While I've had many good nights at the Pick and Shovel over the years, there's no denying that the…read morefood, definitely lets the pub down. When I first moved to the area, the food was awesome; great value for money, delicious and a decent portion size too. By the time I left three years later, the price had gone up, the quality had gone down and the portions had shrunk considerably. Prime example; after a long night of slaving away on uni coursework, my housemate and I ventured down to the Pick and Shovel for the mighty "hangover cure" fry up - the biggest breakfast on the menu. An hour and a half after ordering, it finally arrived, colder than the draught I was sitting in yet, somehow, overcooked. This would not be the last time I had to wait an annoyingly long time for a meal, only for it to turn out below my expectations. Once or twice, these kind of mistakes can be forgiven but when they become a regular occurrence it's no longer a mistake but just poor standards. Ah. Now that I've vented my anger at the shoddy food, on to the positives. If you're not sitting down for a meal, the pub is a great place to socialise, as everyone tends to know someone there at any given time. The drinks are well priced for the surrounding student area and promotions are held on various nights of the week. There is Sky Sports, making this an ideal venue to watch a big game and the pub is always packed with sports fans on big match occassions. Also, the music is usually top notch as the jukebox is a comprehensively stocked with more tracks than Simon Cowell's iPod. So if you're looking for a social pub to watch the latest Premier League game with a pint and some friendly banter, the Pick and Shovel is a good choice. If you're after some great tasting, quality food with excellent service, I'd probably look elsewhere.

Great little pub, popular with students and locals alike. Good range or drinks and promotions (try…read morethe bayside cooler cocktail if it's available - it looks like trafic lights!). Activities (other then eating and drinking) include darts, pool, music quiz, open mic nights and guitar hero competitions on the wii. The staff are really friendly and the food is pretty good too for the money.

Awesome service. Kelly the bar manager takes great care of the customers. Good selection of beers…read moreand spirits. Definitely a place to visit when in Abergaveny

A good pub and the one I know best in this town (not that I know many of the others!); a fine old…read more16th century building. There's an upstairs room which is available to hire. The pub usually gets quite crowded, especially when there's live music of course, but it's a friendly place. Good home cooking too.

Loved it. Food and service was excellent. Can't wait to go…read moreback. Not the same old menus you get everywhere else. The Real Ale was well worth the visit on its own. Probably the best meal we've had this year!

As good as it gets! Stunning food, lovely restaurant, excellent staff and service. The Bunch of…read moreGrapes has the kind of menu that other establishments should aspire to. It costs a little more than you'd normally pay in this part of the world, but for food this accomplished its worth every penny. Relaxed atmosphere in an informal dining room, their own ales and local ciders were the cherry on top. Perfect venue for that special meal when you are celebrating or want to impress. On street parking and easy to find on the outskirts of Pontypridd. Imaginative vegetarian options!

I would like to say that tonight was amazing, the food was lovely and staff was incredible, and i…read morewould like to say a big thank you to Gareth which made my husband and I night by buying us a drink for our 1st wedding anniversary. Abba tribute was great enjoyed looking forward to next Saturday. Best whishes Tracy and Wayne Healy.

A fairly faceless pub that despite being near the M4 junction, still caters mainly for people from…read moreLitchard as opposed to people going further afield from the McArthur Glen Retail village. The place is well run, and has its fair share of interesting locals, though you feel as though it was once a place with a lot more character. Dodgy entertainment on Saturday nights means that the younger generation tend to go there for one or two before catching a taxi down to Bridgend. The food is fairly good, though again nothing to get excited about. It's the kind of pub that you could go to and almost forget you've been.

Gord and I had a beer Friday evenign at The Kings Arms, which is described as a "200-year-old pub"…read more It's one of the older surviving public houses in the town centre, though it has been refurbished and modernized. It's loud and lively! Cheers!

A large pub (feels a bit like a chain pub somehow) where the screens dominate a bit. 4 ales though,…read morefrom which I selected a very nice pint of Rhymney export. Toilets could be a lot better. A toilet seat would be appreciated for starters!

felt like writing a review as the staff, food, wine and beers are superb. it is a lovely place and…read morethoroughly enjoying going there whether it is for a Sunday roast or weekday meal, highly recommend going there, you won't be disappointed.

This pub is great because it attracts both students and locals. The Otley is a real ale pub and…read moreoffers a fantastic range of local ciders. It has a juke box with a good 80's / 90's indie selection, at 4-5 songs for a pound this is a fantastic bargain! The Otley also does lunchtime and evening meals. There are interesting vege options, not your bog-standard lasagna. It's not brought-in stuff either, there are huge potions and proper homemade chips, Glamorgan sausages and lentil burgers. Apparently the meat dishes and pizza dishes are really nice, but I havn't tried them. Annnnd you get a proper meal for £4 and you're absolutely stuffed after. The lady cook is very lovely and attentive, will cater for vegans and also adapt meals if required. There is an outdoor seating area/courtyard with an old toilet with flowers growing out of it. Inside there's a conservatory area, which is light and sets it apart from your average pub. The rest of the pub is more traditional and dark, the conservatory area is better for eating if you like to see what you're shovelling in. The only downside of sitting here is that it can be very noisy when it rains. Be warned the toilets smell of wee. This is certainly emanating from the mens, but thankfully can't be smelt from the eating area or the main bar. Top tip for the people watcher: There are always interesting characters at the bar and in the smoking area, very old, very odd and always willing to share their 'diverse' observations on the world.

A really nice country pub beside the canal, very olde worlde with lots of natural wood. Lots of…read morespace indoors and out, with tables and chairs set next to the tow path (although you can't take meals up there). Great for Brains beer (amongst others) and lots of great meals; there are about six vegetarian meals on offer in addition to the meaty ones! Friendly bar staff. There's a car park to one side.

We stayed at the Bunkhouse here and we found the pub to be great. All the staff were very friendly…read moreand the food was great. We had breakfast here too which was a good size portion and very tasty. Great seats at the back up by the canal too.

An excellent high-class pub in a lovely location in Llantarnam. The best thing about it is the…read morefood- a wide menu of pub favourites with the occasional special is served very well, very tasty and reliable and fairly reasonably priced for the area There are lots of different areas in the pub so you've a good chance of finding a little corner if you want quiet, or a big room if you're bringing a group. The outdoor area is a little small though for sunny days. There's plenty of parking. If you're trying to walk off a big meal from here, try a stroll through the village, over the bridge, down the hill and to the canal, which is a very scenic walk. Then come back here for dessert. Takeaway fish & chips is also available!

The Three Blackbirds is a pub restaurant and hotel (however I don't actually know anyone that has…read morestayed there). It used to be a traditional style dark wood pub, but has since had a makeover about 6 months ago, and is now a bit fresher, and concentrates mainly on serving restaurant food. The food I had was good, it was a new menu. after the refurb, the place looks better, but I wouldn't say it was particularly comfortably. There are some places that just don't quite make it as a comfy atmosphere. Perhaps its the hard furnishings or the shape of the rooms.