UKC

I felt motivated to express my displeasure at the Spice of Llanberis curry house, I went on Thursday night after Crib Goch and it was a massive dissapointment, the curry was flavourless and not very spicy, The worst part however was the service, as we walked in the waiters try and stare you out, they take the order like kevin from kevin and perry, bring you half of it then laugh at you when you ask for the rest. on the whole a miserable experince from a bunch of miserable idiots, i would not suggest anyone frequent this vile little hovel!

In reply to balongworth:
A fair point, I hate it when you get poor service because it costs nothing to be polite and informative, clear tables quickly, bring the food together, get the bill correct etc.

I wonder if the people at the restaurant would have given you better service if they knew you would go and review your experience for hundreds of potential customers to read.

At which point, would we get better service if we went in to restaurants and informed the staff that would be this?

In reply to balongworth: Fairly sure the awfulness of this 'restaurant' has been mentioned before - was without a doubt the worse place I ate on my last visit to N Wales

In reply to balongworth:

Walk in, in a boisterous mood claiming to have done a new E8 in the Pass and you'll notice the difference.

They don't serve VD punters in there

In reply to Chris Tan Ver. LI - On the Bog:

If you want a good curry house in N Wales go to the one in LLanwrust (apologies for spelling) it is first rate both in food and service.

Gary.

In reply to balongworth:

Undoubtedly the weakest curries I have ever experienced, very expensive.

In reply to balongworth:


Do you think good chefs would choose to move to Llanberis to share their mastery of Asian cuisine?

In reply to Removed User:

Friday nights in Llanrwrst - OMG! I thought I had expunged those nightmares from my memories

In reply to Doug:

There is a very poor one in Conway too.

In reply to balongworth: You should try the ones in Spain, yeeeeuuuughh.

In reply to balongworth:

There's a good one in El Paso - but the proprietor is from Pudsey so it's bound to be good.

Enty

In reply to balongworth:

Have to agree with you the Llanberis curry house is not very good - especially when it is busy.

By far the best in the area is Sopna, which is on the Caernarfon from Llanberis a couple of miles down from Llanrug.

In reply to Chris Tan Ver. LI - On the Bog:





Aye, its a lively wee place when the pubs empty.

In reply to balongworth:

Curry Houses??

You mean there are alternatives to Petes', and The Sh!tes?!!!

In reply to Al Evans: You should try the ones in Spain, yeeeeuuuughh.

agree with you there, tried one in calpe at xmas time, worse one i`ve ever had!!

In reply to balongworth:

Oh no - the same owner of the Spice of Llanberis ' Finalist in the best Indian restaurant in north Wales' is opening up in Barmouth - " CHILLI SPICE " - Reservation is highly recommended !!!

Is there any hope for Barmouth, no blue flag this year and now the spice Group of Indian restaurants ...


according to the advert ....

"Chilli spice opens the door to a whole new world of dining pleasure ' ?

In reply to balongworth:
Llanberis has always been a sad disappointment to me. Apart from the perenially popular Pete's Eat's, the secondhand bookshop and the climbing shops there is not a whole lot else to recommend it. I spent the weekend there once for the film festival (which was good)and apart from the afore mentioned Pete's and the Pizza pub some half a mile (or is it a mile?) down the road there was no where else that appealed.

In reply to balongworth:
There is a good one by the roundabout on Mostyn Street in Llandudno. You go upstairs, like all the best curry houses...

In reply to balongworth:

Best curry house in the area by far (although takeawy only - no sitdown) is The Sitar in Bethesda - stands up there with Rusholme establishments

In reply to bryn:
Found it a bit bland myself Bryn - but Ive only been the once - guess they must be doing something right to get the trade where they are situated.

In reply to balongworth:

One of the worst curries I've ever had and by far the worst service anywhere.

After initially tutting at us all, presumably for not ordering enough and apart from the regular haughtiness, meals arriving at different times, food being shit etc; whilst we were working out the money between us, the head waiter (who was actually licking his lips at the sight of our money) came and started to scoop up the money from my friends hands and physically ease us out of our chairs! Anyway the rude tw*t got an earful.

We thought a 15 pence tip between six of us was more than enough.

Dreadful place, steer well clear.

In reply to balongworth:
vile little hovel!

LOL, that's about right.

In reply to balongworth: Different area, but the one in Ambleside has to be up there with one of the best i have ever been to, cant remember the name though! Just a few doors down from Chineese!

In reply to balongworth:

This is such a great way to bring about the justice these twunts deserve, i.e. I'm gonna take your word for it and never eat there. But please, likewise listen to my advice and never,ever eat from the revolting little takeaway on the A5 near Llangollen (I think it's in Froncysllte). It's the one which is painted cerise pink/purple and it's got to be one of the worst take-aways in the UK. Conversely we had a really good curry on the way back from Holyhead once, but unfortunately I can't remember what village it was in. It was this side of the Menai and in a smallish precinct; that's about all I can remember.

In reply to Mark Sheridan:

I'll second that one.

But the takeaway by the roundabout in Gobowen is the finest in the area, and only a minute off the A5 if you're passing.

In reply to Mark Sheridan:


All in all North Wales is a bit of a culinary desert......

Waits for backlash

In reply to David Hooper: I like it, had bad guts a few times but never had a bad curry.

Spice of Llanberis isn't great at all. Had some very poor curries but one good one. Strangely I was in a curry house in Port, around the back of the square, and we were complimenting the owner about the food saying it was better than the food served up in llanberis, rather embrassingly he said he'd just taken over that one, so we thought it hoped have improved.

I like the chinese in Llanberis.

In reply to balongworth:

Actually this has the makings of a really good thread . Compliments, comments and complaints on outdoor eateries.

2 other excellent places on the A5 - Rhug Organic Farm Cafe just outside Corwen - their Lamb burgers and hotpot are excellent.

Conwy Falls Cafe near Penmachno just before Betws - much loved by paddlers and MTBers but climbers dont seem to have discovered it yet.

Another crap one on the A5 - Pinnacle Cafe at Capel Curig - surly staff and so so food.

In reply to David Hooper:

Surly would be a compliment. They've been such utterly miserable gits every single time I've 'had' to go there.

In reply to Mark Sheridan:
The Bryn Glo Cafe just down the road at the layby by Pont Cyfyng does a good brekky and is run by a nice family

In reply to balongworth:
I've had many good meals at the Vaynol arms in Nant Peris, even when I took 32 hungry students there. They did make us book ahead and we had to go in two sittings but that's not really a surprise and the quality of the food didn't suffer.
Thinking about it we must have spent over £600 there in one night and a few of us had been there the night before and had a few drinks, and on top of that we were camping/bunking in their place just up the road so they made a real killing off us all.

In reply to Bulls Crack:

Betty Swollocks!!! You just need to know where to go.

heres a starting list:

Y Caban - Bryn Refail
Pizza & Pint at Gallt y Glyn - near Llanberis
Pub at Red Wharf Bay Anglesey
Community run cafe at hamlet by start of Watkin Path
Bryn Tyrch - Capel Curig
Tyn y Coed - Capel Curig
Alpine Cafe Betws y Coed Station
Ty Gwyn - Betws y Coed
+ others mentioned in previous post

now excuse me - I just have to go and stand on the bathroom scales

In reply to balongworth:


So whats the crak if i want a decent curry after a day's play on the hill?

In reply to David Hooper:
I agree with that, and it's pretty close for breakfast if you are staying in the bryn tyrch bunkbarns. If you've not stayed there in mid winter believe me you need a good hot meal after a night there, it was so cold when we stayed there it took us about 30 min to boil the kettle in the morning.

In reply to David Hooper:

Pinnacle cafe has been fine the last two times I have been in, wonder when the surly staff work there?

Vaynol has gone down in value, prices up or food quantity well down as well as quality. Better value at Royal Victoria bar, and cheaper as well.

In reply to sutty:

Umm? We were tempted to head back to give it another try. It was probably the worst meal we've had in a pub. Hoped things had changed, sounds like it hasn't.

In reply to sutty:

Last time I was there I asked for a slice of Bara Brith to take out. They said it came on a plate, not to take out - I said could you maybe take it off the plate and put it in a paper bag for me? This really made them huff & moan and give me dirty looks.

In reply to sutty:
That's a real shame, Thinking about it it was about 2 years ago that we went there with the club, plenty of time to go astray.

In reply to gethin_allen: New owners, the old vaynol was consistently good, not great, just good standard british pub food, big portions, a tad pricey but generally decent value for money.

In reply to IainRUK:

I was given a menu from the Sam Smiths pub chain last night and nearly every meal is at £5.95 now apart from Steak and Gammon where they are £8.75 and £7.50. Soup £2.50, most light bites are £3.75-£3.95. Prices are dropping it seems, not rising to get customers in.

In reply to sutty:
Southern fried chicken and fries in a basket, steak and onion bap, 2 x garlic bread and 2 x pints of 'Springtime' in a proper pub yesterday afternoon- £13.00. 'The Saddle' in Blackpool. Now thats value!
That cafe in Cap Cur - I agree, overpriced food with snotty staff. Meet one of my mates there for climbing days and now we still meet there but outside the cafe. I got there first last time and got a brew going on the old Peak 1. The owner was opening up while the kettle was whistling away and I got some dirty looks from him HaHA!
Chippy watch = in the town square in Keswick and the one in Bethesda are both ace! (Well they seemed so after long days out climbing!)

In reply to David Hooper:

I'll second the bad reviews of Pinnacles Cafe. I despise the place. Miserable staff and they've complained in the past about us coming in off the hills damp and muddy. Also been told off when 4 of us sat at a 6-seater table when the place was deserted!

Don't go there often but the Swallow Falls Hotel does a good banoffee pie.

Pen-y-Pass cafe is rubbish. Expensive, and again the staff get funny about wet gear.

Out along the A55 I really like Bistro 55 by Caerwys:
http://www.northwales.co.uk/restaurants/bistro-55-caerwys/
The food is good, but it's also a decent place to stop off for a coffee on the way along the coast.

In reply to balongworth:

Off the beaten track coming into north Wales but the Spice Cafe in Cefn Mawr...about 2 miles off the A5 is very good. I Think it's a take away rather than an eat in but the best 'Indian' around since the Simla in Llangollen went down hill.
Incidentally. The notorious 'Crads' chippy on the A5 in Corwen which Radio 1 apparently declared 'the worst chippy in the UK' has had new owners in the last year and it's improved 1000%.

In reply to Touching Centauri:


I'm happy to join in the beating that the Pinnacle Cafe is getting. It's a feckin hole ! The staff appear to have turned the old adage 'the customer is always right' on its head completely and the food is...well...technically...food !

I presume the attached outdoor shop is also owned by the same dour Welshman who appears keen to promote Anglo-Celtic relations by instilling in his staff the belief that every browser is a thief and hangs a sign on his book/magazine section 'THIS IS NOT A LIBRARY !'

Feck em....just pop around to Joe Browns.Friendly,knowledgeable and you can even browse without eyes burning into your back.

In reply to Jonno: Indeed. If memory serves correct there's even a sign outside Joe Brown's saying "feel free to come in and browse".

Not sure why anyone goes to Pinnacle when there's three pubs and the bar at Pas-y-Brenin all within easy reach.

In reply to balongworth:

I went there once and don't remember anything bad about it. Mind you, that was 2006.

In reply to Jonno:

"customer is always right"

I never really got this saying, its not uncommon that the customer is not only incorrect but very rude to boot.

In reply to Cú Chullain: Anyone that has worked in the service industry understands the absolute truth of your statement.

In reply to Removed User: OK and now to the Lakes/Yorks, is the Chippy in Settle still ace, and what is the cafe of choice in Ambleside (the chinese chippy was dreadful last time I was there.

In reply to Al Evans:

Apple Pie Shop - mmmmmmmmmm

In reply to Al Evans:

Inglesport in Ingleton is always a good bet for breakfast

In reply to Jonno:


It really was the worst in the uk...and i think he was proud of it

But, as you say, it has been taken over by the chippy in Carrog (pity for them to lose their excellent chippy) and is now very good. Though they close rather early in the evening...8? Sensibly avoiding the Corwen post-pub experience!

There is an excellent chippy in Llangollen as well. The small one on the A5 as you come into town...NOT the one on the high street which is dire.

In reply to Touching Centauri:

I'll jump on the Pinnacle cafe debate. What a bunch of miseries. Almost felt like I needed to apologise for ordering anything!

I am slowly going off Petes Eats as well. Happy to sit and have a brew and carrot cake, feel like I'm going to have a coronary when I have tucked into a brekkie though, and have found the staff to be miserabl some times as well.

Moving onto other places, I quite like the cafe in the square at Hathersage, then go and have a look at the most ridiculously overstocked shops I've ever seen in one place!! There is less North Face kit in the TNF shop in Cov Gdn!

In reply to balongworth: Great thread most cafe's that me and my lad (who is a fussy 8 year old eater)went to last summer for 4 days near Llanberis were poor and allmost all the staff were miserable.
So looking for If any good pubs / cafe near Llanberis with good food for kids...
We went to petes 4 times ..

In reply to Atholl de-Saint-Croix: I'm not too fond of Pete's these days, but then I'd always rather sit in a pub after a day on the mountains. Not much good options for that in Llanberis either!

In reply to balongworth:

Another vote for the Sitar in Bethesda, only downside is its takeaway only. Another good healthy eating establishment is the Golden Cod in Bontnewydd, (just outside Caernarfon in the direction of Tremadog), they do the biggest kebabs you've ever seen, probably much more dangerous than the routes you did to earn one.

In reply to Touching Centauri: Pete's has been Ok again recently.

In reply to Touching Centauri:

Cafes never seem as good to me now as they did when I was 20. Probably because instead of apparently vanishing into thin air, I can feel the lard in the full breakfast heading for my hips, arse, and coronary arteries within minutes.

In reply to Touching Centauri:


Totally agree. I tend to come off the hills, jump in the car and head to Bedgellert. Forgot the name of the pub over the bridge, but would rather travel there and sit in front of the fire for a nice pint.

Llanberis slowly going down hill...

In reply to Atholl de-Saint-Croix:

The Tanronnen Inn? That's normally where I have a pint when I'm in Beddgelert.

In reply to balongworth:

North Wales has, and always will be a complete desert of post mountain opportunities.

If I have a long weekend I would much rather spend it in the Lakes or the Peak district where there are centres of population who don't regard you as a nuisance.

Scotland is the same. Glencoe is supposed to be an outdoor heaven but all they have is the Clachaig which when I went in was as welcoming as a kidney stone. Ok, so they do hot food and beer which is an improvement on North Wales.

When you go abroad, there are whole service industries surrounding outdoor places. There are 'scenes' and places to meet and socialise. (Except Font) Here, it seems (especially the Welsh) that the locals would rather you went home and removed the only industry and source of jobs they have left.

Apologies to those of you who don't fit into my wide sweeping generalisation. There are always a couple. But generally, I'm right.

In reply to David Hooper:

Capel ones ok - Red Wharfe Bay one very average when i was there last year

In reply to Bulls Crack:
Fort William is a bit thin on late night scran too unless you want to brave Micky D's.
The chippy offers to deep fry everything for you including pies! Knowing this, we decided this Feburary to try the Chinese. Spent 18 hours on Tower Ridge the following day crimping the wrong muscle groups if you know what I mean.......

In reply to Eric the Red:


You're wrong. Especially around Llanberis, 'locals' now contain many many english or people who moved there for the climbing/walking.

Living here I've found it far far friendlier than the Peak District. The Peak is just a money making opportunity, expensive area in general. North Wales is far more trust worthy and friendly.

In reply to David Hooper: Y Caban - Bryn Refail. thats the place. Find it and enjoy...

In reply to IainRUK:

I'm not wrong. I've obviously just had different experiences to you. I booked into a b+b in llanberis once as a treat. When I arrived I was challenged and asked if I was old enough to be away with my girlfriend on my own.

I was 23 at the time.

In reply to Eric the Red: So from that and (presumably) a few other experiences you then draw a line and say:

"Ok, so they do hot food and beer which is an improvement on North Wales".

Have you ever been to the PyG Hotel? Tan-y-Coed? Which pubs have you been to in the area?

In reply to balongworth: Anyway, stretching further afield I'll say to avoid the Minfordd Hotel below Cadair. I called in for a pint last year with my girlfriend and as we arrived the only other two people there scarpered. We ordered drinks and then for the next two hours the landlord sat down with us and talked at us. Not to us, but at us. He wouldn't leave us alone, and bored us to misery. We had to endure it and wait several hours for the next bus.

Corris has two pubs. The Braich Goch on the main road had some decent beers and ciders but was deserted on Friday night. It also has a climbing wall in the beer. In the village itself is a tiny pub called The Miners Arms - it doesn't even have a sign outside so it's hard to spot. Very local, but quite friendly and excellent food.

In reply to Eric the Red:

Speaking from experience - rudeness in pubs, theft and general atmosphere - I'm afraid I have to largely agree with you

In reply to Bulls Crack:

I've never experienced any crime, any rudeness or general unpleasant atmosphere.

In fact crime is such a none event we always forget to lock doors, shut doors, secure bikes etc and are worried about living elsewhere because we just don't think about crime at all.

In reply to Touching Centauri:

Ah the P-Y-G! The biggest baths in the world, and there's nothing like a swim in the pool followed by a sauna. Love it!

In reply to Touching Centauri: Could have been worse, you could have ended up in the Tynycornel Hotel on the other end of the lake. Tetleys Smoothflow combined with the putrifying smell of coach loads old people sucking boiled cabbage through their yellowing dentures, the juice dribbling off their hairy chins...

In reply to Eric the Red:


Wrong wrong wrong

Pizza and pint is a lovely evening, even if a tad frequented by the "beautiful,talented and famous" of the 'beris scene.

An organic free range fry up at Y Caban will set you up for a day in the quarries.

and after a big day on the hill treat yourself to a meal in Capel Curigs Tyn y Coed or Bryn Tyrch in the company of happy locals and buzzing visiting climbers and walkers - both pubs excellent food and atmosphere.

Llanberis is not just about Petes Eats and The Heights anymore.

In reply to alessandro di guglielmo:

Seconded both Apple Pie Shop and Inglesport - both friendly,good food and they both let dogs in

In reply to David Hooper:


I would go as far as to say "Llanberis is not about Petes Eats and The Heights at all".

In reply to Touching Centauri:


Thats the one! Love having a wee pint there. I prefer camping round there as well, rather than on the A5. Happy to jump in the car after the hills and drive down for a decent pint, grub then a kip!

In reply to balongworth: I've had both a good and a bad experience from the spice. When it's quiet it's definately better but service with a smile doesn't really exist there. I was in there recently when it was busy and we asked for some water for the table and was told the tap was broken. When we asked the manager and asked how they would be cooking the rice without any water we were finially given 2 glasses between 8 of us.

I won't be back

In reply to Eric the Red:


PMSL...

In reply to balongworth: Not particularly handy for Llanberis

but I remember the indian near the camp site in Ullapool being fairly good.

In reply to IainRUK:

I'm pleased to hear it..really. Unfortunately I've had my car broken into in Llanberis, stuff nicked and I foiled another attempt and been deliberately ignored by bar-staff on several occasions - and no I'm not a rude English punter - so that would colour my perception of the place which I've gained in over 20 years of climbing there.

In reply to IainRUK:
I hope that is tongue in cheek!

In reply to Bulls Crack: I travel with work and climb all over Britain and unfortunatly find bad food and service throughout britain.
Llanberis is not the place to go to eat but it has a really good and vibrant scene which is far more welcoming than the lakes or the peak and after living in all three places I have experience of all three.
I have had terrable food in most of the pubs in Langdale and have felt totally ripped off in various pubs around the peak.
With regards to theft from cars most people who do this drive straight back along the A55 after breaking into a few cars back to England so is it fair to blame the locals? I am also amaized to see what people are willing to leave on view on the back seat of a car and feel that if you left something worth over £500 on the back seat of a car in a city it would not last long.
I know live in Nant Peris and find the local scene fantastic, the pub welcoming (albeit with basic food) with a general feeling of trust and comunity which I rairly find elswhere in Britain. Not to mention more climbing than you can shake a stick at in your back garden.

In reply to IainRUK:

'the Back Passage' wins for me too !

Harlech's not bad either same people as Dolgellau

In reply to Al Evans: can i go one better? try one in america... was 'orrible guv' mind you the hotel was pretty dodge too.

In reply to Pete Potter:



We had a pair of semi-soiled long-johns on view and it was a local - the police bizarrely gave me his address.

I can forgive all that - it's just stuff - but the general air of resentment I find harder to comes to terms with - maybe it's different if you live there but I've no time for that dislike of offcomers either.

In reply to David Hooper:
Don't know what you mean, I haven't been for weeks!

In reply to balongworth:
there's an indian restaurant on the way from caernarfon to rhyd ddu (looking at a map, maybe in dinas) - my brother reckons that's got a good reputation

In reply to Bulls Crack:


As the whole of wales only has one 1* Michelin restaurant (and that's near Monmouth) your spot on.......

In reply to craig d:

I think we are talking decent food with a good friendly atmosphere after a day on the hill - not Egon Ronay

In reply to tobykeep:

sounds like you need the hottest one going it will help free up your lower bowels ....

In reply to balongworth:

The last one I had about 6 months ago was great

Fex.

In reply to Al Evans:

Al

Actually, I ate in a very good one in Spain recently and not far from you. It was in Jalon. It was a Nepali, so maybe that is cheating.

Chris

In reply to balongworth:

Sorry to spoil your fun but would emailing said curry house a link to this thread be more constructive than just whinging on?

In reply to bryn: Spent ages trying to find the Sopna (didn't know it was called that) the other week based on some very vague directions from my mum. I think we were on the Bethel road rather than the Llanberis one, by the looks of things.

We ended up in a not-that-great one near Weatherspoons in Bangor.

In reply to balongworth:

have had a nasty curry at Llanberis Spice before so with this in mind we tried the one in Llanrug but they were full last weekend. Don't remember anything bad about the service at the Spice just a nasty stomach the next day.

Have always thought the Vanyol offered reasonable value considering they have a captive market but haven't eaten there lately. Pizza and a pint is ok but they ran out of dough on the weekend....on a bank holiday! and served up a pretty crap bolognese instead.

Anyway the chippy in Llanberis is always a good meal....Pete's however seem to cater for the lowest common denominator.....my (overcooked) rice and chilli was swimming in water so they'd obviously just slopped it on the plate from the pot.

My main gripe with some of the pubs in regional areas is the paucity of decent wine by the glass (or indeed bottle). House wine is usually some shite out of a box or those shitty half bottles from the Stowells collection.

In reply to Morgan Woods:

Wine? You want wine?

In reply to Dave Garnett:

crazy i know.