (presumably customers, friends and family?) revelling in a dazzling array of outdoor pursuits, the majority of which focus on people balanced precariously on ridges, cliffs and daunting overhangs.
But in recent years there have been many changes afoot at Pete's Eats. A back room has opened out on the ground floor with more seating for diners, giving the whole cafe an organic, sprawling feel. Not only do I now have trouble deciding what to choose from the extensive menu, I take just as much time deciding where to sit.
Upstairs Pete's Eats continues on several floors, expanding its ambit to include internet facilities, a map room and library, shower rooms, toilets and the bunkhouse sleeping quarters - see website for booking details.
After a good day walking in the mountains there is nothing better than refuelling at Pete's Eats. The menu runs from snacks such as chip butties, baked potatos, toasted and ordinary sandwiches and soups to the legendarily mighty all day breakfasts and astonishingly large mixed grills. Vegetarians are well catered for in the all day veggie breakfast section, which is always good to see. The menu then moves on to main courses such as lasagne, pies, tarts and other bakes, before extending its formidable reach towards curries. Again, vegetarians are well looked after with an assortment of options. Cakes and puddings close the menu.
There are three remarkable things about Pete's Eats which deserve a mention to the uninitiated: i) pint mugs of tea bearing various Pete's Eats logos (the mugs themselves are also available to buy), ii) the enormously generous, overflowing portions iii) incredibly low prices - approx. £5 for the enormous mixed grill with chips.
As we sat there chewing my partner commented that the black and white photo above the entrance to one of the ground floor rooms must be Pete himself, as it depicted a man in chef's gear brandishing a large knife outside the place. I headed to the counter to buy a couple of their cauldron-esque mugs and realised I was being served by the man himself. I commented on the fact that I'd been visiting the place for years and how great it was. He smiled and said that in thirty years it might not have made him a rich man, but it had indeed made him very happy.
Seemed to me that the people on my side of the counter felt the same.
