The Royal Oak Inn in Carmarthenshire

Dropped in for a drink & supper while on a walk from the nearby campsite. The locals & staff were very friendly. The drinks were cold - perfect. The food was home made & very tasty. If we find ourselves in the area again this is a definite stop for refreshments.

Fabulous pub in a perfect setting. Great good. Great staff.

We had a great stay, large clean room, really friendly and generous landlord and fantastic breakfast. Perfect setting too

Very friendly, excellent food and beer. Made us feel very welcome. Excellent country pub and reasonably priced.

We enjoyed a delicious freshly cooked carvery which was excellent value for money and because we had prebooked the first drinks were free. Staff were very welcoming. Will be going back for more! 😋

A real pup like from old times. Worth a beer.

We had a lovely Sunday Carvery, great food, beer and friendly owners. Definitely back another weekend.

Great ambience and fine food. Credit to mine host for providing drink and meals in a remote location in such a tough economy.

A lovely country pub with good fun perfectly positioned a short walk up the hill from our campsite. Very busy so best to book a table although we were fitted in the first night without a booking. We will be back when we visit the campsite again

Cracking little pub, great menu and food. Really friendly landlord and landlady.

Great pub with friendly landlord,good food and a personal service. Our room, No2, was large with a huge bed and ensuite. The bathroom was simple but clean, no fixed shower, a shower on the bath taps which was OK for us but might not be for some. I would stay here again.

We had the Sunday carvery, we had booked for 1pm and arrived on time, the bar was not busy but we waited for a couple of minutes for the barman to come to serve us, he was not in the bar area. We were given 2 tickets and told to leave getting our food as they were replenishing. We had our drink then after 10 mins went to the carvery, we waited for the member of staff to attend to us. We had a choice of meats which was a generous serving then helped ourselves to the vegetables, the cauliflower cheese was empty, when I asked for some I was told it had run out, so we helped ourselves to the other veg, there was only 5 or 6 roast potatoes left so we had what was left. On a positive note the roast was lovely but minus cauliflower cheese ( which I might add was included in the advert). On finishing our main course we were surprised to see that there wasn't a desert menu. It was a reasonable price £12.99 each and included a drink. Sadly we will not be recommending this pub to friends or be returning ourselves.

Do have Rooms available to me let me know please

Lovely food and friendly atmosphere. Bit of a shame there was only ice cream for dessert but overall great vibe 👍

Lovely location just up the lane from the campsite. I have visited this establishment many times while camping. The food is lovely and I have always found the Landlord welcoming. I can imagine running a rural public house in the times we have experienced very challenging. So please be kind. Tbh I think some folk just do not understand his humour. I will most definitely be returning as a lovely quaint pub. 😁😁

Whilst stopping in Rhandirmwyn made a couple of pit stops to The Royal Oak. Landlord was a really nice welcoming guy, who went out of his way to sort a takeaway out for me. Food was superb, highly recommend.

Lovely meal in the Royal Oak, proper pub menu, great landlord and food/atmosphere to match. Steak and ale pie highly recommended! Thanks

Fantastic meal great service. Can't fault it will definitely return in the future. Relaxed atmosphere

We had a fantastic meal here. Very friendly staff and very welcoming, of we wasn't here on holiday and going home tomorrow I would definitely be back the food was all freshly cooked and faultless. Topped off with a local cider and a few Welsh gins. All for a very reasonable price

What a lovely pub to stumble across, on route to Llyn Brianne (The Dam). Beautiful location, very friendly landlord who has done alot of work renovating the place. Perfect stop if travelling by motorbike/car as plenty of parking available. Good pub menu, landlord recommended the steak and mushroom pie and it didn't dissapoint. Dog friendly and crazy golf on site for the kids. Amazing views, would definitely visit again.

Having tried to book a table by phone, we were told there was no need to book, merely to turn up an hour later. When we turned up 45 minutes later, we were told by the most ignorant bar tender in the world that there were no tables available and we should have come earlier. The pub was totally empty. Pubs like these give hospitality in Wales a bad name. They shouldn't complain when they are forced to close. The owners are lazy and haven't the first clue about hospitality.

Great Landlord, couldn't have been any better. Food was excellent and well priced. Looking forward to our next visit.

Didn't stay there but, had a meal and drinks. Both were good and bar man was pleasant and helpful. Proper old style pub really enjoyed.

The rooms where stunning comfortable and squeaky clean No problems had a meal offered the owners Steve and dab are fabulous and given nothing but respect home made meals were delicious best steak and mushroom pie I've ever had

Excellent pub in an excellent location!

Didn't stay, eat or drink. Just a note to say the pub is closing. Not sure about the rooms. No pints at the end of a long walk. Sad

Can't tell you what this Inn is like twice we have planned to sample the food and drinks on offer 1st wasn't open 2nd time checked website said open 12 -4 surprise wasn't open both times over a bank holiday

Absolutely lovely pub with great food at reasonable prices. The pub is a bit small, but cozy, and there are sometimes limited tables, but once you sit down you'll not want to leave. The food was guinely great quality, especially compared to some of the tourist traps around here, and was affordable. Variety of beers was appreciated. As with most small village pubs be a little patient as there's typically just the owner managing the bar and taking orders, so you might have to wait when it gets busy but the great food and friendly service are well worth it. Would highly recommend for a great lunch or Dinner.

Great friendly bar man . Very helpful. Had a great meal there. Cldnt fault it.

Landlord had a horrible attitude problem.

I stayed here Friday 10th June 2022 for 2 nights. I stayed as a solo traveller with my dog. From booking over the phone the landlady Debbie was extremely polite and very helpful which made a good impression and booking a breeze. I don't drive so when asking for travel advice and directions from the train station the landlord Steve came to collect me. This to me was above and beyond kindness. Check in was easy, my room was ready. On entering the room which smelled "clean" it was immaculate. A beautifully decorated room, with a large king-size bed, The carpet is very well kept. Most importantly, the bed had crisp white bedding and was very comfortable. The bedding had a lovely fresh smell to it. Tea & coffee facilities are in the room. I had a very warm welcome when going down stairs to the bar. The lager i was drinking was a really good pint. I could see that there was a great selection of other alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks available. My meal was absolutely stunning, I had the Chicken & Bacon pie which was homemade to a very high standard. Steve was great at his front of house hospitality, nothing was too much trouble for all guests that was dining that evening. The unique selling point to this pub is its dog friendly. This i feel should be promoted more. Every dog owner i spoke to felt the same. The dog owners had respect for food eaters and kept their dogs on short leads at their own table. There is a lovely beer garden with many benches and umbrellas. There is a crazy golf course, a milkshake/sweetshop on site, although not open on my visit but its a great addition to what already is a fantastic place. I had a very good nights sleep and breakfast was gorgeous. I had the full English which all the ingredients were of high quality and cooked to perfection. Over all, my stay was nothing short of perfect. I will defiantly be booking this hidden gem again very soon. Thank you for everything Debbie & Steve. xx

Avoid this pub. Dismal place with incredibly rude and unwelcoming landlord. We called in for a lunchtime drink after a walk, intending to walk up from the campsite in the evening for a meal. Landlord's terrible attitude meant that we decided not to give him any more of our money. Had a great meal with lovely atmosphere and extremely friendly staff at the Neuadd Fawr in Cilycwm. Towy Bridge pub is also lovely with riverside garden and a friendly welcome. I can only doubt the authenticity of some of the 5 star reviews given to The Royal Oak on here. Unrecognisable as the pub we visited. Such a shame as it has a great village location - such a missed opportunity.

Avoid this pub. Unwelcoming, rude and unpleasant landlord. We called in for a drink at lunchtime, with the plan in mind to return in the evening for a meal, walking up from the campsite. The landlord was so rude that we decided we did not want to give him any more of our money. Had a great meal at the Neuadd Fawr in Cilycwm. Go to the friendly pubs at Towy Bridge or Cilycwm, where you will receive a proper welcome. Definitely do NOT walk all the way uphill from the Camping and Caravanning Club site for this. You will be greatly disappointed. Could be a great pub - it's in a lovely location and the only one in the village. A missed opportunity.

Wonderful olde-worlde "proper" pub dating back to the 16th century. The bar reflects the age and style, so much more inviting than many places these days, with their designer paint jobs and catalogue furniture. Friendly owners always around and very hospitable. Our room was clean, comfy and newly-docorated, with everything you'd expect. Breakfasts and dinner cooked to order using fresh, local ingredients - home made on the premises. We were there in May at the end of the lock-down period, so facilities were getting ready. Kids things in the garden and even a brand new icecream parlour on the side, ready to go but not open yet.

Lovely pub but unfortunately no real ales from pump available. Never mind great selection of Welsh ales in bottles were available served with great service. 👍

Landlord has a BAD attitude problem. Asked what I wanted, I replied pint and food, and asked for a menu. While I quickly scanned it and was ready to order, he then served someone else. When I put in my order he said that he wasn’t taking orders as a large party had ordered and there was only one person in the kitchen. So why did he give me a menu? And why no apology? Had I known that there was no food available at the time, I would have waited, or gone elsewhere. The man was rude not offering an apology, and in his rather aggressive manner. So much for a warm Welsh welcome. Keep away!

Beautiful location in a small village, manned by friendly staff who serve for beer and good good food. Perfect if you're staying at the nearby Camping and Caravanning club site half a mile walk away 🙂

Excellent country pub! Follow me @outandaboutonindianscout instagram

Absolutely adore this place. Cosy, friendly and a real treat. Lovely homemade food and wonderful staff. My little getaway place.

Fantastic landlord: despite not being open, he let us sit out the front with a pint until he was ready. Brilliant food, cider and ale, too!

A large group of us fed at short notice. Very good food. Thank you

Great food great beer lovely pub lovely setting easy walk up from the campsite and what a great place to walk

Stopped for lunch with two dogs and was so impressed we returned for an evening meal which was equally good. Warm friendly welcome, delicious home cooked food and lovely atmosphere. Highly recommend!

On entering the building through the un lit slippery fire escape I was met with a over powering smell of damp. My room was full of flys both alive and dead. The land lord was very rude and could only use vulgar swear words to try and defend the dreadful state of his rooms. The stair carpet was covered in years of grime. I had to leave and when asking for a refund I was pushed out of the same fire exit I sadly entered.

we stayed for the weekend, if you ever just want to de-stress and wind down this is the perfect place. the scenery is beautiful there's nothing that compares to listening to the birds and the river and nothing else. Steve the landlord was really friendly, always happy to help and very accommodating. the food was amazing, home cooked fresh local produce. I can strongly recommend the steak and mushroom pie. Our room was beautifully decorated and very clean, had the best two nights sleep. we will definitely be coming back again. Thank you 😊

Had an excellent meal, very friendly to all including the dogs. Will certainly go again. Also very good workout, walk from campsite.

Very unfriendly barman & absolutely horrible food. We felt degraded by the experience. Beer was passable.

I am quite possibly one of the easiest going guests out there. Give me a bed, a place to shower and some relative quietness so my 6 month old and I can catch some Z’s and I’m golden. Let’s start with the positives - charming looking inn, in a beautiful setting. Room was a good size (double and enough space for our baby’s travel cot), super clean and the linen was lovely and fresh smelling. And sadly, that’s it for the positives. I have never, ever (ever ever ever ever…) stayed in a hotel room as noisy as this one. Never. The pub downstairs is a busy one and although there are toilets downstairs for patrons to use, they somehow end up queuing to use the shared bathroom of the hotel room upstairs. And that queue stopped right outside our door. The door might as well been made of rice paper - I could hear ever word in every conversation. The later the night got, the drunker they got and the louder the chatter and laughter. My 6 month old woke up every 10 minutes and I struggled to get him back down. People also tried to walk into our room (our room was the one at the top of the stairs and I’m guessing people mistakingly took it for the bathroom…) I understand that noise is likely given the location of the rooms but a little heads up would have been nice or perhaps a sign on our door. Eventually, everyone got sent home (the pub closes at 11pm on a Saturday and yet weirdly there were still people partying, laughing and speaking so loudly way past midnight) so that was a joy. If you’re looking for a quiet night’s rest, stay anywhere else, but here. Literally, anywhere. A military airfield would be more peaceful. Or ask for a room at the Royal Oak Inn, just not room number 1.

Run down. Landlord can't be bothered to open the pub. Due to its location this pub could be a little gold mine but the landlord's attitude let's it down. I couldn't post zero stars, even that would be too generous.

I don’t normally write reviews good or bad but… This pub has gone downhill since the present landlord has taken over, called in for some drinks on a Thursday night got turfed out at 9:30 pm, there was only 6 people in there, the landlord was rude “How many more times have I got to tell you, last orders” he has a real bad attitude with a chip on his shoulder not suitable to running a pub.

We had 2 lovely evening meal at the pub & all the staff were very friendly & welcoming. We would recommend booking a visit.

Had a lovely 2nights great food and good choice of beers etc

Friendly staff and patron's. Food was fantastic. Big portions. Not many options for a vegan or vegetarian.

Great little b & b with friendly hosts. The room was plenty big enough with a very comfy bed. Great dog friendly place.

Had a short break camping nearby and popped in for a drink and a bowl of chips Tuesday lunchtime. Steve the landlord could not have been more welcoming and friendly. Booked for and evening meal on Wednesday night. Steak and mushroom pie, recommended by Steve who said you will not be dissapointed!!! Would have this every day if we lived here. Absolutely delicious.

Very disappointed. I had such a great time in Wales but this inn was terrible. The bed was terribly uncomfortable. The shower wasn't a shower at all, it was just a bath. When we ate dinner the glasses were dirty. There were spiders living in the corners of the bedroom. I booked 2 nights but only stayed one. Keep the extra money, you all need it to fix that place up. Other then the inn, the place around it was amazing. Will definitely be coming back to wales, just not staying here.

Visited the Royal oak for a 3 night stay and had a brilliant time. The hosts were welcoming and couldn't do enough to make our stay enjoyable. The room was large and had an en-suite bathroom. The food was great and piping hot and had a great selection. It was set in beautiful surroundings and lovely and quiet.

Fantastic food...authentic and well prepared. Huge portion sizes - come hungry!

Visited the pub on a Saturday night. Told we had to book. Sat at table. Owner very rude to other guests. Very unnecessary.

Wouldn't serve a hot drink because they were busy cooking food, was then charged £2.50 for a bottle of water, won't be returning.

Lovely Inn To Have Colde Drink And Relax

Good real ales, nice sitting in the garden

Fantastic food. Really lovely people who run it. Well worth a visit

Food great Landlord very brusque (to ge polite!)

Great Sunday lunch, and made our family very welcome

Nice pub, closed Monday and restricted hours rest of week. Good food and beer.

Lovely place, limited vegetarian options but that's to be expected for the location. Beautiful location, great cider. It was a busy pub, would definitely recommend.

Great pub for a drink and food. We didn’t eat but the service was great and the food seemed lovely. It was very busy so it would be advisable to book.

Food is ok. Beer is good. Opening hours are random. Could do with a facelift.

Lovely food and friendly service recommend

Food was amazing and really friendly service

We stayed 2 night b&b. Beautifully decorated and superbly clean king room with tea, coffee etc. Covid restrictions applied so pub was closed which was a bonus for us as it was nice and quiet. We had both evening meals there In their newly refurbished dining room. The food was freshly cooked and gorgeous. Very friendly and inviting couple own the hotel and we look forward to staying there again.

Just stayed for a couple of nights at the Royal Oak near Llandovery. We stayed in the king room, really comfy, warm and peaceful nights and we both really slept well, something we haven’t done for a while. And the food is excellent we heartily...

Traditional Welsh pub. Stayed here for three nights in August and had a great time. A lovely atmosphere, great breakfasts and evening meals and our chocolate poodle 'dylan' was made most welcome. Will be back soon as we a re hoping to move to the area.

Stayed here for three nights in August with our chocolate poodle Dylan who was made welcome. Lovely log fire, great atmosphere and a great full welsh breakfast. Hoping to move to Rhandirmwyn soon so I will be a regular for all those lovely beers as well.

We ate here three times during one week , ordering different things each time. On every occasion the food was a delight, the service perfect, and the restaurant itself so cosy and comfortable. The owners were very welcoming and friendly. Would highly recommend.

Great traditional British (Welsh) pub....great food....homely feel...good service....highly recommended...especially the homemade cottage pie...scrumptious

We were staying in the village for the weekend and popped in for a meal on Saturday night. Tasty food, decent prices, friendly staff, just what we needed!

We stopped here for a few drinks and had a really lovely time. The staff were incredibly friendly and the beer/cider selection was great. We didn’t eat but the food looked nice and very reasonably priced.

The guy behind the bar (landlord?) wasn't very friendly, not rude but blunt. The food was edible but not great. The pub is beautiful and the local ale was amazing

Great home cooked food, really really good!

Village pub set in a gorgeous valley with views to die for! Great home cooked food, and welcoming staff, felt cosy and comfortable there despite the fact that i don't drink alcohol.

Wonderful surprise in that quite remote and isolated spot. Serves great traditional roast and pies. Best potato mash ever! All piping hot. Very friendly landlord. In all this covid time, with difficulty finding tables, this was well worth the drive there. Cosy spot. Very recommended.

My wife and I spent 3 nights here in mid August....this was our eighth stay here and this one was just as good as the previous seven. Our room was clean and very comfortable and the landlord Steve and landlady Debbie were very friendly and...

Accommodation was excellent ,everything provided for an enjoyable stay.Food was excellent " pub grub " providing a good variety of choice ,which must be difficult at the present time.

We reserved a table, walk in smiling and the guy behind the bar barks at us he had no time to set up a table because it was packed so we’ll “have to find our own table” and walked off - not a huge problem...

Having read all the positive reviews we were looking forward to eating here and booked ahead for a table to be greeted by a rude, brusque barman who told us to find our own table because he was too busy. He appeared stressed and kept...

Just re-opening after lock down, this is a very welcome rest stop after the long climb to and descent from the ancient lead mine in the hills above the Inn. Good beers on tap, as well as fortifying food on offer. Our choices were the full roast beef and Yorkshire pud, and a wonderful vegetarian tart with really fresh salad...and great chips. With a car park at the rear and gardens, this is a great pit stop for refrehment, inside or out...

Popped in by chance whilst driving up to the dam. Friendly pleasant pub. Would visit again. Dog friendly.

I stayed at the Royal Oak a few days after Wales reopened from the coronavirus pandemic, an obvious difficult time. The owners were fabulous, they had taken numerous measures to keep their guests safe; these were explained and simple to understand and follow. The rooms...

On Sunday we were greeted as soon as we walked in by Stephen who was very cheerful and friendly. We had a wonderful beef roast with plenty of vegetables( big portions) and a drink for just 9.95 Would recommend

Great food very friendly staff and good pint of Ale too

Lovely food and friendly owners

Had a Sunday lunch with family. The food was delicious . Would recommend to anyone.

Very cliky not welcoming at all

Lovely country pub in a beautiful setting. It has also has a wonderful little shop attached where you can get tasty local produce (the bacon is fantastic!).

Really enjoy staying here, great food

We turned up on a Saturday night without booking as we were staying on the nearby campsite. There happened to be a talk on in the pub dining room, so they were a bit short on chairs, however they quickly arranged things so that we...

Glorious views, real ales, good food and friendly staff.

Nice place to call in after a trip around the reservoir. Pleasant staff and good food. The car was in the car park.