Not A Duff Pint All Week - Oh And Food As Well

Now back from a great week in Anglesey (usual promises made to each other to spend more time there) and a surprise bonus was to rediscover the taste for real ale instead of my habitual Guinness. Maybe I was just lucky but not a bad pint all week.

First up was Robinson's Unicorn Bitter, a very welcome accompaniment to a brilliant lobscows (Welsh stew) at the Breeze Hill Inn in Benllech. Unfortunately the selection of wines here (ubiquitous bloody chardonnay) was limited which knocks a few marks off so far as Sharon is concerned. But terrific food and walking distance of the house so getting pissed a safe option. We'll be back.

Next day was a trip in the rain to Harlech, a simply marvellous place because it has a castle and a great golf course, twin pillars of man's subversion of the environment. Lunch on the way at the Royal Goat Hotel in Beddgelert. Prosaic but quite adequate food, very friendly service and a pint of a strong dark mild, Dark Side of the Moose from Snowdonia's Purple Moose Brewery. Cracking pint.

It was Robinson's again at the Kinmel Arms overlooking the harbour at Moelfre on Sunday evening. Again the wines were disappointing but the food was definitely up to scratch and the views out to sea beat the humdrum vista of the A5025  you get at the Breeze Hill.

Best of all was the Ship Inn at Red Wharf Bay/Traeth Coch on Monday evening. It was warm enough to walk along the coast path from Benllech and then to sit outside the pub looking out over the bay. Conwy Rampart bitter as an aperitif. Tidy. The food here is a station above pub grub and the wine list is good - a  sharp South African sauvignon blanc with the food and then a bottle of house champagne in lieu of dessert. Finally a taxi home for the princely sum of £4.50. Cheap at twice the price. 

Final night we went to The Cove Brasserie in Benllech only to discover that they weren't doing food. We had a bottle of pinot grigio to be polite and then walked down to the Golden Fryer chippie. Best chips I've had in ages, eaten sitting with my favourite person on the picnic bench down by the beach. The best nights are often unplanned.