Maenllwyd Inn

Fantastic little gem!
We drove past this quaint little country pub a couple of times and always wanted to check it out. So I was quite excited and had big expectations.
I was weary and cautious as it is a chain pub, and chained restaurants scare me to death. Cooking by numbers and cardboard cutout interiors. However this pub really surprised me.
The menu was massive and well thought of. The food was fantastic and great portions. We went for the game festival dishes which were fantastic. The chef was very accommodating with me wanting to change vegetables around on my dish and the service was great.
The only negative feedback would be on the inside interior. While there is nothing that could be changed, it looks like the inside of every chained pub in the country. Clinically clean with cardboard cut out interior.
This is a must visit and we will be back soon!

Lovely location in rural north cardiff. Beautiful garden overlooking country side with plenty of seating. Inside is traditional country pub décor whilst airy. It was a little pricey for pub grub with meals more around he £10-£12 mark. We opted for a gourmet burger @£10.49 — and just that it was — beautiful and you felt you’d got your money’s worth!
Recommend for a romantic gesture /​date night.

This place was INCREDIBLE. We found a great guesthouse nearby and they recommended it So glad we tried it out, because the food was absolutely delicious. We ordered the Celery Soup, Bubble & Squeaks, Fish Pie, and Honey Glazed Pork Belly. All were fantastic and delicious and we would eat everything again. I would highly recommend Maenllwyd to anyone traveling through the Caerphilly area.

Been here twice can’t see what the fuss is about. Overpriced food with no flavour, as tasty as any microwave meal. Not worth the journey.

Been to this pub twice — once in about 2005 and once in 2010. It’s a beautiful pub with good beers and friendly staff, but the food seemed to have gone downhill the second time I went. I’m not sure whether it was part of a chain the first time I went, but I remember the food being excellent. The second time I went, the menu was enormous, with a seemingly endless choice of food. However, when served, it was clear that only some of the dishes were being freshly made. The ones that were (mainly the starters) were very tasty, but lots of the main courses appeared to be microwave meals sold at inflated prices. This was a real disappointment. Still a good place to go for a drink, but I feel they’d be better off slimming down the menu and concentrating on cooking a few things well, rather than lots of things badly in order to give the illusion of choice. I don’t mind paying £12 for an Aberdeen Angus Lasagne — but not when it has come out of a microwave and contains hardly any meat!

Probably my favourite gastro-​pub in Cardiff. The Maen-​Llwyd has everything you could want, an unpronounceable name, a great location in the middle of a rural idyll, a beer garden and some of the best food in town.
They can generally find space for you if you turn up on spec but there may be a wait. I’ve seen hopefuls seated under the coat racks before now and happily eating in the most cramped space imaginable. There seems to be a general feel from the staff never to turn anyone away. The result is often a big, happy crowd, in quite a small space enjoying the buzzy atmosphere. If you are celebrating something then I would phone to see if you need to make a reservation. There’s a lot on the menu and loads on the special’s board. It’s also one of the best restaurants if you like fish.
The view from the beer garden is breathtaking looking out across the valley to Rudry.
You need a car ideally to get there but the pub does have onsite parking. There’s also overflow parking down the lanes if you need it. I never remember the way so make sure you google it before you go as it’s not sign-​posted very well. The drive through Upper and Lower Machen is lovely as you go through the forest.

This isn’t your average pub food. They take real pride in serving good, wholesome grub, as well as some fancy alternatives, at the Maenllwyd. It’s a great pub to stop in after a walk around Rudry and to warm up over a good meal.
It’s big, old, traditional pub that attracts people from all around Cardiff. Most people choose to drive here rather than bothering to do the whole walking thing I mentioned earlier, but I always like to feel like I earned my meal at the Maenllwyd.
It manages to be a great pub in all seasons. During the Winter, despite its size, it’s a cosy joint. And when the Summer arrives they have outdoor seating to enjoy a cider on ice or a white wine. Sunday is exceptionally busy, if you want to brave it then it’s worth it, but they serve good food all week long, so why stress yourself out, matey?

Oh today! What a disaster. I suggested to go here… difficult location because of the narrow lanes but had had many good meals before.
We arrived just in the middle of the lunch hour… you can’t book. We were told to find a seat anywhere. I had my 83 year old mother with me and another older lady, so we were four. A waitress seated us, took away the reserved sign … whilst we were looking through the menus a young man came up to us and asked us to move… even pressurised us to move. because we were only four… whilst there was another empty large table. I spoke up for our party and refused. He was quite surly and abrasive and made us feel very uncomfortable. Eventually, he served our meals and kindly told us we were allowed to stay put. When we went to order our meals at the bar we were greated with an equaly surly, disaffected bar person. However, there was a lovely blonde girl who seemed to know what she was doing and she had some manners. Eat out there again … good food… terrible service. journey. not worth the effort.

Agree with Ash1975’s review. This is a lovely old inn with stone walls and low beams but lots of atmosphere. The restaurant area is well laid out and offers a remarkably wide menu of choices, some of which are quite unusual and well thought out. Service and food as also the cheerful environment is first rate. Prices are middle of the road. The approach route from Cardiff, from Newport or from Caerphilly is a little bit ‘narrow lanes’ in places but very well worth a visit for all day menu availability (and an excellent range of ales!)

Visited this picturesque inn a few times over the years. It’s good to be able to get out of the city into the countryside on summer evenings when the weather is warm I like to sit outside in the beer garden and when it’s colder the pub itself offers a warm cosy place to enjoy a drink or meal.
The menu is so enticing that I find it hard to make a choice but I particularly like the scallops with smoked chilli jam and the Mediterranean linguine.
The pub also does superb Sunday lunches, but be warned though, such is its popularity you may sometimes have to be prepared to wait a while before being served.

I live in Pontprennau area of Cardiff and generally eat here 2 — 3 times in a year. Quality of food and service has always generally been excellent — only dipping perhaps at the very busiest times. Always a good selection of dishes for everyone. Good in the summer to sit out in the beer garden and the snug aspect of this old pub makes it a cozy place in the winter.
This year we had Christmas dinner. I’ve eaten out for the past 6 years in both Cardiff & Swansea and this was the best we’ve all had in a long time (6 adults and 2 kids).
Only problem I have is with the location, in particular, with the wing-​mirror jousting that takes place in the lanes coming from Lisvane :-)

I’ve always enjoed my meals here, but will say that more recent meals, have felt a little less special.
I do however recommend the Aberdeen angus Lasagne from the specials board.
Despite the bad review of the Maen Llwyd, i’ve never had a bad experience there.
Its a qaint, countryside pub, that always seems to be busy.
In the winter, it has a log fire, so is lovely and warm. The summer seems to bring lots of walkers, and bikers.
Nice place.
Recommended.

Lovely rustic pub halfway between Caerphilly and Rhudry — hard to find the first time, but worth the trek through the lanes. Can’t book tables, its on a first come first served basis, but usually no longer than a 20 minute wait. Lovely range of dishes and local cuisine. Desserts are delicious. Whole menu is good value for money and the staff are polite and welcoming. Part of the Chef and Brewer chain — but dpesn’t feel like a chain pub.

A lovely Welsh mountainside pub with a homely atmosphere and a welcome to match. Visited earlier in the year with visitors and really enjoyed the ambience and good traditional food. Friendly, pleasant staff and fare that is tasty, traditional and value for money. Happy to recommend.

Not so homely since it’s refurb but can’t fault the food the beer or the service.

The maenllwyd is probably the best country pub in the Caerphilly area. I think it is best in the winter when the log fire is burning, and you can tuck into their beef lasagne.
It is proper Welsh pub grub, but of the highest quality. In the past they have served up Kangaroo steaks if you wanted to try something a little more exotic than the Caerphilly sausage. The choice of guest ales has been pretty decent in the past, but I think there is something for everyone at this pub.
The low beams and candle lit tables make it a snug, cosy place for a meal. I might live 20 minutes away, but I could almost call myself a regular.

Pub food that impresses from the moment you walk in. You find yourself looking around at peoples plates as you walk through and the specials board impresses even more. The misses and I have worked our way through the menu over the past 2 years, have taken friends and family and celebrated special occasions, never to be dissapointed. I struggle to recall something I disliked as all the good things outshone them. The ales are fantastic, as is the selection of drinks. The best thing on the menu has to be the slow cooked lamb shoulder with Red Current sauce. Ask for a red to go with and they will oblige. In winter it is fantastic, especially after a day christmas shopping in the centre. Hard pushed to find a better Gastro Pub in Wales.

I absolutely adore this pub, the Maen Llwyd in Rudry is located right on top of a mountain with breath taking views of the valley below. Built over 400 years ago it is said to be one of the most «haunted» pub/​restaurants in Caerphilly. There is still a lot of old charm about this pub with its 2 welcoming fires still in use. The only downside is that he ceilings at their lowest point are 5′ 8″! Light snacks were 1^st introduced a few years ago but this soon took off and eventually they started serving main meals. When the pub eventually changed hands the food went through a slightly rough patch and unfortunately never fully recovered. The main reason I keep returning to this classic mountain gem is for it’s diverse choice of real ales, I would recommend Adnams Bitter or, my favourite London Pride (the only pub in Cardiff that I could find which does this ale!) The real selling point is most definitely the landscape, be it a cold winters day or a summer evening this pub will deliver. Word of advice, keep a peeled eye out when trying to find this pub, it’s natural farmhouse disguise is easily missed when concentrating on the narrow country roads.