Pen Y Gwryd - Gwynedd

The hotel restauarant does a lovely 3 or 5 course meal. You choose the courses from a set menu. The soups are particularly good. The cheese selection is also good. The main has a choice of two and there is a cold starter. Plus very good coffee for after dinner in the residents' lounge or the Smoke Room. Breakfasts are hardy two course affairs. Lunch can be ordered from the bar.The chili seems always to sell out.The beer is good and the wine selection perfectly adequate.

The emphasis is on fuelling and refuelling walkers and climbers. Portions are mountainous but this is simple good food cooked with care and love. Of note on my two night stay were the slow cooked brisket and the chicken and leek pie. Served with vegetables piled as high as adjacent Snowdon. A selective but good quality wine list. The hearty puddings will finish you off and leave you contented on the sofa in front of the log fire with a Penderyn whisky and coffee. Service is chatty and warm. Sleep on it then repeat same experience with full Welsh breakfast. Highly recommend mainly for resident guests but they do allow outsiders if they have room. Recommend highly.

Dinner was either 3 or 5 courses, with a choice of two things for each course except cheese and biscuits. The portions were huge. Breakfast had a wide choice, though one or two of our party moaned about the lack of baked beans.

We went to the PyG for a dinner of the Alpine Ski Club in November and it was marvellous to be back at this iconic hotel which I have been visiting for about 40 years. The same small bar and behind it the residents bar with guests swarming about with dogs under their feet. The various rooms downstairs have not changed over the years the signatures of the legendary mountaineers are still on the ceiling and the cabinet of Everest memorabilia is still there. Our dinner was typical PyG fare and good enough especially for hungry climbers and walkers. I am pleased that the owners manage to retain the charm of the place and its slow pace in these rather frantic times.

If you are in the area you must stay here. The inn is as traditional as you can get. The inn was used for Hilary's team in 1953 as a base for their climbing practice and they returned for reunions leaving lots of memorabilia.