Vaynol Arms in Gwynedd

Having read about the exploits of Gethin from previous reviews, we decided to travel the 350 miles from London to visit this pub and witness his exploits for ourselves. We were not disappointed! Not only were we lucky enough to over hear an audience with Gethin and be party to some dry stone walling and tiling banter but also to enjoy the atmosphere of revelry and good natured teasing. Our highlight was watching Gethin be locked in a cupboard, right beside us, just for jokes by the brilliant bar maid. She knows how to keep this scoundrel in check! Seriously, we had the best time, with delicious Moose bitter. Next time we hope to sample some of the food menu - the onion rings look superb. Thanks guys.

I booked a table here to have Sunday tea with a friend who lives in Tregarth so is fairly local, yet he hadn't ever tried here. I was travelling from the East side of Wales. The table was booked and we also pre-ordered our meals to make sure that we got what we wanted. My car broke down en route and my friend had to come out to rescue me, so we were over half an hour late for the booking. Called ahead, the landlady was very kind and helpful and held our meals until we got there.I had made a bit of a mess of my friend's order as he is vegetarian and I was specifically asked when ordering, some detailed questions about what would be ok on his meal and I agreed to things that it turned out, he didn't eat. The staff were wonderful despite it being my mistake and quickly sorted the problem, the landlady came over and was superbly helpful, offering alternatives and sorted the problem out very quickly.The food was just lovely and plentiful, the service outstanding.I would recommend eating here, nice old world pub, they know how to treat customers (even those who make a mess of the order) and sort discreetly and in a very friendly way. Will certainly be returning.

A good roadside pub for food. Food was of good quality. Fair sized portions for the price and cooked well. Nothing extravagant but good, honest pub food and all the better for it!Staff were pleasant enough throughout our meal. Not excessivley attentive but not disinterested either, a good balance in the current situation. The Covid situation is handled sufficiently by the staff and venue. The pub visibly is nice and clean. At no point did we feel at any risk of any form of contamination etc.The only downside was minor and difficult for the pub to influence but in the sake of completness I will include it here: Parking on the road was a little limited - however this was due to some "interesting" parking by others prior to our arrival and would in no way stop us visiting again. I only include it here as if you have people of limited mobility it may be an issue. Car park looked a little full so we went for the road option.Many thanks to the staff at the Faenol Arms for a proper pub meal in a lovely clean pub where the staff are handling the Covid situation well.

i’ve been going to the faenol 3 years now and out of every pub/restaurants ive been in faenol was by far the best! the food was always up to very high standard and quality i never ever had a poor meal there!! Staff service was always amazing as well there was nothing at all i could of passed a fault on I had my last meal there Friday Night very gutted the owners are leaving but its safe to say they deserve their semi retirement after all their continuous hard work. I wish you both good luck in all that comes your way in the futureThankyou / Diolch

Not very welcoming landlady. We waited 55 minutes for a fairly highly priced, mediocre meal to arrive. Kids were hungry and bored.

Well, I read reviews but our experience was very poor.Welcome good. Table ok as during covid. Menu looked inviting. Starters ok, prawns. But at £5 a tad steep for obviously frozen and warmed prawns. Salad on side good.Mains. Curry ok, although didn’t appear to be home cooked. Special board, chicken burger spicy. Birds eye chicken southern coated, with dip (the fiery bit) hmmm?Pork was good with peppercorn sauce.....cooked yes. Not from frozen. 2 pints,2 halves, £78?! We’ve experienced really good and really poor, this was definitely the latter. Was gonna have desert but decided not to waste more money.

Not far from the Travelodge in Bangor we ate here 2 nights running. We had our pet the 1st night and so we sat outside which was ok. The specials on the board are superb ... must try the slow cooked lamb .. it was awesome!!Great friendly staff with a good attitude on the One Way System of being served due to the Covid situation. Highly recommended!

Myself and my boyfriend travelled from north east England to visit zip world. We found this pub online as it was close to where we were staying. We couldn't have asked for anything better. Food was delicious, we both had starter, main and dessert and enjoyed it all. The cheesy garlic bread is a must! We were served from start to finish by a lovely lady which we didn't get her name but she had short blonde hair. She was so kind and ensured we had a great experience and nothing was too much trouble. The pub itself was lovely decorated and had a great atmosphere. I would highly recommend this place.

Having had Sunday Lunch at many restaurants in the area all of which were excellent we have settled on the Vaynol Arms to be our regular eatery.Nice interior to the pub and a simple but very pleasant dining room.The service is excellent as is the food at a very reasonable price.All washed down with a pint of Wizard-what could be better.

Kitchen open till 9pm, scampi from the menu and lamb cutlets on special. Friendly, attentive staff. Warm ambience. Perfect place to stop, relax and recharge before getting the Holyhead ferry.

This is a really friendly pub ,, lovely food and welcoming hosts . The pub is a traditional one which is so nice to still see .

Visited for dinner & were made welcome. Good choice of food on menu & prices are about average. Portion size is very generous & food cooked quite well. Nothing to rave about food-wise but if you want a hearty portion of food & a fairly extensive menu for a reasonable cost then this is a good place to start.

Another really great Sunday lunch at the Vaynol Arms. The roast pork was really delicious with friendly and attentive service. Diolch :)

Lovely friendly pub! My children love the gammon and lasagne. And my husband loves his pint 🙈 also says that the belly pork is to die for! Always had a warm welcome. I’d give this pub ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Food was decent but the staff are awful. Such bad attitude and made the night a terrible one. If you are looking for good food and a nice vibe this is not the place to go.... a real shame as the chef did a great job.

Called in on our way back from the slate museum, only needed a snack as we had evening meal booked in our hotel. Had the broccoli and cheddar soup which was good.

My family and I frequent the "Vaynol Arms" often. The food is wonderful..We are always greeted with a warm welcome, and nothing is too much bother. Thank you Karen, Dave and staff!

Nice and quiet when we arrived for Sunday Lunch - staff friendly and very helpful. Food was excellent

Stayed at the travel lodge in bangor which only had a burger king on site for hot food.. we found this little gem three miles up the road from hotel... ate there twice on our visit to wales and wasnt dissapointed... typical pub food but tasted great...( i reccomend the salmon on noodles) service was very good from karen... we also had the bonus of being there on a wednesday night to enjoy there weekly quiz night... so if your stuck in a rut at bangor travelodge, just ring premier cars and get a taxi up the road to the vanyol arms for a bit of hearty pub grub....

We had dinner two times in this restaurant. They have a good choice of different meals, some traditional local food an some form other sides of the Commonwealth. The waiters came quickly, they were friendly and cared fpr the guests. The food didin`t take to long to be served. Everything we ate tasted great and was fresh made. we both can only recommend this restaurant.

My partner and I had a evening meal at this venue. We both had the mushroom starter which was lovely. My main was the Welsh lamb which was the tastiest lamb I have ever had. My partner had the fish pie which he said was also great. I would recommend this restaurant very highly

Visited once again with my extended family, and had a delicious meal. One of my relatives has an egg allergy, and this was well considered by the kitchen staff. Service was excellent and nothing was too much trouble. Cannot rate highly enough!

A fabulous meal, even my picky children finished everything. Staff were extremely pleasant and kind, and the restaurant is child friendly. I would definetly recommend this restaurant for any family occasion.

As soon as you walk in, you are met with a very warm welcome by Dave and Karen, and also their staff.

Second time enjoying a fantastic Sunday Lunch here and still blows me away! Generous portions of delicious home cooked food served by lovely staff. Also good selection of dishes and drinks, cant wait to be back.

A family friendly pub with a warm and cozy atmosphere, ideal for a family meal or a quiet sit down in front of the fire with a book or a pint. Big thank you to Dave and Karen for being the most wonderful of hosts.

I have just clicked ‘helpful’ on a negative review in error. To be clear, my ‘helpful’ reaction was to the business’ reply, not the ridiculous review!

A great place to eat after a day in the hills. Proper home cooked food served in a cosy traditional pub - what's not to like!? Friendly staff and dogs welcome make this a regular stop for us on our way home.

There's no excuse for this as we called in at lunchtime on a Sunday.

We visited on a late autumn Monday night after a long day walking and exploring the beautiful locality. The place was warm and remarkably busy. Great atmosphere. Our group included two vegetarians (one who doesn't do goat's cheese) a pescatarian (who can't do cheese at all) and me (who loves meat and fish). The menu catered for all of us well. I started with Whitebait and had a perfectly cooked rump steak with a peppercorn and stilton sauce for main. Quite traditional, but absolutely hit the spot. The service was delightful. The others ate their mains from the specials board. The only critcism was one of the vegetarians felt the vegetables were a bit overdone for her taste. That's got to be pretty good among four people! Once we had eaten we went through to the bar and spent some time having a drink and relaxing. The landlord and landlady made us feel most welcome. I could very easily eat there every night for a week and eat something different and diverse each time. Well done and thank you to the Vaynol Arms. We will be back!

2 x adults, 2 x teens - absolutely delicious food! The lamb shank was exceptional, other meals also very tasty, but the lamb..... Apple & caramel pie also super tasty!!! Staff very welcoming & helpful - fabulous find!

Used to live in the area and this was always a good default eatery. Since I moved away the place has changed hands and for various reasons I haven't been back for years. We were there soon after opening looking for a quick meal in a dog friendly establishment - dogs can be taken in the bar area if you want to eat. Service was efficient and the meals we had were fine.

This pub was recommended to us by the owners of a local B&B; we stayed in. We eat here two evenings out of our 4 day stay. The food was lovely, and staff were welcoming and friendly. They had a good choice on their menu with buy one get one free puddings on a Monday. Which were delicious.

Lovely homemade carrot & coriander soup followed by a beautifully cooked mix grill. Lovely cask beers served with a smile in a cozy atmosphere. What more could you ask for.

We were staying only a mile from the Vaynol Arms and thought it would be useful for meals when we didn't cook in the cottage. We had sunday roast but we were both very disappointed with the food. I had pork and the wife beef . Both meats were tasteless and the veg was totally bland . The only thing that wasn't tasteless was the Yorkshire pudding , even the gravy had no taste .... I would have been very disappointed if my wife had served me this. We never returned again for other meals .... I did mention this to our neighbours and they also said they had heard of bad reports.....

Ok if if you want fairly expensive mediocre food, the meatballs were good but the chips ect were tasteless frozen and pudding was overheated in microwave or so it seemed, although cannot fault the young man who served us.

What a great little traditional pub! 3 x adults and a little dog loved the visit this evening. We arrived a little later that the time reserved but that was no issue. The special and main menu food was superb! Service was brilliant. Friendly and accommodating! Dogs allowed in bar area where you can eat which is great. Hopefully we will visit again before our break is over.

Seven of us came here in August 2019 for an evening meal towards the end of a weeks stay in Tregarth. I wished we went there sooner! Charming local pub serving excellent food at a price which doesn't leave you with indigestion! Great variety of food! I cant say no more really apart from thank you & see you again on our next trip up!

It's a cosy pub with delicious food! Best steak and ale pie I've ever eaten. The staff are very friendly and welcoming and it was right across the road from our B&B; so when we arrived at 7:00pm it was ideal to go there. It was full when we arrived so we booked a table for 8:30pm and went to the beach. If I go again I'll definitely book a table! I highly recommend this pub. Definitely deserves 5 stars!

We went to this pub after climbing Mount Snowdon and there was a good selection of drinks behind the bar including nice gins and beers. The food was nice but we were shocked at how rude the female manager was to us!! Having sent my lasagne back because the middle was not hot, it was returned to me with the comment ‘now bubbling as it was before’ and she accused my dad of not ordering sweet potato fries and continued to disagree with us. Very disappointed with this as it really let down the pub and what was a nice meal!

Wow what can i say the food here is just amazingly delicious, had the chicken and leek suet pud and it was delicious as was everyone else’s food. The portions are good and everything is so fresh. The staff are lovely and the service os excellent. The pub is really nice. The photos for sale on the walls are brilliant. I will be back soon for the pork belly. I would highly recommend.

We were recommended the Vaynol Arms by the owner of Pant Teg B&B;, and what a recommendation! The food was superb, and plentiful. A lovely country pub with excellent service and friendly atmosphere.

We visited at short notice but the staff managed to reserve us two tables and were very accommodating to our dogs too. Excellent real ale, fabulous mixed grill and welsh lamb steak. Pudding were super too. It’s not fancy, but warm, welcoming and friendly, just what you would expect from a country pub.

We are glad to have stopped for a break here, they only just opened for the evening as we were parking up. Lovely setting, warm,friendly welcoming staff. Good Choice of Food, Menu and A specials Board. I Had The Chicken and Leek Suet Pud, My Partner had The Steak and Ale Pie. Both Meals was Fresh Homemade and Fabulous. We have eaten here before and its nice to say and share with everyone that this place is well worth a visit as its consistency in First Class Food and Service. Top Marks to The Chef especially.and a Big Thank You. we will be back

While staying in North Wales the Vaynol Arms was recommended to us. It was in a quiet village location, easy to find with parking available.

Well what can I say about this beautiful pub. Superb in every way.

Booked The Vaynol Arms in advance, recommended for large groups, after reading reviews on Trip Advisor. Found an excellent traditional country pub serving good hearty grub with generous portions. The Sunday roasts are especially good. Eleven empty plates, just wish we had room to sample the desserts! Friendly staff, a warm welcome and reasonably priced, go on give it a visit.

We went for a meal today with 2 children. Staff were very friendly. Sunday roast was delicious and very generous with the portions. All other meals were just as nice. We will definitely go again. Highly recommended.

Lovely place. Ye olde worldy decor. Food was lovely and so we're that staff. Would definitely come back!!

Me and my son hungry from a day walking decided to try this quiet looking little pub. The welcome was slightly understated and formal but not cold. The menu is decent with daily specials should be enough to suit most tastes. My pork steakmin mustard sauce was generous with a mountain of decent if mass produced frozen catering chips(I'd have preferred less but fresh hand cut ones). My sons suet pudding was also generous and with a good variety of just right cooked veg.

Picked this pub out from TripAdvisor, as it was quite close to where we were staying. Very pleasantly surprised. Absolutely top notch food, with particularly good vegetarian options. Very pleasant and attentive service too. Highly recommended.

We stayed last night at the B&B; across the road. After traveling around we wanted to stay close to our accommodation. We had a beautiful evening meal. Staff were attentive excellent service and food. Enjoyed a relaxing evening. Thank you

Stopped at B&B; in same village. Ideal for a bite to eat. Good variety on menu, something for everyone. Food is cooked fresh. Portion sizes reasonable. Tasty food. Friendly staff. Nice environment. Reasonably priced. All in all a nice little pub.

Visited on my birthday as my wife had booked in advance.

A lovely pub/restaurant offering excellent service. Our food was cooked to perfection, the service was just right, attentive but not hurried. I can’t rate The Vaynol Arms highly enough. Well worth a visit. Will definitely be back.

Found by chance a few years ago, and whenever we are in the area we all in. Great food, helpful staff and good home cooked style food. As a celiac/dairy intolerant eating out is a nightmare, never a hassle here. 5 stars if they had a “safe” dessert other than sorbet

Made two visits on consecutive evenings. Very friendly staff and the food was well cooked if a little plain. Critsism would be there were too many chips with everything. I would have liked a bit more finess on the plate rather than large portions. However the place was packed both evening so I am probably in the minority.

We visited here after climbing Snowdon we stayed in a local air bnb. Food here was lovely served very hot with large portion. Staff were polite and pleasant.

Evening meal for 5, lovely friendly welcome and great food with a really good children’s menu, with smaller portions of the adult menu. The burgers were excellent, the steak one came with smoked bacon and a friend egg, beautifully cooked, The Welsh lamb was melt in the mouth and very tasty. We had a lovely waitress and the meals came quickly, would definitely recommend.

Fast efficient polite and courteous attention by the owners and staff who all worked very hard. The menu was varied and there was a choice of specials to enhance the existing menu, something for everyone. There were a small group of us (5) and all the food which was served to us was hot, and delightfully presented on warm plates. Everybody enjoyed their food and clean plates all round. Will definitely be returning and would recommend to anybody that was thinking about a visit.

Pre-ordered to help out in the week and made a few amendments over the phone. Firstly every meal came out as specified. The food was fantastic, i can't add to what others have said. Hearty and fresh. Lovely welcoming pub, easy to see why it was well busy. Thanks again. If I stay anywhere near Snowdonia I'm sure I'll make a bee line for this place

Visiting the area and booked a table in this very friendly, welcoming pub which served us with beautifully cooked meals. The staff were extremely helpful and we would not hesitate to return in the future

They accommodated 9 of us at rather short notice. Lovely friendly staff and great pub classic food. There was a a a wide choice of menu and a specials board. The beers were good too. To top it off there good entertainment for or teens by way of a pool table an dart board. A classic well rounded n country pub.

Myself and 3 other friends visited here on the recommendation of a local.

We were in the area visiting friends and called in to The Vaynol Arms for dinner.

Visited twice during a week's stay in the area. First was a Sunday evening but due to popularity had run out of Sunday roast. However had chicken and leek pie with veg and mash. Big portions and beautifully cooked. Second visit was a Tuesday steak night. Again beautifully cooked steak with trimmings virtually 2 for price of 1. Good selection of beer and wines. You can eat in the lounge or restaurant area. Dog friendly. Would definitely recommend this establishment for a good hearty meal.

Evening meal with family and friends, chose Vaynol on strength of its reviews but we were all very disappointed with the meals we had. The meat pie was particularly tasteless. I don’t think the kitchen staff had heard of seasoning. The cider and stout were reported as OK but sadly the cask beers we tried were frankly very poor, in particular the Cascade.

I have visited the pub twice and both times was very impressed. The Wizard beer is the best beer I have drunk whilst in North Wales. The fish platter that was served was beautifully cooked and presented. The last time I had the lamb and that was also very good. We will definitely visit this pub the next time we are here.

We probably wouldn't have found this pub if we hadn't been staying in the B and B opposite. What a lovely find. We ate here twice and each time had great meals. The first time I had dragons chicken which was like an upmarket hunters chicken and it was delicious. My husband had the fish pie which he also enjoyed. We went again on the Sunday and had roast lamb with all the trimmings and this time managed a sweet. We would have loved to have spent more time there and sampled some of the beers. The service was good and the prices decent considering the quality of the food.

We came across this pub by chance as we were staying locally for Snowdon. We had a glance over the menu before arrival and to check info regarding dogs.

This pub offers much more your average pub grub. It's of a much higher quility than that. A lot of locals seem to frequent the place which is always a good sign. Yes can't fault the food, prices or friendly service. Excellect pub!

Service was excellent and staff very friendly. We were recommended to visit and well worth listening to the recommendation

Stopped for something to eat. Had the Sunday Roast which was amazing. Service was excellent and fast. Dogs are allowed in the bar area.

We visited with parents for an early evening meal whilst staying locally. After telephoning to make a reservation, we arrived at 6pm and were shown to our table immediately. There was plenty of space and a nice large table and our drinks were served very quickly. Our dinner order was taken and served without any delay. Everything was well cooked and beautifully presented by friendly staff. We enjoyed the meal and were more than happy with the cost. We will definitely visit again and recommend this venue to our friends and family in the area.

Family visit to the area and stopped in here for dinner. Ambiance was nice and they had a good variety of ales. Food choice was good and quality was ok but not outstanding. Perhaps a little on the expensive side for what it was.

We stopped in here for dinner on a Sunday evening. We hadn't booked but were greeted with a friendly smile and seated quickly.

We stopped for our evening meal. This time we hadn't book in advance but although reasonably busy this wasn't a problem.

Visited the pub on our way back from Anglesey and although it's not on our direct route it is well worth the detour.

Today on the way back home from Llanberis having walked up Snowdon stumbled on this pub Saw the Sunday roast sign and thought 'this will do'. Wow we were so happy we found it, the service as with everywhere in the area was excellent. Gluten Free no problem, full Sunday lunch only missing the Yorkshire pudding (not an issue). Excellent, plenty with 3 veg, extra gravy and horseradish. Dessert had 2 gluten free options including a caramel apple pie (don't normally get those kind of options), boy was that good, plus great coffee.

This was recommended by the receptionist at the Travelodge we were staying at before catching our ferry to Dublin. The surroundings were very pleasant and the meal was excellent. All fresh cooked and substantial. Would happily go back there again.

Great service, lovely people really friendly and the food is great would definitely be recommending this place

Good ales, good food, good service. Thoughtful staff and a tastey satisfying meal. Generous portions. Some aspects of our holiday had been far less than satisfactory, but this place made up for it. Definately recommend this family friendly, homely, proper pub.

Lovely staff, good service. Food pretty average, though plenty of it.

We were on holiday for a week staying close by. It was the nearest and only pub in walking distance. We thought we’d give it a go. I’m a real ale drinker so I was very happy with a choice of 3 excellent ales. We ate there twice and the food was exceptional, service superb and a brilliant landlady: and I’d be happy to make this my local. It seems you need to book if you want to eat which is an indicator of just how popular this pub is. Highly recommended if you are in the area.

Nice and friendly. Very busy. Homemade food. Had the beef madras very nice the beef a bit tough! Everybody enjoyed their food. Homely atmosphere

Came here with friends for dinner as we were staying close by. Food ok, mains nice and hot. Not a lot of flavour, as I think most things are just bought in and served up. Not much fresh. Puddings were definitely out of a packet, I had gammon which was really good, 5 others at out table not as impressed with theirs. It's ok but not great.

Came here as a recommendation from our house rental owners.

Had a great meal here would have no hesitation in recommending, speedy service attentive pleasant staff best mixed grill I've ever had Mrs said same about the roast

Pleasant evening meal with the family. Food was well cooked and service was prompt and friendly. Reasonable value for money. May visit again in the future

The worst meal I have had in years. Ordered steak and ale pie. It came in the form of a wedge. Description was tender steak slowly cooked. Well I would say a can of dog food would be better in pastry.

Have visited a couple of times when in the area, and have been very impressed with the cosy atmosphere, friendly staff and the quality of the food! We will be back..

We regularly visit the Vaynol arms for food and/or a pint or two, always receiving first class service with a smile. The owners, Karen and Dave are always welcoming and always have time for a quick chat.

i had a very pleasant evening at the vaynol arms,the staff were pleasant.polite and friendly, i ate the very nice rumpsteak with a delicious blue cheese and pepper sauce.the steak was cooked just how i like it the beer was chilled just right overall a very pleasant place to eat .i will be coming back and recommending to others aswell

We called in at The Vaynol Arms for a bite to eat and what a suprise we had opening the door into a lovely pub,we had drinks at the bar which may I say they have a very good range of beers,we ordered and just before our food was ready we were taken into the restaurant area to a very well laid out table the landlord and landlady and staff made our tasty meals very enjoyable with there very kind hospitality.definately a place to go for delicious home cooked food with a very welcoming atmosphere.we will definitely be eating at The Vaynol Arms again on our next trip up to North Wales.thank you Dave and Karen for your kind hospitality.Mr M Gale Rushwick Worcester.

Brilliant place, service was excellent and quick. My intolerance to cheese and milk products were fully accepted without hassle or negative remarks.

Excellent place will come back very soon. The home made food was lovely highly recommend. The owners are really down to earth the service is excellent.5 out of 5 One of my Best yet ...

Had a lovely meal here on Sunday 15th July. There was plenty of choice but we had the steak with cheese and peppercorn sauce which was lovely. Service was excellent and we didn't have to wait too long for our meal either. Finished off with a nice big pot of tea. Really enjoyed x

Ok ish, thought it would be better than it was. Not to my taste, vegetables were too hard, and the beef was very tough. Will try the pub menu next time.

We came here almost too late for dinner, but we got a table and we were delighted by the great food and good service. We highly recommend this pub.

Wonderful rumpsteak with a delicious blue cheese and pepper sauce! Great service and flexible even though we arrived 10min before the kitchen closed.