Spencer s Bar & Brasserie in Powys

I have passed the Metropole Hotel infrequently for 45 years and thought it looked so lovely. Three of us had a day out using our travel pass on the Heart of Wales line. Lunch at the Metropole should have been the highlight of the day. The main restaurant doesn't open for lunch and we were shown to Spencer's. We saw a beautiful looking fish and chips being delivered to a table nearby. My nose is very sensitive, and I sensed that it was very overcooked. I asked our waitress whether I could have my fish undercooked. The answer was not only "no", but I got a lecture in how it would make me ill. I responded that the kitchen would have to be unhygienic for that to be true. (I like my fish juicy and have never become ill following eating less well cooked fried fish.) My two friends ordered the fish, and I settled for a rare steak, thinking it would be hard to get that wrong. Well, I was wrong. An impossibly thin steak arrived that was an even brown when cut. The waitress took it away, and eventually a rare steak arrived. It was edible, but there was no pleasure eating it. The gratin Dauphinois wasn't. It looked interesting but was dry and what little cream that had been used was curdled between the layers. The fish were both completely dried out. I took a photo, but it doesn't convey how dry the fish was. The worst I have seen.

More like upmarket cafeteria than brasserie. Brusque attitude of staff was rather off-putting. Told to find our own table. Order at bar. Fetch your own drinks and cutlery. We were with an elderly guest and were struggling to hear one another over the piped music. When my wife requested it to be turned down she was told "some people like it that" and her request was rejected. When I went to reception to ask for the duty manager I was told that she had just gone off duty (around 2pm I think) and would not be back until 6pm. I think my receptionist may have intervened in the end as the music was eventually turned down, but the attitude of the other member of staff overshadowed our visit. The food was ok, if a little pricy.

I took my son out for lunch for a celebration. It was very busy so we had to sit in the bar which is our preferred choice. Our order was taken politely and came in good time. Meal size was surprisingly large and piping hot. We both enjoyed our meal and were quite surprised by the cost as this venue has a reputation for being posh and expensive.

My friend and I ordered sandwiches for lunch. I ordered the Welsh gammon with peppercorn mustard. The barman was not helpful and did not know the different breads I could have my sandwich on and just told me white or brown. He was completely disinterested. The sandwiches took an age to arrive; my friend got hers eventually but I had to enquire where mine was as she was nearly finished hers and there was no sign of mine. I was told they were very busy ( but it didn't look anywhere near full to me) and they again were disinterested and just said they would find out. It came shortly after that but I was appalled at the quality of the gammon which really was just very fatty thin cut packet ham and had very little taste. By this time we were short of time and very hungry so I just ate it but I wish I had sent it back now as it was expensive and definitely not worth the money.

Came here on recommendation of friends. Turned up without booking at 8pm on a very busy evening. Pleased to be quickly shown to a table, even if it was in a quiet corner without much lighting. Nearly every other table was full so we thought no way we could be overlooked. Ordered drinks, one starter and two mains in one go within 15 minutes of sitting down and the drinks and cutlery were delivered soon after. However, it was nearing 9pm and no sign of any food. We noticed two other tables ordering and their food arriving within 20 minutes and so we went to find the waitress to chase up our food. 20 minutes ish later at 9.20 our mains arrive, with the waitress apologising that the chef had forgotten our starter and asking if we wanted it to be cooked and delivered after our mains or to forget it. Frustrated and tired of waiting, we chose fo forget it. My food was nice, however, my partner’s food was not very hot. It was nice tasting but could only be described as warm. I thought he was moaning for the sake of if given that we were having a bad experience but I tried one of his chips and he was right, it was warm at best. One of the waitresses was very apologetic about forgetting about the main and the wait in general and the other not bothered. We were given our drinks for free and obviously did not pay for the starter but regardless we were very disappointed. The restaurant appeared to be understaffed with just two waitresses serving. We wouldn’t have minded to wait for food if that was the case especially as it was a busy evening, but we saw two other nearby tables (one table of 2 and another of 5) ordering later than us and being served sooner than us. They received mains and puddings in the time we received our main! We were ignored in a dark corner! By the time we were leaving there was also a big group in the bar area with about 6 staff serving (including the waitresses that were meant to be looking after us). We’ve never had an experience like it or found reason to complain anywhere before and we were made to feel quite awkward needing to complain to the waitress, but if we hadn’t have done so we might still be sitting there now! Overall it was a damp squib of an experience and I cannot say that we will be back.

An evening meal in Soencer's with friends. Some meals seemed to be quite nice. Unfortunately I had the chicken fajitas. These were particularly spicy and almost inedible to be perfectly honest. I ended up leaving most of the vegetables as they were too spicy. Pudding was good, but the main was really very poor. Overpriced too for what it was. For a hotel with lovely new refurbishments, this was a really disappointing and overpriced meal. As a local, I will not be returning in a hurry.

The Metropole is set up as a cheap venue for coach parties. We went for afternoon tea, which was pre booked and it was shocking. Slices of processed cake from Tesco and a few tired sandwiches. Not to be repeated.

While staying at the metropole hotel for 3 nights we ate in the evening in the brassiere which is part of the hotel. The bar area is a reasonable size with tables in various areas or you can take your drinks out to the lounge area. The first night we had a lamb shank & a beef burger, these were ok the only comments were that no one came to check if our food was ok or not & the sauces came in a paper cup like you get in McDonalds so when you picked them up sauce went every where, considering this is a 4 * hotel you expect better. Also we were put on a table next to a wall so you had little elbow room to cut your meal. We the followed that with cheese & biscuits & a lemon cheesecake which was good but could of done with more lemon in it & no currents in the base, the cheese however was good. After waiting for 10 minutes or more no one brought the bill so we had to upto the bar to pay. The second night we had a sirloin steak & the chicken supreme, for all the grills you are charged £3.50 for extras like onion rings, mushrooms & vegetables which you normally expect a steak to come with especially if you are paying £24 for it. Over 1/2 the steak was fat & griddle that couldn’t be cut yet alone eaten & my piece of chicken was smaller than the 2 rashers of bacon hiding it. Again no one came to check on us to see if everything was ok with our meals. When the waitress did come to clear our plates we complained about the steak & when we point to the fat on the plate she said that was sirloin steak, we then asked to speak to a manager who did come out & saw the problem & then took the steak off the bill & told her the chef should of noticed the state of the steak before cooking it & they should of checked on us earlier to correct the problem & commented that we would be dining again the next night. The third night we had lamb chops & a beef burger again, again we had to order a side of vegetables & I had cheese with my burger. The burger came with no cheese so they took it back & put a slice of cheese on it without melting it properly, there were 3 lamb chops which wasn’t mentioned on the menu. Again no one checked on us & when the waitress came to clear the plates she didn’t ask if everything was ok or not. In summary the food is ok, but you have to pay for extras that traditionally accompany dishes like steaks, the service is on a par with McDonald’s but a lot slower (once they give you your food then that’s it). Most of the staff require training upto a 4* hotel level which they can do by the breakfast service in the main restaurant which was a lot better than in here, I know it’s difficult to get staff at the moment but there seemed to be plenty of staff around it’s just that they didn’t have a clue. It just needs those touches to make it a special place to make you want to pay the high prices they charge & to make you want to return.

We have family who live nearby and their view is that this is the best restaurant in the area. It is a spacious restaurant on the ground floor of the Metropole Hotel. There is plenty of parking in the hotel car park. There is plenty of choice on the menu. The food is decent quality - nothing special but reliable. Services was fine and the prices were not too expensive.

Me and my partner have eaten here on a number of occasions. I usually have a steak or the mixed grill with cheesy garlic bread and she usually has a fish or vegetarian dish. The food is always top quality and really well cooked (probably the best ribeye I’ve ever had) and service has always been first class. We love coming here and will continue to support the metropole! Brilliant food and service and brilliant atmosphere. Good job guys

The three of us were seated on a small bistro table that was only really suitable for two. It meant that when our drinks and meals arrived that there wasn't a lot of room and we were constantly knocking glasses and condiments over. They weren't busy so it seems a strange decision on their part. Two out of three meals weren't great. I couldn't eat the pie, the meat was so tough, not tender like you expect pie filling to be. My daughter didn't like her burger. My husband and I tried it and it was very grissly. We both just ended up eating our chips and veg. The lamb shank was very nice though. Service wasn't great. No one came to ask how the meal was. I was trying to catch someone's eye for about 10 minutes to get the bill. I'd avoid this one.

We made a pit stop to Spencers Brasserie and had a choice of cakes and biscuits with our delicious coffees

We had a very enjoyable lunch here recently. Being in our 70's we were rather nervous about socializing. There was no need as the hotel had taken stringent steps to avoid any problems with Covid. We occasionally eat here under normal conditions so we knew we would be served a good meal

Very enjoyable lunch with friendly service. Lots of space between tables. We had four different meals, and all were excellent. I loved the halibut which was cooked to perfection. Delicious!

I had halibut, a first for me, with dauphinoise potato, great flavours and spot on cooking. Gin and tonic was pricey but in keeping with ambience I guess

First post lock down meal......total success!! They've done a wonderful job in making sure you feel safe, with social distancing and sanitising. The staff were amazing and genuinely seemed glad to be back at work. The food never disappoints

A pleasant and relaxed ambience and setting for lunch and cocktails!A nice fireplace, well decorated. Good to relax.We had a number of sharing platters - they were very well presented. Service was good.The cocktails were nice too!It's a little bit pricey - but to be expected in a hotel. Would definitely go back.

Had a couple of drinks in this bar when staying at the hotel recently. Had a slight problem paying for the drinks at 10.45 pm as they have stopped taking cash, so had to go to reception to authorise my credit card

It’s been a few years since we visited for dinner, was pretty underwhelming on previous visits, but they seem to have upped their game! Food was much better and staff attentive, good standard of produce, will visit again!

Nicely laid out dining area with informal atmosphere. Huge range on menu to select from. Food was well presented and tasty.

The Metropole is somewhere you can always rely on for excellent service, good quality food, in a pleasant location (especially if you can nab a seat in the front Conservatory and watch the world go by) - and very reasonably priced.

Excellent menu choices with very good quality of food and service provided. Arrived as family of 8 adults and 4 children, had one table altogether and good choice of menu for the children.

We booked an afternoon tea for two at Spencer’s bar as part of our weekend stay at hotel Metropole. The presentation was lovely and the food and coffee were delicious.

We visited the bar for lunch today. Despite being very busy, the food was prepared very quickly. The reason for the review is down to the great friendly service received from Damian - nothing was too much trouble, especially for our disabled guest.

Great food choice and we were not disappointed with the taste either. Nice restaurant but considering it was full there were way too few staff to cope and we and others had to wait a long time to be attended to at the start and between courses. Lovely ambience and we will certainly return.

Had an overnight stay at Llandrindod Wells and decided to have our family meal at the brasserie the staff were pleasant the French onion soup was the nicest that was had in a long time. All the main meals were different and all were delicious we would definitely eat there again very pleasant evening

Went back to visit Llandrindod Wells in Wales again after few years to see old friends and for my wife to get hair done by her favourite hair-dresser (Lynne of Simply Cuts). The town has not changed. The familiar will never disappoint because it brings many good memories. But the most I was looking forward to was having lunch again at the Metropole Hotel after many years had passed. We really didn't know what to expect but from what we can remember, the best meals were always at the Spencer Bar & Brasserie. And so we stepped in and took our chances even we thought it might be too late for lunch. Luckily it was Royal Welsh show week and lunch service was extended.

Having visited the Royal Welsh Show we called in here again for a meal. There is ample parking at the rear of the hotel. Tired, hungry and thirsty we were quickly shown to our table. The restaurant was quite busy but we didn't have to wait long for our food which was very tasty and ample quantity. It might be 12 months but we shall certainly call in again

Came here on recommendation. We were not disappointed. Excellent food. Excellent service. Staff simply lovely. Great value for money. Thank you

Staying locally. Ate here twice. Wonderful staff. Lovely food. Pleasant surroundings. Would definitely eat here again.

Starving (as usual) on a Friday night and feeling lucky off I go into Llandrindod. Now I’ve been here 5 nights and 6 days and eat out a lot!

All food was good and efficiently served with good quality ingredients. Staff were friendly, the only thing that let it down slightly was the lack of options for coeliacs when it came to pudding, ice cream or cheese board. Apart from that there was a good range of food on the menu.

We ate here quite late one night whilst staying at the Metropole. The food was good, as was the service. Quick and tasty food, in a comfortable setting.

We were a large group who booked for lunch. We all ordered different meals and everyone was disappointed.

We rang and reserved a table. On arrival we were shown to our table within minutes. We ordered drinks with the waiter, and then perused the menu. When the drinks arrived we ordered our lunch. Considering this was black Friday our order was delivered promptly.

The whole dining experience was very plesant. Very good quality food, well cooked. Served in a speedy but timely manner, by polite and plesant staff. A very good all round experience.

They have a fairly varied menu, but whatever you choose from the list,it's sure to be cooked with expertise, they certainly cook the best Fish and Chips in the area and their Burgers are good too. The Salmon was also a success. Staff are friendly...

this is a 4 star hotel, but food is 2 star, always seem to be struggling with staffing, meals always under seasoned, which is a simple step! lamb shank, looked like it was in a puddle of oil! gravy obviously simmered to within an inch...

I gave Spencer's 3* last time but this time it's a 2. The food was very poor. My partner had the Cauliflower and broccoli bake which was inedible. It looked microwaved not baked as it had a thick layer of oil on the top and...

We stopped here after spending a long day at the Royal welsh Show. The place was extremely busy but we didn't have to wait too long before a table was available. The meals we ordered were very nice and tasty

El restaurante es parte del Hotel Metropole. Habíamos elegido el restaurante como uno de los pocos domingos noche abierta. La comida era buena y se sirve enseguida. Cuando nos registramos la factura me señaló algunas bebidas en el que no fuera el nuestro. Personal rápidamente rectificó este. Mesas un poco juntos para mi gusto.

Yo estaba cerca y reservamos una cena en línea después de ver el menú. Mi compañero del comedor tenía peces que calificó como muy bueno, mi pasta estaba bien, pero nada especial. El servicio fue bueno, así como el entorno, aunque la Brasserie es pequeño sin vistas y preferiría haber comido en el bar. En general una experiencia cuando me esperaba más.

Pudimos pedir del menú de almuerzo a las 4:00 pm. Esta fue una comida muy agradable y nos encantaría volver.

Reservamos una mesa en Spencer's bocado antes de una reunión de la noche, yo opté por el pescado, patatas fritas y puré de guisantes, suena bien eh?

selection of cocktails, hot drinks and food. We didn't eat here, but it had a relaxed atmosphere in modern surroundings with a fire effect. Dogs not allowed. Quaint conservatory overlooking the road and park.

Went here midweek. Was staying in the town on business and this was recommended as the best restaurant in town! I was quite tired and very hungry so I asked the waiter what was the best thing on the menu. He said the burger. Which was great as I was edging towards the burger. It was £12 and in the supposed best restaurant and with the recommendation of staff I had high expectations. I was expecting a homemade patty, oozing with flavour and nicely seasoned.What came, can only be described as a giant, cheap, horrible tasting frozen burger. The bacon on the burger was fine and the chips were not bad. Also the beer on draft was good. But the burger, it was awful, simply awful. It had an odd taste and after taste. I can on,y describe the taste as what a cheap findus burger tastes like, the one my mum used to force me to eat when I was a kid.For the price I really deserved better. It was big, so if quantity is your thing go for it. If this burger and chips was £6 in a wetherspoons, with a free pint, you might say, well fair enough. But not at this price, it's a scandal

Had lunch with a group of people. The food was so-so and we couldn't escape the feeling that it wasn't really good value for money. No waiter service so everything had to be ordered from the bar. When they were there, the staff were friendly and helpful. Sometimes, however, the bar appeared to be unattended.

Just because it's attached to a hotel don't dismiss this bar, very pleasant nice comfortable seating plenty of space. Drinks not cheap however but pleasant surroundings compensate

I visited the Brassiere for food with my family. The staff were exceptional but the food just was not up to the standard. I had fish and chips which it looked great but the batter on the fish was soggy. The chips were frozen chips you can get from a supermarket. It was overpriced and considering the hotel is 4*, I thought the food would have been a lot better! Although this was only the Brassiere, I can't comment on the restaurant.

Much better than the restaurant at this hotel but very small and for some reason they won't let you eat at the tables in the bar area. Bizarre. The food's actually okay, nothing really fancy and presentation isn't the most important thing but it tastes good and that really does matter.

I have visited Spencers on many occasions for informal business meetings; the staff are always friendly, you don't feel awkward spending an hour or two there, whilst enjoying the great coffee and cakes on offer!

Although the staff are helpful and polite the food is overpriced... And small portions to say the least ... And the interior is tired and grubby looking.... Ice cream Sunday was poor quality...tasteless and extremely overpriced as are the meals... Won't be rushing back anytime soon

We were staying in the hotel and decided to eat here rather than wander around.The food was very nice, the restaurant is clean but with the usual lack of atmosphere that you find in many hotel restaurants.The service was good and overall I would rate it as value for money.

Menu quite varied so long as you eat fish and meat. Not one single veggie choice on the mains menu! Plenty of salads, sandwiches etc but sometimes it's nice to have a proper full on main dish. I had the fish and chips. Why serve the fish on top of the chips? The batter gets soggy from the heat from the chips and the chips get oily from the batter. Fish not seasoned and very tasteless. The frying oil didn't taste very fresh and there was an overwhelming smell of hot stale oil coming from the kitchen.My veggie partner (in spite of the lack of choice on the mains menu) enjoyed the large house salad topped with halloumi and lentils, though at around £12 it was a pretty expensive salad.£32 for the above dishes and two lukewarm coffees. Service OK, though not particularly welcoming.

If you don't wish to leave the hotel this is ideal, different and once again the staff well trained & attentive but not overly so. The menu choice is varied and many ingredients are locally sourced.

The Metropole tends to be rather overpriced (in our area) for food and drinks. Pleasant surroundings and atmosphere, but nothing special

Well been here before and not had best food ever, but that was a few years ago and it may not of been Spencers back thenAnyway lunch was ok steak and kidney pie and chips was great, sandwiches was pretty decent so all in all quite a decent pub/bar menu and better than the restaurants food and menu..Service slightly better to if being honest...

Bra mat , trevligt presenterad, trevlig personal . Priserna genomsnittliga och miljön ren och snygg, lite 2005 med Lounge känsla.

We ate here twice, the first time being quite good with a tasty Panini, good steak salad and a large serving of pie but another customer had ordered fish and chips which looked so delicious that we returned the following day to try for ourselves. What a disappointment! The fish was served on top of the chips and it was literally dripping with fat making the chips underneath soaked and soggy and extremely unappetising. The pot of mushy peas had a hard crust on top and the lime slice accompaniment really should have been lemon. On the plus side, it was a large piece of cod, well cooked with a very crispy batter. The staff were friendly and efficient and assured me my comments would be passed onto the chef but £14.95 for an inedible meal was unacceptable.

You know. I expected a bit more. Lunch with workmates. Not very inspiring menu for the price. We were a biggish number ( 16) and were stuck in the back out of the way so no atmosphere at all. Staff attentive enough and jolly. No complaints there. But if you are slipping out of a team meeting.........best go to the chippy.

Excellent service - the same friendly, helpful efficiency as the rest of the Metropole Hotel staff. Barman topped up beers (to ensure a full pint) without being asked. Waitress Nadia brought a jug of tap water brought without even being asked (none of that "still or sparkling" attempt to flog expensive bottled water which has become all too frequent elsewhere). Tasty food (other half had local lamb chops, crispy & delicious onion rings & delicious, flavoursome mushrooms while I enjoyed the home made fishcakes). Portions adequate rather than generous (but given the state of the nation's waistlines, that's for the better). Overheard the waitress recommending a local walk to another couple of diners. I got the sense that those behind the Metropole really do care about offering good service.

Used this bar whilst staying at the Metropole but worthy of special mention as the food and service are probably the best in Llandrindod.

We went in with a bunch of noisy kids and had a great time! Well worth a visit ! A little overpriced but otherwise it's great!!

We ate here when visiting friends in Llandrindod Wells and the 4 of us had a lovely meal. The food was great, the staff were attentive and friendly and the atmosphere relaxed. Very reasonably priced for food of this standard - my fillet steak was beautiful and if you have room for pud I cannot recommend highly enough the chocolate cake. In fact, have it even if you don't have room - it's that good!

This is the heart of the hotel and for many non residents from the local community it is the meeting place of choice. Nice selection of food whether snacks or a full blown meal. I often use the facility for meetings with its large car pak out the back and prices that don't make you blink when you get the bill.

Well what a total disappointment, we had a nice drive out and stopped for a quick bite to eat having checked out the website and thinking it would be a nice place to stop off. There was very little to choose from on the menu (mid afternoon) we do understand that this may be understandable for a cafe, maybe not for a hotel. We just ordered a couple of sandwiches but could not believe how disappointing they were for a hotel! Floppy cheap supermarket bread with cheap tasteless fillings, an insipid excuse for egg mayonnaise with virtually no egg, just some strange creamy tasteless mixture spread so thinly you could barely see it. There was no crisps as described on the menu. The cheese and fruit chutney was extremely poor, a strange almost grey onion mixture in a tiny pot with absolutely no taste and certainly not the fruit chutney mentioned, the cheese was the sort of grated cheap sandwich cheese you get in economy sandwiches in supermarkets. They came with coleslaw but it appears that the award winning chef is unable to make this himself it was definitely a cheap bought in product and was tasteless. Well there is simply nothing positive to say about the food and unfortunately there is nothing good to say about anything else either. The coffee isn't even made fresh from a proper coffee machine here. It was weak, bitter and watery (supposed to be a latte but tasted like instant coffee). You would really expect better from a so called 4 star hotel, most cafes even provide excellent coffee, well just what are thinking of and there is no excuse for not producing decent coffee. The hotel in general has a tired feel even though some areas look like they have been updated in recent times but look worn. The service is very poor, the foreign girl (dark hair) could barely bother to speak and had absolutely no manners and couldn't even say goodbye or thankyou. No one came over to see if everything was ok as you would expect (they were very quiet so they had time) I really would stay well away from here and if they can't even get a couple of sandwiches right I should not suggest visiting for anything else, we certainly will not return.

had a family meal here, service was very good from a sweet young blonde waitress, the brasserie itself is quite compact and a little on the chilly side with air conditioning, food was very good especially the starter,(prawn & Crab salad) steak was tasty, but not as hot as its should have been, as if it had sat and waited a while under kitchen lights, overall a nice meal good wine, would visit again

It seemed a good idea to cycle from mumbles, swansea to the metropole in llandrindod wells!! Forecast was good ( weather man was obviously a liar!) So we arrived soggy bottomed (as mary berry would say!) The lovely hotel stored our bikes in a conference room and we lunched in the sun room! Delicious baguette with salad ! Although butter in the roll! Yuk do people still butter filled rolls? Most unhealthy! And chilled proseco! Excellent staff. Managed to 'discourage' the wasps who wanted to crash our party! Great lunch

Had nice drinks here in the met, good that they are sourcing local ingredients and products! Only issue was 20mins after the previous people had left the table, it still had glasses and plates left on it. Otherwise, nice and modern!

exellent food and service there with plenty of choice to be had in very pleasant surroundings and reasonable prices to boot.

Good quality, reasonably priced food and drink in a lovely location in Llandrindod Wells. Can't do much better in this small, wonderful little Welsh town.

The menu looked inviting. The experience did not live up to the expectation. Service was slow and uninformed. The food was disappointing - could have been warmer and my meat just had (poor) potatoes. Have had better at this price.

We stayed in the hotel so ate here on our arrival night, its small but had a good varied menu plus specials. The food was typical fare that tasted good and was plentiful plus the staff were all very pleasant, not sure you can ask for much more, oh yes value for money that was also good. so in all it was good all round!

menu good choice for all tastes lunch time menu has specials comfortable surroundings to enjoy a drink as well

We had been told to go to another restaurant in town which was fully booked so stopped into this restaurant located in The Metropole Hotel. I'm not normally a great fan of hotel based restaurants but this was a great result. It was really busy both in the bar and the restaurant with couples, locals and families so it had a great atmosphere. Modern decor adds contemporary feel appropriately pitched to the breadth of clientele. Wide range of food and our burger and salmon was really well cooked and delicious leading us to decide to continue with desserts: fresh fruits and sorbets plus apple and blackberry crumble and custard both done well. Left happy and full, having achieved good value too

Visited Spencer's for dinner with my boyfriend on a Thursday evening. We booked a table by phonecall beforehand. Went to the bar first of all as couldn't see any other staff, informed the barman that we had booked a table and he showed us straight to the table himself and informed us that our waitress would be with us soon. Waitress arrived and took drinks orders...she and the barman were both very polite and professional. She gave us time to look at the menu which had a lot of choice. I decided on the Chicken Supreme (chicken with bacon, cheese and BBQ sauce) and my boyfriend went for gammon, we both chose chips as a side. Food arrived after about a 25 minute wait, it looked amazing! My boyfriend loved his gammon, it was a very thick piece and well cooked. My food was also lovely, another big serving. Both came with a salad garnish which was better than garnishes in other restaurants. For me, the BBQ sauce included in my meal was not to my tase- too vinegary for me! However, that is just down to preference, others may like this. Both ordered desserts, a chocolate fudge cake with hot chocolate sauce. They were huge servings and truly gorgeous!!! One of the best desserts I've had in a restaurant! All in all I really enjoyed my meal here...the atmosphere, staff and food was lovely. The reason I have only scored it 'Very good' and not 'Excellent' is because of the BBQ sauce which was not to my taste and also because I found the prices quite expensive to what I am used to paying.

Had dinner here recently on a very busy Saturday for the Hotel. The hotel was heaving with people as there was a wedding, a large group of born again bikers and also others. We arrived at the bar 30 mins before our table and I made the barman aware that we'd booked a table. He informed me when we were ready, his colleague in the brassie would be able to show us to our table. We ordered drinks and sat in the glassed area of the bar and within 5 minutes the waiter arrived with menus for us to look at whilst enjoying our drinks. I thought that this service was first class, the barman had made the effort to let the waiter know we had arrived and we were able to look at the menu, order and then get taken to our table when our starter was ready.The starter I had was excellent (Pressed Ham Hock Terrine with Ciabatta & Homemade Piccalilli) with a very feisty mustard and the others in our group shared a selection of the nibbles. The mains again were excellent, I had the scallops, my only criticism would be that there weren't quite enough for a main dish.Our service, given the very busy night, was excellent and I would thoroughly recommend a visit,

Had lunch here recently and as always what you get is good. It's a lovely bar and the glass area next to the main road is great to watch the world go by. Plenty of choice for lunch, it's not cheap but what you get is very tasty. Service is always good and you don't normally have to wait long. For an evening drink it's great, again the drinks aren't cheap but the real ale (normally choice of two and one is usually Felinfoel Double Dragon) is spot on.

We booked the Spa afternoon followed by tea, it was a great deal for £55 for two, as you get all the spa facilities, pool, steam room, sauna, jacuzzi etc all afternoon and when you're ready you tell the attendant and then you're served a tea of finger sandwiches, cakes and scones.However the price for afternoon tea on it's own is £24 each and this would not be value for money. There are no little touches like tablecloths or nice china to make this a special experience. The cakes are nice but are out of packets that you can buy at the bar. I would rate the spa package as reasonable value for money and a pleasant way of passing an afternoon.

Four star hotel quality. Nice meeting place with a good menu choice and comfortable modern surroundings in an otherwise Victorian hotel.

A spotlessly clean bar with a good choice of drinks with different types of sandwiches and snacks served at different periods throughout the day.Pleasant staff, quick service. Reasonable prices for a 4 star hotel bar.

Whilst there is a decent and reasonably priced selection of food on the menu, if you just want a sandwich this is the place to be. Wonderful bread, good garnish and slightly different pickles/mustards as finishing touches. Good service with friendly staff (without being overbearing), in fact a nice place to go for lunch. Not dined in the evening so have no opinion/ review to post. I understand from a well "Sunday lunched" neighbour that their offering on the "Sabbath" (at the time of posting is £13.45 for two courses) is superb with presentation being the key.

lovely atmosphere, friendly and informal but also very nice restaurant. Menu nice and varied, only downside was there wasn't much local produce listed on menu from the area which i would expect. Meals are reasonably priced but children's menu is quite expensive £7 a meal but in the end i ordered a cheese baked potato for my little one from the normal menu for £5.45.

Stopped en-route to Pembrokeshire and didn't expect much from the exterior; however, we were in for a pleasant surprise. Decor inside was extremely modern, food was based on local ingredients and prepared with care and attention. Presentation was excellent as was the service even though they were extremely busy for a Friday in February - often bodes well to use a hotel where they don't scrimp on the staffing levels. Overall very good (if slightly pricey but happy to pay extra for the excellent service; shall likely be revisiting on the return leg next Friday.

We were staying at the Metropole Hotel where this Brasserie is situated. We only wanted a sandwich for lunch but it was one of the best I've had. Bread so fresh, delicious roast beef with cokeslaw and mini salad. A lovely room to sit in and the staff were very friendly and efficient

Afternoon tea was lovely thank you.We had no problem with the tea? plenty of it to drink, my only gripe was the tea was bought to us too soon before the lovely three tier cake stand.Sue Contestabile

as my wife and i meet our daughter mid wales due to our prospective homes, we tend to have lunch in the metropole hotel llandrindod. i can honestly say after so many visits i can safely say that it has always exceeded expectations. the hotel itself is always in good order, the bar/spencers is vibrant with a lovely atmosphere. the staff have always been friendly and efficient. we chose a bar type meal which was of very good quality, served promptly and piping hot. i thoroughly recommend it to anybody, it is safe to say we will be looking forward to our return.

My wife and I went for a birthday lunch on 1 November and the food was very nice. The service though was slow even though the restaurant didn't seem especially busy. The first course took a long time to arrive and the desert of crumble and custard ordered with a pot of tea took 30 minutes to arrive by which time the tea was long gone. The long waits rather spoiled the celebration.

After visiting the wedding fair first we had a lovely lunch.We had the fish in a beer batter,the Steak pie and the chicken pie all delicious with plenty of meat.Have eaten here before so returning with my family was great.Service was very good.Will go again as soon as possible.

This place is expensive and poor quality, not worth it, but I guess there is little choice in the town and they know it.I could go on, but £27.00 for two burgers is expensive, but if they are almost burnt, and tough, coupled with the smell of cooking coming from the kitchens, they are taking the mickey.

Tried this .Recommended for small parties. The food choices matched the main restaurant . Service was prompt and well done.

After a long day it was great to chance upon the Brasserie at Hotel Metropole and enjoy a first class meal. The three of us were able to choose a wide variety of meals according to our tastes. The scallops were excellent and an exquisite pasta sauce complimented the dish.I hadn't been to the Metropole for 25 years! But my next visit will be rather sooner!

Excellent food in wonderful surroundings. Great service. We liked the use of slate to serve food on.

Another fantastic family meal at SpencersGreat food well presented. Made all the better due to the fantastic service, attentive and efficient. Well done to the hotel and the staff who looked after us on the evening. Especially Gabriella who was superb.

We were staying at The Metropole Hotel and did not wish to have a full meal so choose to eat at Spencers and they had a good choice of reasonably priced food and the service was very good.

We visit Spencer's Bar & Brasserie frequently and always find the staff to be very friendly and helpful. The food is good and very competitively priced and the bar has got a good atmosphere. We have been to all the restaurants in the local area for lunch and in our opinion, this is by far the best place to eat and relax at lunchtime.

Really bad visit. The food was average and to expensive for the area. The 4 stars of the hotel do not mean that the prices must be that high specially with that poor quality.The service was ok but the whole feeling of our visit was negative

Myself and my partner have very much enjoyed visiting the Metropole in the past. The Sunday lunch is excellent and the Brasserie bar menu is also very good. Staying over is also lovely and the breakfast is very nice. We thought we would try the afternoon tea today and it would have been better not to have bothered which is a real shame considering our previous very positive experiences.Okay, the positives: a choice of tea and extra hot water - all good. Smoked salmon sandwiches were tasty with lots of filling. There were four quarters each - pretty good. But, unfortunately, this is really the extent of the positives. The only other sandwich filling was cucumber which was all right but not very inspired, considering other options available on the menu.In terms of sweet treats, the scones tasted like supermarket ones - budget variety - and it was odd to have the jam (and clotted cream - a small amount!) already on the scones. They were warm but not the best. On the menu it advertised 'shortbread and lemon drizzle cake'. However, the only shortbread was a finger on the saucer with the tea. The lemon cake was horrible - cheap and unpleasant - and certainly not lemon drizzle! There was also carrot cake but this was small and looked as if someone had licked off the icing! Not good.No-one came to ask if we were enjoying it which is a shame. The service normally is very good but this experience has put us off. It is worrying that first-time customers might think this is the hotel's standard and not return again (we know better but it has left a bitter taste).For £15.50 (for 2 people), you'd be better off buying 2 sandwiches with garnish and a drink. I would not recommend the afternoon tea here, particularly when there will be other, better places to enjoy (what should be) a very British treat!

I visit the area very often and my girlfriend said that this one is better than the main restaurant of the hotel. It is but not a great one. I've been told that the hotel has the same head chef for both and he doesn't cook. Not surprised! The food was ok and the menu as well but it costs a lot. The service was ok. People from other countries try to help and the arogant owner is really annoying having dinner in the same place and a lttle tipsy.................

Ate a lunch in the Brasserie and it was very nicely prepared and served with a lovely garnish. The drinks were also well served except the new barman did not know what a Campari was but I soon showed him and he made an excellent one. Again the staff were very friendly and helpful.