Tafarn Pencei Cafe Bar in Gwynedd

Great food, staff was brilliant

Nice place to visit. I didn't eat here this time.

Lovely food, lovely bar, great staff, sports tv, pool room. Wish this place could be replicated in each city it’s that good. Thanks everyone looking forward to visiting again.

Had a delicious meal and the staff were really accommodating, helpfull & really pleasant will definitely call again Thank you

First class service from the moment we walked in. Taken to our seats, order taken quickly and served with delicious hot food. Couldn’t fault the place at all. Thank you ☺️

Fantastic lunch...we were all impressed. Never seen a sandwich so big lol. Thank you Sam and team Great atmosphere and made very welcome.

Thanks guys, you made our day. Stopped off hoping to get a take away as we have 2 very nervous dogs we cannot take into a pub. You were most welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. To top it all the fish and chips was the best we have tasted. Once again many thanks.

Our kind of pub. Great food with a lovely relaxed atmosphere plus fab service where you feel valued. Definitely will be back 😋

Delicious food and amazing service from the staff. Great menu and well priced. Was such a gem to come across!

Another great meal. The chef does excellent curries and each time my husband is blown away by the flavours. Food is plentiful and delicious. Service is good and friendly. Drinks are very reasonably priced. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Good food, had to leave to catch train and were very helpful

Clean plates and full bellys all round! Fantastic friendly staff, great service, lovely location on the harbour, good choice of drinks. We will definitely be recommending this place and will return on our next visit to Porthmadog. Chefs special beef curry was perfect, please pass on the compliments!

We had a perfect family meal here last night. The staff were very friendly & 'Professional' in providing a fantastic service. The food was delicious and reasonably priced for the quality of the food served. Added bonus is they allow well behaved dogs. Highly recommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So glad we found you! Lovely lunch right on our doorstep can’t believe we haven’t been before. Great chicken burger really generous portions chef is fantastic. Could do with a refurb but the food and service were spot on. Thank you

Wanted fish and chips on Good Friday and this place did not disappoint in any way. The staff were friendly and welcoming. The fish and chips were incredible: the fish was so fresh and in very crispy batter, along with good chips and mushy peas (hubbie had the fresh tartare sauce). This was one of the best fish and chip lunches we've ever had and we will be returning. Was hesitant to leave such a good review as this place is a well kept secret, but the staff and restaurant should know how awesome it was! We highly recommend it - thank you.

Great food and dog friendly. Thoroughly recommended

We had tried this lovely little pub last year for a drink, and so we decided to eat here last week. The staff were very friendly and helpful. I had the sea bass linguine, it was beautiful with a lovely spicy kick. My partner had the buttermilk chicken burger, the chicken was moist and succulent with a lovely crispy coating. This is a lovely local bar highly recommended

We were able to get the last table for sunday lunch (always a problem for us as we don't know where we are going to end up when we go for a trip out) but it proved to be very worthwhile, food was gorgeous and fresh and it's clearly popular as there are plenty of tables. Definitely one to revisit 🥰🥰

Unpretentious pub, good beer and lovely bar staff

Not my kind of place. Very locals orientated

Would have got 5 if they had a toilet. Nearest at village community centre 300yards away. Ooops, wrong place!!! I quite liked this place and food was lovely.

Ate here last year for Sunday Lunch and it was very good. Thought at the time that the dining area needed some attention and the toilets were very poor but as there were new owners that would be put right. We visited recently on a Saturday night, the food and service was good however no steaks due to a delivery issue with the butcher ? Sadly the dining area and toilets are still quite poor.

Great food, quick friendly service and reasonably priced and we could take the dog in. We will definitely be back.

Lovely hidden gem. Great food that was prepared by someone who knew what they were doing. Fantastic service. Dog friendly. Hope to go again soon

Lovely location at the harbour side. Great food and beer.

Quiet this time of year but still a nice pub to go to

What a gem . Went in years ago . And today we visited again . Had a pint of bass 👍😁 and had Welsh patoto,onion and leek cake 🥰 absolutely lovely partner had the ham hock pot again absolutely lovely . Definitely revisit

Great pub Good real Ale and other beers. Helpful staff

Really nice food and great service

Very good food. The steak was done exactly how I wanted it. Great service and dogs are allowed. I highly recommend it.

Delicious GF fish and chips highly recommend, my hubby had a steak he enjoyed as well. Staff very friendly!!! Our dog enjoyed as well .

What a gem this is! We came here serendipitously after finding our intended pub closed. But Tafarn Pencai will undoubtedly be our preferred place to eat in Porthmadog from here on. The atmosphere, arrangement of seating and staff efficiency are all excellent. However what lifts this pub into a different league is the food. The whole menu is varied and imaginative, in addition for vegetarians like us, it is simply brilliantand the portions are generous. They really know how to cook, present and serve food well.

Really lovely food. My husband loved the curry, the chef really knew his flavours. Busy on a wet Saturday night. Definitely worth a visit. Service was good, friendly and helpful staff.

I wasn't impressed with the vegan meal at all. It was very bland. It tasted like baby food. I returned it as it was awful. I have given three stars as my husbands meal looked nice and he said it was quite nice. Otherwise I would have given only one star. The staff were really lovely and apologetic about the food. They offered a replacement meal, however I would have felt awful if I had not liked the alternative. I wasn't charged for my meal. But it spoiled the evening as we had planned for a meal out together. I had to purchase food (Hummus, olives, salad and wraps) from spar as everywhere else had stopped serving food.

Nice chilled out place, very pleasent staff 👌

Lovely Sunday roast, beautifully cooked, piping hot & delicious. Dog friendly and welcoming locals.

Sunday Lunch excellent and Staff very nice. The Beef was so tender and moist.

Friendly welcoming service. We arrived as a party of 10 for lunch without booking and tables were quickly reorganised to accommodate us. The food was excellent and good value.

Great food well presented, at a good price; also very good service. Da iawn!

Lovely warm welcome. We were recommended a visit to Pencei... and we weren't disappointed. Its a pub atmosphere. Well patronised by locals. Lovely staff - attentive without hovering. We had mussels in creamy garlic sauce with sourdough bread. Then fish and chips. Nicely cooked mussels. Sauce was beautiful and mopped up with sourdough bread. Fish had lovely crisp batter served with tartar sauce, chips and mushy peas. Apparently the batter recipe is a closely guarded secret that the chef won't share even with the rest of the team. Well worth a visit to the Pencei

Bar staff are friendly and drinks are a good price . But I got ripped of for ordering 2 8oz steaks which only came with a few chips it’s costed me £51 for 2 steaks . The food menu does not have prices on it so I was shocked at the price when I went to the bar . I would never eat there again but would go for a pint as it’s a friendly environment. I would recommend you always ask the price before ordering.

Traditional looking pub with surprisingly good food. Can 100% reccomend & there is something for everyone on the broad menu 👌🏻

Brilliant meal and service this lunchtime and exceptional value too!

Great lunch stop in Porthmadog. Food was fantastic, really friendly service, decent beer selection and dog friendly too. Range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. Recommended!

Great place to pop in for a drink, friendly locals and staff 👌 dog friendly

Good weii presented food, fresh beer at reasonable price

Good quality food that isn’t your ordinary run of the mill menu. Friendly staff. Particularly liked lamb kofta on toast.

Booked a table for 8 during our stay in Porthmadog. We were informed that food would take 1/2 hour, yet whilst we patiently waited, other customers were served that arrived well after us. After a polite reminder and still no food after one hour, I lodged my disgruntlement to an unattentive owner who offered no apology. Very disappointing.

Go here every year on our stay in wales. New owners this year. Really lovely pleasant nice people. Very friendly staff. Meals were really lovely. Look forward to seeing everyone next year.

Good friendly pub didnt try the food but it looked nice

As a group of 16 they were well prepared. Couldn't fault it.

Easily the best fish and chips I’ve ever had. Brilliant service as well.

Whilst we only called in for a drink ourselves, we didn't sample the food, but the food being brought out to the patiently waiting customers, looked absolutely amazing, a very busy pub/ cafe with a great ambience

Number 1 place for fast food and meals

The food was amazing, my husband and I really enjoyed it. They made us and our dog very welcome.

Had chicken curry one lunch time and steak and ale pie another day. Really good food, wish we lived a bit nearer so we could eat here regularly! Staff really friendly too and spotless loos. Thank you from the couple who walked from Criccieth and arrived scruffy and hot.

Friendly, helpful staff, and excellent gluten free fish and chips.

Nice pub love it and the food is good.

Good food ,Guinness served, not expensive. On harbour so interesting view and walk outside.

What a stunning find. Hidden beside the harbour so a couple of minutes off of the beaten track of the main street. Without being rude its a little tired on the outside but when the welcome is so warm and the food so good who the heck cares. I mention it only to say dont let appearances fool you. I am recently following a gluten free diet for health reasons and have been struggling with eating out. The menu here pretty much offered anything they possibly could as gluten free and also catering for other dietry requirements as well as 'normal' diets. I had the most amazing potato and leek cake thingy in a cheese sauce with a pea shoot garnish. It was to die for. So tasty, so beautifully presented. My husband had Welsh lamb koftas washed down with a pint of local brewed IPA. Both meals were faultless and the lady serving was just so welcoming and friendly and so nice about my new diet issues. Dont just take my word for it...

Lovely location Such a friendly guy really couldn't do any more! Thank you!

Amazing food and service. Will keep coming back

No food but a lovely cup of hot chocolate 🍵

Nice little pub whilst visiting Portmandog.

Excellent food at a great price. Staff were also very friendly. Would definitely eat there again.

Had the fish and chips was lovely.

Only popped in for a coffee but found the staff and locals very friendly.

Lovely little place, food was really good. Stopped in Sunday morning and watched the women's world cup final. Had eggs florentine and eggs royal, both beautifully cooked and extremely tasty. Liked thus place a lot, lots of locals and good ambience. Well done guys

Enjoyed a drink in this busy pub during our brief visit to Porthmadog. The bar area was very busy and being a Sunday night lots of patrons were in for the roast dinner. A charming atmosphere and lively place for a drink.

Great location, friendly staff.

Visited Tarfarn Pencei twice while on holiday in Porthmadog. On both occasions, the service was exceptional with all the staff being attentive and helpful. The quality of the food served was amazing. I can highly recommend the fish and chips. Fresh fish with a light crispy batter, very tasty. The Smash Burger was also amazing. As a party of 5 adults and 2 children, the Tarfan Pencei was very welcoming with everyone praising the quality of the food. The IPA on draught was also very good.

Lively pub with a welcoming local vive. Menu looked good but the Sunday lunch-only menu was more than we were looking for

Amazing burgers and staff!! Will be visiting again and recommending to family and friends! Excellent service and a warm welcome!

We loved this place. Lovely staff, good food and jolly atmosphere. Pool upstairs and they put the F1 race on for my son. We went twice in two days!

A Sunday lunch to die for. We were lucky to get in without booking so would recommend pre booking, you won't be disappointed.

Went for Sunday lunch. Outstanding food and service. Will definitely return. Best Sunday lunch. 6 of us and all satisfied.

Fantastic service and great food. Everything was homemade and fresh! The kids meals were excellent too. Highly recommend.

Best Sunday lunch I have ever had. Exceptional food and service. Highly recommended. Will definitely be back will recommend it to all of our friends.

After not being able to find any free tables at the Australia and the Ship we went to Tavern Pencei. Luckily they found a table for us even though it was a busy Saturday night. The food was very nice, each of us had a starter and main course as well as a dessert and the food was delicious. Very nice atmosphere, great location and friendly staff. Definitely recommended.

Outstanding stumbled upon while exploring Porthmadog. Amazing from fresh food, great casual vibe and lovely staff. Prices were beyond reasonable for the quality. Treat yourself and wander a little further from the main high street.

On a family holiday and came for a drink in the afternoon and asked if they could book 19 people in for a meal in the evening. ( thought they’d say no as other places I’d called had said 19 people was too many) They were happy to book us in. We all loved the food!! Lovely atmosphere right next to the harbour. The staff during the day and in the evening were amazing and very friendly!! Definitely recommend. Thank you for having us 🥰

Excellent service. Very busy, but table service or order at the bar. Very prompt order taken, drinks served quickly. Lovely. Food arrived really quickly too, but absolutely fresh, not fast food that has been standing. Really impressed with the fish. My wife’s slice of pie was a bit crusty on the outside, but still tasty. Chips and peas too were great. Nice proper espresso to end. Dessert menu is a bit small on choice, no specials, but what was on would have been fine I’m sure. The serving and bar staff are all very friendly and cheerful. Even though it was busy, still very attentive. Will definitely be going back, really enjoyed it.

Great pub food it was very nice atmosphere felt very welcomed would recommend. Staff very friendly.

Nice food. But not much choice especially for vegetarians or on the children's menu.

Had lovely evening meal here. Nice atmosphere, great to hear people speaking Welsh, seems like there were quite a few locals here, not just tourists! Crab on the toast was especially tasty and my Caesar salad was perfect! Lovely cold beer and wine and staff were also all really friendly and helpful, recommended!!!

Just a visiting Yank in town for a day or so. Stopped by and enjoyed tasty real ales, plus some food which was nicely prepared and quite enjoyable. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, what is not to like?

Fabulous Sunday lunch. Book before you visit to avoid missing out.

Lovely local place. Went in for a glass of warm milk as my daughter was feeling unwell. They were extremely helpful. Thanks!

Near to the harbour offering good quality fish and chips. Friendly clean pub with a friendly atmosphere

Only went for drinks decent selection friendly staff and allows dogs

Really friendly little pub with a good atmosphere. I had gluten free fish and chips which were delicious.

Excellent food great service, and freindly staff great little find .

Me and Wife has literally just got into Porthmadog soon as we got there want a cup of coffee, got my wife, a hot chocolate myself, a coffee. Both great really went down well. When I was waiting for the drinks, they was making cocktails for the new menu and invited me to come along. I did have a couple of sips of one which was the espresso martini, which was fantastic. The next one, I do not know what it’s called, but it had sugarcane in it. The only way I can Describe it is a punchier mojito. It was amazing. So went back to my wife and enjoy our hot drinks and explained about the punchier mojito half an hour before we were due to leave the car park. I decided to get my wife one I want to let her try it too but the bartender was on dinner and said the menu for the cocktails wasn’t quite out yet. What a shame love this place could’ve spent the afternoon drinking cocktails with my wife on the harbour maybe next time xxx

Only had a pint there so have no idea about food quality, however, great atmosphere and staff!!!

Popped in for a coffee which was great! Staff were lovely and pub had a friendly feeling to it. Nice location by the Porthmadog harbour; away from the heavy traffic of the High Street.

Really enjoyable lunch and this is a step up from the usual pub food. My husband had the homemade steak and ale pie and chips and I had the ham hock starter which was really tasty. Friendly and helpful staff and all reasonably priced. Would recommend.

Nice bar doing food, plenty of inside seating plus some outside in a nice location near to Harbour & close to the yacht club. Good range of beers lager's & 2-3 real ales, plus all other drinks catered for. Enjoyed our visit here.

Just called in for a swift drink whilst out walking

We stay at the Tyddyn Llwyn campsite regularly in our motorhome and have tried quite a few local eateries but this one has eluded us until now. We stopped here on Friday night and had a local Chinese takeaway and whilst looking on Tripadvisor saw the opening picture for Tafarn Pencai, the Sunday lunch looked amazing. We travelled down to Tal Y Bont for Saturday and enjoyed our stay there but this picture played on our minds so we decided to backtrack up to Porthmadog on Sunday morning in the hope of getting a table for Sunday dinner.We were in luck, the restaurant part was full but we got a table in the bar. The staff were ever so friendly and welcoming and the food lived up to the pictures appeal, it was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. We will definitely return when back in Porthmadog.

Me and my partner spent a few days in porthmadog and come across this gem of a pub. All the staff were very friendly, we even made friends with the locals. This pub is definitely worth a visit, it's dog friendly and very clean. It...