Y Sospan Cafe in Gwynedd

Dingy little place, unfriendly waiter, dirty cuttlery, tables still dirty from the evening before. Porridge was some sort of soup. If you tried to tick all the boxes how not to do it, you succeeded. Never again, avoid

Poor quality food made with cheap ingredients We left at least 50% of it as it was so poor With this many 1 star reviews, how on earth is it averaging so highly?

Wow, I had dirty butter curry fries and it was so tasty and melt in your mouth. Hubby had lamb kofta Pitta and chips and loved it. Best cappuccino we've had in a long time. The cake selection, which are all made on site were so good we had to try. It was a great experience with lovely staff who welcomed are dogs with treats. Highly recommend.

We came in for an evening meal as there wasn't much option that specific evening. I've enjoyed this cafe eatery in the mornings for cafe style food and drinks and the women serving are always an absolute joy to be around, a great energy and great service, personal and friendly. So I felt it can't be that much different in the evening, I was very wrong. The server I think bless him was maybe struggling, he was working alone but only a few tables were being used, and it was empty of any atmosphere. The waiter was stark, unfriendly, unresponsive and not welcoming at all and the table wasn't set but as I say we all have tough days? The menu wasn't very inspiring and the prices were high, I ordered the halloumi salad but was so disappointed. A salad For £15 with no effort put in. Cold cubes of halloumi, basic cheap lettuce and cubes of other salad toppings as if all from a packet or prepared hours ago. And a quick drizzle of some sweet sauce. The chips were not chips they were more like wedges but they were good. Two 3/4 full pint glasses of warm bottled coke for nearly £4 each. I was disgusted, and I won't be going again. The morning/daytime cafe is a different experience and I'd really recommend it though. But a disappointing and overpriced evening meal sadly. The place is beautiful and the staff are usually a wonderful hardworking team. I tried to email the restaurant so as not to leave a negative review but no contact available

Two days in a row, and another real gem of a Caffè. Wow, the building, dating back to 1606, the food, the service, the detail, the friendliness, the perfect combination of all that make a Caffè a winner a gem. Travel Advisory, if you happen to visit Dolgellau, this Caffè is a must visit. There are no excuses. You simply must visit this eatery.

We love visiting Dolgellau and we went in here for a drink and snack before checking in to our hotel. There was an issue with our order, they were out of stock for a beer I had ordered and were going to pour out another one without asking me. I went to the counter to choose another one and was disappointed to be completely ignored by the woman I assumed from her manner to be the boss/owner. She stood and ignored me, staring into space then looking at her phone, and then started chatting to someone who came to the counter. It was so blatant and rude, she could see I was waiting to be served - the young girls serving were doing their best. I was frankly insulted and will think twice before visiting again, especially as we then found a fantastic new deli round the corner.

Been here for breakfast and evening food, lovely spot and very well priced.

this restaurant was absolutely lovely ! a very cosy place with incredible food. my partner and i were blown away with how delicious the food was, we ordered the lamb and duck and could not have been happier. it came quickly and was presented beautifully. we’re very happy and have very full bellies ☺️

Called in for lunch. I had the all day breakfast. It was that big it would have taken all day. Quality ingredients and perfectly cooked eggs. Apparently it was the local jail many years ago

This was our first visit and will be our last. We were not impressed on arrival. Firstly there was an unpleasant smell of cooking oil pervading the downstairs area and secondly it took quite a while before we were actually properly greeted and seated. It was obvious the place was busy but the whole atmosphere was one of chaos. The waiting staff were friendly but it was obvious they were struggling. Once seated it was a while before we were actually brought drinks and ordered our meal. When the food arrived it was ok but nothing special. I did try to order a second drink but that didn't happen so we decided to cut our losses and ask for the bill. It was hard not to notice the ongoing chaos around us as other diners arrived and were ignored for unacceptably long periods of time. One poor couple who had been struggling to gain anyone's attention to order a drink were brought their bill before placing any order! When we paid our bill the waitress asked if everything had been ok and we said that it had not been the best of evenings. She was apologetic and said they had been dealing with some very large tables upstairs. I don't accept this as a reason for such poor service. It is a very long time since we have experienced such a poorly run establishment.

Very disappointing place. Considering it is competing with T H Roberts, it's amazing it's so poor. Came here for breakfast. Service was at best ticking the minimum boxes, at worst unfriendly. Coffee tasted like dishwater, literally. Porridge was a pile of wet oats with a moat of milk - it was like someone had never ordered it before and they scrambled in the kitchen. Lots on the walls about local ingredients but there's key stuff that definitely doesn't seem very local. Staff seemed to not really get along, whilst a nice girl took my order an older male staff member was aggressively grabbing her pen as she wrote, whilst completely ignoring me. It was very uncomfortable as a punter. Place was generally not particularly clean - don't be fooled by the cute seating outside, the inside has had little love. Baby changing was non existing and pretty dirty all around. Saw a few very disgruntled punters having bad meals around us too. We left before finishing.

Well worth a visit, go upstairs for a surprise. Dog friendly downstairs

We booked this restaurant as it looked like a cosy place to enjoy a meal. After a 9 mile walk to Barmouth earlier in the day, we were famished and this restaurant really hit the spot. We were warmly welcomed and the second the celebratory lamb shanks arrived, we knew we had chosen well! The food was superb and our host allowed me to halve the portion of the cheese board finale, as I was eager to sample the local cheeses, but was too stuffed to manage the whole thing. My husband reports that the sticky toffee pudding was both light and sublime. We washed it all down with a lovely bottle of local wine and left very happy indeed. Thank you to all involved for making our evening a very pleasant one.

We had a lovely time here for an evening meal. Everything was delicious and beautifully presented as well as the host being extremely welcoming and attentive. Would definitely return!

Popped in on a rainy Sunday morning, having never been to Dolgellau, so not knowing it was the only decent place in town actually open and serving food and drink. This meant that despite what would probably be adequate staffing levels, the girls in there could only do so much to abate the ever growing line of impatient customers. None of them seemed to have any positivity towards, or empathy for the staff slaving away on a Sunday morning while they quarmed over the exact temperature of their sausage rolls and no tips were in the tip jar. The food coming out looked great, as did the display of cakes and brownies. Coffee was decent too.

Waited 50 mins for 2 baguettes. By the 35 minute mark I was eating my fingers. When the food eventually came I had to eat it with my 3 remaining appendages. In all seriousness id give it a miss. Not impressed. Other baguette was soggy, told the wait would be 10-20 mins and it ended up being 50 mins. No apology for the wait.

Locals so lovely. Food very good quality. The building so interesting.

Very interesting place. Food lovely well presented. Locals very friendly. Service was fantastic.

Long time since had such a tasty full English. Busy lil cafe with a tremendous selection of cakes at the counter. Sadly couldn't sample after the full english

Lovely 400 year old tavern with a nice atmosphere. The antique wooden banisters in the upstairs was awesome. I recommend the slow roasted lamb shank. It was very tender and flavorful.

50 min for 2 baskets and dirty chips.

We visited today on a first visit. Staff lovely and dog friendly which is great. We just had drinks and my cappuccino was best I have had. Just a shame as a felt the area needed a good spruce up and deep clean .. just looked unloved.

Friendly staff delicious food burger great place to go small town great cider and beer the food Will make you happy and full belly

Two years on with a change of staff it is immeasurably better. Good quality food, clear signage when you walk in & staff who are not rude. Now, highly recommended. Original review that no longer applies: Bad mannered unwelcoming staff. My wife said good morning to a guy who just grunted in return. Stood at the counter for nearly 5 minutes but just ignored. We don’t know what the food is like because we walked out. My advice, don’t bother…. Our visit here in chronological order: waited at entrance for a while as ‘wait to be seated’ sign indicated. Grunted at by member of staff in response to our ‘good morning’. Wandered upstairs & took a seat. Asked another diner if orders taken at the counter (I’m sure you’re correct that there is a sign we didn’t notice). Went downstairs & waited at the counter for approximately 4 minutes, totally ignored. At no point were we asked if we were ok or what we would like. If you saw us there looking like a couple of spare parts why didn’t you at the very least say you were busy & would be with us shortly? I rarely leave bad reviews, you can check them out. Had you just put your hands up I would have retracted it.

Food was good, level of service not up to standard with long waiting times, staff unwilling to help with cleaning table or taking order. Beautiful building but strange choice of very loud 2010s party hits. Felt like I was in a primary school disco

Stunning little place in Dollgellue. We had the curry special which I would rate as the best we've had in the UK! Fab service and atmosphere

Amazing, as always! I try and make it once a week for the breakfast and normally see at least one familiar face so I'm not the only local who loves this place. The portions are generous, the bacon is thick and tastes really good, the baps are soft and fluffy, the eggs are cooked to perfection and the full breakfast is a delicious hearty meal. The pots of tea are exactly the kind you want: served in a pot with a second pot of hot water and a teacup on the side. The cakes. Oh my. They are very very good, and really reasonable priced, highly recommend getting one to take away. They are so good but some are fairly rich so you do want to have plenty of time to enjoy them. The Rolo Tart and Banoffee Pie are particular favourites of ours but the brownie is also exceptionally good. The variety of flavours for their Bakewell tarts is great fun, and that rocky road with ginger biscuits! These ladies know how to make cakes that taste incredible and keep you coming back. The staff are so lovely and welcoming as well, it's a really nice friendly atmosphere, and if you are looking for a quiet spot upstairs tends not to get busy early on. Having tried all the breakfast spots in Dol, this is the one I keep coming back to. Overall great value, great food and great cakes. Plus the whole history of the building! I can see why this place came recommend!

We ordered the lamb shank and lamb burger, food was delicious and the staff super friendly. Highly recommended! Prices reasonable.

A very cosy little restaurant in the middle of Dolgellau. The food was delicious and the building has loads of history and character. Well worth a visit if you're staying in the area. I had the dirty fries and my partner had tea and cake; both were great!

Cheap food, but not one if you want a quiet lunch... servers/possibly owner answering phone calls behind the counter in full voice so that everyone could hear it was too her grandchild (hope she enjoyed her paddling pool by the way) if it was the owner, maybe move away from the public area while answering personal calls?...

Nice historical restaurant, small menu but very nice food.

Food was miserable. Only burgers, even though there is a menu. We only found out that there were only burgers when we were able to order after 20 minutes in line. 2x vegi and 2x lamb burgers, and these are of poor quality. Restaurant dingy and unclean. Cutlery dirty. Cake/cookie counter unappetizing. Unfortunately we cannot recommend the restaurant.

There was only burgers, although there is a lunch menu. Burger was very bad, fries were dark brown, indicating very old oil. Hygiene is terrible. Very sad!

Visit for a take out breakfast.... this place is really good ... well priced too .... the breakfast was great.... will visit again.... great place to visit

Lovely little place for breakfast! Great atmosphere, reasonably priced and the food was excellent. The big breakfast is enormous... Maybe stick to the small one if you want to be able to walk out!!

The BEST breakfast I have ever had. The bacon slices were like gamnon steaks. Thick and tasty. A large brekkie is around £9 under the average price compared to Barmouth. Great find and with a great history being based in a building that dates 1606.

This Tudor jailhouse, with some original features is a friendly establishment, serving food and refreshments

A great cup of tea but no effort from the workers to speak Welsh.

Wonderful little rustic cafe, big breakfast was delicious. Service great and coffee was just what I needed! Will be back!

Wonderful homecooked food. Special evening events very popular..... Curry night and steak night both very enjoyable. Excellent staff !

I was disappointed with the quality of the food, so I stuck to just the chips. The dish with peas was dirty and marked. The service left much to be desired, and I wouldn't recommend this place to others. The only redeeming factor was the ambiance.

Lovely pub. Amazing staff! A must-stop if near the area.

Food was great. Caters for gluten free and lactose free. Coffee was subpar though unfortunately.. Lovely staff and pleasant atmosphere.

Really good food, service and pleasant relaxed atmosphere, also dog-friendly downstairs. We were so pleased to find this eaterie.

A lovely piece of Hake but a small meal for the price. A nice old restaurant with lots of character. Excellent service.

What a gem, really top notch food and nice selection of wines and beers. Very interesting history about the place and welcoming staff.

Fantastic! Really good quality food, and really reasonable prices. The bacon is thick and delicious, the bread is soft and light, the pot of tea comes with a generous hot water refill, and oh my the cakes are fabulous! The variety of Bakewell flavours are so much fun (who knew lemon Bakewell was such a delight) but the Rolo Tart is actually worth visiting for alone. The atmosphere is so lovely, everyone is so friendly and the staff are so warm and welcoming - it has a real community feel. A lovely place to stop off in for breakfast, lunch or just a treat. The sort of cafe you visit and find yourself going back to again and again.

Had a lovely evening here with my family while on holiday. Fantastic food, easily the best we had in the area. Wonderful atmosphere and service. Will be back next time we visit.

We went with 14 people and they were very accommodating, but there were also lots of small groups who were enjoying themselves. It was a lovely experience and would definitely recommend and go again.

After a wet day on the campsite, we booked this gem for a warm dinner at short notice. We were a group of 4 families, and potentially hard to cater for. This restaurant was fantastic. The food was delicious, the service was great, and we all had a lovely time. I can really recommend paying a visit. The lamb shank was just stunning!

We had dinner tonight at YSospan and it was an wonderful experience. The old history of the place, the downstair old jail and upstairs courtroom decor left us with awe. We were attended very well and order taken swiftly. We ordered lamb burger and lasagne. Both were very tasty. The lamb burger was very moist and very fresh. If in Dolgellau this is definitely a place to try.

Slightly awkward experience as a solo diner. Lamb shank was cooked well but overall very rich and I felt maybe needed a few more vegetables to balance the meal. Very generous portion.

Really nice breakfast and the girls were very welcoming. Lovely place and atmosphere

Almost went to the royal ship robinsons chain rubbish, but luckily this caught my eye. Absolutely brilliant.

Cannot fault this lovely restaurant- we were given a warm and friendly welcome, excellent service and the food was amazing! Also, very good value for money. Would highly recommend. Excellent.

Lovely traditional space in the centre of town. Great service.

Good for lunch or a light snack but not much choice for a big meal. I choose the basket meal of chicken goujons and chips for just a 5er which was good value for money and the chips were lovely but I would have liked to have the option of paying a bit extra for a side order of beans, peas or something.

Reviewers seem a tad gushing over Y Sospan, but I'm not entirely sure why. Granted, it's a little different from Dolgellau's other establishments (17th century building etc etc), but that alone does not make it a destination dining experience. When we arrived we had to wait for a member of staff to appear for three or four minutes, but were then seated downstairs. Having searched upstairs for some staff, I was glad we ended up down as the upstairs space is very gloomy, and has wood-effect formica tables which are somewhat at odds with the period ambience (unless the period you're after is the 1970s). Anyway, downstairs is far brighter, and we were from then on served promptly by the congenial host and a young waitress. Two of us ate rib-eye steak (listed on the menu as served with an onion ring (and yes, it was exactly one)) which were fair, at £24, one a ricotta (?) lasagne, and another had the lamb shank (which rather unfortunately had a hair in it - his second eating out in North Wales that week!). We had two creme brulee and a sticky toffee pudding for pudding. The latter was not served very warm (come on, just another 15 seconds in the microwave), and creme brulee (advertised as with fresh fruit) were accompanied by half of a strawberry and a whole raspberry! So overall, it's just o.k. If you do go, avoid the upstairs; I felt almost genuine sorrow for those who were seated up there while I searched for staff; it just looked so miserable. Luckily, an odd hair or two doesn't throw me or my son (easy for me to say, I know), into paroxysms of fury, and we didn't complain, or even mention it, cos, what's the point? But maybe a hair net for kitchen staff...

This place is so good, we went back a second time. I would recommend booking a table during peak holidays. The lamb shanks are so delicious. Service is excellent and they have a really good wine selection. Do yourself a favour and go there.

For lunch, spent £27.50 on one Halloumi pitta with a side of sweet potato fries, one sausage sandwich with fries, and two teas. Thought we’d ordered an extra fries for the kids, but was told we hadn’t. Felt it was quite expensive for cafe food that was fairly average.

Great building and wonderful breakfast. Came here with my wife and this is now our new favourite place for breakfast. Both had full welsh which was so good the bacon was excellent, good coffee and tea. Moved back to Fairbourne a few months ago, wont take us that long to be back here. Diolch yn fawr iawn

Excellent place to stop if you’re passing. Went in for cake and coffee ended up with Welsh Breakfast, cake and 2 coffees. Food amazing, coffee is superb and cake is just heavenly. Good work team!

Absolutely brilliant restaurant. The food was excellent. The lady who served us was very pleasant and attentive. Fullly recommend a visit if you're in Dolgellau.

Cosy and warm - it was a cold winter evening. Excellent meal served by Sharon who was chatty but professional.

Update 2 years later: management has changed and the place is completely different. Different food, different atmosphere. A bit disappointed to be honest.. Let's start with the fact that we had a good laugh with the front of house staff, appreciating that we booked a table beforehand - do that! They are busy! And no wonder! We had a few local beers, the steak (oh god, the steak. It was absolutely perfectly made) and a cheescake for a desert. You can actually taste that everything is completely fresh and prepared from scratch. It was an absolute delight to dine there. I wish I had taken the name of the lady who welcomed us and seated us so I could thank her personally for the warm, welcoming and fun attitude. Thank you! P. S. I have no photos to share because I was so busy with the great food and experience haha.

My friend and I had an excellent dinner here. Service was brilliant, warm and friendly. Excellent choice of beer too. Will return again.

Went today for breakfast. Couldn't fault anything. Staff , food excellent and great value .Highly recommended will be back in May from Ireland

We had the restaurant to ourselves as we arrived late on a quiet wet night. The food we had was very nice. A couple of the choices were not available but no matter, we easily found something we wanted. A selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options to keep everyone happy. Service was quick and friendly.

Was very disappointed following the reviews…service was good, but the prices were quite steep so we expected good quality food. The meat in my burger was awful, and the whole thing was very flavourless (would’ve rather had Burger King!) whereas the lamb wasn’t too bad but most likely was cooked from frozen. If looking for good food I would recommend the torrent hotel!

A great find for a quick bite! Fantastic value, great food, friendly atmosphere, helpful staff, and a whole lot of history to unpick with this treasure trove! A great education to go with breakfast. It was a pleasure for my eyes to see all the trinkets scattered around and be sure to venture upstairs to see more. A wonderful selection of home made cakes to finish off your experience.

We ate here 3 times during our week in Dolgellau. The service each time was great. We were given a choice of either eating upstairs in the historic section or downstairs. The food was great had duck my partner had the Lamb Shank which is slow cooked on the premises. My partner also tried the chicken and the steak. Always perfectly cooked. The deserts were great perfectly cooked choclate fondant and creme bulle. Highly recommeded

Wow this is a little gem! We came on a Friday evening and it was the curry night and it was AMAZING! The best onion baji’s weve ever had! So fantastic and the staff were so friendly and welcoming! And amazing cakes too - we went back for more cake the next day! Amazing ⭐️

Excellent food great atmosphere. Best lamb dinner I've ever had.

This venue needs a good clean cooler display all glass Very Dirty had breakfast just average expected better for the price

We finished a walk late and desperate for a bite, so my walking partner found this place on Google Map. Google and their very own website advertised that they close at 2100. We turned up at 2010 and was told 'we're no longer serving'. This is absolutely poor when you advertised you close at 2100, including Sunday. We chose you and you turned us away. Not even a comprmise menu, and no excuse given e.g. if they have run out of food. They don't appear to be interested in serving their potential customers and obviously, not in making money.

Came in after a long day and had a really nice spinach & ricotta lasagne. My partner had the vegan lentil pie and we both loved our food. Nice local welsh beers & ciders to make it go down! They were even so nice as to cook a steak for my dog to eat! Plus the building is over 400 years old! Worth a stop for sure x Thank you x

Miło spędzona rocznica ślubu z mężem . Piękne i klimatyczne miejsce

Really nice place. Great food, well priced and a really cost atmosphere with friendly staff

Although a bit pricey, a nice friendly place.

Each time I have been here I have enjoyed good food and service, the cafe is big enough for quite a few people but small enough to be cosy. My usual "go to" when I'm in Dolgellau

What a lovely place this is, never been before but will go again

Great food and service, very welcoming. I had steak and my partner had the Lamb Shank, both were excellent. For dessert I had Sticky Toffee pudding and he had cheeseboard, again both excellent. We enjoyed it so much we went back for Sunday Roast, which again was really great and well priced compared to other establishments in the village. Not a huge choice on the menu but some really good staple items.

Lovely place, great food and an overall great experience. This is a dog friendly place. However there does seem to be an upstairs section for those who are allergic.

I was really worried when we first walked in, as it smelled like a greasy spoon cafe. The staff were absolutely lovely though, and I got over that quickly. We got a table near the window upstairs, which was gorgeous decor. The drinks come quickly, and our starters were ordered and delivered in record breaking time. I had the pate, which was the nicest I've had in a while. My partner had the soup of the day, which was equally as lovely. We both had steak, and I think there was a slight language barrier with the waiter as they come out not 2 our taste but when we explained he just said yes, so we kind of just went with it. It was nice enough though, so no complaints here. Lovely little building, with amazing staff. The lady that seated us in the 1st place had me a latte within minutes, which is defo a necessity for me, lol. Thank you for having us

Lovely Takeaway Bacon Sandwich. My picture doesn't do the taste & quality justice. Highly recommend.

Lovely fresh food. Music a tad too loud. Excellent service

After 1st meal was served, had to wait 30 minutes for others, which is unacceptable. Asked staff for condiments with roasts which never came and ruined it for me. Poor customer care.

What a lovely place. Great atmosphere, wonderful food and service. We would definitely recommend.

We booked in advance as reviews looked good We weren’t disappointed the welcome was warm the staff attentive and the food was fab We were tired and hungry but had a lovely evening 🥰 thanks Tina and family

Enjoyed a lovely Sunday Dinner today with my husband at Y Sospan. The staff were friendly and attentive with smiles on their faces which is lovely to see. The food was delicious you could tell it was cooked fresh the Yorkshire puddings were yummy (No dry aunt Bessie Yorkies here) all in all a lovely friendly atmosphere with beautiful food I highly recommend the Lamb,Compliments to the Chef. Thank you

Lovely selection of food, beautifully presented and wonderful service, would highly recommend to anyone visiting the area.

Lovely food and staff. Nice place with an interesting history as the jail and courtroom!

Just in for a coffee. Quick service, though quite crowded.

Fantastic experience with tasty food. I had the lamb shank with seasonal veg and my husband had the chicken in bacon. Both were delicious. The friendly welcome and staff made it even more enjoyable. The music perfect and the building added to the atmosphere. Very good value for money.

Really tasty lunch. Sat upstairs on comfy seats. The building is historic and well restored. Staff are always helpful and friendly going above and beyond.

Went in half an hour before they were due to close and wasn't expecting to get much choice but was surprised. I had lamb shank my sister had a burger both were very well presented good quality food tasty and service very good with friendly staff also extremely good value for money.

Excellent food and service with plenty of choices of food and drinks. Staff efficient and courteous lovely night out.

I was very disappointed by the food, especially considering it wasn’t cheap. I ordered the soup of the day which was watery and tasteless, and the curry - more like a tomato soup with vegetables and a bit of rice. Meat dishes looked nice (didn’t try any as we are vegetarian), but I don’t recommend the food for vegetarians. Service was slow, no one was around when you needed something, (they weren’t understaffed for the time of day) Not a pleasant experience.

Fantastic food and staff Family of 6 pkus ouf dog We had evening meal various choices of food all amazing.

Great lunch here…haloumi wrap was really scrumptious..husband had the all day breakfast and again , really good produce at a reasonable price. Helpful, friendly staff..I would def recommend Y Sospan…