Stayed here the night before a cycling event in the Beacons. The owners and staff were fantastic…read more Very friendly, atmosphere was great on Saturday night. They even got up very early the following morning to cook our breakfast. The rooms were kept for us so we could freshen up after a long day in the saddle. Sunday lunch was extremely busy, but they still found a corner for us to squeeze in to. I highly recommend this hotel, and we'll definintely stay here again. Thanks very much to the owners and staff for making us feel so welcome. You're life savers!

Dark and dingy with disgusting toilets and glasses...welcome to the market tavern!…read moreEbbw Vale's answer to the cavern (yes i know!!) The tavern pays hosts to various bands on a Friday and Saturday night. It has a techno disco on a Thursday which is a pretty frightening affair. Never drink from the glasses in here and never go in if your claustrophobic or if you have a super sensitive sense of small. The place really does stink! Filled with drunk, sweaty people when establishments get described as cattle markets this really does fit the bill for the tavern. There's always a fight, always one stupidly drunk girl with her skirt around her neck and always one of your dad's friends spilling beer and leaching like a...well, Leach!! Go Market Tav! I've even gone outside to pee here, i'd rather get arrested than put more poor bum cheeks on what they seem to think is appropriate for a toilet! it is purely disgusting! Basic is not even enough. Anyway... sometimes if your not fussy on your surroundings the tavern does have some interesting bands especially the tribute's. See, i never trust places with no windows and the place gets so crammed i'm always to panicky on the fire front...maybe its my age? All in all...DON'T DO IT!

Also known as the Star Wars bar this is one scary place. Drinks are expensive given the location…read moreand the grubbiness of the interior. Previously known as the wine bar (yeah right-o!) its now home to people who have no jobs and are banned from Wetherspoons. Busy on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays this place really is one to be missed. The girls toilets are so minging i held it in! A bit difficult after 3 pints. (I had bottles in this place, frightened about the cleanliness of the glasses, which really isn't like me!) Staff are useless apart from Tara who's shit hot, polite and friendly! Last time i was there i was accused of giving a dodgy twenty...managers were called, infra-red light were brought out and a small crowd of ; 'i know best!' Of course, it was a real note it's just everyone is to stupid to even know. Sorry, i know this is harsh but i really do hate the place. Now, the same owners own the Tavern which is just around the corner and although much the same does seem to be a bit lower down on the completely shitty ranks. So, all in all if your an outsider please don't venture in here, it really gives Ebbw Vale a worse name than it all ready owns! Peace out!

OK, so slightly out of the way, well, really out of the way in the back and beyond of Tredegar, is…read morethe Rhyd Hall. If you didn't know it was there you'd probably never, ever find it. Recently taken over by new owners (a gang of local business men and rugby boys) this place is run effortlessly. All staff are really good, especially Leanne and the lovely Sophie. With a fully stocked bar, a restaurant, pool room and one of the best beer gardens in South Wales this place doesn't get the recognition it certainly deserves. If any of you film boffin's remember a Bit of Tom Jones, this is where the magic happened, all actors, crew, writers and production team called this place home whilst filming. All led by one of the owners Shinko, who's one of the funniest and nicest blokes i've ever met., Anyway, back to the pub, super quiet in the week and slightly livelier on the weekends your best bet is to head up here on a Saturday when there's a show on. clientèle range from old to young and there's usually a function of some sort upstairs. (I had my book launch there a few weeks ago.) So, if your looking for a nice pint with nice settings and don't mind not having a mobile phone signal or quite a trek to civilisation head to the Rhyd.

Stopped off here today (21st June 2011) as we drove through the town (actually searching for a post…read moreoffice!) Well, we've been to practically every branch of Wetherspoon in South Wales (some far more than once) so we just had to try this one when we saw it! It's a big spacious building with a high ceiling and a light and airy feel. It used to be a cinema - The Olympia, hence the name. Not such a beautiful place as The York Palace in Llanelli - another Wetherspoon cinema conversion - but very pleasant nevertheless. It seemed very clean and well looked after. There was a huge flatscreen TV on the wall showing the tennis from Wimbledon. We were served by Debra and a young guy (I didn't find out his name) and both made us very welcome - they actually couldn't have been nicer. Debra reminded me to have my coffee card stamped (I wish all Wetherspoon staff would prompt customers in this way as it's so easy to forget) - which means that, next time I'm in a Wetherspoon's pub I can claim a free coffee! Lots of the usual great ales on offer, including Ruddles, Abbots, Guinness, Rhymney and some guest beers too - the Caledonian Flying Dutchman comes highly recommended by my husband!

Food was very nice, I had a lemon and herb char grilled chicken very up to standard and always gets…read morebetter every time I go there.