Felin Fach Griffin Inn

After a beautiful day walking in the Brecon Beacons with people 30 years older than us but approximately 30 times fitter, we decided to go all out and head for the Griffin, despite smelling and looking basically quite bad.
The Inn is a cosy, well kept place with a nice bar and lounge as well as the restaurant which spills out into the tack room where we were seated.
Like the other reviewers, I found the amuse-​bouche of soup — broccoli this time — absolutely delicious (unlike the other reviewers, I had no idea what amuse-​bouche was until I read this page).
Squash soup to start was rich, spicy and creamy, the flavour of the vegetable only being strengthened by the other ingredients. The smoked salmon fish cakes were about as good as fish cakes can be — all about the fish and lightly crunchy.
Main courses were also fantastic — pork belly was sweet and juicy, served with pancetta and I think mash — the accompaniments were not as excellent. The other main, suckling pig, was a huge hit and came with a tasty selection of roasted vegetables.
Dessert was lemon tart, for which I didn’t have particularly high expectations, but it was about the best I have ever had and — bonus — came with delicious blackcurrent sorbet. The other one we tried was some kind of chocolate/​banana confection which was intensely good.
The barman was very helpful in suggesting sherry, wine for the main course and pudding wine, the last of which was particularly outstanding. Service otherwise was all right but not particularly attentive and complicated by the fact that three people were sharing service of our table. Also, they made a major mistake with the bill that had I not been paying attention would have cost us about £25. This was related to us ordering a starter from the set menu and a main from a la carte. We heard someone else doing the same and being assured it was fine but when we asked they said this was only for guests staying at the Inn. Quite the put down!

Had a very nice stay at the Griffin last Friday in room 1. Very comfortable bed, sweet room, very relaxing as just radio, no TV and sheep bleating over the road. Perfectly restful. Enjoyed relaxing on comfy sofas in the afternoon with papers and good beers and wine. Clearly a favourite with locals as it filled up around teatime/​early eve so good atmos. We refreshed upstairs and moved down to restaurant for dinner. A delicious amuse bouche followed by okay food. The staff could have been a little more enthusiastic about the food — we weren’t encouraged to order sides and hadnt noticed them on the menu so our dishes were a little too rich as stand alones. Mackerel was fresh and delicious to start. Mains were just ok. Cheese was disappointing — decent choice, opted for 3, the waitress knew little about them to recommend and when they arrived they were all dry. Good wine list.

Quick glance — as a restaurant:
+ attentive service
+ delicious and beautifully presented food
+ locally sourced food
+ outdoors seating area for summer drinks
— reservations recommended
Quick glance — as an inn:
+ comfortable bed, duvet, and room
+ friendly staff
+ three choices for inclusive breakfast
+ guidebooks and maps available for the Brecon Beacons region available for guests to photocopy
— creaky floors (but not a big deal)
My boyfriend and I stayed at Felin Fach Griffin Inn for one night as we explored the Brecon Beacons region in Wales on the basis that the restaurant has been highly rated.
The food is absolutely amazing. The meal starts with a amuse-​bouche of soup (leek and potato when we were there) served in a espresso sized cup and soda bread. I won’t go into too much details of the dishes themselves as the menu changes seasonally according to what is locally available, but I can comment that we were unable to fault any of the dishes. Each of the dishes were tasty and beautifully presented, and as some have said, a hidden gem in Wales.
The great thing about staying overnight at the Inn was that after the delicious meal, a bottle of wine, and digestif later, we could stumble upstairs for a nice slumber in a comfortable bed and under the softest duvet and pillows.
The next morning we were greeted by a friendly waitress offering three choices of cooked breakfast, coffee, juices, and breads. In the breakfast room is a bookshelf full of guidebooks and maps, from which guests can ask for photocopies for hikes and exploration of the Brecon Beacons and surrounding region.
I highly rate the food, the staff, the setting, and the inn. The place offers a great base for exploring Brecon Beacons or a romantic getaway.

Welshcake took me here on our way to Nanternis back in April 2008. It was – as he would say – stonking.
The inn itself is cozy, but everything in the U.K. countryside seems cozy to me. I felt like I might see Bilbo Baggins at any moment, but if I did he’d be wearing Burberry. It’s not a mid-​grade pub by any means, though the front room is set up as such.
We dined in the back room, which consisted of about six tables and a wee fireplace. The décor was rustic and the rooms were clean.
Our meal began with a butternut-​squash type amuse-​bouche, which made our eyes pop in delight and set the tone for the rest of the meal. The soda bread was equally amazing.
I ordered the scallops, which were divine and accompanied by a mushroom «marmalade,» and Welshie had the local Welsh rib eye, (which I sampled – divine). He’s always on about Welsh black beef – it’s a delight any visitor to Wales should sink his or her teeth into.
While I’ve categorized this as British, this is not standard, stodgy, British country fare. The chef is obviously French-​trained (though maybe I’m wrong), inventive and experimental, serving up accessible, classy mainstay dishes alongside mind-​bending and palate-​pleasing «risks.»
I’ve been waiting for Unilocal to go U.K.-side just so I could review the Griffin. We will always go back to this gorgeous little house of deliciousness when we are in Wales. Top notch!