The Ship Inn - Restaurant Review

Getting something to eat in the off-season around Pwllheli in Wales isn’t very easy. Especially on a Monday. 

Lunchtime was pretty much a write off. How all the little coffee shops, cafes and afternoon tea rooms survive is quite a miracle, given that almost every single one of them was closed. They obviously don’t expect much custom in the off-season, but they were clearly missing out on some from us. 

They must be booming during the summer season, to warrant such closures over the winter.  

Based on recommendations

So when we were looking for somewhere to eat in the evening, we weren’t sure what to expect. We turned to both our hosts and TripAdvisor to get recommendations and suggestions. 

Some places were closed Monday, others only served food during certain hours, and a few hadn’t been tried yet or reviewed enough. 

We settled on The Ship Inn in Llanbedrog, based on a combination of good ratings on TripAdvisor and a personal recommendation. 

We weren’t disappointed. It was perfect for a country pub in North West Wales, just what we were looking for. 

It was a Monday night so it wasn’t very busy, but we could see there were quite a few locals here as we walked in - always a good sign. We were immediately welcomed over to the bar and enjoyed a friendly greeting by a man I can only assume was the landlord. 

Before we’d even ordered any drinks, he was teaching me Welsh.  

Good grub… 

The food menu was pretty extensive, with a wide choice of cuisines to choose from. Some would argue pubs should stick to a simple menu of just quality pub food, but I’m always a fan of a diverse menu that offers something to choose, whatever your mood.  

It wasn’t too large with too much to choose from, and there were a few different specials. Monday night was ‘Curry Night’ - two for £15. Kirsty opted for this, but I fancied something different; the curry was really tasty though, full of flavour and absolutely piled high with chicken. Naan, chutney, rice and chips were all included.  

And the chips were good. Proper chips, thick, handmade, and crunchy on the outside. 

It was St. David’s Day the following day, and The Ship Inn were already serving a special menu. Ever the try-hard tourist, I followed tradition and agreed with the whole ‘when in Rome…’ cliche.  

So I indulged in Welsh food: fresh cod coated in a special rarebit mix, with chips and fresh vegetables. Interesting flavours and perfectly cooked. When the landlord came to check how we were doing, both our plates were pretty much clear - a pretty good indication of what we thought.  

Mine was a two-course special, so we shared Welsh cakes for dessert; little pancake type things with currents baked inside them. They were topped with raspberry coulis and fresh cream, and were just as nice as the main - although they didn’t blow us away.  

 

…Top service 

I think we were both most impressed with the service.  

We were welcomed graciously and served courteously, with lots of attention paid to making sure we had everything we needed.  

When Kirsty the Klutz knocked her half a lager & lime over as soon as we got to a table, the landlord wouldn't let us help him clear up her mess at all, and brought a replacement over straight away.  

Perhaps more importantly, he didn’t charge for that extra drink, which he could easily of done. In my books, that’s the sign of a great host. 

At just over £30 for the meal for both of us, with two drinks each, it was pretty good value too. 

The Ship Inn won’t blow your mind, but if you’re looking for a good solid meal, with plenty of options to choose all cooked well, then it’s definitely worth stopping by. And you couldn’t ask for better service.