Pubs in a Town Built for Drinking
Conwy Quay — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
A medieval walled garrison town with a castle, a working harbour, and centuries of travellers passing through was always going to produce good pubs. Conwy does not disappoint. The town has no branded chain pubs within the walls, and the best of its independent establishments have the kind of atmosphere that can only develop over a very long time in very old buildings. Real ale is taken seriously here, with several pubs drawing from North Wales microbreweries as well as the established Welsh producers, and the harbour setting means that a pint outdoors in summer — watching the fishing boats and the castle reflected in the estuary — is one of the finer simple pleasures in North Wales.
The Albion Ale House
The Albion Ale House on Upper Gate Street is one of the most remarkable pubs in Britain. Built in 1921 with a nationally important Art Nouveau interior, it was named CAMRA's Wales Pub of the Year in 2013 and has appeared in The Guardian's list of the world's best bars. It is jointly operated by four North Wales breweries and serves their ales — along with rotating guests — through eight hand pumps. The interior is multi-roomed, with each room retaining its original 1920s features and several having beautiful period fireplaces. There is no TV, no jukebox, no fruit machine — just real ale, conversation and one of the finest pub interiors you are likely to sit in anywhere.
The Albion is not a food pub. It is a drinking pub, in the best possible sense. Go here for a pint of something excellent in a room that has looked exactly the same for over a century. It is the kind of place that reminds you why the British pub, at its best, is a genuinely irreplaceable cultural institution.
The Erskine Arms & The Bluebell
The Erskine Arms on Rose Hill Street is a Georgian coaching inn within the walls and one of the best all-round pubs in Conwy for a combination of good ale and food. It carries a minimum of six real ales on tap at any time, with a rotating selection that tends to favour Welsh and northern English microbreweries, alongside the mainstream Welsh producers. The food is a step above standard pub fare — locally sourced ingredients, seasonal specials, and a kitchen that treats the menu with more care than the price points might suggest. Conwy mussels appear here during the season.
The Albion also has its own dog menu — a detail that puts it among the most dog-friendly pubs in the region. The Bluebell on Castle Street is a more straightforwardly lively pub: food served all day, a selection of real ales, and a beer garden to the rear that is one of the best options in the town for drinking outdoors. It has a younger, more mixed crowd than the Albion and is the better choice if you want to eat a proper pub meal alongside your pint.
The Liverpool Arms & The Groes Inn
The Liverpool Arms at the harbour is a small, quaint pub right on the quayside — about as close to the water as a pub can get without getting its feet wet. In winter it is defined by its open fire; in summer, by the harbour views from the outdoor seating. It is unpretentious, friendly and perfectly located for a drink after a walk along the town walls or a cruise on the estuary.
A short drive from Conwy in the village of Ty'n-y-Groes, The Groes Inn is worth mentioning as a destination in its own right. Dating from 1573 and claiming to be the first licensed house in Wales, it is an ivy-clad historic inn with comfortable rooms, a wood-beamed bar and food that uses local produce well. It functions as a hotel and restaurant as well as a pub, and makes a good evening drive if you want to combine dinner with genuine historic atmosphere just outside the town.
For more on food in Conwy, see our guides to restaurants and cafes.
Day trips