Sospan Fach in Gwynedd

Hilary, who is disabled, and I were staying locally in our caravan (not for the first time). A very good friend of our drove over from Sheffield and we decided to go out for Sunday lunch. We went into Bala and parked outside Sospan Fach (that we had been happy to use on a previous visit). We had a drink each, Sunday Roast (Pork), Scampi Chips and Salad and a Ham Ploughmans. All well cooked and presented, tasty, plentiful and served with a smile. We were sitting chatting about to leave when the lady brought the Sweet Menu so we had Berry Pancakes and Cream, Eton Mess and Sherry Trifle. I paid and was more than happy with the cost for three of us to have had an enjoyable meal. I cannot understand the low score and might have to try some of the other places in Bala to see how wonderful they are to have scored higher! Then again I might stick to where I have been well catered for in the past and again today. Keep up the good work.

Stopped off for a snack. This was the only cafe on the High Street that I found could offer a gluten free sandwich. It was very good and reasonably priced. Staff on this visit were pleasant and accommodating.

We own a lodge in Wales which is not far from Bala so we are always down here as we love this little town. As i am now unfortunately Gluten free (not by choice) we googled gluten free cafes and this one came up. So we went to it and I asked the lady (who i suspect is the owner) kindly if she offered gluten free. Her answer was not what we expected. “Well if you look at the menu and see whats gluten free for yourself. I do gluten free bread” How she said it was with such a attitude and didnt help one bit. We looked at the menu and there was no allergy advice at all meaning shes knows nothing about gluten free and shouldn’t therefore, offer gluten free. Just to note, went to another cafe who dont offer gluten free but they told us how they cook everything, what they could offer and more. So happy and nice and then this woman, miserable and rude

Came here for lunch last Sunday with my husband, sister and bro in law. Really quaint inside, quick service from the lady, we assumed owner? Good extensive drinks menu and amazing food. Freshly cooked to a high standard. Recommend the omelette Arnold Bennett which I am definitely going back for, but the rarebits got lots of compliments from the other two (pic attached doesn’t show the generous pot of chutney served with them). Husband’s eggs florentine was a bit watery, from the spinach at the bottom we thought? Generally excellent quality food and service. Can’t understand why people judge this place so harshly - if you want a shiny ultra modern environment and staff who call you sir/madam smiling maniacally throughout your visit, go elsewhere. If you enjoy well cooked food and a traditional setting, give this place a go! For the people moaning about it being cash only - this is not unusual for rural areas and there’s a cash point literally over the road. Similarly, the public toilets are in the car park at the back of co op, the public don’t have the right to access every toilets in Bala!

I went to this cafe with my partner and daughter, we in Wales, myself and partner in Meliden and my daughter in Nantlle, we met up halfway for a meal and a get together. The woman was so miserable, I don't think she could smile! There was yellow post it notes stuck on the walls everywhere, for example "toilets for customers only, none customers £1" - I ordered cheese & onion pie, chips and peas, I got peas and carrots (obviously from a tin of please and carrots) I hate carrots, my partner had them! My daughter ordered garlic mushroom baked potato, the sauce was stone cold, the potato warm, we were going to ask for sauce but then noticed all the opened sauce bottles on the windowsill, open and in the sun!! The toilets were carpeted (a real no no)! The lady never came to ask if the meal was ok and did not crack a smile or a thank you when we paid the £30 odd pounds the miserable meal cost us, so wish we had not gone there, never been made to feel so unwelcome, I certainly would not recommend to any of my Welsh friends, spoiled our day out.

My Husband and I with our two dogs spent a lovely lunchtime here. Most of the eateries in the area were shut (probably because it was a Thursday and out of season) and seeing the 'dogs welcome' sign made the decision to dine here an easy one. So glad we did. The server was a lovely lady who brought us two sausages for the dogs and was very understanding when the puppy was still a bit lively after we had sat down. My Husband had the full breakfast & I had poached eggs on toast. Can't speak for my Husband but my meal was wonderful. The bread was hand cut (nice & thick) and the eggs were perfect. Real fire was a bonus as it was a chilly day. The only downside is that it was a cash only eatery. Not a problem, cashpoint over the road. Thanks for a great meal, will be back agajn.

Stopped in Bala for sunday lunch after a cold wet couple of days hillwalking. We happened to park right outside this place so in we went. Figured the roast dinner would be the quickest thing on the menu so ordered three dinners with lamb. They came with plenty of succulent lamb, selection of fresh veggies, gravy and mint sauce - pretty much like a good, home-cooked lunch. We loved the old-school cafe decor and style, tho obviously not to everyone's taste - so if you're after a quinoa and butternut squash tart with an orange-mocha-frappacino on the side, you're probably best looking elsewhere.

A real gem. Do not be put off by dated but very clean decor. Chief was trained at Savoy. Be bold and avoid the tourist good and try things like omllete Arnold Bennet. Guree Chee and smoked haddoc omllette

Greeted with several negative post it notes at the entrance we should have turned round straight away . Waitress extremely grumpy - a smile costs nothing .food abysmal - stale bread for tuna sandwich. Worst cheese on toast ever - dry and lacking taste ! More post it notes in toilet area . Just so unprofessional. While place very dated . Wish we had walked further down the road - some super looking places with plenty of clientele .

Went in here on Sunday afternoon, Eventually lady came over to take our order, miserable looking woman, who never greeted us, despite us saying a very cheery Hello to her, Took our drink orders, Tea for me, coffee for partner, arrived with two teas, we didn't make a fuss, no biggie. .Thought I would have a roast, none to be had, fair enough, probably sold, out, I opted for all day breakfast, she said 'Not doing them now' ermm thought 'all day' meant 'all day'. OK, chose same as partner, Chilli with half chips , half rice, Arrived with microwave rice, and skinny oven chips, . Chilli was Ok, but that is about all you can say, A smile goes a long way, after reading several other Reviews, it would seem that this is a regular thing, . Won't be returning,

Found this place whilst staying at a nearby campsite and exploring the town. Popped in late afternoon and enquired about food, was greated with a warm welcome and showed to a table. Lady that served us showed us the specials board and I had home made hummus, ciabbata, olives and salad. My friend had an omelette. Both dishes came out quickly, well presented and tasted great. I'd definitely eat here again and would recommend it.

I wouldn’t even give this place a scoring! We visited this cafe one Easter while on holiday at the Bala lakes hotel. My husband and I and our two boys ordered lunch and had to pay in advance. We waited ages for our food that was very expensive for what it was, but it was delivered in three different lots! Very rude ladies and lots of Welsh speaking customers that had their food before us yet arrived later! So rude that even one customer looked embarrassed at our treatment but still we sat there because we had paid. Food was very average. We still thanked them on our way out as we are trying to teach our boys curtesy. It was clearly because we were English as the Welsh customers were treated with smiles. At the time our one son was very poorly and it turned out to be our last holiday as a family of four as he passed away eight months later so I will never return to North Wales where we were treated so badly by most of the local people

Not very nice food expensive for what your getting and quite rude, very tiny drinks and portions of food and when getting served and they were rude and sarcastic

Stumbled across this cafe after going on the Bala lake railway. The menu looked right up our street and decently priced. Food is nothing too fancy but made really well. Very tasty. I had a tuna sandwich, it was well seasoned and just right. Daughter had jacket potato which she also enjoyed very much. The food came really quick. This place would have had a 5* easily had it not been for the service. It seemed frosty. Didn't really say more than 2 words to us and we sort of felt we were in the way. It wasn't clear whether we had to seat ourselves or not, and where we had to order/pay. No attempt was made to come out to the kitchen to make it clear despite the fact she said she'd heard us come in. We ended up sitting down and she came out and took our order. Apparently we were wrong to sit down for which we apologised. It was all a bit awkward. The table next to us had a complaint about service. This escalated into a bit of an argument which made it a bit more awkward.. Overall, food fantastic. Service...strange?

Had breakfast here last Saturday & it was lovely, extremely good quality food, enjoyed all of it & at a good price! The only reason we have given 4* & not 5 is because the lady owner? needs to smile a bit & be proud of the food she is serving it is worthy of a happy face 😊

Stopped off on our trip to Aberystwyth.Parking not a problem.Made welcome by the staff shame about the social distancing as I am sure this cafe would fill up no bother.Food excellent for the cost.Would definately call again.

Stopped off in Bala mid-December and there were not many oiptions for food, but Sospan Fach was open.Nice, friendly old school local restaurant - though very smoky with the fire going.Good quality, home many feeling food, served by friendly waitress for a cheap price - good Ham, Egg, Chips and Beans.Old dated decor with character.Only issue was it was very smoky due to the wood burning fire - though added to the ambience.

I was walking through Bala after a night in the hills, desperate for a breakfast. I first spotted a cafe & bistro down the road and was put off by it's posh looks. At the other end of the scale this little cafe is like stepping back to a time before I was even born.Happily though, they served all day breakfast and at a decent price. They were friendly enough and the portions we very, very generous. 5 halves of sausage, bacon as thick as gammon and lovely overall. At one point I did wonder if they had a food hygiene rating but they proudly display a 5. Definitely don't let the dated interior put you off, it's actually part of the charm and i'll certainly go back.

Ok, even though it's not the most impressive looking restaurant in town (although the 19th century working fireplace is pretty cool), I would still go back here before I'd even check out other places. We stopped in last weekend for a bite to eat. I had grilled local sausages and mash with perfectly cooked peas and carrots. (Not overcooked, yes perfect!) My husband had the roast beef dinner, which he raved about. Nice variety of veg and as mentioned above, a real Yorkshire pudding, which couldn't possibly be out of the freezer like most places serve. It had taste, it was chewy - just like my mum used to make! The menu is simple but there was plenty enough to choose from with their specials of the day. The prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend it whether or not you are on a budget.

We popped into Sospan Fach for a late quick snack, it was late on a Saturday afternoon. I ordered a sandwich and a pot of tea, the sandwich was really delicious, a cheese sandwich was made with the most wonderful cheesy bread, the tea was lovely, a good strongish brew. My hubby wanted a cream tea and Bara Brith. The scone was fresh and warm, the jam contained lumps of fruit and the cream fresh, not artificial, l can verify delicious Bara Brith. This small place is on our list not to pass by.

We can recommend this eaterie whilst travelling through Bala you must try this hidden gem it's a splendid litlle cafe which serves locally sourced produce which arrives piping hot,there's a wide range to choose from the meals are quality and truly good value for money,as they are a family run establishment they adopt the nothings too much approach,every time I go back to Bala we insist we pay them a visit, go ahead try them you wont be disappointed,its located nearly opposite the Bulls head on the right Geraint and Sara Williams Birkenhead

We had a light lunch here in the week after New Year.The food was good and served relatively promptly. Our chicken broth soup and French toast were both delicious.The place does appear to be in need of a makeover, though in this respect it’s similar to other cafes like this in both England and Wales.

Stopped on our way to the coast for a hot drink. This is a very well established café which has probably been there for 50 years and does not change much, but is a good place to go to.

This cafe is very tired looking but is run by some very friendly people and the food is delicious. We ordered coffee with poached eggs on toast and a bacon roll. After a little wait, the food arrived and it tasted lovely. The menu is extensive and the prices good. Worth a visit.

average food. pot of tea ordered cold cup, long life milk would not return,oh.cold plates again.30 seconds in a microwave,hot plate.simples.

Called in for tea and cake. Very ordinary. Place has seen better days and is rather shabby. Smell of hot kitchen wafting through the place. It could be made nice but needs money spent on it.Service OK, but one man band. Doubt we'll be back, there are other cleaner and brighter places in the town

We had a lovely lunch here last week. The owners are friendly and happy to talk through the menu and specials etc.

Me and my husband stopped in Bala, on our way to Barmouth,we fancied something to eat and seen this quirky but cute little cafe with a very broad menu outside, so we thought we would give it a go.

Despite the array of adverse reports (which I had not seen prior to our visit) I have to speak as I find. My wife and I were looking for Sunday lunch and noticed the sign outside saying ‘Sunday roasts’, so we went in. I ordered roast lamb and my wife had roast chicken. I am a fussy eater but I have to say that my roast was SUPERB - the best roast meal I have had outside the home environment. The chicken was equally good. We had a wide range of vegetables (roast potatoes, dauphinois potatoes, carrots, green beans, courgette, cauliflower cheese) all cooked to perfection. Puddings were good too and very cheap compared to where we live in Oxfordshire. Yes, the decor is tired and the menus handwritten and tatty, but I go to a restaurant for good food and on this occasion, the Sospan Fach came up trumps!.

We visited Sospan Fach yesterday for something to eat for lunchtime after travelling on the train and olde worldy bus to the main street in Bala. We chose to eat at Sospan Fach as it had an extensive menu outside on a chalk board and it looked quite quaint.

Called in for a quick coffee. Asked whether they served a flat white (which they said they did) and got served a cup of tasteless filter coffee with cold milk to add. The only redeeming factor was that it wasn't too expensive...

We had a lovely lunch in the sun. The owner accommodated our dietary requirements. The menu feels traditional, cosy and honest. Great place. Underrated.

We called in for some lunch and had two sub standard Sunday roasts even though we were told they came with all the trimmings . My fiancée ordered a mocha in a tall cup , I’d hate to see a small one . Then desert where Eton mess was ordered with ice cream with not a mention this was extra until the owner came out and said I’ve charged extra for that and after writing down syrup sponge and custard still came out to see if it was custard . The actual place is stuck in the dark ages and is another example of what let’s Wales down for holidaymakers and being a Welshman myself and visiting other parts of the country it shows how far behind and awful the service and food can be .

My wife and I was driving through Wales on our way to Anglesey on Friday 18th via Bala and Porthmadog so decided to have a snack at Sospan Fach as we were able to park the car outside and also to sit outside the cafe on the pavement in the sun.

Perfect little cafe for real home cooking! We had the local farmers sausage on mash with veg, the mash was sublime and the sausage pretty good as I’m not a lover of UK sausage(usually too much filler-bread), the gravy used was beef stock based lovely. I cleaned the plate. We also enjoyed a tasty and filling fish pie served in a large scallop dish. Then on to homemade dessert a bread and butter pudding swimming in custard....mmmm! Reminds me of my Mum’s cooking. Just purfick!

Called in on our first day in Bala, massive menu and open fire in the restaurant. Really broad menu - you can pretty much have anything in there!!! I had a new one - garlic wedges with cheese - they were really good though - with a baguette. Only reason for 4 starts was that apart from the fire it was a bit chilly in there, but it was freezing outside. Other than that - excellent

What a horrible place this is, not surprised it was empty considering the horrible dirty decor and the horrible lady owner.

Staff very unfriendly, unless you were Welsh! Food overpriced, small portions, breakfast in particular. Small jug of milk between 4 of us. Avoid.

Stopped with my niece, we waited for a member of staff to come out but no one was around so we went the toilet whilst we waited. Whilst I was in there I heard a lady say to my 7 year old niece are you a customer we’re not a public convenience !! This was enough for me, I gave the 75p each they asked for using the toilet and left. I wasn’t impressed with the stale fat smell and 70s decor anyway.

We met up with friends in Bala for a coffee and cake. We all ordered as advertised homemade scone with fresh cream and jam. The scones that came were cheap shop bought and stale. I complained and returned them, we were then offered fresh ones which came frozen in the middle. The cream was not fresh, but some sort of synthetic warm stuff and the jam was small and pre packed. The coffee was just OK. We were there for about half an hour when the owner asked us if we could hurry as she had a doctors appointment and needed to close. We will not be returning,and neither will our friends.

Did we really live like this in the 1970s? On passing through Bala we parked at the lake and bypassed the cafe on the lake. Walking down the main street we spied Sospan Fach and looked at the chalkboard menu outside. It had a couple of items we fancied so went in.

We had a lovely all day breakfast which was delicious. The staff were extremely polite and we didn't have to wait long at all for our food to arrive.

If you like the 1970's then you will love this place even the menu and food has been stored to keep the feel. But I'm afraid that the scones didn't keep that well and the menus are showing signs of age actually so is the rest of the place.

We stopped here for an afternoon cream tea but wish we hadn't. The staff were ok but the tea was not drinkable and the scones were shop bought and served with squirty cream and packets of jam. Dreadful

Sospan Fach es un excelente y pequeño restaurante que está ubicado agradablemente en High Street en Bala. Ofrece una muy buena variedad de comidas a precios muy razonables y hace una parada perfecta cuando visita la región de Snowdonia, Gales del Norte. Mi padre y yo la he utilizado en muchas ocasiones y siempre hemos disfrutado tanto de la comida y el ambiente general de este maravilloso bistro poco. El interior rebosa carácter y te dan una impresión de que te encuentras más que simplemente "un café".

He llamado aquí antes, así que nos volvimos como volver a casa de la chaqueta. No es nada especial, simplemente una agradable, administrado por una familia que tiene un menú lugar razonable a un precio justo. Un par de cafés y un almuerzo cada uno....

Fuimos a este café el lunes para una comida ligera. En el encantadora chimenea. Era la única cosa preciosa! ! ! Las mesas estaban cubiertas con un paño de tela con dos en mal estado, sucio ropa buscando plástico en la parte superior. El menú era desaliñada, sucia y desmoronándose. Tomamos café, seguido de sopa con pan crujiente. Café frío, sopa caliente, trozos de pan, todo servido en vajilla de cerámica verde. El plato para el pan demasiado pequeño, barato papel servilleta bajo el pan y otra debajo del tazón de sopa? En plato pequeño margarina peladas! Wc pobre y no demasiado limpia. En conjunto, basura, ningún esfuerzo poner en todo! ! No te molestes en visitar! ! !

Dingy cafe with horrendous service. Food was hot and served quickly but it was like a dingy time warp inside with a grumpy woman and grumpy staff. They refused to serve a guy wanting a couple of hot drinks as they said they were too busy and not even 20% full. The waitress poured water all over my newspaper without an apology and they just flatly said no to my request for a veggie sausage or something with my breakfast, no hint of sorry or it's unfortunate, just a surly no. No eye contact at any times from the staff. Just plain miserable. Avoid.

Stopped here as it was advertised as dog friendly and also had home made puddings. We sat in front of a real open fire which the dog enjoyed, and had a lovely cherry crumble and bread and butter pudding with custard, both piping hot and delicious.The post of tea was fine, but the coffee was only instant - which spoiled it a bit for my husband who only drinks black coffee so likes a nice espresso.Service was fine, decor a little dated but overall a nice afternoon treat.

Wasn't sure when we looked at the front of this place but the food and service were amazing. Would definitely recommend this place

Went today (9/9/2016), Thought we would make a quick stop for lunch in Bala.I had Welsh Rarebit with Salad, my partner had ham Rarebit on a Ciabatta with fries and a pot of tea for 2.When they arrived, mine - welsh Rarebit was on a doorstop size slice of toast, with what I can only describe as sloppy salad (unsure if it had dressing on)? However, the taste was non descript !! Just a weird texture with no taste, I never touched the salad as it was so un inviting.The Ham Rarebit, came on half a Ciabatta, with a few chips, totally non descript again.On paying £13.40, we were greeted with a scowl, poor customer services, poor food quality and certainly not made to feel welcome.

Dreadful, avoid at all cost. Dirty, dingy interior with filthy plastic table coverings. Unfriendly and utterly miserable service. Utterly disgusting attempt to serve our daughter a glass of apple juice that clearly had loads of lumps of mould floating around in it, didn't offer any kind of apology. We should have left the place right then. Food really poor quality, small portions, badly presented and overpriced considering how rank it was. Couldn't get out of the place fast enough and spent the rest of the day hoping that we weren't going to be ill. Still makes us queasy thinking about the place now. Stay away.

We had an hour or so to spare and decided to pop into this cafe for a quick cuppa. Well quick was just the opposite we could not see any staff when we first went in at around 10.45 on a Saturday morning. There were two other tables occupied so we just assumed that we had to sit and wait. The couple on the table in front of us ordered tea but sent it back as the water was cold.We ordered two coffees and although they were served up pretty quickly, they were not what we could call hot coffee. We were also brought knives and forks??? As we were now in a hurry we drank them anyway and decided not to order any food. The thing was, we realised as we were paying that there were at least 4 staff. One took our order, one brought the drinks and another brought the couple on the table in front of us their replacement water. There was at least one other member of staff in the kitchen as we heard his voice.Must say that this is certainly not a place for us to return to although we will visit Bala again.

Small, uncrowded, friendly staff and excellent home-made food at a cheap price. 10/10 recommend to anybody.

Signs outside stating roast beef Sunday lunch drew us in then told none left but could scrape up Bit of chicken and told my two yr old grandson to take his small toy train of the table which we did and washed the train when we got home in case it was contaminated of the filthy plastic tablecloth and left without even ordering I think we had a lucky escape from this non child friendly establishment

Ok so this is a cafe with plastic wipe table clothes - not bad but felt a bit sticky.It was 3:40 on a Sunday and I guess they probably close at 4pm. We ordered cheese on toast and the latte's came within moments. Then a family came in and were instanlty told that the kitchen had stopped serving - perhaps they specifically asked for a Sunday roast I don't know as I didn't hear their part of the conversation. After our food order arrived at the table, and the family had already left, another couple came in and they were asked what would they like to order - they ordered salads. Make of that what you will but we couldn't wait to leave and we won't be going back...

We have had a seasonal caravan at Tyn Cornel for the last 4 years and will be returning next year. Speaks for itself. Sospan Fach is a super little restaurant with an amazing menu choice.We rate both as excellent.

We were a party of 12 ,4 adults and 8 children. We stopped here for lunch to break up our journey to South Wales. Although there were a lot of us we were all seated and served within a reasonable time and the food was great. A wide choice on the menu to cater for all tastes and the breakfasts were fab ! Good price too ,definitely value for money.We even called in again on our return journey and will definitely visit if we pass through in the future.

We called in for lunch and my wife checked out the menu while I used the loo .My wife popped outside to check the specials board (there was not one inside) as I was leaving the loo and the owner pounced on me, demanding 75p. I was very surprised as we were going to have some lunch there. She was most rude and insistent without listening to anything I said. The cleanliness of the place also left a lot to be desired i.e. scruffy toilets, tables not clean and sticky menus. We obviously left minus 75p. Avoid if possible.

Stopped here on the way home from Pembrokeshire to Yorkshire for a light lunch. Basic and old fashioned but reasonable value. Service was efficient but not particularly friendly, apart from the chef who invited us and our dog in. Straightforward cafe food with no frills. Good value all-day breakfast and Welsh rarebit. Good for a quick stop but not as a "destination".

I have been visiting this cafe for a few years now, as the staff are friendly & welcoming & the food is always delicious.There is plenty of choice on the menu & the food is priced reasonably.I take my kids to eat here too.a great place with lovely atmosphere.

Best Sunday lunch for a long time .Especially liked the hot red cabbage and choice of new potatoes or douphoise ??? potatoes- I chose the latter which was delicious.Our desserts of bread and butter pudding and Eton mess were moorish and very good value at £1.95

The only mistake you can make at the Sospan Fach is to misinterpret it as a cafe, even though that is how it tends to sell itself. The food here is superb, cooked by a chef-owner whose training at the iconic Savoy Grill is evident in the sheer quality of his dishes. He understands classic cooking and has a first-class palate. A group of four of us last Saturday each chose a different item from the Specials board and each of us was rapturous about the excellence of the meal. The prices belie the quality - it is easy for poeple to be misled into judging it as a place for a cuppa and a sandwich when in fact for very little more you can feast like a king. It really is a pity that the dated signage so sadly betrays the true value of this place - for my part, the dated interior and the sparking fire just add to the charm, though. Sospan Fach certainly knocks spots off every other eating place in Bala bar none, and indeed stands head and shoulders for sheer quality, never mind the extrordinary value, above anywhere else I know.

We called in for an all day breakfast this morning, ordered and were served our coffee. The manageress then approached us and told us they were too busy to cook our breakfasts. A few minutes later we were asked to move tables so another four people could be ushered in.On the way out I was simply told "these things happen" and charged for the coffee.I will not be returning here. Poor service.

Warm fire; initially severe-looking manageress warmed as we spoke with her. Wonderful liver, bacon and mash, and local sausage and mash. Booze very cheap.

Stopped here on August Bank Holiday Monday around midday. Place was packed, service was a little slow to begin with as we were forgotten about. Four people in the party, three ordered the all day breakfast, chicken nuggets and chips for the little fella. I have got to say this was the best breakfast I have had served to me either in a cafe, restaurant, hotel, guest house or at home in years. I savoured every single mouthful and everyone else had the same opinion. Would I call again, yes. Would I recommend it to others, yes. Do I think some people would moan at the slightly slow service, most definitely yes. Can they complain about the quality of the breakfast, hell no.

We ate here when in Bala one day.Hot Choculate, was just choculate powder in hot water - YUCK !!!!!!Soft shelled crabs, was something that tasted like salt water, in a very thick ball of batter.

Ate here in July and it was the worst meal I have ever had. Can't believe I paid for this. The soup tasted like sea water, the coffee was terrible and the ham sandwich was all gristle and fat. Won't ever eat here again.

Passing through Bala and called in for a cup of Tea and a Toasted Teacake. Was not that Busy 2 other Tables apart from us. Took approx. 20 / 25 mins to arrive (I suppose it takes time to defrost Teacakes !!) When it eventually came the Teacakes was soaking in spread and almost too hot to handle & eat. Also they were made with wholemeal which should have been pointed out at the beginning when taking the order as I prefer Teacakes with currants to be white.Anyway not a pleasant experience for us and not a very pleasant welcome from the Lady of the tearooms. When next in Bala WE WILL have the choice where to spend our money and shall look for a Bigger Sospan !!

Sosban Fach is in the main street of Bala. It has an old fashioned charm & the hot chocolate with doughnuts that we ordered was very good(with the doughnuts being served warm!). The waitress was very friendly. The other food being served looked very nice also.

Visited the so Sospan fach on Father's Day ,after some delay and with no apologies we managed to order sandwiches ,cakes and drinks for 3 , tea and a soft drink for my son soon arrived, the table had still not been cleaned ! , on sipping the tea we noticed the milk was off, we complained and were told in a blunt manor it was fresh and that was that !, we immediately walked out and certainly won't be going back

23 may 2014, it was pouring with rain and we were starving and looking for hot food and a coffee, problem we had a dog. we saw the sospan and went in we were made to feel welcome food was lovely locally sourced meat, and coffee was just as nice. will definitely go in there again.

Passing through Bala and the kids were claiming starvation. We called in to Sospan Fach. A wide selection of food, including locally sourced butcher products. A great cup of tea! 5 very happy customers

We called here in need of coffee and cake after a long journey around the mountains. Contrary to previous travellers reports we found the staff to be friendly and helpful even though it was the end of the day. The drinks were excellent for the cheap price charged. Many places would put a pound on top and would be no better. the bara brith was a little bit of heaven in the magnificent town of Bala. Carry on and be encouraged.

Just popped in for a coffee and quick bite on the way back from a weekend away, looked ok from the outside. We ordered sandwiches and teas/coffees. When the food arrived my boyfriend noticed that his beef sandwich was missing the mustard and mentioned it to the woman when she arrived with the other food. She said the chef must've forgotten to put it on, and rather than have the food taken back to hassle the chef for a dollop of mustard my boyfriend said "I'll just have the jar and I can do it here", to which the response was... "Don't tell me how to do my job, I know what I'm doing" in a very shirty manner! In addition to this rudeness, the "latte" were like lukewarm dishwater and had never been near real milk, they tasted like cheap and nasty sachet mixes with the fake creaminess of 'CoffeeMate'. Our food was actually ok, the bread seemed like proper bakery-type bread and there was plenty of filling - too much for us to finish in fact. Unfortunately this would not be enough for us to ever think about stepping foot back in there.

I live in Bala and tried the food in almost every pub here (6 in total) and by far 'sospan fach' has the BEST food by far. Everytime I go in the woman that owns the place has a smile and welcomes us, also seen other people come in and theyve had nuthin but smiles on their faces. The staff never forget about anyone after theyve eaten which is important. Overall a brilliant place to eat and I would highly recommend 'sospan fach'

Don't bother, this place is just awful, it's like stepping back in time (but not in a good way). The woman serving never smiled once, the coffee was the worst I had ever tasted and the whole place is filthy! Avoid!

Have eaten in this restaurant on numerous occasions and have never had cause to complain. The roast beef dinner ( served during the week as well as Sunday) is delicious with local ingredients and the ploughmans has lovely fresh salad. Will continue eating here as long as we stay in Bala.

Called in for Sunday Lunch. Big mistake. He, the rude chap who demands payment for dreadful food, would not listen to fair play. The Welsh Beef on offer was clearly not Welsh Beef but inferior, very tough and tasteless inedible rubbish. God knows where he gets his meat from. I feel the Welsh Beef producers are being badly represented here in the middle of Wales. No wonder the staff looked traumatised and kept out of sight when I complained peacefully. Bottom line go somewhere else.

My Partner and I visited Bala in July and while walking along the High Street, came across what looked like a lovely place to stop for coffee and a quick bite. We sat outside and quickly had our order taken by a woman we later found out was the owner. The menu listed Pancakes with fruit and also American Pancakes which my Partner ordered. When the food arrived my Partner was given English Pancakes and not American Pancakes which we all know are very different. We mentioned this to the Owner who abruptly told us that they were American pancakes and that everybody's interpretation of American Pancakes was different. My food was delivered and I have to say here the food was ok. I was not brought any cutlery so had to go in to get some myself and when mentioned I had no cutlery was handed it with no words of apology in fact no words at all. I went back outside to find my Partner had found a long hair in the pancakes which put her off. When the Owner came outside I quietly mentioned that we had found a hair in the food. She instantly became quite rude and aggressive and was in my Partners face shouting " This isn't a five star restaurant and that these things happen", There was no apology, no offer to bring fresh pancakes or do anything to rectify the situation. I explained that we didn't think it fair to be charged for the pancakes as my partner could not eat after the Hair !!!! The owner began to become very aggressive and shouted at my Partner and was damn right rude. I have to say in all my years I have never been spoken to so rudely by anyone in any café, restaurant or eating establishment in my life. I would not recommend this to anyone at all. We can all tolerate mistakes and mishaps but what is not acceptable is aggressive and very rude behaviour by the Owner of this Café. My advise to all people visiting Bala is to avoid Sospan Fach like the plague !!! THE WORST EXPERIENCE IN MANY YEARS !!!!

ive eat here several times and never been disappointed. shame its not open as a restaurant in the evenings, as it would run rings on most places in bala,. the chef makes lovely home cooked meals and cakes.

Passing through Bala at lunchtime on Saturday we decided to stop for lunch, we both commented after the meal how well cooked and presented our meal was, obviously home cooked food and fresh ingredients, even the vegetables I really enjoyed and I am not a veggie person at all, but I really enjoyed my meal (off the specials board liver & Bacon).Staff very good and efficient, all-in-all a very pleasant experience.If we are passing again at a meal time I would look forward to another visit.

Popped in for lunch. It's a fairly basic cafe/restaurant but the welcome was warm and the menu had a wide variety of offerings. My ploughmans was especially delicious with, a rare thing, a home-made scotch egg - yum! Would happily go back.

An unexpected but very welcome cafe on a wet Boxing . We had large soups, which were pretty big and very good value. Just what we needed for our stop on a day out cycling over the mountain road from Lake Vyrnwy.

people often drive pass this little cafe because its quite far up the town, by the co operative. You really dont want to miss it, especially on a sunday. The food is lush, full of flavour, and freshly made and local produce, plenty of choice on the menu. Small resturant, cosy interior and you can tell that the owner also chef, has a lot of pride in his food. Nice atmospher from the family run business :)