Skirrid Mountain Inn in Monmouthshire

What should have been a pleasant visit was ruined by a loud, obnoxious front of house persona with the customer service skills of a brick! If this is the best this lovely old place can offer, then 'hospitality'. as we know it, is well and truly doomed! Poor show all round preceded by a rude and unwelcoming reception! Hope the owner takes note...

Lovely old inn full of friendly locals and friendly faces with a good range of beers and very tasty food and a great price!.

It was more about the past souls ghost thing that was poorly organised and very amateurish to the point we went home early .The pub was not clear to find from one direction I travelled on but was signed from the other direction. As someone mentioned in one of the posts you get stared at when entering the pub . like I said the ghost experience was poor tearable in fact the worst I've been on, the most frightening thing I saw was wood chip wall paper on one of the grim bedrooms with a brown coloured bath . On one slightly good note the food was ok .

Absolutely love this place food is great open fire what more do need

The building was a stunning look in to the past. 1 room needed the ceiling fixed. Was eeire but sadly no real ghostly activity. For the most haunted inn in UK, wasn't very haunted. History of the place was interesting.

Atmospheric traditional pub. Food is good value but lacking flavour.

A lifesaver! Thank you for greeting our pack of travellers on a rainy day with great hospitality. Really enjoyed my chicken burger and the chips and onion rings that came with it, and the mushroom soup was delicious too. The fire was a great bonus!

We went to this pub as advertised as the oldest pub in wales. Firstly we were told different opinions of where we could sit with the dogs, ended up in the garden !! Obviously the locals have the way of how this pub runs. Have never felt so unwelcome in a pub before. We walked in and everyone stopped and stared. We will never return to this very unwelcoming place again. They definitely need a lesson in hospitality.

Not very nice atmosphere in side. Had a drink but sat outside didn't like the way the locals were looking at us all the time.

We went here on a weekend with a company called haunted houses to do a ghost hunt here, it was incredible such a laugh, really good night, the pub itself is great, very busy because it’s so popular. The food was brilliant, the staff were good, they need to improve the way they serve customers, remembering who stood at the bar first etc and which order people should get served. But otherwise really good place deffo worth a visit. The rooms are really nice too, although we didn’t stay over night we saw the entire place and sat on the beds which were comfy so if you’re staying I bet it’s worth it.

Love this place, food is amazing, owner and all the staff is friendly and professional 10/10. Just had our 3rd time staying overnight and can't fault anything right down to the awesome breakfast in the morning. Can't wait to stay again. Highly recommend a visit.

Beautiful old inn. Cashing in on history. Nice beer garden. Food is expensive but we didn’t eat. Not very many interesting beers on but had a Butty Bach (Wye Valley) which is pleasant enough.

If your a person of colour. I would avoid this place like the plague. Just went in there while we were staying at Abergavenny because we heard so much about the place. Five of us were just standing at the bar and completely ignored and being stared at by others (clearly a local place) .walked past us 5 times and then finally asked if a table which was empty was reserved. It wasn't just she said 5 (4adults and a child) could not sit and was so rude, didn't offer options. Said we could not take chairs from empty tables. Bottom line. Even if your busy, you can smile , speak politely but clearly have an issue. The food rating was 3 anyways so glad we avoided it. Note to the lady at the bar, it doesn't hurt to smile or be polite or just be friendly.

Wat a fab place ,, reasonable prices ,.. highly haunted. Very old with lots of history

This place is obviously an incredible place @900years old .. but is seriously let down by the way the interior has been updated to incorporate the bar area. It looks like someone has brought in various items from other disused pubs and brought them in and hoped for the best It could and should be done in a style that increases the atmosphere, and could include artifact's that help with that . Disappointed... but a good pint 👍

Went here with the family for dinner. The food was great. The staff are really nice and a nice atmosphere.

Went here with the family for dinner. The food was great. The staff are really nice and a nice atmosphere.

Had booked for a 6pm family meal. We were shown to a small table and went to order our meal at the bar. Waited and waited for the meals to arrive. Other guests arriving after us seemed to have their meals arrive whilst we continued to wait for ours. Maybe they were locals? Finally served at 7.30pm after chasing up our order. We had ordered a medium cooked steak, burger, shin of beef and venison meals) The steak arrived over cooked and with an added extra of head hair so do question hygiene standards.... Shin of beef was tough and inedible. A few rounds of drinks and a bill for over £90. Appalling experience which we won't be repeating.

Had booked for a 6pm family meal. We were shown to a small table and went to order our meal at the bar. Waited and waited for the meals to arrive. Other guests arriving after us seemed to have their meals arrive whilst we continued to wait for ours. Maybe they were locals? Finally served at 7.30pm after chasing up our order. We had ordered a medium cooked steak, burger, shin of beef and venison meals) The steak arrived over cooked and with an added extra of head hair so do question hygiene standards.... Shin of beef was tough and inedible. A few rounds of drinks and a bill for over £90. Appalling experience which we won't be repeating.

Had booked for a 6pm family meal. We were shown to a small table and went to order our meal at the bar. Waited and waited for the meals to arrive. Other guests arriving after us seemed to have their meals arrive whilst we continued to wait for ours. Maybe they were locals? Finally served at 7.30pm after chasing up our order. We had ordered a medium cooked steak, burger, shin of beef and venison meals) The steak arrived over cooked and with an added extra of head hair so do question hygiene standards.... Shin of beef was tough and inedible. A few rounds of drinks and a bill for over £90. Appalling experience which we won't be repeating.

Gorgeous old pub with a lovely atmosphere. Always a huge choice on the menu. Staff are really friendly and accommodating. Prices are reasonable, beer is very well kept and the food is delicious.

We were staying in the area and decided to pop in Saturday afternoon for some light refreshments. The rear beer garden had several tables occupied but on entering the impressive building the bar area only had one person drinking. Whilst stood at the bar for several minutes, the lady staff member behind the bar gave no acknowledgment or welcome whilst she was emptying the dishwasher. Eventually she asked us what we wanted but no conversation or pleasantries whilst serving our drinks. We decided to sit in the beer garden and enjoyed our drinks with the other customers. Although we can say we visited the oldest pub in Wales and the drinks were ok, I wouldn’t say we got a welcome and for that reason wouldn’t return.

What an amazing place full of history. Staff were friendly and helpful. Food was of a good standard . It was extremely busy for a Monday night so I would recommend booking .

Great traditional inn. I have visited the area extensively over the past 30 years and eaten in here a couple of times. As I had a work meeting in the area it meant that I didn’t have dog in tow so was able to stay here. It is a shame they don’t allow dogs to stay or I would bring the whole family back. It claims to be the oldest pub in Wales, has hosted a number of hangings over the years and is said to be haunted with a load of certificates attesting to the fact. There was a noose hanging from the rafters and a prisoners room and igor type character that I had to pass to get to my room. There are only 3 or 4 rooms available and mine was massive. It had a three piece suite four poster bed and other furniture in that were lost in the room. A dressing room through to the bathroom which was a bit dated but all very serviceable, clean and comfortable. After settling in a trip downstairs for a couple of pints and a steak and ale pie. I had a bit of a problem working out how to leave very early in the morning as the place was locked up and nobody about but found my way out so I could do an early morning hike up a mountain. When I came back on my way to my work meeting I stopped to check everything was ok with payment and despite having already checked out breakfast was offered to me which was a really nice touch. Shame I couldn’t take them up on it as it smelled lovely. Extremely good value and apart from not accepting dogs which will limit opportunities for future visits I would very much recommend.

From the moment we arrived the lady behind the bar made us feel so welcome and nothing was too much trouble to make our stay memorable. The room was absolutely amazing and spotlessly clean. We had a really nice meal and a good drink in their bar. Couple of ghostly experiences which was part of the reason we visited the Skirrid Inn. Can't recommend it any more strongly. Had a brilliant time and will be returning

Lovely ale and very interesting historical interest. I call in every time I pass in summer time particularly. Food lovely but more vegitarian dishes could be good to see

Popped in for Sunday lunch and have to say it was worth it, beer very good and staff very good. As oldest pub in Wales it is fantastic to look around, rumoured to be haunted it is great to look and read about it's history, if you are in the area I would highly recommend a visit, you will not be disappointed.

Just a couple of miles outside Abergavenny The Skirrid Inn claims to be the oldest pub in Wales with loads of fascinating history.Cosy bar area,restaurant & plenty of outside seating with great views of the countryside.Food was fine and a fair price with plenty of choice.It was quite busy for a midweek afternoon but the food came quickly with friendly and pleasant staff.Read up on the interesting history before your visit to get a feeling of the place and its past history.Well worth a visit.

Lunchtime visit Arrived 1325 decided to sit indoors though was a nice day Ranked on bar apart from 2 were empty L Lady behind the bar explained they had a Coach trip coming in and they would need a table back by 2:15. We readily agreed to vacate by then and ordered by half past one ordered two prawn baguettes at 2 o’clock we reminded The Bowman that we still haven’t received our sandwiches and only left us 15 minutes to eat our meal, food reasonably priced and tasty but when the food was served absolutely no apology for what was the 35 minute wait for a sandwich I’ve given this full stars as it was just Off day with staff

Great food great drink great atmosphere

A must visit! The food was excellent. The local scenery is to die for. An the Inn itself is an AMAZING PLACE. An ancient building buzzing atmosphere. If you love your history put this at the top of your list to visit.

Lovely pub with lots of history! If you take the time to talk to the local and the staff they all have a ghost story or two from within the pub! Worth a visit! Food was lovely. Sat in the garden which was peaceful and divine ❤️

Beautifully haunting 🤣 ive been past the pub a few times its very freaky but a beautiful pub at the same time i dont mind going in the day but night no thanks

The meal was excellent and the staff were friendly and helpful.

Lovely little pub steeped in history. I went for lunch with family on a beautiful sunny afternoon and enjoyed sitting out in the beer garden. We have family members with specific dietary requirements including allergies, so we were glad when the staff went above and beyond to cater for the requirements. It goes a long way when a restaurant can reassure customers about its food. Absolutely one to return to- brilliant location, wonderful historic atmosphere and if you have dietary needs, you're in safe hands.

Lovely lunch, staff so friendly and incredibly helpful. It cannot be very difficult eating out with serious allergies but the staff were so helpful (thank you so much!). The meals were all really lovel, very reasonable price wise too.

Lovely food. Good friendly staff and quick service

We received a warm welcome at the skirrid Inn on Wednesday lunch time, the lady behind the bar was lovely, pub is beautiful, food is excellent and prices are great. Many thanks to all the staff, we will be back.

I stunning place rich in history with a warm and friendly atmosphere. The food is top notch and the staff can’t do enough for customers. The bar area is rustic and fitting with its oldest and most haunted reputation. The outside boasts a quaint little beer garden with off-road parking beneath a very old arch. We will definitely be returning. Food is very reasonably priced with great kids options.

Excellent food, lovely atmosphere and historic location.

10 of us booked to go here for a meal and were not disappointed in the slightest. One of the children suffers from autism and although it was very busy, we were tucked away in the family room, which helped her settle down and relax. When we mentioned this to the staff, who had already been extremely friendly and helpful, and said that if we booked again, mention we have somebody on the spectrum with us and they will do all they can to help. The food was 10 out of 10 and all freshly cooked and was the best meal out we have had in a long time. We will definitely visit again. Best place we have visited in a very long time.

Great old pub, full of character and atmosphere. The staff and owner are very friendly and the food was great with a good selection. Although basic, the hotel room was clean and comfortable considering the age of the property, with a large full breakfast. We will definitely be visiting again.

Stopped off her after a walk up the sugar loaf for a quick pint! A lovely pub with great history!

Extremely brilliant inn! Very good food (lasagna)! Unfortunately they forgot our order. The apology came in the form of a pint on the house.

I've only had a few meals here, so I cant give stars for the rooms as I dont know what they arw like. The last meal we had was in December, 2022. Unfortunately, all four meals were disappointing and not very warm. The room was also very cold too. Lovely pub and people, though. It is in a beautiful area.

Great place to visit while cycling - good food and service, and tables front/back to enjoy your refreshments in the sunshine while the world goes by.

Absolutely fantastic pub, fully loaded with history. Food is top notch, tasty and fresh. The service is spectacular, the staff are astonishing, welcoming, warm and friendly. Most definitely the best place I've ever stepped foot in. I cannot praise the Skirrid Inn, the food and service enough. All I can say is.....you definitely need to go here and experience it yourselfs. A true gem of Wales. Congratulations to all involved for absolute perfection.

Amazing service a friendly livey atmosphere most welcome food was fantastic Could not finish it all as potions were massive definitely value for money however they gave us a take away bag of the food we left Amazing place full of history and friendly local people x

Visited The Skirrid Inn on Thursday 15th February for a Birthday meal, we had the rib eye steak with all the trimmings, it was amazing, fabulous atmosphere, very pleasant staff, well worth a visit.

One of us had the chilli and it was very good. The other had steak and ale pie which was dry and overcooked. Great atmosphere, good drinks and cheerful service.

Stayed overnight while hill walking decided to get food which was perfectly cooked decent selection of drinks also. Lovely atmosphere.Fantastic views. We had a strange thing happen around was around 2 am when the t.v turned on and fell off the wall which was odd as it was on a bracket not sure how secure, then a strong smell of someone smoking not sure if it was from another room and definitely not from outside as the windows was closed due to winter time.Me and my wife decided to leave as something this full on happened. I never believed in paranormal stuff but this incident really scared the both of us.The landlord was very understanding and I'm sorry for the early morning retreat.

It's the oldest pub in Wales. I love the dated and modern tones intertwined. It was great drive and picturesque getting there which added to the experience. The stuff were friendly and the place was busy. It's a great little escape. However, the place with it's charms has draw backs. Still worth the visit. 3 stars is a fair assessment.

Some friends and I hired the venue for a paranormal experience. With the cost of hire, accommodation and the associated food and drink, we spent a considerable sum of money for our night. The pre-visit communication was positive but it all went downhill once we arrived. The food was ok, but the service and attitude of the staff was dreadful - frankly the woman who appeared to be in charge was plain rude. We were due to have full access to the premises from 11pm....at ten past midnight, staff and locals were still in the bar drinking, despite having been asked earlier when they would vacate. Eventually they left without telling us they were actually finally going and the main door was left unlocked. We were given no H&S information or emergency contact details. We could have emptied their stock (or someone else could have walked in and done so) with no effort at all and if the place had gone up in flames, or someone had had an accident, the owner would be none the wiser. Just to cap things off, although this was rural Wales in December, with the outside temp at below minus 6 degrees, the staff didn’t leave the central heating on and we had no access to the controls so the place quickly became unbearably cold. I’ve tried to contact the owner to resolve the issues, but she has chosen to ignore my emails and calls, so unfortunately leaving a poor review is the only way to get her attention – though given the appalling face to face service on the night, I have a feeling she won’t actually care, which is a real shame.

Pleasant new years eve experience.

Full of character, welcome and good choice of pub grub. Home made steak and ale pie is a must! Great value for money too. A well deserved 5*****

Log fire, cosy atmosphere just before the fell race.

What a wonderful old pub with superb ambience and friendliness. Excellent food too! A definite visit is so worth it.

We stopped here off chance and had a lovely welcome. The inn is the oldest in Wales and thats interesting. Ordered latte, lager and we had burgers and chips for lunch. They were super yummy. Lovely Christmas Dec's up. Pleasant stop off. Thank you

Lovely local for a pint. Haven't eaten much in there, but ham egg and chips were nice

Good honest pub food, cracking atmosphere and a nice pint...

I am mystified how this place got ANY good reviews , unless We were plain and simply VERY UNLUCKY. I had booked for a party of 16 adults weeks ago. Due to the size of the party We pre-ordered over a week prior and even made a confirmation phone call on the morning that everyone was attending. I was confident that based on previous visits when We had a real welcome , good food and a guided tour of this historic building the situation would be the same. WRONG !! On arrival We were seated in the back room which was cold and unheated . A roll call of the pre order was carried out , The mains took an hour to arrive but missed out two meals which had been overlooked, despite the roll call. The food was barely OK and not one of My friends was pleased with their meal. The only redeeming factor was that the beer was good. Unfortunately I had to apologise to My friends , the vast majority of whom were with us on the previous visit. I can only assume that the management has changed since then.

Great Place to stay biggest room We've ever slept in... with best breakfast we've had in years .... and great food at other times ....we are already planning our next visit

What a funky place. Me & the kids took the Misses for a birthday meal. Didn't book & it was a Friday evening. They took us into the restaurant area, which was great, cause we had the whole room all to ourselves. But, I think this set the spooks off a little bit. For instance, As soon as we arrived at our table and the waitress had almost walked through the door, a small copper jug fell off the top of the electric fire onto the harth. No one was near it at the time😳. We spoke about our time there after the visit & it seems we ALL experienced different little spooky things, that we dismissed, until we discussed it later😮. The place is just ace & rustic with a very friendly atmosphere ( from both the living & other) larger & beer range is brilliant & food is very lovely also & all at a decent price. Thank you The Skirrid Inn. Thinking of going back but spending the night next time. The only thing I can complain (& is real annoying) is that nobody replied back to my email I sent with booking enquiry (this is why we never booked) & I was then going to enquire about staying the night, so you lost money there😕.

Very friendly & accommodating A little cold, but beautiful open fire. Electricity tripped twice, but that made it all the more fun for my daughters spooky birthday meal!

Fist time we visited and the last time we arrived at the pub about 18 45 was told where to sit order starters which arrived in about 20 minutes after ordering which was great but then had to wait nearly 2hours for main course spoke to staff who was very rude when mentioned this when food did arrive it was not cooked the way we won’t it and very greasy

Food is wonderful. Staff excellent and lovely atmosphere.

Friendly attentive service tasty food good beer. Cosy log fire, interesting history with even a bit spooky atmosphere, and an awesome old wooden front door.

Fantastic hotel and the staff are super friendly and can't do enough for you. We really enjoyed our hotel room and had a fabulous evening eating in the delightful restaurant and will definitely go back.

We visited during the evening. The Inn is located in a picturesque area and is itself a well maintained old Inn. Although we didn't stay overnight we were shown the rooms which are very large and comfortable. We had an enjoyable evening and look forward to returning to stay overnight in the very near future. Edit: During the first visit I had three physical interactions and on a two night visit I had another similar physical interaction. I am in no doubt there is something very real happening in this place. I'm hoping to return soon to further my experience and interactions.

Great atmosphere, great food for a pub.

A wonderful inn and a gigantic step back in time! Fabulous service by the lady, behind the bar(she did tell me her name but I'm rubbish at remembering names!)and the chef.Gorgeous Vegan curry,chips and rice, followed by a half pint of Welsh ale.A must visit for sceptic and ghost hunters alike.Cant wait to visit again.

We visited the Skirrid Inn whilst visiting Abergavenny as we had heard of its history, very interesting pub and it does a good job of keeping you informed about the history within. There is an ample selection of drinks here, with something to Cater for everyone, but the food is mediocre if I am honest. Traditional pub grub, but sadly my burger was overcooked and very dry.

As we were staying locally we booked a table for six, and we were glad we did. The pub was busy and had a nice buzz which surprised me given the size of the village. The staff were busy, but very helpful. There was a good choice of both food and drinks on offer. The portion sizes were very generous and the food was tasty. All around a good experience, I would recommend if you are visiting the area.

Parked in the pub car park then went for 6 mile circular walk up the skirrid and back to the pub for great lunch in very friendly and quite busy old world pub would definitely recommend.

Great food and Angie is a star. Lol

They have a fair claim to be the oldest pub in Wales. They should also claim to have the best pie in Wales !! Four of us and a dog had lunch after a big walk over the mountain of the same name. Booked ahead as we had a dog with us. Very friendly staff and the food is fantastic. It's good pub grub at a decent price. Good local ales and probably the best homemade steak and ale pie you'll ever have.. We're coming back !!! Diolch yn fawr bois!

Called here on two separate occasions, the food on both of these was outstanding, nothing was too much for the staff. Beautiful location and full of history.

We didn’t know that this place is still haunted. This Inn has that old, classy and rustic vibe when you get in, they have kept it as it is. Food was really good. If you like to ghost hunt, here’s your place.

Omg I fell in love with this place the second I saw it! We were actually there for a paranormal event but i have to review the pub itself. With its stone face exterior and its old creepy decor inside, it's easy to step back in time to the dark days of when the building was used as a court house and place of mass execution! Entering the Oldest pub in Wales I was welcomed by a super friendly bar lady asking how she could help. Bought a few local beers and sat outside and took in the lively atmosphere of the pub. At the start of our Paranormal event we were treated to a delicious meal where I tried their Steak and ale pie.. a REAL PIE! I was left wanting more! The service was also extremely quick and very friendly. Exploring the rest of the building during the ghost hunt was so much fun, the bedrooms especially room 1 with the old Condemned Cell ( now a bathroom ) gave me the chills.. I really wanted to spend more time on the staircase sat near the " Hanging beam" but I wasn't given that opportunity which was fine. I would absolutely love to return and stay a few nights to take in more of this fascinating building. Did I see any ghost? No.. but just being there to soak up the atmosphere was enough for me. So much fun! Keisha and Craig from Newquay - Cornwall

One of my very most favourite places to go for a drink. Lovely staff, great atmosphere and beautiful pub

Love the skirrid in. Been 2 times now with a friend after a hike and food it spot on and love the old feel to the inside

The location is nice. The service is also fine. Staff is friendly. Food is tasty. There are toilets also in the pub.however not that much clean. Also only two toilets are there and there was a large queue when i was there.

Lovely pub, great food & friendly staff

Proper pie! Dropped in for lunch. Building full of history, amazing location for a Sunday drive. Has the steak and ale pie and its a proper pie with shortcrust pastry top and bottom and loads of pie filling. Some pubs chuck a bowl of casserole in the micro and drop a slab of cardboard puff pastry and call that a pie. Its not. This is: (see photo). Friendly staff too.

Stopped for lunch after a walk up Skirrid and loved it. The pub has heaps of character and the food was proper tasty and big portions.

One of our favourite pubs. Staff are super friendly and food is lovely!! Very big portions! Ales kept perfect, butty Bach is perfect every time

Perfect for a local pint, a bowl of chips, and a coffee on our long cycle from Bristol to Hay-on-Wye. Lovely garden out the back, and sunny benches at the front. Beautiful characterful old pub inside!

I was really looking forward to coming here. This place has much potential to make this a really cool pub but sadly the atmosphere isnt great and the staff cant even crack a smile.. disappointed

Lovely old pub good friendly staff lovely food but sadly the ghost night event wasn't really good as to many people but would really like the option to do a private ghost event with a limited amount of people like 4 that way you have more chance of seeing, hearing, and catching stuff on film

Fabulous characterful pub. Good food, reasonably priced. Well deserves a visit.

Old historical pub with loads of history. Great quality food and service.

Pretty grotty inside. Food was standard but well cooked. Worse a visit.

Had a lovely lunch, will definitely visit again 😊

Had a excellent meal in excellent surroundings very good service and very nice people. Will definitely go back and if you're in the well worth a visit.

Stopped off for a nice pint of local beer in this historic and atmospheric pub. Sat in the beer garden on a nice summer evening

One of my most favourite places ever , traditional food that is delicious , amazing friendly staff everything g about this place is absolutely phenomenal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Visited the skirrid inn and done the haunted tour,had a fabulous night,the staff were amazing and very friendly, would highly recommend you give it a visit,Paul was amazing,will definitely go back

We always have fun in this pub. Quite unique. The food is very average pub grub but the atmosphere is second to none. I wish they'd rethink their no dog policy. We had to arrange dog sitters to eat here .

Second visit here and the views never fail to thrill. Excellent car park and we'll maintained paths. You need to be fairly fit to make the ascent but you can take your time if you need to.

Lovely meal pleasant staff but restaurant could do with a deep clean, cobwebs and spiders behind curtains look like they been there a while. Otherwise would recommend.