Y Sospan Cafe in Gwynedd

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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…

Bel pub nel centro del paese, con una storia veramente molto interessante. Da prigione del '600 a pub odierno. Ottimo il servizio, molto attento alla soddisfazione del cliente. Disponibili a ricevere commensali fino a tarda sera. Se vi piace non perdete l'agnello, uno dei migliori mai mangiati. Carne buonissima, pesce e contorni ottimi. Dolci ben confezionati.

Managed to get a table outside and it was lovely. One of the best Lamb Shanks I've ever had. Followed by Creme Brulee. Staff were extremely friendly but exceedingly busy

Sat outside on probably the warmest day of the year. Dinner was excellent. I went for the Lamb Shank and my partner had the Hake. Both were excellent. Staff were very friendly, they were extremely busy, so service understandably a little slower. I would definitely recommend

Very nice old building and has great food

Our visit was on the day of our Wedding Anniversary so I'd pre-booked it online with a note to request a quiet spot upstairs and that was provided perfectly. I fancied lamb for dinner so, in the end, we both ordered lamb shanks along with a bottle of Merlot then desserts. It was certainly busy and I always like to see that I'm eating at a place also chosen by the local people because they obviously no more about the area than I do. The service, food, cooking, presentation and cost were all very good and we would recommend Y Sospan.

Had lunch here two days in a row. Quick friendly service. Above average sandwich’s. Only had pop to drink, decent value. The lamb kofta pita was a proper winner. Will definitely eat there again

Lovely food, served by lovely people.

Meer dan heerlijk gegeten!! Topbediening van begin tot einde van onze leuke avond in dit zeker aan te bevelen restaurant.(H)eerlijke keuken. Danny&Ann uit België.

Food was delicious!! Service could be improved. Worth to go for Lamb Shank and Chicken wrapped in bacon!

Sadly this is not the best review. My son and I enjoyed very good meals with great service and an excellent atmosphere, here on Saturday 26 August, however despite having a booking at 8.00pm on Sunday 27 August the whole experience was totally different. We stood waiting with a number of other people to be shown to our table. There seemed to be a lack of staff and we were left just standing at the entrance waiting. Once we were finally spoken to by a member of staff they assumed we were all together as one group, when I pointed out we had booked a table for two, the waiter had to rush and clear a very small table which I noted he did not clean. My son and I then waited a further twenty minutes with no service at all, nobody came to even take our drinks order or give us any menu's. Having booked a table for 8.00pm and having absolutely no service for nearly thirty minutes we just decided to leave. This is a great shame after the good experience the day before. It really has put me off going to this restaurant again.

Looked lovely upstairs, but they were seating everyone downstairs, which was far less appealing and cold. The beer menu looked great, but they didn't have any of them. The portion sizes looked small for the hungry (we had done a long walk). The service was slow. We didn't stay, so can't give a fair review for the food.

Delicious posh fish finger sarnie with home made tartare sauce, and had a proper doorstop of cheesecake that was to die for.

Went for coffees to start with but fancied the menu so booked supper and it didn't disappoint, excellent menu good choice of wines and beers and very efficient staff made it a great night out.

Gorgeous Welsh breakfast, all locally sourced and fresh. Lovely coffee, great service and the place has its own quirky history. Love it! Would highly recommend for a pit stop.

One to avoid, meals are very expensive for what you pay for. My t-bone was one third Grissel, chips half cooked half raw. My wife had a curry that she said was awful, it cost twice as much as the best Indian restaurant in Swansea. My sister had lamb shank, she requested chips and yet it arrived with mash potato. My brother had cawl which he said was bland. The staff are clueless when asked a question. If "y sospan" opened in Swansea it would be closed within a month. Being in dolgellau they probably get a captive audience.

A cracking welsh breakfast served here. The building has a very interesting history to it also.

Lovely restaurant in a very interesting historical building. The staff were friendly and service was good. We are a family of five with teenagers and ordered starters and main meals but were too full for dessert! The scotch eggs were very good for starter. We all ordered a different main from the menu and all were delicious. We had the lamb shank, a rib eye steak, lamb burger, beef burger and hake. I really enjoyed the risotto that came with the hake. My son said the chips were the best he has ever had! We would not hesitate to return.

Lovely restaurant, very atmospheric interior and history. Food very nice and reasonably priced.

Really nice. Good food. Nice (but not amazing) coffee. Good service. Check out upstairs. The building is amazing. Upstairs is even more amazing. Love the frieze with the witch in it.

Great find. Tasty food, well presented. Attentive staff

Echt Wales. Rustieke plek met bijzonder houtwerk op de 1ste etage. Goede service en super eten. De lambs shank is echt een aanrader. Het vlees valt soepel van het bot en is super mals.

visited the Sosban last night during a stay in Dolgellau, we chose the venue due to it's positive reviews and interesting history . The food and service was excellent , well worth a visit if in the area.

Terrible service. Booked a table for 7pm and turned up at 7pm. Didn't get to sit at the table until 7:25pm. Asked a couple of times to order drinks and food but each time it was then going to be in 5 minutes. They just went on to serve regulars who turned up after us. We left after 45 minutes without even a glass of water.

Booked a table for 7pm and turned up at 7pm. Didn't get to sit at the table until 7:25pm. Asked a couple of times to order drinks and food but each time it was then going to be in 5 minutes. They just went on to serve regulars who turned up after us. We left after 45 minutes without even a glass of water.

I had a lamb burger (with mint yoghurt) here three months ago and I'm still thinking about it. Five stars

Went here based on recommendations. Lovely gem of a place. Good food and staff. Thank you!

Family celebration Really characterful building. Lovely interested staff busy but happy to help. A nice menu with a good choice. Everyone seemed happy with their food.mine was Duck with superb chips, changed from mash plus beautifully cooked vegetables. Duck slightly over cooked for my personal choice but a minor issue.

Really characterful building. Lovely interested staff busy but happy to help. A nice menu with a good choice. Everyone seemed happy with their food.mine was Duck with superb chips, changed from mash plus beautifully cooked vegetables. Duck slightly over cooked for my personal choice but...

We booked a table for 3 at Y Sospan following a day out at Snowdon. Y Sospan was busy on the evening we visited, but we managed to book online. It wasn't until we got to the restaurant that we realised that downstairs was dog friendly and that upstairs was dog free. My wife and I hadn't appreciated that we would be seated downstairs, despite not adding a furry friend during the booking process. In hindsight, we felt we should have been given the option of 'upstairs only'. We hadn't brought any furry friends, but we were still seated downstairs. I'm certain this wouldn't have been an issue under normal circumstances, but Y Sospan is quaint and bijou. We love dogs and have pets ourselves. However - the table adjacent ours were happily feeding their dog the food that was being served - the last of the Hake - and with inevitable consequences. The dog vomited under the table behind them, at the feet of dining customers. This was then hastily cleared up with paper napkins by the pet owner, and then placed onto the table they were sitting at, vomit and all. Both sets of customers were hugely embarrassed by this and left very shortly afterwards. We discreetly pointed out to the staff what had happened and that the vomit-soiled napkins had been left on the table. After several minutes, the staff cleared the table, placing the vomit-soiled napkins onto the plates. This was wholly unacceptable and marred our visit to be honest. The food we ordered was good and tasty. Service was good, although at busy times you are reminded that food is prepared to order. The atmosphere had been good up until the incident. I'm not convinced that the floor was adequately sanitised whilst we were there and staff frequently had to walk through the area. We were conflicted about leaving a review for Y Sospan, as the circumstances were largely out of their control. However, on balance, paying customers visiting this restaurant deserve to know that if they are unhappy to eat amongst furry friends, they need to book an upstairs table.

Excellent food, excellent service, I had a steak (rib eye) and my wife had the duck and it was delicious, service was great and the servings were excellent

The Dolgellau guesthouse I was staying in recommended Y Sospan for breakfast. Ahead of a day’s mountain walking I wanted an early, filling breakfast, so was at the door as they opened, 8am. Although the team was still setting up, they were quickly with me,...

We stopped by on a lovely day in late June. Service was outstanding. We had the lasagna, beef burger and lamb burger. All three were delicious. The beef burger in particular was next level.

Amazing, impeccable service. Food was cooked to perfection and prices where reasonable too. Would highly recommend a visit if you are in the beautiful town of Dolgellau!

Good quality food, served in a pleasant manner.

Excellent food +value for money. Wed not visited since pre Covid, but it was as good as we recalled.

Food’s great, has veg and vg options! Very polite and down to earth service.

Ignore the naysayers about this eatery. Had the best ribeye steak I've had for a long time. Lamb shank delicious with a good bottle of red. Going back ASAP.

Starter was excellent and the mains were good. Service was not very tentative and we had to call the waiter for requests. There was no check on how our food was but all in all it was ok.

Beautiful building, friendly atmosphere, amazing food. Top service. Kid friendly, dog friendly. Highly recommended!

Beautiful building, still retaining loads of original features, small and cosy. We had lunch one day and breakfast the next. Everything was fresh, local where possible and delicious--vegi breakfast particularly good. Staff very friendly. Absolutely excellent value.

Food was very tasty and hit the spot thanks.

Had lamb kofta was awful, very bland and tasteless, chips were hard and awful

Been here a fair few times and the place never disappoints. It has an amazing atmosphere, friendly staff, great service - the list goes on. Highly reccomend 👍🏼

Food was great but the service was really bad. More worryingly the hand-wash in the female and male toilets was watered down to the point of being pointless. Quite disconcerting.

A morning saviour! In a world filled with places serving terrible coffee, this place is your respite. We enjoyed two strong and tasty flat whites - blew the cobwebs away completely.

Fabulous selection of traditional cakes. Yum!

Food was nice. And the service was good too. The restaurant allows dogs in at dinner time. We were in at about 7pm and a couple came in with a dog. After no time the room smelt of wet dog.. I don't mind dogs but this just seemed wrong. What can you do as a customer in that situation? Eat the food and get out asap? Spoilt a nice meal.

I would have loved to have written a review about this place. However despite a booking confirming they were dog friendly, and a sign confirming the same, the family and I were turned away by a rather matter of fact gentleman with poor English. I could have been forgiven in thinking it was an Indian restaurant. I wasn't entirely sure if they were open, it was early evening and the room was very dark and there was no one seated down stairs. My daughter went back a few minutes later to ask why the change in policy, but this time a pleasant young lady said that there had been a mistake. Unfortunately by this time I had found a table at the Ship Inn opposite which I believe possibly turned out to be a much better option for us. Someone needs to get their act together.

Lovely food, great service and atmosphere

I have never had to write a bad review before. I’ve always had problems sorted, until tonight. Arrived and was given menus and we chose a table. The waitress took our order for food and drinks. The drinks arrived and she didn’t put my husband’s...

Had a lovely evening meal, catered for 15 of us. Food and service was extremely good. Went for breakfast following morning which was excellent.

Staff where very accommodating for our large party.

Lovely bistro/ cafe. Very popular. Good food and menu choices. Staff very attentive. Would recommend booking.

Friendly, nice atmosphere. Had ham egg and chips but the cakes looked lovely. Sandwiches are made to order.