Our Aberystwyth pub guide

Pubs dominate social life in a little busy place like Aber. But with so much choice, where's it best to go?  Our handy guide gives you a quick easilly-absorbed strategic overview.  It is now rather out of date, but a few of the places reviewed here remain.  We're also about to launch our restaurant guide for Wales, which will be enormously entertaining.   

As most chapels, railway stations and other public institutions are being converted into new boozers, there are a number of places we haven't reviewed.  We have avoided the converted chapels. Though restoring some of them architecturally is a good thing, drinking and all the flirting, shouting and lude behaviour that tends to go with seems wholly out of place in buildings funded by subscription
by devout teetotal non-conformists.

The Bear 

Very poor, and consequently empty.  Laser juke box the only draw, if you like that kind of thing.

The Bay

Good friendly studenty pub. 80s disco upstairs during the week, indie downstairs. 

The Glendower

A trendy cool laid back sort of a clubby joint on the seafront.  Several rooms with minimalist decor, gets loud and roudy when the students are in town.  Great views of the sea, and when we were there a flying thing on a stick too, which was  a real draw. 

The Castle

Awful triangular-shaped pub, hasn't seen a lick of paint or new carpeting for decades.  Not to be confused with the local ancient monument of the same name (a mistake I'm afraid to say we made one evening). 

Boars Head

Relaxed nice pub, apparently sort of gayish, in as far as anywhere obviously is. Stays open late, and plays Tom Jones rather a lot.  Hooray! 

Cambrian Arms

Is this the one near the station (which is also now a pub)? If so it has fine wooden booths, andis rather cosy for a lock-in.

Rummers

A pub/wine bar by the bay, next to the bridge.  Very studenty, and often has live bands.  Stays open until 1am most nights.

The Angel                                           .

Famous for big drugs busts in the 1980s, there's not much evidence that this place has tidied up its act.  A part of the local fabric, but too dangerous for us. Not to be confused with the North London crossroads of the same name.

Gog Arms

One of two Llanbadarn locals.  On our visit, the bar staff that could still stand upright promised to be our friends "forever", and all the drinks were completely free. 

Tollgate Inn

Horrible.

Porkys

Club nights on Thursdays Don't even consider it.

Pier Pressure

On, as the name suggests, the pier, this is rather a good club.  Not to be confused with the dreadful pub next door.

Inn on the Pier

The dreadful pub next door.  Noisy, and awful music.