Tafarn Pencei Cafe Bar in Gwynedd

You just cannot walk past this lovely pub, which is situated in the corner of Porthmadog Harbour, not far from the Yacht club. For many years, we've visited Porthmadog walking from Black Rock Sands along the coast line through Borth-y-Gest and arriving in the harbour where you need a little break, so we popped into Tafarn Pencei. Outside the pub, there are benches, but to the side of the pub, there's a rooftop terrace with a lovely view of the harbour just a note that this pub is very dog friendly, Tess loves it anyway. Inside it has a dining area to the left and the centre of the pub is the bar which has seating beyond and to the right a further 4 large tables. The landlord and all the staff are very friendly and attentive, which includes the chef and kitchen staff as your food is absolutely amazing (5✨️) The bar has 3 to 4 real ales on Bass, a favourite, is always on, good selection of largers and a nice wine list which are all reasonably priced. The Pencei is a go-to pub and restaurant it has its regulars, who I must say are also lovely but what we love about it is the atmosphere the way that the landlord is checking that your ok "have you had a good day" I hear him say, you don't get this very often and this is why we come back every year. The food served here is outstanding from the fish & chips, mussels, steaks, and smashed burgers all home cooked. So don't just walk around the harbour pop in and try for yourselves. I must say, you won't be disappointed at all. So thank you to you all at Tafarn Pencei for making our little break away so special we'll see you again. The H's

We were greeted by a friendly young lady, she was polite and we were served very promptly. The restaurant had no drinks menu, the choice on the menu was quite restricted. The restaurant was also very cold and the WIFI did not work. The burger was cooked well. However, the fries were cold. We had a decent meal.

Absolutely cracking pub, and beautiful food. I had the Muscles, king prawns and Octopuss in Katsu sauce, top food.

We have been coming to Porthmadog for several years and hadn't discovered this gem. They serve a wide range of beers, which are well kept. Decent selection on the menu, all the good was piping hot and well presented, only grumble was that some of the muscle shells had broken and were in the white sauce, chips were a good as I've had anywhere really crispy. The service was good and friendly

Delicious food. A few good vegan options.

Best gluten free fish and chips I've ever had! The batter is really light and crispy, chips are perfect and portions are huge! The lamb chops melt in your mouth... Child friendly, dog friendly! Would highly recommend it to anyone in town.

Lovely traditional pub serving good quality food and drink.

I reserved a table for myself and my partner. We arrived early to get drinks, however, the welcome my afro-caribbean partner received was icy cold. We had our drinks, I cancelled my reservation then left. My partner was clearly uncomfortable which made me feel the same. Definitely not a venue to visit if you are non-white.

Delicious, imaginative lunch, very reasonably priced and excellent service.

Great down to earth pub serving great food. The Porth Niegwl IPA is great on hand pump.

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

Lovely venue, free WiFi, friendly and attentive staff and wonderful food bar one item - the skinny fries were incredibly salty. However, every other food item we had (about 6 for a table of 4) was superb so it's only a minor nitpick. The Korean chicken wings were particularly delicious. Still heartily recommend to people!

Absolutely delicious prawn, mussels and clams in lemongrass and coconut broth. Very helpful waitress as we were on a time limit. Would have loved to try a dessert. Couldn't recommend more highly

A great little place atmosphere brilliant staff and service fantastic

Big portions, good price, tasty

Excellent fish and chips for just £15. Cheap g&t and perfect leek and potato pie.

Nice food and a nice location. Good portions and well priced. Will be coming back.

Very busy but we were welcomed and found a table quickly. Although we only wanted a light supper, the quality and variety of food was amazing. Excellent value all round.

Myself and my family stopped here earlier this week, the place was very charming and the lady that served us was very pleasant. We ordered a drink and decided to sit outside on an upstairs area located to the side of the pub. We sat at an empty table one from the front (was quite busy up there) where we sat with our drinks and looked at the menu. Sadly we had an awful experience where a chubby slightly odd looking man with a female sat close to us seemed uncomfortable with us being there, my two boys are very well behaved so can’t think they would have caused offence but this man continued to look agitated by our presence and kept looking at my children, the female pulled his head away from our direction at one point and with him being that close to my boys didn’t make for a comfortable visit so we drank up and dropped the menus back downstairs and had to make an excuse to our boys as to why they couldn’t have the food they had decided to order. I don’t want to leave a bad review for the venue itself however this was very disturbing. My wife said afterwards the table next to us seemed a little upset to see us leave but I don’t think they could see what was going on. We went round the corner and purchased some food and found a bench on the platform where the steam trains were and ate there instead.

Nice bar near the water, very friendly!

When everything was booked we found a great little place

Lovely cosy pub + restaurant near Porthmadog quay. Great well-above- average menu, excellent tasty food, very reasonably priced, and (above all) brilliant friendly staff. Never been disappointed!

Brillaint food and great atmosphere.

Absolutely delicious food, very reasonable prices, great service - we loved it!

Traditional pub for locals with a side room for eating mainly used by visitors. Pub grub with a twist esp the starters. Recommend the ham hock starter and the smash burger.

Great discovery. Amazing food with a fantastic gluten-free menu.

We were staying in a cottage nearby. This was a great wee find. Food was homemade and very good, service was great and the place was very friendly.

Good atmosphere, and food and drink is very good

Can’t comment on food because they don’t serve any on a Monday or Tuesday,doesn't say that on the website . Didn’t stay because we wanted lunch . Looked nice inside tho.

Popped in for a quick bite , what a joy ! Staff very friendly and welcoming , efficient service with a smile . Ordered a selection of the starters to share , an absolute hit . The prawn were perfect, fresh plump and tasty , the beetroot was to die for and the ham hock terrine was tender and flavoursome , then there was a super scrummy baked potato and leek , absolutely lip smacking . Can’t praise the chef enough , the whole experience was fabulous , we really felt like we had had a real treat . Thank you all guys , we will definitely be back as often as possible.

Just to be there! and still get served:)) Was nice ,with some nice people.

Had a nice pint on the terrace roof.

Friendly staff, food was delicious would definitely reccomend.

Our bnb owner recommended Tafarn Pencei on our first day in Porthmadog, so we decided to find it and loved it. We were able to enjoy the rooftop terrace twice (be sure to go early as sadly they have to close it at 19:30 every evening for the neighbours) where we enjoyed the delicious burgers, gin-tonics and local ale. Service was very friendly and quick. Definitely recommended!

We arrive at the cafe bar at around 1pm on the Thursday during half term it was busy and we found a table to sit down opposite another large party of people who where drinking- we where approached by a member of staff who rudely stopped us all from talking asking if we where all eating to which our table replied yes and the other no. He advised that the kitchen couldn't cope with such an amount of order before storming off, causing members in our party to comment how rude he was. We where disappointed with this as our experience here has always been very good and had recommended our family and friends meet with us this day to eat here. Our orders where taken rather abruptly and as our friends had already ordered at the bar said gentlemen did not bring them any cutlery making a point that he didn't take there order! We couldn't believe his attitude to the business being busy and thriving and discussed within our group how rude he was again- I beleive this was overheard by the bar staff and then resulted in our sandwiches- yes sandwiches taking 1 hour 20 minutes to arrive at the table by this point our children where all very hungry and we'll abit fed up. We love this place usually and come quite regularly when visiting portmadog but after this trip I think we will go elsewhere which is a shame as the food was great.

Could not have been more welcoming and helpful. Great table services and the food was really very good in terms of choice quality and portions.

We walked passed this place several times during our holiday and it always seemed to have a good atmosphere. We dropped in for Sunday evening and were the only 2 in the restaurant, which is a shame as the food was great. The menu was basic but boy did they do it well. I had chicken burger and hubby had pulled beef nachos, both of which were huge and so tasty. We were recommended the squid to have as a side and it was some of the best squid I've ever had. I wish we'd popped in earlier in our holiday so we could have gone back another day.

Best Sunday lunch for miles..great staff.

Inviting interior, very welcoming maître d', who explained choices and advised sensibly on wine. Service was excellent. Menu was interesting with enough choice to suit 6 different tastes, including a vegetarian. Food was cooked well.

Found this place on our second night of our holiday and didn't drink anywhere else for our evening drinks after that. The staff Ben, Russ, Idris and the others were all so lovely and friendly. They made us feel so welcome as did the local people. Food was excellent too! Sam head Chef cooked the squid to perfection. Certainly recommend this lovely little pub.

Found this place on our second night of our holiday in Porthmadog and didn't drink anywhere else for our evening drinks after that. The staff Ben, Russ, Idris and the others were all so lovely and friendly. Service was second to none. They made us feel so welcome as did the local people. Food was excellent too! Sam head Chef cooked the squid to perfection. We ate there a few times and prices were reasonable. Certainly recommend this lovely little pub.

Nice pub good staff out side a bit of a sun trap

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.

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.

Number 1 place for fast food and meals

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

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.

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

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.