Castle of Brecon Restaurant in Powys

Booked a room & confirmed to then be emailed a day later it was cancelled. Telephoned to get a very arrogant receptionist who tried to lie to me about the reason. Not even the slightest apology for ruining my weekend. Shocking. If I had not spotted the email I would of travelled 150 miles for nothing!

The service in the restaurant is slow and the staff are rude. We came for Sunday lunch on 29/09/24. The first lady that served us quibbled the kids eat free on Sunday even though it is written in large letters on the menu. We asked for a high chair which was forgotten about so we had to search for someone to get one. It took a long time for someone to come over to take our food orders. The starters came out wrong. When we said the starters were wrong the server didn’t apologise. We then waited a long time for the plates to be cleared. We then had to search for someone again to take the pudding order. The young man we found in the main dining area looked annoyed when we asked for pudding order. The pudding came out without the icecream on it (pancake stack with icecream as advertised on the menu) but by this point we had given up trying to find someone to complain. The cheesecake also had a very strange consistency. We then went to pay and all the kids food was on the bill. So we had to complain and remind them about the free kids food offer again. All in all the service was laughably very bad and slow. It took 3 hours to have a lunch here due to slow service. We would not go for food here again. It’s a shame because it’s a nice looking place but the levels of service in the restaurant do not match the grandeur of the hotel.

Don’t go here! The food was borderline inedible and the manager was unprofessional and rude! We were told the Portuguese chef had seasoned the food according to his taste - the gravy was so salty it was almost pure soy sauce and should have come with a health warning! This was advertised as a Sunday Roast with seasonal veg - we were served frozen, stewed veg consisting of spring onions, celery, and some other unrecognisable greens - better suited to a stir fry. Potatoes and other roast veg was over cooked to the point of caramelisation. No reduction was given by the rude manager, Jeremy Pfaff. It was overpriced even if it had been edible. Do not go here - it was absolutely awful and ruined our day.

Have been to hotel before. Lovely outlook over countryside .friendly staff.

Lovely place to stay if visiting Brecon Good service and nice food Amazing views Can't wait to see it after the refurb

We enjoyed our meal here. The cocktails are also really nice. There is a lovely outdoor seating area with tables/chairs and umbrellas

Hotel very dissapointing in need of a full make over, damp on walls, wallpaper peeling off, marks on paintwork. Bedrooms need refurbishment, handles missing from wardrobes, no phone in rooms for emergency bed was clean and comfy. Food was awful breakfast was cold, waited too long for evening meal Price of beers was expensive £5.60 a pint £5. For a vodka and £3.50 for can of pop

Had a fantastic meal in the restaurant. Staff are really friendly and welcoming, but the best part is the quality food that was great value.

It's a perfectly good hotel - in its hey day it must have been amazing. A great location for exploring the area and everything is perfectly functional, but the breakfast was disappointing and a little chaotic - you would get a better breakfast at one of the cafes in town.

Avoid! We booked several months ago for a wedding in August. We placed our booking well in advance knowing that there weren’t many hotels in the area and that it was a busy weekend. With less than a month to go the reservations team called today to cancel our booking, due to the room needing maintenance! No alternative, no support finding something else, not even bothered. Despite the fact that we booked ahead of many other guests, we weren’t offered any alternative accommodation. Shocking. I have never experienced this before and am aware that people who booked after us (by a number of weeks) will have their bookings honoured. Every accommodation provider I have spoken to since, whilst looking for somewhere to stay to avoid cancelling going to the wedding, have been shocked by this hotel’s poor behaviour and lack of customer care. If you’re looking in the area, don’t book here, clearly is in desperate need of a return and staff training. There are better, cleaner, more reliable and cheaper alternatives!

Disgraceful appearance, needs refurbishment badly. Expensive rooms with mould on the cracked windows etc and dirty floors. Bathrioms unclean. Totally shabby and uncared for. Rude head of service 😒 outside furniture well past use, and grounds unkempt. Would not recommend you wasting your money on booking.

A éviter si vous pouvez. Nous avons attendu 45 mn nos entrées qui n’avaient rien de compliqué. Nous voulions du mouton on revient nous dire qu’il n’est cuit alors que nous étions au 2/3 du service. Le burger a été médiocre. Le sea bass correct. Bref une total désorganisation. Une très mauvaise expérience.

Great food service for a large group in the private dining room. New management has recently taken over this place and he articulated a good plan to upgrade facilities.

Disappointed with decor of mews room. Stained carpet, dirty grouting in bathroom and a mini fluorescent tube above bed without a cover. Exposed live wires. Totally unacceptable. Despite a Hygiene rating of 1, dinner food was pleasant, although service slow and careless. Breakfast staff very helpful. Hotel needs significant improvements. Not a hotel for me to return for another visit.

Room was clean and tidy although in desperate need of an upgrade. Staff helpful, have stayed here several times. Very convenient for town centre, breakfast was , I hate to say, dreadful. Enjoyed it much better when it was self service. Would I stay again? Yes,but wouldn't add the breakfast option.

Overpriced food and slow service. We were waiting ages after our starter plates were taken away, we had to go and remind them. The starters were overall dry and basic. The mains were better but overall not impressed. The staff were unenthusiastic. I personally wouldn’t eat here again.

If you want a view of the Brecon Beacons whilst enjoying a pint of "Guinness" look no further, however be prepared pay £6.60 for the privilege.👍

Rooms are too old and need big time repair. Pictures of room not properly being shown.

Had a great room and breakfast hospitality at this hotel. It actually has castle-like features. We picked the hotel because it was just a stones throw from the centre of Brecon and a good spot for nearby walking. The hotel also had good parking outside. Would definitely use it again.

The hotel is in need of a refurbishment, there was a noisy group in the hotel, otherwise good

Despite having booked lunch and being told it would not be a problem if we arrived earlier, we were told on arrival that our order could not be taken earlier and that they did not know how long it would be before we were served. Staff said we could not have been told the above. Staff rude and unwelcoming. We left and will not be returning.

We stayed for the weekend just to get away the hotel is really nice lots of character and the staff were all extremely friendly and could not do enough for you 🙃 the breakfast was fabulous and delicous and you could taste that it was locally sourced.the room was really clean and the bed was so comfortable there is a notice in each room to say that the hotel will going to get a refurbishment within the next year and there were areas you could see what's needed but we had a lovely stay anyway and will definitely come back again.

Haven't stayed before but the place, restaurent food and service is excellent. A shockingly bad coffee last time we visited, so we won't be asking for a flat white there again. Otherwise fab though. Awesome beer garden for a fine day and views over the town and hills.

I liked this hotel. It was super clean, really warm with piping hot water and friendly staff. I get that people say it’s run down but to me it was full of character and charm. It was kind of nice that it wasn’t so perfect you had to give a security deposit! We were in a little cottage on the courtyard, independent with its own parking. Easy access to the town. Fab views. The hotel had a funky cafe style area for breakfast which was served quickly and piping hot. Sue was lovely, really helpful and friendly we so enjoyed chatting with her. I hope they enhance the character of this charming hotel and don’t just mainstream it so it looks like every other when they refurb. Don’t expect perfection you won’t be disappointed but you will be charmed!

Beautiful place, lovely hotel. Love staying here. Great quality food

The staff all very nice but the hotel itself is in need of a minor refurbishment.

Good value for money. Room was good size and clean. Mattress was a little worn but was in acceptable condition. Food in dinner time was very good quality and well presented as well as the service. Breakfast could be a little better quality. Was a bit disappointed after such a good evening meal. Overall I would definitely stay here again.

Very nice and lovely place. The ballroom hall was big and fit for purpose. The food was top-notch, and so were the drinks . The prices!!!!!!

I'm tempted to actually give a lower rating. It's a lovely hotel but very tired. It's about to be renovated, apparently. We stayed there one night and were pleasantly surprised by the views as we ate breakfast. We went back for Sunday lunch with family, and though the food was hot, we were not. The hotel foyer, bar and restaurant were so cold we had to put our coats on as did other diners. So disappointed.

We had a truly great experience here. The staff team were wonderful (especially 'breakfast' Sue), quirky clean room, fabulous location and delicious breakfast. We would definitely come back.

Given the recent reviews on here, I wasn't expecting a great experience. The hotel looks a little run down from the outside and it's due a refurbishment next year as others have stated. The room itself (no 22) was OK & the bathroom was clean, with adequate tea/coffee/biscuit provisions. The shower was poor and I had to mess around with the taps to get a decent temperature. There's no view as such from this room, additionally the windows were draughty (hopefully this will be addressed with the refurb) but the heating was warm enough for this not to be a problem. We ate in the restaurant and although we couldn't fault the service, we were not really impressed with the food for the price. The vegetable soup was over-seasoned with pepper and the lamb was quite chewy. The breakfast wasn't great, some items were cold as was the coffee. Maybe the footfall affected this as it was busy. We're due to come back to Brecon next year but will consider staying somewhere different.

Great location just a few steps from the town centre, breakfast was lovely and free parking on site, room was dated but OK.

Nice location. Food was good too. The receptionist was very abrasive, made me feel like I was an inconvenience. The room smelt very damp and the attention to cleanliness in the bathroom was poor. There was scum around the taps in the sink and shower.

3* hotel with 5* service. Yes the rooms are a bit tired but beds are super comfy, water- bath and shower- was hot and you have everything you need- toiletries, fluffy towels, biscuits etc. Location is stunning. Lovely views and a couple of minutes walk from town. Hotel has bags of history attached- obviously the castle is a high point and the hotel is the oldest in Wales. Our evening meal was outstanding- far exceeded our expectations for a 3* hotel. Same with breakfast. But what makes this place is the staff. They can’t do enough for you and are so friendly. Mackenzie on reception went above and beyond for us. Will definitely be back.

Booked a dinner reservation via email for 8.30pm on Friday 27th October. This was confirmed by the receptionist Sarah via email. Arrived to be told service finishes at 8.30pm and they couldn't serve us! Outrageously poor to confirm a dinner reservation 2 months in advance and then experience this, after a 4 hour drive from London. Terrible.

The room was cosy, but very hot and the thermostat had a note saying to not fiddle with it. Tried turning the radiator down, but overall, quite hot in the room which led to poor sleep. We only stayed a couple of nights so it wasn't overly bothersome. Not very sound proof. We could hear everything the couple above us was up to. Some reason, housekeeping didn't come and replenish our teas or give us fresh towels. Housekeeping didn't come at all, but perhaps this was because we were having a short stay? Food was okay. Eggs were under cooked on our last day and I was vomiting later that day. Staff were wonderful and helpful. The views were lovely as was the location general.

It's a nice hotel built into a castle. Falling apart in places the staff have been saying they are due a refit but it keeps being pushed back. To be honest I love brecon and all its sites and history and nature. Food is OK not amazing and the staff are very helpful just sometimes you have to look for them. I'd stay here again but I hope it gets fixed up soon.

Called to ask for taxi recommendations, they hung up on me mid conversation. Room was filthy and falling apart. Two sky lights lit the bedroom with no curtain. Breakfast almost unedible, coffee served with gone off milk

Warm welcoming friendly hotel staff, historic hotel which has a lovely feeling to it.

An old building with lots of character. Location is perfect for the town. Outstanding service, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend or stay again.

Headboard on bed was in a very worn tatty condition and mattress did not have a protective sheet! But bed was comfortable. Staff looked and acted like they didn't want to be there. Shame, as it's a lovely old building with potential to actually be worth the price!

Dropped in for a quiet meal and drink. Lovely setting 😊😊

A beautiful location for a slightly down at heels hotel with old fashioned wall paper and cheerful staff

Booked in advance. Did not get the room booked. Rejected two rooms and walked out. Both rooms were filthy looking like dog poop stains on the carpet. Furniture and beds dirty. Walls and curtains dirty. Kettle could only plug in on the floor or on a bed. Ɓar and dining room looked nice. This is a great hotel to DRIVE PAST.

Fantastic place staff really helpful the food is out standing and the breakfast is to die for it's a self service breakfast which is great it's all fresh will be going there again

This is the worst hotel I have ever stayed at, I cannot believe it still operates and is this expensive. Don’t believe the pictures on their website. The room we had was not comparable at all. It should be illegal to post such inaccurate information. If I could give it 0 stars, I would. We stayed at the top floor of the hotel, the room was extremely small with low ceilings, there is no space for anything but the bed really. It was too warm to sleep, although the windows do open. It is noisy in the room, you can hear people talking, doors being shut etc. Everything, including the bathroom is extremely dated, there was a large open gap in the ceiling of our room, I assume leading to an attic, quite unnerving. The shower was just horrendous, water pressure is literally that of washing yourself in the rain, I didn’t even attempt washing my hair there. The shower leaks onto the bathroom floor. The toilet flushes only about once every half an hour. But the worst thing is – the room wasn’t cleaned after the last guest(s). I just couldn’t believe it. There were used sanitary products in the bathroom bin, other waste in the room bin, little curly hairs on the bedsheet (don’t even want to think what body part they came from) and a used tissue stuck between the pillows. Bedding was dirty with pillowcases actually yellow with use. It was the most uncomfortable and disgusting bed we ever had to sleep in. Seeing as we stayed one night and arrived very late after a wedding we didn’t have the energy to complain, so just tried to sleep and checked out as soon as we could. In hindsight, we would have been better off sleeping in our car. Breakfast was as expected – beige food and some yoghurts. There was a hair on my cutlery. The woman who serves hot drinks forgot to bring the tea. Overall – a matching experience to the overall stay. The stern, unfriendly woman at the reception didn’t bother asking us how our stay was. I assume she knows the answer. I just cannot believe this hotel is still operating and charging £90+ per night. I wouldn’t stay there another night if I was paid this much. If you’re considering booking your stay here, I highly recommend you look anywhere else. P.S. There are not nearly enough parking spaces for all at the hotel guests.

Wow, this is now my favourite pub garden. Right in the middle of Brecon, on Easter weekend we were expecting it to be impossible to find a seat outside in the good weather but there was no problem. It wasn't deserted or anything but tranquil with the best views you can imagine over the central Brecon Beacons. Pen Y Fan, Corn Du, Cribyn, Fan Y Big, the mountains all laid out brfore us while drinking a couple of pints of well kept real ale. It's a 'Wye Valley' bar with three rotating beers. Can't beat it

Lovely place, friendly staff! short walk into Brecon and well located for tourism around the area

We enjoyed a very good three course Sunday lunch . The staff and service was excellent very friendly and welcoming. The views from our table were stunning. Thank for an enjoyable afternoon.

We just had a lovely tasting lunch. Excellent quality and value. Sat outside on the terrace with beautiful views. We would highly recommend.

Only Had tea and coffee here. Alovely hotel

Staff were really nice food was good and the views were fantastic.

Poor Sunday lunch as Inedible beef it was overcooked so much. But rest of the meal was good, especially the starters and dessert. Staff are great and friendly. Chef needs to supervise what's going out to customers

Very picturesque location. Good breakfast. However, the shower was very poor and the low ceilings in the bedroom and bathroom would be a problem for someone tall.

I've stayed several times at the Castle, and it's always a fantastic experience. Friendly and helpful staff, lovely atmosphere, quiet rooms.

Quite Monday lunchtime, had a choice of sandwiches salad , crisps, followed by beautiful desserts. Also meals available. Old hotel but elegant and serene, with excellent service, relaxed atmosphere, lovely few hours eating great food in a great hotel xx

Beautiful place, lovely staff .

What a lovely venue to celebrate a special birthday lunch. The hotel's main room was beautiful with fabulous views. The buffet lunch was superb, the staff were very pleasant and accommodating. Excellent

Morning coffee,today.Served by Karen who, although very busy,was so friendly and accommodating.Lovely hot, freshly brewed coffee.Every member of staff we met,had a smile and greeting,for us.This place is a gem.

I booked over the phone a week in advance and left my contact details with the agent that confirmed the booking. No one contacted me on the day to explain that they were two chefs down and that an hours wait for food was to be expected, despite them knowing the night before that this would be the case. We had made a 20 mile journey only to be told this when we arrived. After waiting an hour (with no staff available to serve us, as they were next door tending to a cover of 84 people for a freemasons lunch), I had to go searching for someone to ask what was happening. We were then told that nothing on the menu was available and all that could be offered was a beef dinner. We were given a small discount for our inconvenience but to be honest we would have faired better by going to Greggs.

Staff not interested in the customer over priced not same hotel it used to be

We prior booked our large famoly meal here as we habe previously had so many lovely meals here. Dissapointinly and upsetingly we all had a dreadfullly bad poor small totally shocking unsatisfactory meal. We were not charged for anything but we would much have prefered to havecenjoyed all and the occassion. We wont retutn fot a long time.

Lovely bedroom. Homely feel. Restaurant at night was great. Breakfast in the morning perfectly fuelled us up for a walk up Pen-y-fan.

Lunch was amazing, would recommend coming here, sadly I didn’t stay for long

Friendly, but largely disorganised service. Rooms generally clean, but windows in desperate need of repair or replacement. Nobody returns calls left on answerphone. Cups in room had not been cleaned from previous guests, but when I asked for clean ones the bar person suggested it was me that had made them dirty! We were told the wrong time for breakfast by reception (couldn't find it on their website), so arrived 30 minutes before official opening time (however we were allowed to eat early). Accessible room had walk in (level) shower.

Accessible bedrooms and friendly staff

Be warned ....Don’t book a weekend stay here Functions on in lounge went on til 2pm the place is old so all noise travelled through the building I was above it and it was deafening had to go down to speak to the night porter at 2:15 it was totally antisocial behaviour from the drunken crowd with voices to match ...he should have stopped it much earlier it was unbearable 12 is a fair time surely .... spoiled a great weekend in a lovely town .. just don’t book a weekend there plus there is a camera in the court yard that seems to look into the rooms ...must make interesting viewing for someone .. not ideal tbh but staff were pleasant and helpful on the plus side just blissfully unaware of their roles

Friendly helpful staff, beautiful meal and views

Always a pleasant experience to visit the Castle. Highly recommended.

The food is a expensive but very good

Have been a regular customer for lunch over the years, but yesterday wasn't up to the usual standard. Slow and forgetful service meant one and a half hours to eat two courses, and a rushed journey home. Ordered the gammon which we thought was £9.50 but the waitress, without explanation or enquiry, fetched the 10oz version at twice the price.

Great stay here, the staff couldn't be more helpful, especially Chris who looked after our every need. Thanks team

Emailed hotel prior to staying to check they had vegan options for breakfast and dinner, they assured me they did so i booked. However, on checking the dinner menu, there were no vegan dishes at all and we were told my husband could have the goats cheese salad without the goats cheese!!!!! We finished up eating at the local weatherspoons which had many vegan choices. Staff were either lovely and helpful or rude and couldn't be bothered. No manager on duty. Room was tired and old fashioned, 2 radiators not working, windows rotting and shower had very little pressure. I think this hotel is now geared up for weddings, functions and not for family/couple stays sadly. There was an excuse for every problem. On a positive note breakfast was really nice with good service but sadly we won't be back.

Went here for a drink, stunning views and very reasonable prices!

Nice hotel with friendly staff would stay again

The Castle used to be amazing. The older staff were so rude and lacked any communication skills, whereas the younger staff were polite ,helpful and would have done a better job running the place than the older staff who served that day.

Room was clean and tidy, beautiful views. Lovely place to stay

Due to the staff I had dealings with, The highest rating I could Possibly give is one.. I would like to give lower.

Beautiful views , pleasant gardens for a relaxing drink ! Food in the restaurant was excellent and a big big surprise ! Have to say, the staff at the Castle were a cut above !

Absolutely stunning place, amazing staff everything was just perfect just what a bride groom and guests want. Xxx

Arrived at our room which was dirty and had not been cleaned, everything generally unhygienic. Dead insects, cobwebs, toilet not flushed, something splashed over the tv screen and someone's hair on our pillows these are just a few thing's to list, left less than an hour after checking in

Very comfy and clean. Great location.

A lovely old hotel with great grounds and fantastic views

My friend and I had a decaf each which was very nice indeed. The service was exceptional. We were lucky with the parking, had the last space. Strongly recommend a visit.

Had an excellent night friendly staff good food

Need to organise the times that food is supposed to be be available during the day. Told food is unavailable, then another table is served, although they came in after us. ??

Amazing place to visit, hotel have so much potential. But cleaning it's different stories (Spider webs, dust it's overwhelming) .Breakfast was great, I suggest to get one if you decide to stay

Beautiful setting, food good but very limited menu. Staff helpful and did accommodate one of our parties food requirements.

Sunday lunch was absolutely beautiful, with amazing views win winxx

A charming surprise. The decor and atmosphere is a little dated, but the staff were great and although the menu was limited by COVID, the cooking was amazing. Only disappointment was the limited options for vegetarians and complete absence of any options for vegans.

Didn't stay the night we went for Sunday dinner. Really nice menu with lots of choice. Food was great and service was good. Amazing views from the hotel. Booked an event in February looking forward to going back.

Picked this hotel for an overnight trip to Brecon and Crickhowell. Pretty cool exterior, the hotel built within some old castle walls. Seemed nice enough on arrival, parking available for hotel guests right outsides. Check in was fine, key card operated room doors. Even just from the walk upstairs to the room, you got the sense of some hella creaky floors. This continued into the room. I would have been creaking all over the function room downstairs which I couldn't really feel bad about, but upstairs of my room I could hear every footstep. Reminded me of home to be honest living in a flat so it didn't bother me all that much. The room was decent enough, just needs a little TLC with some water stains on the ceilings and walls, few cracks here and there. Bed was very comfy. Bathroom clean as a whistle and good size. Windows were pull up, with a little wooden block to hold them open. The windows I had to keep open the entire time due to not being able to turn the heating off, it was absolutely boiling. This meant a noisy night as my room was right in the front of the street. For entertainment, two screeching drunk girls had a massive argument right outside, causing half the staff to leave the hotel to see what was going on. Someone in charge did shift the girls along giving them the point that guests were there and trying to sleep, so that was nice overall. I think. Breakfast in the morning worked okay, it was all completely self serve which was a surprise. I didn't mind at all, I've missed self serve during covid, but I suspect they probably shouldn't have been. Selection of cereal, juices, yoghurts and then the hot counter. Oddly, the toast is taken by order and brought to you. Decent food. Had hotel food the night before as well which was nice, overpriced but I'd expect nothing less from any hotel really. Halloumi burger was really good with their own local plum chutney. Checkout was fine, I paid the bar and room bill. I wasn't until I'd gotten home I realised I'd already paid for the room via booking - doh! Neither me or the hotel staff realised at the time so can't place blame. I sent a message via booking and it was all sorted, the hotel called and refunded my card for one of the payments. All in all, it was a pleasant stay.

Food was great but reasonable price. view was brilliant

Lovely beer garden with views of Brecon town

Booked several weeks ago - 2 tables outside for colleague’s leaving do. Emailed food choices through 3 days in advance, followed up with phone call (since no reply), was assured that booking was all in hand.Turned up last night - told that someone had phoned and cancelled our booking, due to household of Covid - clearly a mistake which went unchecked.Lovely staff - very apologetic, said they would try to fit us in but that the menu they’d sent was out of date and some meals now unavailable. We reordered (no lamb shanks, no ham and eggs, no fish and chips) for indoor tables, since the outdoor tables were taken. Gave us 2 bottles of Prosecco as apology. Chicken Supreme on bed of risotto morphed into chicken portion and chips, waiter couldn’t tell which were beef burgers and which were lamb, chickens were not cooked through, seafood platter mostly inedible. Tables became available, we moved outside, overworked staff had no time to ask whether food was ok, or clear tables - all were covered in dirty glasses.Toilets filthy. Names & phone numbers left on reception desk for self-service - GDPR breach?Seriously understaffed, incompetently run hotel in beautiful location- shame.

Hi, I'm local to brecon and had a gathering with my brothers and freinds from england , we would love to say that the castle hotel was a great experience and lovely place , the young night porter was amazing made us feel welcome , and went well and beyond for us , thanks for sorting the taxis and bar for us we will be visiting again shortly , thanks rob (table 104?

Jedzenie wysmienite . Super lokalizacja . Świetna obsługa

The waiter was rude,the Pepsi was flat, very overpriced especially for the poor quality of food. A member of my party received their meal 20 minutes later and therefore didn’t want it as everyone else had finished. Overall an awful experience

FRIENDLY SERVICE AND STAFF ALL COVID IN PLACE TABLE SERVICE ALSO THERE ARE LOVELY VIEWS GOOD PLACE TO BOOK A ROOM TO STAY FOR A HOLIDAY AND PARKING FROM THERE YOU CAN WALK AND SIT DOWN BY THE RIVER USK ENJOY FROM THERE AS WELL ENJOY

Best meal in a long time, medley of seafood was simply outstanding, Salmon sea bass and prawns on a creamy bed of mash with a garlic sauce , omg it was just delicious, looking forward to seeing you soon.