The Lost ARC Cafe in Powys

Travelling today from North Wales to Cardiff to visit our son - we decided to stop somewhere different for something to eat. Found this hidden gem. Lovely atmosphere, welcoming staff and a really tasty breakfast!! We will definately be stopping here again!

Fab position and ambience,very comfortable and roomy as well as great outdoor spots Fab staff, friendly and efficient Fab food, well cooked , good value and great taste

Came here for a quick breakfast with my partner. I had a gluten free small Welsh - minus the sausage but extra bacon instead. The gluten free toast was really tasty! My partner has a normal diet and had the full Welsh breakfast. We had a mocha and cup of tea to drink which were both delicious too. Really great place and would come again if we visit the area in the future! My partner's Full Welsh breakfast is pictured - I was too excited to eat it to remember to take a photo!

Great little place with an amazing atmosphere and really friendly staff. Young brunette ( sorry I didn't get your name) was the best server and couldn't do enough to help us! Only problem is occasionally the wait .. now we don't mind waiting for good food and it was all cooked to order and absolutely delicious , but at times the drinks were arriving well after we had finished eating or not at all.

What a great find whilst spending a Bank Holiday in Rhayader. Love the community feel with alternative food options including vegan and gluten free. Stone baked pizza was wonderful, staff were great, super friendly. A lovely relaxed evening with good food. The puds were amazing too, don't miss out on the lemon and blueberry polenta cake, lush!

What a little gem The Lost Arc is. Had two lovely meals…one Sunday lunch, a tasty nut roast with roasted vegetables. The other was Friday pizza night, the best pizza I’ve ever had! Garlic base vegan pizza, really thin crisp base, just delicious. We had a side salad to accompany which was stunning. Fresh homemade food and really reasonable prices. The atmosphere is great too and the staff really friendly. Seems like a great community feel, quite bohemian. Loved it!

We ate here 3 times on our weekend in Rhayader. Lunch and breakfast x 2. Their salad is beautiful, others had Welsh Rarebit and said it was excellent. Smoothies are delicious, and I hear their coffee is good. Highly recommend eating here.

Everything was perfect. The food was great, service was friendly and our dog was more than welcome. I've recently been put on a Migraine diet and finding somewhere that has more than one option for me for breakfast/lunch is hard. Here I had so many options including smoothies that avoid citrus, banana and pineapple. 100% recommend for anyone with dietary needs. Wish we didn't live so far away!

An absolutely fabulous spot, tucked away. Friendly staff, dog friendly and amazing wood fired pizzas on Friday night. Fantastic value. Really enjoyed 😄

We were meeting friends here to travel onwards to the Kite feeding Centre. This is a quirky cafe but dog friendly with enough space to accommodate nine people at a table. The food was fine and four vegetarians managed to find something to eat. Parking was a bir of a problem but somehow we all got sorted. I had a salad bowl with a lump of hoummous but nothing to put it on. Quite a lot of the group had Welsh Rarebit and seemed very happy with their food. I would not go out of my way to visit this place again but if you find yourself here and manage the parking you will be ok. PS We had three dogs with the group and they were well looked after by the cafe. Some leftover sausages came our way which made the dogs very happy!

Love this place! Great atmosphere & interesting selection of cakes. Vegan options are to be treated with caution though. A bit hit & miss but other cakes are consistently good. Coffee is excellent & pizza nights on Fridays are well worth booking in for. Sunday lunches are also good. Apparently the breakfasts are superb but I’ve yet to try them myself. A mellow, chilled and friendly cafe tucked away o outskirts of town definitely always the cafe of my choice.

My husband & I visited here today for breakfast. I can highly recommend both the food and the service. The staff were very helpful and friendly. The food was delicious. Perfect visit on our way to visit the Elan dam

The cafe itself is very quaint and has a nice vibe about it, the staff were super friendly however the biggest let down was the wait, we only ordered two coffees and two slices of cake but had to wait 15/20 minutes for them to arrive. It is also very reasonably priced.

A welcome find whilst most other places seemed to be closed. However, disorganised inddor seating arrangement which meant we were sat by the front door which didn't close properly. Other option was to sit on an indoor balcony which was also freezing. Food was very average and low quality ingredients. Bacon was hard and sausages were cheap. Wouldn't return.

Love the Lost Arc. Great for quick lunch with friends, Sunday lunch with family, meat eaters & vegans all well served. Pizza nights & occasional special dinners... Oh & excellent yummy cakes too. Def worth searching them out.

I’ve commented on another post that perhaps Rhayader is not quite how it sells itself but this place was great. Tucked away on the side of town towards Elan visitor centre. A bit higgledy piggledy inside but that is part of the charm. I had a rarebit on a doorstep that was good. The side salad was amazing, I have never finished a side salad before, beetroot braised with apple plus fennel, so much care has gone into this. My wife had peanut butter on toast, tasted homemade, excellent whatever. Great cup of tea too, and lovely staff, top marks.

Arranged to meet friends who had been here before. Excellent breakfast. Rather a slow service but it was busy. Worth waiting for. We'll come again if in area. Also of note, an interesting riverside walk from the car park. Recommended.

Lovely, friendly place used by locals and visitors alike. Local produce cooked really nicely. We had breakfast, then returned on Sunday for a roast dinner. Delicious. Dog friendly too!

I had brunch here on a bike tour and loved it so much that I returned for lunch, coffee and cake later in the week and then their open mic night! This place is an absolute gem.

I am lucky enough to live about 20 mins drive from this great whole food cafe. So many Vegan/Veggie/Gluten Free options. I visit as often as I can and the food is always delicious and wholesome. The coffee is the best for miles around served in THE BEST CUPS EVER (this is very important to some people) The homemade cakes are simply wonderful. Super friendly helpful staff and fab location for cyclists/walkers rest stop. I cannot recommend it enough! 🤩👏❤️🥗

Great food, very good vegetarian options Service and location very good Catering for the health conscious and those who just like good food cooked well Tucked away off the Main Street

Pit stop on the way to Aberystwyth, pulled over for a coffee. Amazing little cafe- great coffee/ hot chocolate was fabulous. Didn’t have time for food but looked delicious. Seating outside was lovely, especially in the sun. Well done.

Actually I am loath to write a rave review, for the sole reason it will be even harder to get in. We booked for Sunday lunch and quite frankly it was the best we've had since before COVID! The beef tasted of BEEF, proper burnt bits and the flavour of a grass fed and nurtured animal. The veggies were perfect, cooked well and no cloggy artery thickening sauce on the cauli. Service friendly and helpful, oh and the pud was just right, a pear and apple crumble. Delicious coffee too. What's not to like. Thank you Arc

We ate here for Sunday lunch and really enjoyed our visit. We had popped in the Friday before to book and the team couldn’t be more helpful. We were visiting with our dog who can be excitable; we were able to reserve a perfect out of the way table. One of us had the roast pork and the other had the vegetarian option which was a mushroom and Guinness pie - both very tasty. We look forward to eating here again next time we visit the area.

Chose to visit here for brunch. Friendly staff on arrival. Excellent breakfast - we had the welsh and veggie options. Good prices too. Would return

Beautiful setting, just a really lovely atmosphere. Beautiful paintings on sale too. The range of breakfast/brunch options was great with veggie and vegan options which I was very pleased about! The bread used for the toast was incredible 😍

My family and I came for a visit to try the much revered Sunday lunch on offer at The Lost Arc Café. We were not disappointed. Most of us opted for the wood-fired slow cooked pulled pork which was absolutely melt in the mouth, smothered in proper pork Gravy. I must say the crackling was out of this world, beautifully crunchy and not too salty - a resounding murmur of approval echoed round the table as we all tucked in. My sister in law had the healthy salad bowl for which the chef came out to enquire how she wanted the dish tailored to her tastes and recommended a fabulous pomegranate syrup which complimented the meal beautifully. The portion sizes were spot on, leaving you perfectly satisfied and most importantly with room for pudding. On offer was a rather striking sounding strawberry, pineapple and coconut Crumble for which 2 of us opted with cream. Beautifully warm and inventive flavours made it a real treat. There were various other cakes, all of which vegan much to our amazement. I went in for a classic Welsh Bara Brith with a good helping of butter which was delicious. The others enjoyed a rather beautiful jaffacake cake! Accompanied with a silky smooth milk ice cream. The staff couldn't have been more attentive, very helpful with their recommendations and made every effort to ensure a delightful experience. We will be back soon.

Myself, partner and family have been coming to the lost arc for many years now, I drive an hour there and back for my breakfast when I have around 15 different cafes within a 20 min drive so that tells you something! The staff are...

Enjoyed a lovely roast beef here at The Lost Arc today, accommodated me and my wife even though I’d booked the completely different (wrong) date. Most accommodating friendly and all round amazing customer service and quality of food. Thank you.

Went for lunch sandwich was lovely and my hot chocolate really enjoyed it. Staff friendly and the seating area comfy and there was lots of seating. Really cosy with the park and river near by for a nice walk after.

We popped in for lunch this afternoon and I could not be more impressed! My usual meat eater husband had mushroom burger (there are meat options available) which was incredible! I had a jacket potato but the side salad was the true star if the...

This place is utterly charming. Lovely food, great service. One of the best breakfasts I’ve had. I’d be in all the time if I lived in the area. Top notch!

The best vegan ginger cake I’ve ever eaten…I’ll be back to definitely sample some of their other cakes. Lovely ambiance, staff and coffee!

Visited this place for breakfast, waited an hour for our food. The food was lovely when it did arrive however the wait put me off visiting again.

Not from the area but combined a short tour of mid Wales with a musical evening at The Lost Arc. Great small venue with a friendly atmosphere for musical events. Would definitely return.

We called for a light lunch & really enjoyed our visit. The cafe is tucked away but still seemed quite busy with every age. We ordered coffee’s, which were very good, nothing weak or wishy washy, and also a selection of food. Our friends chose...

Dropped in on way home from Rhayader relaxed atmosphere ordered a breakfast wrap which was really tasty wife is coeliac but had plenty of gf options definitely worth a visit

Wonderful Sunday lunch with excellent service. Everything was cooked very well and the staff couldn’t be more helpful. We’ll come again!

The food was delicious with a great range on for breakfast. The staff were wonderful and extremely dog friendly which was great. I would recommend to anyone visiting the local area.

Fantastic food and such a great atmosphere. The cakes are just to die for, lots of amazing vegan food too which is such a treat after a week of standard pub chip dinners. Couldn't recommend this place more, we will be coming back to the...

Haven’t had a cooked breakfast for years and this one didn’t let us down. Local produce not at all greasy, proper hunk of bread for toast and amazing coffee. Will definitely be going back when we visit. Staff all lovely as well.

We ate there on Friday for the pizza which was lovely and couldn’t resist the wood fired roast on Sunday. Hands down the best beef roast I’ve had, that I didn’t make myself! 😂 Would definitely recommend this quirky cafe/restaurant. Very good value for money.

Best place in town to spend some time with coffee, cake or something more substantial. Lovely staff, great food...all in a relaxing environment. Sorry wee missed the gig.

We had lunch. I had the Fishfinger Sandwich which was tasty. My boyfriend had the cheese sandwich. The food was on the pricey side, but it was nice and I would definitely eat here again. We had a dog and sat outside in the garden,...

We went to the Arc for lunch and something a bit different . The quiche was excellent but be warned the fish finger sandwich is massive . I was encouraged by the server to have a side salad as” it’s just a sandwich “ but...

Stumbled over this place looking for somewhere for Sunday lunch. Lovely people, lovely space, lovely food and great value. Will be coming back to sample the pizza menu, the breakfast and everything else in between.

What an amazing venue and cafe. We were very surprised to find such a place that catered for everyone. Cake and coffee were excellent as was the building and staff

Found this place almost by chance as we were passing through Rhayader en route to South Wales. Fantastic coffee, reasonable prices, friendly and conversational staff.

Great quirky place with loads of character. Smoothie was lovely and ploughmans was chunky with lovely bread, cheese and homemade chutney. Hope to visit one Friday evening when open to 9.

We stopped at the Lost Arc on our way to the Elan Valley: it’s an amazing little place, with lots of seating and options for inside or out. The menu was broad and accommodating to most requirements - and the welch rarebit gorgeous. Definitely somewhere...

We stopped here for breakfast a while back. It was first class, the coffee was fantastic, and the service was great.

After a long drive we needed some refreshments. I found the lost arc on Google maps and it looked lovely. Well hidden down a side road it is an absolute wonder if a place. The staff were very friendly and the location is stunning. The...

Found this place quite by chance and how fortunate we were! I had the Welsh rarebit with a tasty salad, and my wife a veggie sandwich with glasses of apple juice! A very reasonable price and attentive service! Highly recommended - if you can find...

Hidden away down a small side street , what a gem of a find. Friendly attentive staff, delicious food and the coffee was excellent 🙂

Stopped off for a quick coffee and piece of cake before the days cycle ride. Both were absolutely delicious. Good value for money.

Brilliant local restaurant, delicious meals, coffee and cakes. Would recommend a visit on a dry day to sit in the garden. Lovely staff and plenty of them.

A brilliant (and quirky) cafe and art centre. Great vegan options - I’d recommend the full vegan breakfast! Really friendly staff, and great value. And right on the doorstep of the Cambrian mountains. Easily the find of our holiday so far!

Booked a Sunday roast following the good reviews and was not disappointed. Nice portion size and great variety of vegetables. Also had great desserts. If were ever in the area again will visit and try other things on the menu.

Was so glad to find this little gem of a place having struggled for good vegan options on our weekend away. I visited with my Mum, she had mushrooms on toast which she said was lovely and I had the Full Vegan which was great....

Outstanding cafe in Rhayader with lovely staff, dog friendly & the finest coffee that we’ve ever drunk in Wales, just fantastic. Nice local food, with a varied & interesting menu that we loved. We will be back!

Cannot recommend this place enough! Great options for vegans, vegetarians and meat lovers alike. Tucked away with its own car parking, we chose to eat our lunch here on the penultimate day of our trip to Wales as it was about 10-15 mins drive away...

We just had the best roast dinner. Vegetarian and meat - It was all tasty, well cooked, came with a range a fresh veg and was throughly enjoyed by everyone in our group. We asked for extra veg which came within minutes, no problem, even...

Visited this very popular cafe this week and was very impressed with the service and food. I had the homemade 3 Bean Chilli, which was lovely. The side salad served with it was fresh and crispy. I saw several doorstep sandwiches being served at other...

We had 2 amazing breakfast here over 2 days. We loved it!! Staff were extremely helpful and friendly. The food was to die for!! My vegetarian breakfast consisting veg sausage, egg, beans, mushrooms and spinach was divine. My friend's Welsh one was too. We had...

Absolutely beautiful location, beautiful people, delicious food and drinks. Don’t sleep on this one - go as soon as you can. Genuinely the nicest breakfast I’ve ever had. We are coming back for lunch. It’s lovely to support a family business. Even the plates are...

So glad we found this wonderful dog friendly cafe whilst visiting Rhayader. Lovely quirky building with great atmosphere inside and out. Friendly staff and a delicious Sunday lunch. Thank you, such a great finish to our trip to Wales....loved it so we will be back.

We made a special trip for lunch here because of the good reviews. On the plus side the staff were very friendly. On the negative side the service was slow. Even a simple drinks order took almost 10 minutes to arrive. The food was more...

On a few day's break we called in to The Lost ARC for breakfast - we had the full Welsh and a full veggie breakfast. The food was top-notch, service was attentive and friendly. We ate outside, listening to the sound of birds and the...

Came up to Rhayader for a week’s holiday and were fortunate to discover this lovely cafe on our first day. The food is fabulous and the staff are so friendly and helpful. Have already visited twice in two days and plan more afternoon visits before...

We called into this lovely, tucked away cafe after mountain biking and really glad we did! We were welcomed so warmly by all staff who were extremely accommodating. Lovely food and drinks, efficient and caring service! Couldn’t have asked for more! Thank you for making...

On holiday in the area and decided on some lunch. Saw the signs and ‘free’ parking notice. Decided to try & glad we did. I had a brie & bacon sandwich, my wife the soup of the day & tea for 2. All very nice,...

attended the morning before we went to leave wales shame we did not find it sooner. they are the dog friendly which is handy we had the little bird would recommend for a good breakfast meal. the coffee were excellently made would recommend strongly for...

service was excellent, as well as food and drinks, also very well organised for social distancing.Hand sanitiser available.

Delicious home cooked food,this place is fabulous. A good variety of food on offer,from roasts to salads (amazing!) to Welsh rarebit. And the crumble was to die for-the cook even went to the effort to make custard for us. Very reasonably priced. Lovely garden to...

Delicious pizza, yummy cakes and such a friendly and relaxing atmosphere. Interesting history behind the building and a lot of hard work going into the renovations. We hope to return again.

We had Sunday lunch sitting in the lovely garden. The food was incredible- all homemade. The vegetarian roast was the best we had ever had, the salads were amazing, the deserts and cakes delicious and very generous and the service was excellent. There were 6...

Perfect setting outdoors in the sun - friendly staff - lovely wraps, coffee and scones Loads of butterflies

Lovely setting with friendly staff. They were very busy when we went and there was a delay but totally worth the wait! Great coffee and flapjack was amazing. Well done we will return

What a wonderful gem! We found this cafe with the help of another cafe in Rhayader as we had dogs with us and they could accommodate us! The staff were friendly, the service was relaxed and the tea and cakes we had were absolutely delicious!...

Upon arrival I stood next to the sign ‘please wait here to be seated’ though I was a little uncomfortable because it was situated very close to an occupied table. It was clearly a busy day so I was expecting a bit of a wait....

This place is hidden and cute, not hugely busy which is great (I hate crowded noisy places) me and my partner had breakfast here and delightful it was. Decent choice and cooked perfectly. Added benefit of being doggo friendly 😊 The coffee in my opinion...

Very friendly, quirky cafe. All day welsh breakfast delicious, soup, sandwiches etc. Dog friendly, free parking

Stumbled upon this gem of a cafe on a soggy February afternoon after visiting the stunning Elan resevoirs. We had the best lemon drizzle cake we have ever tasted and a mug of delicious warm milky coffee. The kids had hot chocolate with marshmallows -...

Stopped into the only cafe we saw open on a Sunday lunchtime and it did not disappoint. The menu is small but good. The service was quick and friendly and food was very tasty. All clearly homemade. Every table was full. There was a small...

Passing after a tour of the elan valley and the sign just caught our eye, what a fantastic little cafe, the full welsh breakfast was perfect, and eggs royal were sublime, helpfully friendly staff and a lovely relaxed atmosphere

Stopped here after a drive round the reservoirs, lovely warm welcome and the smell of fresh pizza was naughty. Cooked indoors on a wood fired proper pizza oven. Best flat white ever and the pizza was wicked.

Came here for breakfast with family. The staff were welcoming and friendly. The food was great and service was really good. We had Avocado toast, veggie sausage sandwich, croissant (the server kindly provided some chocolate spread because they didn't have pain-au-chocolat (my younger son's favourite),...

tucked away on the edge of the river wye this is a cafe music arts centre which puts back into the community

Called in for breakfast. It's lovely - comfortable, warm, friendly, I recommend it! I had probably the best bacon sandwich I've ever had.

This cafe is tucked away off the Elan Valley road but is well worth seeking out. It is situated in an old converted mill and from the outside does not look overly attractive. However this is a work in progress with a perfomance area for...

Had a full Welsh, half of it was cold, also had a Welsh eggs benedict, had to send it back as the eggs were barely cooked, then took a long time to replace, wasn't great then, was also not a fan of the sweet sauce...

Stopped off enroute to North Wales for lunch, lovely little place and excellent food. A little chilly but that’s the sort of building it is. Would definitely recommend.

What can I say? We attended this venue last night to watch a couple of bands..not for the first time. This visit did not dissapoint. The ongoing works and improvements made to this little gem of a live venue, just keep making it better!! The...

Stumbled across this place on trip from South Wales to Machynlleth. Arrived just as they were closing, but the very friendly staff took pity and made a fresh pot of tea and delicious home made scone with clotted cream and jam. Could not ask for...

This is a great new venture in a beautiful part of Wales. It is more than just a cafe and is/will become a centre for the local and wider arts community. Plenty of parking and seating - in and out. We found a nice little...

Visited for the vegan ‘Full Veggie Breakfast’ and it was superb. Great atmosphere, best vegan sausages they we’ve ever had, and the scrambled tofu was sublime. Prices were good and the dogs were very welcomed. Definitely will go back to try the rest of the...

Super friendly, quirky place to come for a tasty breakfast or something to eat. Free car park and a stunning walk along the river after a full belly. A tad expensive and the wasps seem quite interested! But a must go to.

Had some really nice Welsh rarebit here, friendly staff and lovely atmosphere! Dog friendly 🐕. Also bought some cheese scones to take away and they were also amazing 👏🏻👏🏻

Surely the best choice for coffee and food in Rhayader - down by the river and away from the traffic. The owners, Paul and Glenda, are charming and are dedicated to creating a special venue. Quirky in a good way, playing FIP radio and serving...

We came here for a coffee and breakfast and it did not disappoint! Coffee was brilliant! I had the vegan breakfast and other members of my family had the meat breakfast, both so yummy and we all really enjoyed it. If I lived locally I...