The Hats & Barrels in Pembrokeshire

Excellent food quickly prepared. Beware I was hit with a service charge at the last minute which is a bit of a cheek as the food is pricey enough as it is.

We have eaten here for four nights during our stay in Solva, having weighed it up against the other places to eat on offer locally. The food, beer, quality of service and atmosphere has been great each time. The beer garden is also very pretty. Highly recommended.

We were booked in on Saturday evening on the last weekend in September and when we arrived we were pleased that we had booked as the place was busy. It combines bar and restaurant and both were busy. The slight disadvantage to this is that in the restaurant you still have to go to the bar to order your food, so when the place is busy you are competing with customers trying to get drinks, pay bills etc at the same time. This is quite a family friendly place and there was a real mix of clientele. As it was quite early (7-sh) there were some noisier kids around too. Combined with the fact that you tend to get a table for 6 whether you are a party of six or a couple and this means this isn't the place to go for a romantic dinner for two. Having said all this the food was great and we really enjoyed our meals with a decent bottle of wine. The place is obviously doing something right as other venues for eating in the village were noticeably quieter. And if you wait until about 8 o'cock then based on our one-off experience, it will suddenly get a lot quieter. Overall a nice meal, but be aware of hitting peak busy times.

We really looked forward to going to Hats & Barrels as it was awaiting its opening last time we were in Solva. So starting with its positives it has a very pleasant outside space overlooking the river and the staff, including the chef, are very friendly. The roadside appearance gives the impression of an old inn but once beyond the front entrance you find yourself in an area rather like a village hall which we found very disappointing. I would also say that the food was no better than average and the electronic specials board displayed offerings that really were not special.

Staff were extremely friendly! Food was great, with good variety!

It’s a tardus of a place - walk into a traditional Looking building and it opens up inside. Menu was varied, lots of fish of course, but well cooked and very fresh. We arrived at 7pm on a Saturday evening and it was ‘buzzing’ but it soon emptied out. Very pleasant evening before we walked back up hill to our BnB

Restaurant was clean, ambient and well decorated. Great amount of choice on the menu. The food was generally good, however it was let down by lack of attention to detail - example, mussels in the linguine were improperly sorted and handled resulting in some crunchy mouthfuls, beef burger was slightly overcooked and not very juicy. Service left a lot to be desired, the staff themselves were lovely but not offering table service is a miss and staff seemed inexperienced, and as a result things were missed/forgotten/slow. Overall positive and would visit again, but room for improvement.

Delicious seafood dishes, fresh ingredients and perfectly cooked. Really enjoyed the experience

Pleasant modern pub/eatery. Nice outside space & dog friendly.

Great food, great service lovely pub/restaurant and great seating outside

Wonderful food and service. We were a very large group who had pre ordered for a specific time. On arrival there was a full blown emergency occuring with an ambulance and paramedics working on a customer who had collapsed. The staff who had managed this emergency until the professionals arrived, seamlessly continued to provide incredible service. What a team!

Lovely pub with good food and a nice riverside garden at the rear

What a great place. The staff are amazing and the food is great. I probably could have won awkward customer of the year as I was asking for things off menu. The staff were great and so so accommodating. I will definitely go back.

Great place by the river, plenty of space and very good food.

What a great find! You won't be disappointed with the food or service. Beat fish pie!

Excellent service in an outstandingly clean establishment, with ample inside and outside seating.

Best fish and chips I had all holiday

Spacious, open-plan area with modern decor but trying to be something it is not (at least not yet). 1. H&Bs allowed us to make a table booking for food at 20:45 but only when you arrive do you learn the kitchen closes at 21:00. 2. We ordered quickly. However, this has to be done at the bar as there is no table service. Fine in a pub but the H&Bs is clearly trying to present as a restaurant. N.B - The barman is a good lad; the best thing about the place! 3. While two of our group were still finishing their starters a waiter asked if we would accept our main courses. We politely refused asking for ten minutes more. Frankly this is amateurish given it was barely even 21:30 on a Friday evening! If you want the restaurant clear by 22:00, don’t accept food orders for a table of six after 20:30. 4. Two of my group later informed me that when the waiter told the chef we were not ready for our mains (which were on the serving counter) the latter glared at us for about 30 seconds to make his displeasure clear. One day he will stare at the wrong person and your business will suffer an incident that will seriously damage your reputation. 5. Treating a group of six who are ready to eat and drink well, to the tune of several hundred pounds, in this way suggests a rethink of your values is required…urgently. 6. The food was reasonable but was not quite up to the prices charged (missing veg from two curries) and limited deserts. These comments are made constructively. The H&Bs has much potential but the owners seem to be trying to paint an image of a slightly upmarket restaurant which is misleading when the operating principles are those of a country pub. A clearer identity must be established in terms of the menu and pricing, operating times, service and staff behaviours.

We went for the seafood. But unfortunately, it was disappointing. The seafood itself was fresh, and it all looked very pretty. But they haven't quite got it with the flavours. We both ordered the curry... it had no punch and lacked seasoning. The rice wasn't seasoned at all, and we needed more of it, tiny portions! I asked for more curry sauce as there wasn't enough, but I didn't eat it all due to the lack of flavour, some naan or bread would have been a nice compliment to the dish. We had to work hard for the curry... mussles were still in shells... shells were broken, so I found myself crunching on the odd small bit of shell! The cravettes/king prawns were still whole and messy to eat. And I think I tasted a bit of a white fish... I'm not sure because it was just a flake. The kids were happy with their meals, but they went home hungry. We didn't stay for dessert, we already spent over £100 and wasn't willing to spend anymore there. The staff were so lovely and welcoming, always smiling. They have the right idea. It can be amazing. But it's not there yet.

I visited here with my husband, 4 year old daughter and our dog for lunch on a wet day during the summer holidays. This place is a little gem with a good menu, great food (my daughter said they were the best potatoes she has ever had!) and a lovely atmosphere. Its light, airy and modern decor make it an inviting place to be even on rainy days. The service was exceptional and nothing was too much trouble, even providing my daughter with some water in a pot for her to do some painting whilst we waited for lunch to be cooked. We can’t wait to return!

Now, if we could have stayed longer, we would have had some food because the food that was coming out looked absolutely delicious. We had no cash for the carpark, so we could only stay for 30 minutes for free. Quick cup of coffee it was. Now, when you cross the threshold into this establishment, you get a sense of wow this looks nice. Beautiful setting backs on to a stream covered in Giant Brazilian rhubarbs, which you would think are endemic to Brazil, but no, they're growing wildly on the banks of this waterway. Lovely spot, lovely environment and the staff were very friendly and warm just wish we had more time. Next time we'll make sure we've got some spare change to try the food.

Delicious food, wonderful service.

We were staying outside Solva for our holiday, and visited this place one evening. We were surprised with how big the venue was, from the outside it looks small, but it just keeps on going once you get in. The service was good as well, all very friendly. Two ordered the vegetable bake, which they said was their favourite meal of their holiday. 1 had a burger, which was their best meal, another had fish and chips which was there favourite meal of the week, and I had chicken skewers, which I thoroughly enjoyed! We are heading back again tomorrow as we enjoyed it that much! Oh, and their chips?! I'm not sure what shape they are, but they're perfect for dipping, their like spoon shaped, it's so weird, but they're lovely!

A poor standard of food. I ordered the chilli and lime marinated salmon, courgette pepper and red onion skewer. I was expecting the vegetables to be on the skewer in a decent size but they were cut up smaller than a postage stamp to make a tiny chargrilled (burnt) salad on the plate. As it was burnt, I was unable to eat it. The salmon didn't taste of chilli or lime at all. The rest of my party had the seafood linguine. The pasta was all clumped together so hadn't been stirred when cooking and the sauce had no flavour. So a very poor standard of food. The place is slightly unusual in that it looks like a pub for about 2 metres then you step into an incredibly bright bar area like a restaurant. So not sure what it's trying to be. It looks fancy but is definitely not. The service at the bar was however, very good.

What a find!! Great place, good mix of locals and holidaymakers, food was stunning and excellent atmosphere all round, definitely be back, thank you!

First time here but we visit Solva regularly and this is a terrific place. Chris on the bar and his team are so warm and welcoming. Delicious affordable cocktails and food with lovely service from a smiley young team. And the best chips we’ve had for years! Highly recommend - and we will be back!

Very well furnished pub/restaurant which has clearly had a lot of money spent on it. Service was really friendly - we sat out on the rear terrace where the tables are well spaced out. Food was good/tasty but a little pricey for the area. Portions are not huge either.

Our first time - lovely light airy space . Busy - but excellent service - really lovely young staff . Delicious lunch . Such a good menu to have sandwiches and ciabattas - don’t always want a big meal . Highly recommend . Thanks so much

We ate twice here both lunch and evening meal. The food was amazing beautifully presented. Excellent service friendly staff. Highly recommend.

Loved it, absolutely the best food really enjoyed it. Friendly staff and reasonable prices. Mind you 45quid for a 6oz stake is a bit much

Staff were very friendly and the service was excellent. Our whole party thoroughly enjoyed their meal. I ordered the salmon off the specials, and it was absolutely spot on.

We became for a meal last night we didn’t realise that it would be bad for us to be a later booking. We didn’t mind the wait at all we understood and it was lovely to have our dog with us. Three had skewers one chicken one halloumi one salmon. Our son had a burger. The salmon and burger were lovely but my chicken and side of carrots were cold and my daughter’s halloumi cold. I didn’t have chips but apparently they were hot and fine. I didn’t get the sauce I asked for but that was no big deal it is more the fact I was eating cold carrots and chicken. Obviously a busy night but even so….

Visited twice this week. Both times staff were helpful, friendly and efficient. Food was fantastic and it's a well kept, great venue with a fantastic atmosphere.

Would highly recommend this beautiful gastro place in Solva .. Went back for a Wonderful meal after the Prostate Cymru walk 🚶‍♀️ 💙🩵 located on the High Street just off the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path .. so worth those extra footsteps on finding this hidden gem 👌 your staff are lovely and a credit to your establishment 🥇🙌 👏 and thank you kindly to the owner for giving all walkers for Prostate Cymru a lovely send off bacon bap in the morning 👌💙🩵💙🫵 and if your a male over 50 reading this ask your doctor for a routine PSA test on your next visitation 💙🩵💙🙌 namaste

Great food and drink, restaurant with a smart interior and lovely beer garden by the river. The seafood curry was delicious!

Shocking for what was Fish Chips, mushy peas warm not hot, fish very brown dry inside, chips dry crispy ( it appeared to have been left cooked on side then dunked in fat again. Won’t be returning anytime soon. 😔

Great food and lovely staff! The veggie gratin was super tasty. The only downside I'd consider is that for £16 a veggie meal, the place is a bit expensive for the area.

Great food . Very friendly staff. Anytime again.

Nice restaurant, dog friendly, large rear garden area. The food menu had a good choice of options with some gluten free dishes. Friendly staff and a good range of local beers and gins. Well worth a visit.

Very popular pub, so definitely book. Food is delicious, so price a little higher but well worth it. Staff helpful and do all they can to ensure you have a good visit.

Good wholesome food that reminds you of your mother’s cooking, with a good atmosphere.

Very enjoyable hour out of the sun. Quiet but it was a very sunny day

Ordered the root vegetable gratin. Came SERIOUSLY over cooked and nearly sent it back and should have done - looks inedible and it was! Will not be returning.

Nice large and recently renovated pub with beer garden at the rear

A disappointing meal out, characterised by style over substance. The pub has clearly had a lot of money spent on it, but it completely lacks warmth and character. The main dining room is light and airy, but is soulless, more like an old school canteen. The staff didn’t help matters either; although they took food and drink orders without issue, there was no smile, warmth or any attempt to make me feel welcome. Food was a mixed bag, with the calamari starter and chicken Caesar salad both good, but the haddock and chips was over cooked. The batter was very dark brown and the fish had become chewy. Nobody came to check on things after the food had been delivered, and I wasn’t inclined to complain as we’d have ended up eating our meals at different times. I wish the pub all the best, but they need a manager in place who knows what good looks like and who will drive the improvements they need.

Fantastic place very clean and well decorated very dog friendly, the only part of the pub that dogs aren't aloud is the carpeted area which is small compared to the rest of the pub. The food is lovely good size portions and hot Great selection of wines and beers, the Chardonnay was good along with the Double Dragon. We will definitely be returning and 100% recommend

I can't tell you what the food was like as I waited a good 5 minutes while 3 women stood behind the bar not serving anyone and doing their best not to see me. One actually stared at me and still didn't serve me. I walked out making it clear why. Do these people actually want their pub to be successful or is the problem they don't need to be on the ball. Wouldn't ever go there again.

Fresh and tasty food, a very nice garden and friendly service.

Light airy pub, tables well spaced out. Food was delicious, my partner had fish pie which was very good and I had the root veg gratin/bake. Finished off sharing a passionfruit cheesecake with mango sorbet. All prepared well, we sat in line with the open area of kitchen. Mealsgoing to other tables looked very good as well. There was also a generously size outside area which would have been lovely on a warmer day! All in all a very nice place for lunch. Recommended!

Nice place with good outside area. Looks friendly. We read some of the reviews which were good and looking for a place where we could have some seafood. Ordered a seafood platter (45£) and me and my gf thought we would get a nice treat, then to realise it was a really bad choice specially for the price we had paid. Although, it was not terrible most of the food was meh. Crab pâté didn’t taste too much like crab tbh. The cockles were mixed with seaweed (I think) didn’t look great. Prawns were served peeled no skin, probably from frozen and only 6 come. For the price asked you expect the chef to sautéed them on the skin with garlic and olive oil. And white bait the plate came half full (white bait is cheap as chips). If you see the photo taken of the platter and take out the bread and the 2 ramekins of mayo. There isn’t too much food left. In total 56£ with 2 beers. Not worth it at all, we left the place very disappointed.

Great new addition to Solva food and drink scene

Nice pub with a beautiful open area overlooking a stream. I appreciate their efforts in trying to offer something different from the usual pub food but personallyni thought we weren't there in terms of flavours and I found the prices a bit steep for what was offered. Again I can see they're trying but for me there's still work to do on the food. We ordered fish and chips (£17 (or £18) for a fish and chips?), the dish of the day (grilled sea bass I think it was) was good but I wasn't blown away, and then the dessert was ok but nothing to write home about. Overall I found it a bit expensive and the price didn't match what I ate but I do appreciate the effort. Plus the location is great and the staff really nice.

Loved our experience here! Very accommodating and tweaked a meal to suit me, which alot of places wouldn't do. The staff who served us were all great, very attentive Lovely clean modern pub/restaurant, 100% the best in Solva. We'll be back!

Wonderful food Fish pie to die for and a REAL Caesar salad that had everything in it and was very fresh The area for eating is tremendous with outside areas which are clean, modern and comfortable with the atmosphere of Solva and its surroundings supremely integrated in

Good, service and ambience were all very good.

I love the place, the menu selection, specials, bustling atmosphere, the outdoor areas, easy parking, sparkling toilets and the sleek decor all contribute to a memorable night out. The 4 stars for service is to recognise that it isn't table service, you do need to go to the bar each time. A final plus is that it is located in the beautiful natural harbour of Solva

Makings of a really cool bar with good food. Marked it down as my ceasar salad didn't come with anchovies. Need to concentrate on what your serving up or say they aren't available. Apart from that I doubt you'd be disappointed. Here's to a good summer for you.

Great pub with different food. Excellent service and great atmosphere.

A lovely spot in Solva, modern interior, amazing outdoor space overlooking the river and wonderful food!

If my wife was writing this reviews she would give 5 stars all the way, but it didn't quite make it for me. We ate early with no reservation over BH weekend, so that was a great start, we only popped in for a pint, but food looked so good we couldn't resist and weren't disappointed. Very light and airy feeling pub with a nice looking beer garden we didn't use.

Surprisingly large modern interior for a small village pub.

The food was great and the staff were very nice. Also Dog friendly and it had a fab beer garden.

We had lunch at the Hats and Barrels partly because it is a relatively new pub in Solva but mainly because it's one of the very few places in the area offering a vegan option. We had two vegan burgers which were very tasty. The staff were very friendly and the pub itself is very new and beautifully finished. As the eating area is very open and bright and all the tables are benches seating about 8 people it's not quite the cosy olde world atmosphere I prefer but it is very nice. There are tables at the front of the building that are cosier and smaller but my wife wanted the light. So basically a very nice new pub catering for all tastes both in food and atmosphere.

Very tasty food... definitely try the cockles & laverbread and the fish pie...

Enjoyed a great meal here in April 2024. The pub has had extensive works done and what looks like a lot of money spent to get it to the high standard attained. The outside riverside area will be lovely in the summer.

Excellent food and excellent friendly service. The curried cauliflower soup was superb!

The service was amazing and the food was outstanding. Highly recommend a visit.

Food was lovely, atmosphere was great. Loved sitting next to the log burner - it was very cosy

Wonderful food Wonderful atmosphere Great attention to detail clean Brilliant staff Good value for money Solva is also a beautiful harbour to visit

10/10 food, service and atmosphere. We had the chicken and it was so delicious! One of the best Sunday roasts around, can’t wait to come back.

Excellent Sunday lunch today👍 staff excellent as always food is always good here but first time for Sunday lunch will definitely be back . Not your standard peas and carrots everything cooked slightly under which was perfect and tasted amazing thank you for being so accommodating for my mum who has dementia 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Great service and delicious food!

We were keen to see the new establishment in the group having been around when their first venue in Porthgain got started some 36 years ago. It’s a very attractive pub/restaurant. The staff and food are excellent. Unfortunately I chose a dish that was too spicy for me 🫣. The mangeress couldn’t have been more understanding. It was my own fault but I was treated brilliantly. Thank you, 10 out of 10! Congratulations Matthew and Co. Roy & Val Albin

Called for morning coffee. Lovely coffee, friendly staff. Commercially produced dry scones served with cornish cream(why?) Cheap jam. Shame the chefs preparing for what looks like a delicious lunch service, can't bake home made scones or a cake or two

Nice new eating place in the main street in Solva. Lovely welcome and friendly staff. Most of our party were happy with their food, curry, fish pie and various skewers. People with the prawn skewers were happy, the halloumi skewers were enjoyed but the belly pork skewers, although tasty, were as tough as old boots. I struggled to cut mine and had to chew for what seemed like forever. At the end of the meal I did tell the server that the belly pork was very tough and he said he would tell them in the kitchen and that was the end of that!

Lovely spot for a relaxed dinner, pub atmosphere . Good range of dishes on the menu, suitable for all tastes and diets.

This is a modern, tastefully built pub/restaurant that opened in 2023. They have a good sized garden at the back with plenty of tables. I had a very good pint of Guinness. No bitter taste. One of the best you get in Wales. The food was pretty good. I had the fish pie & veg. The pie could have had a bit more sauce in it as it was a tad dry. Didn’t have an amazing taste but it was good. The other half had a veggie curry with rice. She is an expert on veggie food. It lacked substance and by that it mean it lacked variety of contents. Needed tofu or quarn or chick peas & some other bits in it. I don’t think the pub understands veggie dishes sufficiently based on what we had.

We had a lovely time at The Hats and Barrel for New Years Eve celebrations, and the service was fantastic and the staff were very welcoming.

Lovely delicious meal. The steak, hulomi and belly pork gorgeous. Chips to die for. The burnt carrots also delicious. Staff were friendly, polite and attentive. Cant wait to go back.

Very cosy lunch by the fire . Good food , fantastic service . Nice coffee too. Clean and tidy , staff well organised and a nice atmosphere.

Lovely place. Ate 3 of our 5 nights stay in Solva.

Excellent coffee and cake. Polite staff.

Really wanted to enjoy this place as family had eaten here before.. But unfortunately we had a roast on Sunday which was beef . The beef was so tough that it was so hard to cut and chew. My dinner was lukewarm, and the extra gravy was cold. I do think £3.95 is a bit much for cauliflower cheese (extra) . It was lovely set up for the summer with lots of seating and Riverside views, but unfortunately, food is not up to par.

Lovely pub and restaurant it's so fresh beautifully laid out with gorgeous oak beams. The food is excellent and the presentation is great. There's a lovely patio area with tables in the back garden which is accessed through large patio doors. I really enjoyed the chicken with beautiful mash, vegetables and mushroom and tarragon sauce delicious.

Visited here while on a short break in Solva visiting friends. It was a themed Mexican evening and it was top notch. Great food, good value for money. Great atmosphere. Highly recommend

We were five friends who visited the Hats & Barrels last Friday evening, the food and service was excellent, on arrival we had a warm welcome as was the log fire. We would recommend eating here.

Let's start with the good points. The venue looks great, good selection of drinks and log burner roaring away in the corner. Now the bad points - Starter (Chicken wings) were awful, tasted like they had been microwaved. Mains weren’t much better, stale bread, undercooked potatoes, overcooked and tasteless mussels. I had high expectations but was left really disappointed with the food.

We visited this bar restaurant 3 nights in a row! It was a surprising find in Solva as there were several pubs ti chose from but this was the friendliest. The staff were all cheerful, helpful and made us feel really welcome. The food was great too- everything we had was so well cooked- even burgers and accompaniments were done to a high standard. Skewer and flatbread dishes were also v tasty. We found this to be a great place to visit during our stay- I would highly recommend

Good service, very clean, small but good menu, locally sourced fresh food, delicious. Welcomed our dogs and a really nice evening spent here.

We were staying in St David's, so were looking for somewhere close to eat out. Thought we'd give The Hats and Barrels a try as the reviews looked pretty good. The food was excellent and the service was just as good. It's not long been refurbished and it was very clean and tidy. Would thoroughly recommend coming here for a meal.

Called in for the first time as this is a new venue. They have done a great job refurbishing the interior and building an outdoor patio with an elevated section overlooking the river. Quaint tree lights outside and quality leather chairs and wooden tables inside and out. Ordered knickerbocker glory, tea and coffee. The sundae was excellent with berries, icecream and nuts. Much more inventive then your usual icecream with some fruits offering. Coffee was excellent and the pot of tea for one was great. Whole lot came to about £13, which was really good value for money. Will definitely visit again and order food next time. A much needed addition to the village. Well done! 👍 ❤️

Great staff, lovely atmosphere.

What a lovely place to visit. Stopped in for a swift drink whilst staying local to Solva. The place has had a refurb in June and they've done a great job. The whole place was inviting and welcoming with a lovely log fire going. Great selection of drinks and food however we weren't stopping for food but the menu looked good. Theres a lovely beer garden towards the back with great views. If ever passing though I would definitely stop by again.

My first time at the hat's and barrels and was very impressed with the service and the food

Had Sunday lunch here, it was great.

Although this is a new restaurant in a very busy tourist area, we did not expect perfect service or food. But overall, although the service was friendly and good and fast, the food was pretty awful - mussels were dry with little taste, the Caesar salad was just overloaded with sauce. The good items was the chicken wings which were tasty. I would not recommend unfortunately as this area needs high quality restaurants

Had a fantastic meal at Hats and Barrels last night - we had the mussels, and seafood chowder with a side order of chips - the food was delicious! Highly recommend!

It's refreshingly new and open plan although looks like theming is not quite complete and will develop over time. The food menu had some unique dishes (mussels with pasta and belly pork on a skewer were popular) and flavours and the open front kitchen add back ground entertainment I suppose. Service was attentive and kind... There is plenty of scope for live entertainment and private events outside of the summer season.

Ate here whilst on holiday for the week, we sat in the cosy area and not the large open area which we preferred, very spacious if you’re bringing your dog with you which we did, service was friendly, food was really good, and a lovely pub/restaurant, we didn’t go outside but looks a nice area to sit. Good menu choices with specials also on , really enjoyed our visit and Solva is beautiful.

Great place to go for food and the staff had it spot on! Definitely a place I'd go for Sunday lunch.