Castle Coaching Inn in Powys

We have always loved the Castle Coaching Inn and have enjoyed seeing it emerge in its new incarnation. It's lovely to step inside from the dark starriness of the Brecon Beacons into the welcoming bar, always buzzing with conversation. The food is really good, whether one wants something simple and hearty or something a bit more stylish and unusual. This time we both had the fishcake croquettes, which are light and crispy and creamy, accompanied by a little salad and lemon relish, then bavette with chimichurri and wonderful chips. Decent wine list, friendly service, sensible prices, local beer. What more could one wish for?

Stayed here for 2 nights with family. We had two double rooms which were superb! Very tastefully decorated and beds extremely comfortable. We had dinner and the food is absolutely fantastic. Staff are all really friendly and there’s a lovely feel to the place. Highly recommend!

We've passed this hotel/pub many times and it is great to see it has been beautifully restored and now open. We popped in for a lunch and it's very impressive. The food and service are excellent. We both had fish & chips and I must say the best we've had in years! Lovely crisp batter with triple cooked chips. It was so good we tried a couple of desserts and once again we were wowed by the superb homemade desserts. They obviously have a top patisserie chef working there! We'll certainly be returning and probably stay overnight as the rooms are now available and look great. So nice to see a building restored to such high standards and offering excellent food served by attentive staff. Well done!

I will visit once for a evening family meal and it did not disappoint comfortable clean surroundings calm bar a really relaxing experience all round the meal we had was amazing. The chef here clearly has a talent For quality of produce flavour and aesthetics on the plate super tasty meal this place is a hidden gem you will not be disappointed. Staff were lovely and we were not rushed ,perfect !

We visited during our stay in Trecastle both for some drinks in the bar and for a meal in the restaurant. The food was wonderful - delicious and beautifully presented. The service was friendly and welcoming. Couldn’t ask for more!

We hit upon this place whist out driving. We ordered spare ribs which were the best I’d ever tasted , vert tender and cooking to perfection with a lovely sauce. We were looked after by a young lady who made us feel very welcome . We made ourselves know to the chef and his sous chef all the way from Paris. Highly recommend this place for food and welcome, what a lucky find.

I had Sunday lunch with friends. It was probably the best Sunday lunch I've ever had...lean tasty pork, rich gravy, fresh vegetables etc. There was no fuss, service was great, and the staff were excellent. I will definitely return and recommend to all my friends. Thank you

This is grown up cuisine! The food and presentation is well thought through. The attention to detail in the food packs great flavours. Well worth a return visit (we have booked for the next two weekends)

Nice atmosphere for Valentines Day; nice cocktails but food was poor. Bland stodgy pasta, duck starter sauce was bitter. Expected better for the prices.

This place is everything a pub should be - warm and welcoming, with a cozy fire and friendly staff. And the food is superb, created with flair and passion. Have been several times and always enjoyed, a good mix of locals in the bar and people out enjoying a meal, can highly recommend.

Exceptional food and service in a nice environment. The bar itself is wonderfully welcoming, roaring fire, good choice of drinks, but the restaurant elevated the whole experience. Clearly a lot of time and effort gone into the refurbishment etc, but the food itself was absolutely terrific. It would have been quadruple the price in a major city so the local area can be proud of having this level of establishment at its heart. My whole party that evening had nothing but praise for the experience.

A Hiden Gem in a sleepy village, I have been watching them on Facebook for a while and we finally managed to make it for an evening meal. It’s the best food we have all eaten in along time, the host Julienne was fantastic and the Head chef Andrzej is so passionate about what he is cooking, highly recommend and we have booked again for a meal just before Christmas

The food at The Castle Coaching Inn is some of the best you'll find in the area, with clear attention to detail being given to everything. The ingredients taste and look fresh, and the presentation is similar to that you'd expect in a high-end city restaurant. The atmosphere within the restaurant is nice too, with a relaxed, informal feel that makes you feel immediately welcome. Service is great here as well, and you really get the feeling you're being looked after at each step of your visit. There are regular check-backs to ensure everything is okay with your meal, excellent table maintenance so you don't feel cluttered at the table, and offers of further drinks without having to ask. All in all, an amazing place to eat and drink if you're in the Brecon area and looking for something extra special.

We met up with friends for lunch. Delicious roast. Very helpful and friendly staff and a great ambience in the place. Hot, full of flavour and well presented. If you want fast food then the coaching is not for you. It lets guests take their time and savour the food and atmosphere. We have already booked to go back

This was our second visit for Sunday lunch and even though there had been staff changes it was great. Service was a little slow, but it’s Sunday so no problem. Roasts were fabulous and desserts were lovely. Would definitely recommend

Absolutely delicious Sunday Lunch, quite the best we have had in many a year and we eat out a lot. Lovely traditional decor and very friendly staff, our lovely French waiter brought chef out to chat to us. Local young waitress also very pleasant and attentive. Only constructive feedback is service a little slow but well worth the wait given quality of food. Highly recommend and we will definitely return.

We drove to the CCI for a midweek evening meal. Going straight to the mains, we had the rump of lamb and pork belly. The lamb was lovely - grilled simply but with a concoction of wonderful, complimentary flavours. Toasty almonds intermingled with hearty stewed aubergine and salty capers cut through a mixture of yoghurt and herb dressings to help the elegant lamb show through. As for the belly pork, this was an inspiring dish that married perfectly cooked potato and juicy pork with piquant apply sauce and a beautiful salsa of ginger, apple and pomegranate that elevated the dish to another level. I was doubtful that the chargrilled hispi cabbage would match as well as it did. How wrong I was. For dessert, a rich chocolate mouse was well matched with crisp hazelnuts and cream. The cheeseboard was laden with Welsh delights, including a lovely cheddar and Perl-las all united by a sumptuous pear and walnut chutney. The wine list was good, the service was friendly and unpretentious and the atmosphere was as you might hope and expect from a foodie pub in Powys - hearty, convivial and very very pleasant. If it’s not clear… highly recommended.

We visited the Castle Coaching Inn recently. On holiday in the local area and we were recommended to try the establishment. The pub has recently gone through some renovations which make the bar area clean and tidy. A good selection of beers on offer and reasonably priced. Going through to the restaurant area, we were seated and given menus. These were restaurant menus rather than pub food menus. No major issue there but can sometimes limit choice. Goujons for the kids pretty standard bought in type. The chilli was very good. Well presented, good flavour and size. Unfortunately the fish and chips was not enjoyed as much. The size of the fish was small and the batter was just not right. A 1mm oily and far from crispy fish coating was disappointing to say the least. We were asked if everything was alright and overall it was. Nothing that needed to cause an issue for a busy kitchen. Tempted by the desserts but we decided against. Took a while to get the bill bought to the table which oddly we had to pay at the bar that was busy with loud drinkers watching the rugby, not an ideal way to pay with 2 young children in tow. Would we go back - yes probably.

We brought our friends who are staying with us from Alcester. We had dinner with drinks and our United opinion is that the Castle coaching inn is the best restaurant now in our area. The food was superb, the staff were professional friendly and very attentive. Cannot fault it, and great value for money, we will be back again very soon.

Lovley food and good service. Definitely recommend. Best Sunday dinner in a while. Will deffo come again

The Castle Coaching Inn is under new ownership, it’s undergone a full refurbishment and is a credit to the owners and designers. We had Sunday lunch there, lovely relaxing drink, no pressure before we were seated, the bar looks great and the bay window which is a feature has been restored perfectly. We ordered starters, Brie and Tempura Prawns cooked well but clearly bought in. The main meal beef and Pork loin were delicious! Cooked to perfection, lovely gravy and a lovely selection of vegetables, the Cauliflower cheese was very nice. Deserts were obviously made in the kitchen chocolate mousse and cheesecake both delicious. The new chef is a real credit and the young staff did really well. We would thoroughly recommend a visit. After lunch we returned to the bar and were able to sit outside and escape the colourful chat of some guys at the bar.

Spontaneous stop off at this restaurant and definitely worth the visit. Accommodating front of house and chef that rustled up an alternative vegetarian dish for me and my partner. 5 stars and would 100℅ recommend if you are in the area!

GOOD BASIC PUB FOOD. NICE ATMOSPHERE SERVICE WAS PROMPT AND EFFICIENT WE WERE A GROUP OF 9 INCLUDING 2 CHILDREN. WOULD NOT HESITATE TO RECOMMEND TO FRIENDS.

Quite bland food at a high price. Nice staff and pub but can't recommend restaurant which isn't a comfortable or pleasant place to dine.

We ate at the Inn twice during a short break in the Brecon Beacons. Both meals were super. Beautifully prepared and cooked meals - Steak and Ale Pie one evening, Chicken Supreme another. Very good indeed and hospitality excellent too.

We really enjoyed the meals we had and would recommend if you are passing. Alas, the business seemed to be up for sale.

Had a lovely meal with friends in a busy Saturday evening. Great variety of choice in the menu as well as a choice for specials. I had the lamb on a bed of leek and potato mash and the lamb was very tender and tasty....

One of the best Sunday dinners ever!!! Food exceptional and well needed after walking Pen Y Fan in the wind and snow

We were staying in the area and had booked a table in advance as we brought a dog with us. John was very prompt in replying to queries and, as promised, an excellent table was reserved for us by the roaring fire, with ample room...

The Castle Coaching Inn is a fantastic place to stop for food in Trecastle. Its on the main road from Sennybridge to Llandovery (easy to find!). We were lucky enough to be staying nearby so had the opportunity to finally check this place out :)...

Excellent evening meal and breakfast with very helpful owner and staff. Will definitely be staying and eating there again

My girlfriend and I stopped off here as it was local to our holiday cottage the evening we arrived. Staff were very friendly. We both had the steak and ale pie. Perfect fluffy pastry and top quality meat served piping hot.

My wife and I live in the village and often visit for a meal, and every meal we've had in there has been a very high standard, the staff are very friendly and very welcoming. We look forward to our next visit

While saying here we ate over breakfast and evening meals all,of which were of a very high standard. The chief is one of the owners and certainly has a very good idea of how good food should be prepared.

Very friendly pub/hotel/restaurant. Very accommodating to us having a baby and a dog! Nice cosy table reserved for us in the bar. Lovely Welsh lamb. Would recommend if in the area.

As others have said the outside badly needs renovating, that said you don't eat outside. The staff are very helpful and recommend beers and wines. There is a good restaurant for residents and all are welcome there or in the bar area which is adequate....

We stopped here for a meal last Saturday night having read good reviews on here. We were not disappointed. Yes forgive the exterior which isn't brand spanking new, the welcome was warm, the ambience friendly and the food simply divine. What a pleasure to have...

La comida era excelente, tres de nosotros no pudimos encontrar ningún defecto. La comida estaba caliente, fresco y muy sabrosa, ¿qué más se puede pedir? El personal era muy amable y servicial. El ambiente era muy relajante. Un lugar donde se puede ver el mundo...

No te dejes engañar por el exterior. La comida y el servicio es excelente. Si estaban para pasar un poco de dinero en el exterior que pudieran tomar mucho comercio cruce. Lo recomiendo.

Our local pub for a weekend away. Really friendly staff, a single real ale that was tip top. Had dinner one night with the group and I must say the food was worth the wait. The quality of which would be expected at a high quality restaurant. Good find.

Staying in Trecastle with friends on a well deserved walking break. The Castle Coaching Inn was visited twice during our stay, once for a beer (well three!) and the second time for food. Wow what a find. Great staff couldn't be more accommodating and the food was fantastic. Had the Welsh lamb with leek mash and mixed veg. The lamb was perfection and the veg was all fresh and lovely. Friends had pork loin and lasagne and raved about it. Definitely an unexpected star and a highlight of the weekend.

One of the few pubs that don't have annoying music blasting out. It is quite refreshing, if a little un-nerving at first. But OMG the food is heavenly! The best Welsh lamb ever tasted, it just melted in our mouths. We are still drooling over it to this day. Japanese prawns to start, nicely cooked. Then the wonderful lamb with champ mash and perfectly cooked veg - mangetout/broccoli/carrots - with rosemary gravy. Good portions with still room for pudding. Panne cotta with summer berries (not too tart) and bread & butter pudding - magnificent (hubby's opinion). Shall definitely be back next year, can't wait.

Good food, good value and good service.. Can't really go wrong to be honest.. Staff were attentive and food was good quality and served quickly and too requirements.

There is noting to dislike your will be treated as family. The room are above the advertised and the food is , well great and beyond.

Fit the bill perfectly for our Easter walking break. Good location. Great place, great staff, excellent food and just a lovely time was had.

I had booked a table for a group of twelve about a month before our visit and then three days before called to confirm numbers and check that everything was in order. On arrival the owner informed us that he had double booked and that there was another large group that had arrived first. Now, mistakes happen, I understand that but in these situations I think it is best to admit your mistake possibly offer a free drink or some other good will gesture and do everything in your power to rectify the situation as best you can. Instead the owner of this pub was very rude, told us if we were willing to wait 2 hours he might be able to serve us if we were lucky. I then suggested he might in future think it wise to make a note of the bookings with a name and number to avoid confusion. At this point he shouted at me "if you're going to be be sarcastic you can GET OUT!" This we duly did, instead retreating to the friendly pub opposite where some nice locals offered to drive to Brecon and pick us up a Chinese take-away. A very kind offer which we had to accept, there being no other options in the village. This was not exactly the meal we had been planning for the last month but better than nothing. We later went in for a drink to see if the man had seen the error of his ways but he said he had stopped serving drinks 20 minutes before, then his partner told us to "piss off". A fine end to our experience with castle coaching inn! The locals told us he has a reputation as being an odd man and that his hotel is run like Fawlty Towers. This pretty much sums up our experience!

We stayed for a weekend here and it was one of the nicest weekends away we've had in the UK. Food in places like this can be a bit hit and miss but we were pleasantly surprised! I had the slow cooked lamb one night, which was really full of flavour with a delicious sauce. The following night I had the steak and guinness pie, which was amazing (if you aren't a shortcrust purist and are happy to have a puff pastry lid, which worked really well with this). A well looked after pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord was the only ale on draught, my wife drank the house red which she said was very good.The building has a real charm and the bar is lovely, with a welcoming fire and a nice mix of locals and hotel guests. We got to know the barman, Andrew, quite well while we were there, he is good company, as are John & Val who joined us at the bar at the end of the night.

Great place for an impromptu meal out, never seems that busy but the food is always excellent and good value. Much more than just bar food.Bar always has good real ale available too.

Visited the pub on a Wednesday evening and found it to have a pleasant atmosphere, good beer and sociable staff.

Don't be put off by the exterior which appears to be undergoing renovation, as you are in for a treat when you go through the door! You will find comfortable surroundings, and a very interesting and varied menu. We had the most delicious pork belly and lamb rump which were beautifully presented and without pretension, also sensibly sized portions and very good value for money. The landlord is extremely friendly and helpful and was happy to recommend other eateries. The Castle Coaching Inn will become a regular watering hole when we are in the area.

La Gran Bretagna non salta in mente come terra in cui andare a cercare la buona cucina? Può darsi, ma avendola girata in lungo e in largo, penso di poter dire di non aver mai mangiato altrettanto bene in questo Paese!L'ambiente è simpatico, molto rilassato, composto da un pub più informale e da un ristorante che non mette comunque in soggezione gli ospiti più "sportivi" come noi.Il personale è molto cordiale: vista la poca frequentazione in settimana (ma consigliano di prenotare nei week-end) si intrattiene volentieri con gli ospiti.Il menù è piuttosto vario, ma la qualità della cucina è semplicemente superlativa! Il maiale con i cavoli, il pollo con stilton e pancetta e il prosciutto Gammon grigliato hanno soddisfatto tutta la famiglia. Anche i dolci (tradizionali con qualche rivisitazione) sono di alto livello.E, per concludere in bellezza, una famiglia di quattro persone riesce a mangiare senza spendere un capitale.Se tornerò in questa (bellissima) zona, farò il possibile per fermarmi di nuovo in questo ristorante.Nulla da dire sull'hotel, non l'abbiamo provato.

Great hosts and the son definitely knows his horse racing!!! You will need to book as it's very very popular!

Food was of a good quality, though a tad chaotic on a busy Bank Holiday Saturday Evening. Good service on both nights, team couldn't do enough to please.

None of us in our group (my father, my wife and I) had been here under the current management and we called rather on the spur of the moment. What a treat we had. My father and I both ordered pasta (I had the cheese ravioli and my father, the beef lasagne) and my wife ordered fish and chips.The service was prompt, friendly and accurate, and above all, not overbearing. My wife, who grew up in the East Riding of Yorkshire, declared her fish remarkably good for so far inland. My father's lasagne almost defeated him. There was a good balance between pasta, ragù and béchamel, the flavours had melded perfectly, and the presentation (in a lasagne dish) was simple, understated, and appropriate. If I had to find something to criticise about my ravioli, I would say I would have liked the portion to be about 50% bigger. The ravioli themselves were delicious: (not-so) little parcels that almost melted on the tongue with a wonderfully rich, creamy cheese sauce. The salad with which they were served was remarkably good and the slightly mustardy salad dressing was a definite hit.My wife and I both had dessert and this was probably the low point of the evening. After such wonderful main courses, we were quite prepared to be blown away by dessert. It wasn't to be. The taste was fine (my wife had cheesecake and I had treacle pudding) and there was certainly plenty of custard with my treacle pudding but they really did taste disappointingly bought-in. There was only one real ale on tap (something from the Rhymney brewery) but that's hardly surprising in the middle of winter. It was well kept and the line to the pump was clean. The price was entirely reasonable, all the more so given how good the food was, and I can well see us calling there again in the very near future. I wish we lived nearer so I could make it my local.

We live half the year in Wales and the other half in the Western Isles. When in Wales we frequently go to this Coaching Inn for meals and are never disappointed. This is a family run business and we are made to feel very welcome. The steak and ale pie is sooooooo good that we almost always choose that from the menu. We have taken friends and family members with us on some occasions and they have been equally impressed. Highly recommend.

We were passing the Castle Coaching Inn on Sunday and decided to stop for a spot of lunch. We both ordered the beef and we we were not disappoiunted! The veg was cooked to a turn, the roasties were excellent and the beef and yorkshire pudding were quite superb.We will most definately be going back to this restaurant, great food, great service and very reasonably priced. 10 out of 10!!

it was our first visit to this hotel, we were shown into the very comfortable lounge as we were early.our meal was ready promptly and all 18 of us thoroughly enjoyed it.

Evening on the A40 away from the English border, we were feeling hungry. We saw a number of pubs along the way but none looked right. However as we came into the very small village of Trecastle we saw The Castle Coaching Inn. It had steps - a problem with a wheelchair. Nevertheless I went in to check. The proprietor was very helpful, he pointed out a away into the bar area that did not involve steps.The menu was good but we chose from the specials blackboard, my wife and I had Seafood Pie, whilst my son fish and chips. The portions were generous and the quality high. The crust of the pie was mashed potato with a melted cheese coating, the crispness of the coating combined with the soft mash was really delightful. The desserts were equally good and the overall cost including drinks was just under £20.00 per person.Not eating in the restaurant section (to get to the restaurant area one needed to climb some steps) did nothing to spoil the experience, indeed several others were eating in the fair sized bar area. Service was good and the Inn very interesting with quite a varied history. I was told that the main income source was in fact the accommodation, I imagine that it would be a good place to stay with good food on hand.