Y Baddell Aur / The Golden Frying Pan in Gwynedd

This is by far the worse fish and chips I have ever had. We read the reviews and nearly did not go but thought “how bad can it be”, well it really can be that bad. The fish and chips was more batter than fish - not sure what fish it was but if it was cod it was the flattest cod I have had and pretty tasteless. The chips were dry and tasted like they had been cooked a week ago. The tables were not the cleanest, the only slight positive were the friendly staff - but unfortunately the food is so bad even they could not raise it above the rating of one star!

I have travelled from The Cumbrian border in England to Southern Ceredigion since 1978 regularly. The Badell Aur is always open, always friendly and the food is always good. MAJOR SAD NEGATIVE. For the first time in 45 years I was unable to buy Faggots and chips and peas and gravy. Dropped from the menu when they'd dolled it up into a fancy frontage cafe. It could easily be a chip shop anywhere in the UK with no redeeming features as we homogenise ourselves into one MaccyD Menu. What is wrong with regional food??? Even in a takeaway? Nothing. Bring back faggots.

they forgot my curry sauce on top of my cheesy chips and i had already paid for the curry the service was also terrible the 3 girls by the till were making snarky comments the sausage is very small not the best place to ever go

Called on a Saturday evening not the best fish and chips I have had friendly staff and very clean just need to get the take away food on point

Not the best fish and chips not sure if it was because it was late on a Saturday and they were not far from closing place was clean and staff friendly

Chips were perfect, southern fried chicken delicious. All so fresh and hot. Busy at a nice level food came reasonably quickly for how fresh the food was. Will definitely be visiting again

We went for a takeaway and shared with friends. The staff were very pleasant, and the service was quick, efficient, and cooked fresh to order. The fish and chips were very good and cooked perfectly , lovely white fish with thin batter and crispy chips. Would return if in the area.

I went in to order and collect fish, chips and mushy peas, all came pretty quickly and reasonably priced given how much this kind of meal costs all over. The haddock and chips I had were of the highest quality, not too stodgy or heavy and really tasty fish especially. An excellent place to get fish and chips for sure!

its lunch time place is dead went in ordered curry chips come to pay guess what its card only, NO signs anywhere saying card only, POOR EFFORT

this use to be a brilliant place for a meal but the day we went their the food was very poor chips where dry and horrible the fish batter was stodgy the meal wasn't palletable we both left about two thirds on the plate very disappointed

Delicious meal. Fish was fresh & light. Really really good chips. Best curry sauce I've ever tried. Lovely staff and great atmosphere. Thank you!

Take away fish and chips. Food was ok but no chips - had to drive back for them. How does a fish and chip shop forget to include the chips! Paid by card - no receipt offered or given. Checked bank account and see I was overcharged by £6. Won’t be visiting this place again!

We called in for Fish and Chips. The table had just been cleaned. We ordered and did not have long to wait before our meals arrived. When it came it was well presented and very tasty.

Called in for lunch, wasn't disappointed. Fish and chips were the biggest portion I have ever seen. I had fish and peas which was a good size too. clean premises, helpful staff.

The worst breakfast I have ever had. I thought it odd that my husband suggested breakfast in a chip shop. It looked really clean and welcoming They did a full breakfast or baps. There was a very limited choice in Bala if I am completely honest. It did look clean so in we went. Very limited drink selection. So I ordered a bottle of water and an espresso. My husband had a full cooked breakfast and I had a bacon egg and cheese bap with two hash browns. I asked for all of the bacon to be crispy. Well it was most definitely not crispy. It was a long way from crispy. The bap was tiny and rather dry. Think of a stale McDonald’s bap. I had to deconstruct my bap to cut the copious amount of fat off the fat too salt flaccid bacon. My husband left half his bacon because it was more fat than bacon. The worst was the hash brown. It had been deep fried in fat that tasted rancid. Last nights fish oil it tasted like. I think it may be the first time I have ever had to spit food out in public. The staff were pleasant enough but didn’t ask if our breakfast was ok as I would have given them constructive feedback.

Stopped off while passing through, knowing they did gluten free options, ordered GF fish and and chips and was not disapointed , will use them again if in Bala.

Went into this shop for lunch. After about 3 attempts on my card i finally paid. Once i arrived home i checked my transactions on my credit card to find out that i had been charged twice. I approached badell aur and they were hopeless. The first lady said they had noticed that the till was over that day. I then spoke to somebody in accounts who said they can't refund me. My bank said the only thing they need to do is do a bank transfer. I was then told that the only person that can do anything was sick although the first lady said she spoke to somebody. I would be careful if you are paying by card in this place as they just try to get rid of you when you have a problem.

How come a chip shop can’t get a portion of chips right? It’s the only thing they’re required to do. Mine had those sharp, crispy and chewy ends - I think they’d been sitting a while - and were pale; some were undercooked and inedible. The gravy I binned without hardly touching as it had absolutely no taste. I assume they know how to cook chips, but just can’t be bothered to make the effort to get it right? I don’t get it. I don’t get it at all.

Amazing gluten free chips! We visited with our Dog, and we’re looking for food for me being GF when other places counting help! Great staff, friendly and we’ll be back!

Usually amazing fish and chips but such a let down at teatime today. Over fried fish, mainly crispy batter with hardly any fish within the batter. Chips were ok, not up to the usual standard, peas nice. When you’re paying £13 for one portion you expect a decent piece of fish. Drove for an hour to get there, waited 15 minutes only to be disappointed…won’t be returning for a while, shame

Food was average but over £15 for fish chips peas and a cup of tea usually £10 where I come from been a few times before but won't be going again

Loveley clean premises It's a same the young Gentle man that was cooking went to the hot cabinet and uned his hands to get a sausage for my order ,It's a shame u dont use Tongs when serving food bad hygiene practices.

Came across this by chance. Ordered fish and chips and the lamb burger. Fish and chips were hot and fresh 5/5, and the lamb burger was hot and fresh 5/5. Would recommend it, and we will be back.

Very tasty and fresh fish and chips for take away whilst staying in the area. Fish made to order. Definitely recommend..

The fish chips and mushy peas were excellent and the staff are helpful and friendly, great food and service, highly recommended.

Ordered chips and gravy and it was £4. The picture shows what I received and it was poor. Barely cooked frozen chips and water gravy. Not great at all.

Very unorganised as you walk in you now apparently need to order at the takeaway counter if your eating in Food very disappointing and presentation poor, mushy peas are now tined and served in a takeaway cardboard cup Staff very loud and unprofessional you can...

Had takeaway fish was chips were awful. Asked for salt and vinegar don't think they put any on. Very expensive for a takeaway. 27£ for two fish and chips and fish bites and chips

Stopped here after visiting Bala lake for the full English The "Badnell" breakfast £11.45. Me and my friend both had the same and was very disappointed, the toast was merely bread and butter and my friends had a hair in the butter! The breakfast was...

Seriously overpriced! Unfortunately, the prices here have gone out of reach, get a reality check, its the local chippy not the RITZ!! Cash is also refused, and its card payments only, I was seriously embarrassed when I was refused to be served when I went...

My friend and I had the traditional breakfast, it was very ordinary, rather tasteless sausage and not a lot on the plate either. Accompanied by a mug of tea at £2.80 and a coffee for £3.50 it was hardly good value at £18.80 for the...

Expensive at £24 for fish chips and peas , sausage and chips , Childs sausage and chips tub of lumpy gravy !! Tasteless dry chips , do not mind paying a premium for good food but this certainly isn’t great food will not stop again...

Visited over the jubilee bank holiday. Chips were hard, with a number of black bits in. Without doubt the worst portion over over priced chips at £3.20 I’ve ever tasted

Been here a couple of times whilst camping locally. Fish, chips, sausages and pies are all gorgeous - good portions, red hot, and reasonably priced. They only take card, not cash. Staff seem a bit slow on the uptake, even when it wasn't busy.

Recommended by our host, the fish and chips were the best, couldn’t fault anything at all, I would recommend this to anyone.

We visit regularly. Food is generally good. The lasagne is delicious. And battered fish is nice. The portions are huge, you wont leave hungry! (Chips can be too hard sometimes). The menu is limited, but it is a chippy! The downside is that its very...

Absolutely gutted after hearing wonderful reviews and reading that the restaurant is disabled friendly, I'm unable to leave a review as I couldn't physically get the wheelchair up the high step. Even worse inside as its only booth seating. Fair enough we could get a...

Upon asking if a portion of nuggets & chips was safe for my peanut allergic son I was originally told yes! A female member of staff then repeatedly in a raised aggressive manor told me they could not guarantee the chicken nuggets. I responded with “ok fine, let’s just go for the chips then” to then be aggressively spoken to that they couldn’t guarantee no peanuts in the chips?! Several other members of staff told me the chips were completely safe, for her to again speak over them several times with “no we cannot guarantee no peanuts in the chips” Whilst I appreciate restaurants and take away do not want the responsibility of allergy’s on their hands maybe a little more understanding and better communication wouldn’t have gone a miss! Especially as they have a sign on their counter saying if you have any allergies please speak to a member of staff. I would advise anyone with any form of allergy to AVOID this place as you will be spoken down to and made to feel like your an inconvenience!! Awful awful customer service!

Popped in for a lunch stop on way back to midlands. Fish and chips were hot and fresh, the batter was crisp on the fish chips had an amazing coating, loved them. Highly recommend

Lovely food with friendly staff, had take out sausage an chips, really good food at great price, will visit again

Delicious fish & curry sauce. Good portions. A good cup of tea, coffee was average. Polite and efficient young waitress

The food was inaudible poor standard of food never visiting this place again. One of the worst places I’ve ever been for food

Popped in here on Sunday for lunch, so glad we did.Fish was huge and was very nice quality, chips were good too (not greasy)We ate in & felt “safe” with the way the friendly staff coped with the present “restrictions”The only slight moan l have was the mushy peas…. Yes they were mushy but tasted as though they were out of a tin & not the real thing, but that’s just me being fussy ( l do like real mushy peas)

The fish and chips were excellent. Lovely delicate white fish in a crispy batter with delicious chips all served piping hot and in minutes of ordering. Cafe and toilets were spotless and Covid secure. Staff were lovely, friendly and efficient Good value too

My partner and I have made Y Badell Aur our half way stop on our last few annual trips to Wales. This was my first time visiting any chip shop since being gluten and dairy free. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful in checking all ingredients and ensuring things were suitable. Both our fish and chip dishes were delicious!

Another stop-off lunchtime on our way to Criccieth. Very, very, very nice chips. perfectly good value and I would recommend it highly.

We ate here because the restaurants we tried were fully booked. However, we were so pleased we did as it is a fabulous place to eat. I can honestly say this is the best fish and chips I have had in a long, long time, absolutely delicious. My husband isn’t normally a fan of fish and chips, he usually eats about half and then he’s had enough. This time he ate it all and loved it. The food was freshly cooked, and the service quick and efficient. The staff were lovely and very friendly. We ate in but they also do take away. Why go to expensive restaurants when you can have food this good for a fraction of the price?

We popped in for a quick tea to take out while staying in the area.The portions were that large we could not finish the meal! The food was cooked to perfection and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We would most definitely visit again if in the area!

This place mainly offers breakfast options and fish and chips meals and it does both well. The fish and chips portions are huge, fish lovely and chips well cooked. Covid restrictions are managed really well here

We called in here and had a breakfast (with chips), great food, great value and the service was excellent. In these difficult times the staff managed the running of this restaurant absolutely superbly . It was very clean, well organised and everyone was so happy and helpful. Definitely recommend to anyone in Bala or passing through as we were. Well done to all the staff.

Driving to Criccieth, we stopped here for lunch. They are managing the restrictions as best they can and we were more than happy to order food, line up in a socially distanced manner and eat in our car. Fresh chips and a glorious large sausage. Really, simple stuff but very decent and reasonably priced.

Spent the afternoon in Bala today and decided to visit the Badell Aur for lunch Excellent fish and chips with all staff very organised and coping extremely well with this new difficult indoor service

What a let down, on visiting this stunning town. We wanted to have some chips by the lake. We purchased them, sat down and they where greesy. So heavy on the stomach and unediable.

Best fish and chips we've had in a long time. Not only was the food first class, they had it totally organised with Covid measures in place. Staff were very friendly. After a long Motorbike ride, this was a perfect stopping point.

Popped in for fish chips and gravey. Fantastic nicest fish and chips I've had in a long time. Will make this our divert on road trips in the future

Fish and chips is a bit if a luxury for me these days and frequently when I try somewhere I’ve not been before I’m disappointed. Not so here however. Succulent, perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. The walls are decorated with historical and interesting pictures of the area. One of the supplementary questions when I started this review was “does this restaurant cater for large groups?” Well given that the entire Manchester United team ate here that was an easy answer. Service was lovely. Fish was freshly cooked and couldn’t have been much quicker. There’s one step to get into the restaurant that some wheelchair users many have difficulty in accessing. I didn’t ask or notice if there was an available ramp on the premises. The toilets were spotless. All in all a great find, so if you’re going to be passing through Bala and fancy a chippy lunch or dinner I’d be more than happy to recommend it.

Simple, clean, fresh and inexpensive. Fantastic chips. What more could you ask for from a cafe / chip shop?

Stopped here on the way to our holiday cottage...we had two dogs with us & found a nice table by the window. Service was very good, we ordered fish,chips, mushy peas & curry sauce, (one large, one small) all delicious, fish was one of the nicest we have had, the batter was lovely & light, not greasy at all, we had coffee & tea, bread & butterwell worth the £22.00 paid...would highly recommend.

I recently had food from here, but the chips were disgusting and I was surprised to see that as tourists get perfect chips every time. Soggy,overcooked and utterly disgusting!!!!

4 nuggets and chips Bacon an sausage bap xtra bacon an sausage £10.60Adding it all up came to £7.15 , didn't know how much you charged for the extra so I asked an just for the extra cost me £3.20 an that is ridiculous, was expecting like 50p each not £1.50, so 6+ I payed for a bacon an sausage bap that had 2 bacon an 2 sausage, but every time I go on in there an get usually same things it's all over the shop at different prices but today was the most ridiculous

Superb food and beautifully refurbished fish & chip cafe, absolutely spotless. Great helpful staff, cooked a special request to order, which was perfect! Will definitely return and recommend others to stop off here to eat.

Well, yet again I have stopped off here for my tea whilst travelling home from Porthmadog. I havent been in since August Bank Holiday and as usual food piping hot and up to then normal great standard... Surely this place deserves an award???

Today I took a ride on the bike to Bala, close to the Snowdonia National Park. Was a really lovely ride until I got about 5 miles from the little village and it started raining. I had a look around for a cafe to have a fried breakfast and came across Y Badell Aur. Walking in I was greeted by a lovely bubbly blonde lady, aged around late 30’s, early 40’s. The lady was kind enough to let me use a plug by a booth to charge my phone. Menu had a lot of varieties on it, but I already had my heart set on a fry up and a brew. 2 bacon, 1 sausage, 1 egg, 1 hash brown and a slice of toast. Went down a treat with brown sauce!Would definitely recommend to others, they had fish and chips, pie and chips, burgers and all sorts! Something for everyone.Only downfall, hence the 4* and not 5*, was the temperature in the cafe, could have done with being a few degrees warmer.

What a really good looking establishment. Clean, well presented and professional looking. However, i only had time to run in quickly and grab a portion of chips and a drink. The chips were only just passable. They had been in the hot box far too long and really should have been thrown away. Another 5 to10 minutes, and they would have been inedible. I have given the 3 stars for the review purely on the look of the place.I will try it again, as i hope this was an oversight, the standard of the chips can't be what owners who spend time, money and energy getting the place to look like it does, would want to be served.Time will tell.

After a dissapointing wait at another establishment down the road we walked out and my husband said there’s a clean cafe and it’s very busy just a few doors down. So busy usually means good food.

We visited last August bank holiday and we’re determined to come back this year.

Went here twice over a weekend stop over and both times the chips didn’t disappoint. We stayed on a local campsite, delivery would have meant us having way more meals. If you’re in Bala, give these guys a go.

Place looks amazing since it’s recent refurbishment. Visited on a Sunday night in August. Food was cooked to order and worth the wait. They do a lovely Southern Fried Chicken that the colonel himself would be proud of. Good quality and reasonably priced. We live locally and would definitely go back.

Great freshly cooked fish and chips, very friendly staff, and good value for money. Good for families.

Lovely lunch had by the family during a day out around Bala and the surrounding area. Good food and dog friendly too.

We stop here for lunch. I had the bala breakfast which was so tasty and definitely would have again, my mum had a portion of chips as she wasn't very hungry although they have an excellent range of light bites. My sister opted for the Cod and chips which was huge. The staff were lovely and were very helpful. We could use the place with a wheelchair - although there is a step so I had to lift the chair inside. We all enjoyed our lunch and would use the place again. I would love the bala breakfast again

I have used this cafe for over 20 years. It has recently been bought by a family from Patagonia, & now serves more hot food. The breakfast was well presented, reasonably priced & very palatable. Roast lunch was also good value. Y Cyfnod [ named after the local Welsh newspaper, or papur bro] has always been a meeting place for local men, & it is good to see the new owners continuing to welcome them, & the Welsh language being used. If you do not speak Welsh [ or S American Spanish] you may find the conversation limited, but equally, the experience of being served by this delightful Patagonian family is in itself rewarding. They have modernised the eating area, & hopefully will get around to the toilet, which is clean but basic.

Desperately hungry on our way back from Blaenau Ffestiniog we stopped in Bala to look for a fish and chip shop and discovered Y Badell Aur. The service was impressively good and fast and the quantities were huge, so big in fact that I couldn't finish mine! Next time I'm going to ask for a small portion. The cafe is spotless and even though it was very busy the staff were friendly and relaxed.

Stopped here for take out fish and chips on journey to the coast. The fish was inedible - you could use the batter to sole your shoes. The peas were almost solid and the chips like bullets. Didn't have time to take them back - threw 90 percent away. Must do better comes to mind!

An amazing cafe and take away popped in Sunday on our visit to the lake staff friendly happy and spoke welsh a great little place to eat food brilliant diolch ya fawr

Popped in on first night in Bala for fish and chips, good quality and good service despite being really busy with both tourists and locals

Nice take away Fish & Chip lunch from their recently refurbished chippy/cafe, which we ate whilst overlooking the Lake.

We have been to this restaurant often over the years but not recently. The place has been "made over" and looks very fresh and nicely decorated. The menu has lots of variety and the prices are alright. The chips, however, were not tasty (hard and tasted like they had been reheated) and the whole meal was quite disappointing. The fish was a good size but the batter wasn't great. Not sure we will visit again.

Popped in for breakfast when passing through Bala. Had the large cooked breakfast and it was great! Lovely food and very well prepared.

Love how they have refurbished the place from the last time we went.

Always go here when anywhere near Bala. Never ate in the restaurant as we prefer take out and sit by the lake but it is always busy. Portions are really generous, service is always fast & friendly

Transformation complete Y Badell Aur is a fantastic place to be. So far I have sampled the Bala Breakfast and the Fish and Chips. Well worth a visit. Tasty honest food at a responsible price

I have eaten at Y Badell Aur a couple of times and it has always been good. They have recently renovated the place and made a very good job of it.

Called in for some takeaway chips, it was the only chip shop on our long drive. Very disappointing. We were craving lovely, golden freshly cooked chips. What we received was a box of soggy, greasy odds and ends. Barely edible. Will not be returning.

A quick stop here for food to takeaway whilst out and about in Wales.

Great menu full of traditional cafe items. Had the breakfast special which was good value. Friendly service.

Me and Hubby went here for our lunch today (Wednesday). There is a takeaway kiosk but we sat inside the adjoining cafe. The decor was dated but clean and tidy. A friendly waitress with dark hair took our order which was served very quickly. Hubby had a good portion of scrappy chip bits, 1 well-cooked fried egg and 2 thick slices of rubbery bacon. I had 2 "locally-made" faggots which were crusty on the outside but quite tasty inside, standard mushy peas and thick gravy. My chips were also a let down as they were just hard crispy scrap ends. However, we were so hungry after our walk that we ate almost all of it - washed down with a nice mug of tea. The bill came to £14.40 which Hubby was able to pay by bank card. The toilets at the back of the cafe were OK to use.

cold plates even colder mushy peas.forgot our drinks order.nice girl served us,the place is nice and clean though.

The batter is light and crispy, the fish tasted nice and fresh, and the chips were on the soft side. I wouldn't waste time with the onion rings - I should have stuck to the delicious fish and chips!

Visited on Saturday with the family. We all had the smaller fish n chips which was plentiful n very tasty. I also had the curry sauce which was gorgeous. Excellent value for money n very clean establishment.

On a day out to Bala, Wales, my friends and I popped in for a lunchtime snack of sausages, chips and curry sauce. Nothing to unusual in that, but what a gem of a place. The chips were from heaven, crisp outer crust that melted away with a smooth buttery interior.The sausages were perfectly meaty and well seasoned. The curry sauce was amazingly rich and fruity. So often a simple dish from a chippy can be really disappointing, oily and expensive. This was beautifully cooked, very well priced and the staff were friendly. I will be visiting them again the next time I am in the area.

Chose to eat in at what is clearly a popular chippy if the queue at the take away counter is anything to go buy and where the seated option is also frequented by the locals.

Stopped off for breakfast it was Ok , but well worth the money, ordered a coffee ☕️, it was instant coffee ☕️ it was a big let down first thing of a morning real coffee would be nice 👍

Stopped for a quick lunch before facing the long journey home. We both ordered the fish and chips which came as a nice sized portion. Fish was cooked just right and it 6.95 there was as much as we could both eat. Staff were friendly. Good value basic meal.

Although this is primarily a chippy, we called in for breakfast last Saturday as there didn't seem much else open.

Not worth a single penny, chicken like rubber and chips like cardboard! With being local I'm very unimpressed with this meal

Feed a family of 4 for 20 quid ready to start the day. Your traditional greasy spoon. All the usual suspects cant go wrong Recommended.

Nice chippy which my wife and I both enjoyed following a walk round Bala lake. Sat indoors, was popular even out of season...

Visited with family for a quick lunch. Nothing special, I’ve had much nicer chips but it was ok. Place is a bit dated, could do with a good scrub. Toilet seat was very loose, floor very slippery as it hadn’t been rinsed after mopping. Smoke smell came whafting in from the back whilst we were eating and that seriously put me off the place.

Called in whilst having a few days break near Bala. The restaurant was shut, but we could get takeaway. Fish and chips for three together with a sausage and fish cake cost over £23 which is dearer than at home in Leicestershire. No problem though, would have happily paid more if it had been up to scratch. Sadly it wasn't.