The Bear Hotel in Powys

Lovely ancient pub which has retained plenty of character. Many items of interest on the walls. The first room after the entrance is the most charming, where we enjoyed a lunch of faggots, burgers and salads, washed down with the local ale. No recorded music: congratulations! Lunch for three including drinks was a reasonable £62.65.

Very nice interior and friendly helpful staff but the food was disappointing frugal pub grub at hotel prices. Seems a very popular place so maybe the choice for luncheon in Crickhowell is rather limited?

Had dinner twice. Unpretentious, relaxed surroundings (book a table..). Terrific cooking, delicious food (hake with crushed potato...excellent and refined chicken curry..wonderful rice pudding with cherries..). Really wonderful bar and serving staff.

Very familiar menu to chain pubs. The short rib was pretty good, chips were over-salted and not quite cooked enough, but it was OK. The fish and chips were pretty nasty though. Fish looked like it had been chucked frozen into the deep frier, the fish itself was slimy and tasteless. Because it was rather greasy, dumping the fish on top of the chips wasn't such a good idea. Expensive for what it was. Beer was good though, Reverend James.

The food is expensive. The portions are small. The beer was poor with a very limited choice of ales. The environment is very impressive but they letting them selves down in relation to the above issues.

Another great night at The Bear. Spotlessly clean room, great food and friendly staff. Second time this year and heading back hopefully in December. Crickhowell is a lovely village with great walks on your doorstep. Thanks to everyone at The Bear

I was in a family group of fourteen who were celebrating with a recently married couple. Tables well laid out for our booking. Menu was varied to cover all tastes. Waiter was keen and attentive. Thought I’d try something different for my main so ordered the chicken & ham pie. It was on a base, not in a dish, and was gorgeous! Buttery and full of flavour. We all ordered different meals and everyone in our group was totally satisfied. I haven’t eaten here for a few years but I am always happy when I come away. Just a note: don’t use the pub car park as too narrow, use the public car park 2 min walk away which has plenty of room.

My partner and I went into The Bear at Crickhowell on Sunday 18 August, got a drink and sat in the garden, the pub/restaurant is fabulous. I’ve been there a few times over the years but it was the first time for my partner. The staff were lovely, except for two Indian members of staff, We decided to order something to eat. One of them, brought it out, threw it on the table. We said thank you, and he completely ignored us! We went and got another drink and he came out into the garden again took our dishes away. We again said thank you he ignored us again.! Such a shame as I told my partner how good the roast dinners were, but he is adamant that he will not be going back there again, which is a shame because the rest of the staff were lovely

We went out for my husband’s birthday and the food was delicious. Everyone at the table - including our one year old - scarfed appetizers, mains, and dessert down. He-man was a very friendly and attentive server - he was especially great with our son. So nice to have such a great pub/restaurant in the area. We’ll definitely be back!

We ate 2x dinner. Our waiter He-man was very hospitable and we laughed a lot. The food was such delicious. One of the best restaurant in the UK and we'll come back.

Had an evening meal here in September and October, love this place for food and atmosphere. Staff very good and attentive, food lovely and tasty. Would definitely recommend and visit again SOON :)

Just looking at my review from 11 years ago. Just to confirm The Bear is still on top form. A lovely bar meal with friends. Portions and food excellent, a nice pint of Gower Gold and glass of red wine for me. All the staff are friendly,well trained and attentive. Top marks as usual after 39 years now!

A group of 9 of us booked a meal as part of a wedding celebration. We were seated in the bar area. The menu states pay and order at the bar- as a group of couples + friends that didn't necessarily know each other well we tried to order separately but to the same table. The barman become very flustered, quickly frustrated and incredulous that we should not send one order. One half of the table received Starters and Mains before the other half received anything. When asked when the other Starters would come out, the Waitress (perhaps the Supervisor) responded very abruptly that it was because of how we ordered it, "We had many checks from this table and they will come out in this order" If it is known that there are different tickets to the same table, is it that difficult to group them? On trying to pay- the barman said it was all on one bill and we could not split it. Even though all of our tickets had been split and delivered to the table separately? Whilst the nominated payee was at the bar, another staff member came over to ask if we had provided our room numbers for them to split the bill and assign to rooms....? It was a relief that I think everyone was happy with their meal when it came out. My starter- black pudding croquette was ok, the Fish and Chips was very good but at £19.50 I would expect table service. Perhaps it was an off night, but unfortunately following this experience I would not return. There are plenty of friendly and better value alternatives in the area.

Great stay at the The Bear Hotel. Comfortable room. Delicious food with superb service. Reception staff were very helpful.

Loved the starter, main & dessert. Love good food cooked from scratch and this fitted the bill. Will definitely return for more.

Well was this better than previous visit ? My god yes again amazing service and top food , the Miso salmon was superb followed best sticky toffee pudding I’ve ever had

I stayed here last weekend for my birthday with my partner - We had dinner & breakfast the next morning. Everything about the stay was amazing, the room was so clean, and the food was absolutely beautiful! The staff were so polite & friendly! I would recommend The Bear Hotel to anyone! We had the best weekend & look forward to visiting again!

We were looking forward to a weekend away in Crickhowell and had stayed at The Bear before. However, our recent stay was disappointing. The room, a Better Double in the annexe, was not what we expected, the bathroom was tiny, the heating didn't work and the TV aerial was broken. Breakfast was good, but dinner was awful. The same menu was used in the dining room and bar, and eating in the overspill room of the bar was dark, dingy and depressing. The menu was unimaginative, and a very poor choice for a vegetarian with an allergy to peppers!! On Saturday, we were unable to leave Crickhowell as there was a large group of Classic Car owners staying at the hotel and commandeering the small car park, and if we had moved our car, there was a large chance that we would not have been able to get back in. When we tried to give feedback whilst checking out, no real interest was shown.

What a great place, a traditional pub at its best with amazing quality rooms in keeping with the building. This place just stands out from the competition and everything is done so well especially the food.

we were touring the area and stopped here for lunch. We sat in the delightful garden, with our dogs. The staff couldn't have been better, very friendly and efficient. The lunch was very quick in coming and was excellent. The hanging baskets were stunning and really enhanced the building.

A great unique old pub with friendly efficient staff spoilt by a very drunk group of foul mouthed men sitting near the bar. Management should have intervened with the behaviour of the group. The food was very good.

This hotel exceeded my expectations. Having only visited years ago for a quick pub lunch I had no expectations except that I hoped it would be a comfortable stop for one night on the way to Anglesey. The room was very good, with added bonus if being a flat corridor out to the car park. The shower was one of the best I’ve had which is noteworthy from a very old hotel. Dinner and breakfast were both very good in the restaurant with generous portions. I’ve given 5 stars because it exceeded my expectations for an old coaching inn. I have no negative comments! It is well worth having a walk round the whole town as there are lovely buildings and views.

Stayed for one night at the Bear Hotel, Crickhowell, including breakfast. I was given a room off the main building in a seperate 'motel' style accomodation block. The room was a good size and comfortable, but there are a few points to make. For example, points off for the patchy painting job in the main room which make it look tired and the front door that does not quite fit the frame which allows cold air and noise to filter though. Another fustrating point is that there were no plug sockets or switches next to the bed, meaning that if you have a phone to charge, it will have to be done on the other side of the room and if you want to turn the lights off whilst in bed, you have to get out and turn them off at the front door and make your way back to bed in the dark. Another minor point to consider is the very loud extractor fan which faces the accomodation block from the main building kitchen, although this got turned off at about 22:00 which I was most thankful for! Points gained for the extremely comfortable bed with a matress that felt like it could have been brand new and the vast selection of hot drink sachets that surpass any hotel I've stayed in. The room and bathroom were exceptionally clean and the shower worked well with good pressure and very hot water which was very welcome. In the morning, the breakfast selection was small but tasty. The server was friendly and polite and took my order quickly. Everything seemed well cooked and I was set for the day. A few things to consider, and I would stay again if it were for just one night but I would look elsewhere for any longer than that.

Three adults for lunch. One starter, two mains, three desserts (£8 each), a pint and two double spirits and mixers (£24), Total = £94. We were shocked at the final bill. Felt a good £20 too much. But the mains were v good quality (not very large but large enough) - faggots and burger. The desserts were below par and overpriced we thought. We probably would not go there again. Staff were lovely and very helpful.

What can I say other than if 10 stars was available I would give it 10, amazing service and even better food, went for my sons birthday and starters are well presented and tasted amazing, mains was even better, one perfectly cooked sirloin and I would say the best curry I have ever eaten served with the sauce on the side so can add as much or as little as I wished, great choice of local ales and gins overall a fantastic experience and will be booking again

We had a lovely weekend stay at the hotel, we ate dinner here both nights as the food was amazing and we wanted to try as much as we could off the menu. All of the food we had was 5star, especially the beef with...

Stayed in the cottage with other couples for the weekend, rooms and service was amazing, very friendly staff always willing to help anything we needed. The food was incredible, highly recommend the lasagne and croquettes to start.

Very friendly, excellent service and the best ever roast pork dish! We have never had a roasted rack of pork that was so succulent, tender, tasty and generous in terms of portion size. It was the best pork we have ever had. The meat was...

Lovely sunday lunch in a nice pub. Very busy but accomadated us at short notice. Offered rare or well done beef. Very nice meal would return

Been to the Bear many times over the years and was curious about the school meals as mentioned in an earlier Tripadvisor thinking maybe the bear had changed hands or something Thankfully nothing had changed the lamb shank on the specials really tasty as was...

We found the staff were very welcoming, the food was excellent (recommend the beef & macaroni cheese, delicious!) a thoroughly enjoyable evening. If you want good food, a lovely atmosphere & great service in Crickhowell I definitely recommend it

I entertained my family of eight, to a sunday roast lunch at the Bear Hotel, Crickhowell. On entering the premises we were welcomed by a wonderful host, who we later found to be named Andy. The moment we arrived he greeted us and showed us...

Visited The Bear on our weekend away at the Greenman Superb Atmosphere Fantastic Food Great service Value for money Would return

School dinners served tepid and pre-cut, expensive and ghastly! Incredibly fast service producing food nobody with any taste would ever want to pay for let alone eat.

I visited here about 15 years ago and have many happy memories of a lovely family meal. Sadly…those days seem long gone! The food appears worryingly quickly to the point that it resembled a school canteen. The menu isn’t particularly exciting which is fine but...

The food we had was expensive and underwhelming. The rarebit at 8.65 was served on its own without any bit of salad. The beef in the open sandwich at 9.50 was over cooked and very thin. No hint at all of a taste of horseradish...

Disappointing you still have to order food & drink at the bar. Lovely food, Lasagne best I have ever had but normally avoid going there as you can be waiting a long time at bar to order your food and drinks. You should order food...

It's often very difficult for us to eat out, as we prefer to avoid gluten or vegan processed options, such as burgers, pastas and pizzas - 'foods' that feed dis-ease, rather than supporting our health. Options for lunch in Crickhowell were lacking, but fortunately, The...

After many lovely lunches and dinners at The Bear, we were disappointed with our food on this occasion. Our main meals arrived very quickly and two had clearly been re-heated. Desserts arrived just as quickly - it all felt really rushed and the food was...

Visited 2 weeks ago with my husband and daughter . We all had a Sunday roast in the bar area. An hour later, my daughter started complaining about stomach pains and by the evening , we were all in a lot of discomfort . I...

Dog friendly. Great pub food. Not lots of choice but what we had was well cooked and tasty. Staff were friendly and helpful

Overnight stay, we ate dinner in the bar - packed on a wet Tuesday night !! Getting through archway into car park was not for feint hearted! Beautiful hanging baskets greeted us. Bit of a quandry to find Reception - more signage might be worth...

Came recommended to us by some friends who live locally and it was well worth the 80 mile round trip to have lunch here. Faggots, mushy peas and chips for me and Lasagne for my beautiful wife. Both meals were very tasty, came served to...

The garden we sat in to eat was glorious and they have covered booths as well which would be great in mixed weather. Garden was beautiful too. It only lost one mark because the all day menu was limited and we arrived too late for...

My husband and I stayed at the Bear Hotel for 2 nights in early June, 2023, and it was great. Very old, and classic hotel, with great breakfast, and dinner too. The staff were very nice, and helpful to us, and I highly recommend this...

Food was absolutely spot on. Mussel starter 10/10 Lamb shank 10/10 seasonal veg Slow cooked beef cheek an mac odd combo but was mouth watering. Summer fruit pudding and clotted cream was amazing. The service was very good, waiter was lovely. We will be visited...

I had pan roast chicken breast here last night with a mushroom source, and I think it was the best chicken I've ever eaten. Service was gook. Very impressed

The best host, Andrew makes the whole place come alive and that’s something for a tavern from the 1400s. Amazing spot will travel here again and highly recommend and do say hi to Andrew

Met up with friends here, had very nice meal. Can reserve a table before 7pm. Good choice of food, nice atmosphere in pub.

Recommended. Great atmosphere, friendly and prompt service, food was excellent. This one is well worth the extra effort in travelling just that bit further.

Delicious meal, with excellent service and delightful staff, in this charming and welcoming place. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit, the second in the last few months.

Excellent, as always. Always impressed by the rare great service: so polite and professional. Very prompt service and the food as ALWAYS consistent and good. A classic old pud exactly as it should be.

Niet meer het niveau van weleer hoorden wij van locals, helaas achteraf. Desondanks zat deze grote pub/restaurant (tevens hotel) stampvol....

We booked into the Restaurant for our wedding anniversary. The service was great, food excellent and the pricing is brilliant. Overall extremely pleased with our visit and we will definitely be returning very soon

Very tasty well presented food in good surroundingsBooking was easy and I believe tghe meal was good value for money and very tasty

Little while since we've been here, and very pleasantly surprised. Stayed in Crickhowell many times, and had generally gone elsewhere. Our meal at the Bear was lovely, and the atmosphere has been vastly improved without losing the historic nature - the owners and staff should...

My stay was lovely, the room was very nice and bright, the bed was very comfy and it had an excellent shower. There was great food and all the staff were really friendly.

Arrived for dinner, stayed overnight and had breakfast and then lunch. Welcomed by Ruth. Nothing was too much trouble. Settled for modest cosy rooms but wanted for nothing. Everyone had a smile for us and took trouble to make sure we were happy. Fantastic building,...

The quality of the food is very poor and quite pricey for what it is. The service was extremely poor (but quick). Definitely to be avoided if there is a choice.

This is a great place for a nice meal. The food is excellent and very good value for money. Staff are friendly and the location is great for getting around this part of Wales. One of our party has complex dietary needs and the chef...

We had two lunches and two dinners here during our three night stay in Crickhowell. This is a very dog friendly hotel and dogs are welcome throughout the large pub area. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The food on all four occasions was...

We visited Crickhowell this week and dined at the Bear on our first night. I have a complex list of allergies and get very anxious about eating out. I emailed prior to booking and the chef Iain replied incredibly quick and with a compassionate and...

We popped into The Bear for Sunday lunch and got a table straight away. We all had starters - the chaps had whitebait which they said was lovely and us girls had the goats cheese filo parcel which was yummy and very filling. We then...

While visiting family in the area we we ate lunch at this hotel.When entering the pub there was a big warm fire that made the pub really welcoming on a damp April day. The staff were really friendly,we arrived around 13:00 and there was plenty...

Nous avons dîné dans ce restaurant après une randonnée dans le coin. Les différents plats étaient très bons : Welsh...

On Saturday evening we checked into the Bear Hotel and found it to be quirky and charming. We were greeted by a very friendly receptionist who showed us to a delightful courtyard room and as an added bonus were delighted to find our car was...

I was fortunate enough to stay in the Crickhowell area for a few days and was treated to dinner at The Bear on several occasions. I was not disappointed on any of the nights I had dinner The choice was exceptional. Plenty of familiar dishes...

Another lovely visit to this terrific place. The food and drink are always excellent but for anyone who enjoys high quality experiences elsewhere, it’s the service at The Bear that sets it apart. You’ll notice, I promise. Additionally, and certainly to my taste, the ambiance...

What a lovely, accommodating and tasty place to eat and drink! Friendly staff and excellent service, can’t wait to revisit, would highly recommend it when looking for somewhere to eat!

Great to return to The Bear after far too long! We failed to find a table in the bar on a Tuesday evening, but were accommodated in one of the quieter dining areas. Delighted to report that the GF chicken and curry were as good...

Very disappointed as the food standard has declined. Our soup was cold. My son ordered beefburger but description didn't say bacon which he does not eat so he had my fish and chips instead. Both my husband's and son's fish and chips were poor. Chips...

Such a disappointing return to The Bear. What was once a delight to the eye & tantalising to taste buds, has become a poor effort of bad pub grub. The 'Lasagne' bore little resemblance to the dish. A serving spoon of slop; lacking any herbs,...

We stayed in room number 34. It was admittedly a budget room, but still £135 a night!! Needs a complete renovation. The bed was tiny!! Very soft and uncomfortable! We both had really bad backs in the morning! The windows were sealed shut!! Bathroom was...

Today (Sunday 26th March 2023) I just had the best Roast Lamb sunday lunch I've ever had!! Just completed a 12mile, 6 hour walk on the Western Black Mountain Circular, starting and finishing at The Bear Hotel! All our plates were clean and i was...

Staying in Crickhowell in a airbnb, there was a recommendation to try the Bear for dinner, we were also advised to book. Booking in the bar area are up until 7pm, which wokred well for us. Plenty of waiting staff and also behind the bar....

We had such a wonderful time here. The hotel is perfectly placed for the hills and mountains and shopping, going out etc. Almost everyone at the hotel was so polite and kind and professional. Met some brilliant guests too :-) The one exception was the...

A lovely pub with a great vibe, after stopping for a pint after a days hiking we watched other diners being served food and that sold it for us. We had steaks, burger and scampi including a squid starter. All cooked perfectly and thoroughly stuffed...

Had lunch at the Bear yesterday and the place had a very different feel about it as we walked in. Couldn’t put my finger on it but it seemed to be devoid of all atmosphere that it had previously. I wondered if it had new...

This used to be a wonderful place, however, it appears that it is under new owners. The staff have gone from friendly and couldn’t do enough for the customer to damn right rude and arrogant . I certainly would not recommend this place anymore. Such...

We love this venue. Comprehensive menu catering for most tastes. Traditional furnished, open fires, very good service. Something for everyone to eat and a 'specials' menu, also good value. Good wines and beers. Dog friendly. Its a a regular venue for us.

First visit to Crickhowell and to The Bear. We ate in the bar area after a recommendation by friends as a dog friendly venue and our dog was well looked after. Lunch was very good and service quick and courteous, we will definitely visit again...

Having been up to the Brecon Beacons to revel in, and photograph, the recent snowfall, we headed for Abergavenny. As we were passing through Crickhowell about lunchtime, and having visited "The Bear Hotel" pre-pandemic, we had no hesitation in calling in for lunch. What a...

Popped in for lunch after it was recommended to us by locals. It was pretty busy but we were able to get a table near the open log fire. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was really good pub grub at a...

Ive found over the years that you can tell a lot about a place from its mushrooms. Meagre morsels or delicious dollops? ... The Bear come through triumphantly. During my stays (three different visits in the past week all with different rooms) I had mushrooms...

Refreshing to be at a restaurant that understood and took my son and daughters dairy allergy seriously. Chef made a conscious effort to ensure the dairy free meals were the same as everyone else's and staff were very kind. In the past at other restaurants...

Last year was bliss this year a total downgrade on staff and manners and tbh the room for £135 was totally awful stuck in the 70's not even a headboard £5 more than last year. Nail marks of a thousands people on the wall spider...

I actually didn’t get to eat here. After an impromptu stop off at The Bear I jumped out of the car to see if my family which included my frail mum of 92 years. I waited patiently at the bar to ask if there was...

A Fabulous Sunday Lunch at the 🐻 yesterday the roast Turkey etc was amazing with plenty of Vegetables and sauces also brought more gravy when asked will be back again in the New year Ioana and her team did us proud even when so busy...

We stayed two nights on a visit to the Brecon Beacons. The Bear is a lovely, traditional country Inn with comfortable rooms, excellent service and delicious food. Our visit was in the middle of a cold spell but the rooms were warm and welcoming. The...

While attending a wedding celebration in the area, I stayed at the Bear Hotel. Ruth had previously called me to see if I was joining them for dinner. A very nice personal touch. On arrival Ruth was there to look after my case and recommended...

Having booked the table around 2 months ago and asked for a table for four near the open fire so we could enjoy the ambiance of what the pub has to offer at Christmas time along with our two dogs we were assured at the...

Great fish and chips Lovely ambiance and a local favourite Staff catered for our requirements Recommend to come if you are visiting the area

Had a lovely night on our annual Christmas get together with friends, food really good, staff excellent, even when we were the last to leave, only drawback for us was our room, good size but very tired and needed updating so value for money not...

I’ve eaten here twice in the past month. We ate in the bar area. No booking available here just walk in. Dog friendly. Excellent customer service. Friendly and efficient. We all enjoyed our meals. I had fish pie on one visit and sea bass on...

Used to come here years ago when I was still working and loved staying here. I'm pleased to see that it has not changed hands and accommodation standards, level of service etc. are still very high. We had a room in the courtyard which was...

Went to the bear and the service was excellent and very busy ordered the bear burger which sounded amazing but when it was served it was two small burgers together totally unacceptable no taste and £14.50 a complete rip off this used to be a...

This pub was recommended to us and it is a beautiful place. However we were shoved up in a corner under some spotlights, an area which beared no resemblance to the rest of the pub, with no character or ambience which kind of took away...

We are a group of 16 people that have used the Bear as a base for a golfing trip for several years. The service and food are always excellent, staff very friendly. The rooms in the courtyard are modern and clean and yet again we...

We have come here over the years and always look forward to our return. This time, it was for our daughter's birthday - we stayed in two marvelous atmospheric rooms and the dinners were excellent. There is something so timeless about the Bear - I...

I had booked dinner in the restaurant for a special birthday and The Bear did us proud. We had a lovely round table beautifully set and the choice on the menu was excellent. All our group enjoyed the delicious food and the wine. The service...