Pub in the foothills of the Clwydian Range back to its best after fire

The Griffin Inn in Llanbedr DC, near Ruthin, has had an eventful few years. Since 2018, it has closed and reopened twice, with a major refurbishment in between.

The popular village pub has been back up and running for over three months since a fire forced its temporary closure back in February. It lies at the centre of the village, opposite the church, and has been the beating heart of the community for decades.

The Griffin is also a four-star AA inn. At the foot of the Clwydian Range with Offa's Dyke just up the hill, it's equally as popular with visitors and is often frequented by walkers and cyclists.

There's a lot to say about this village pub. Housed in a beautiful whitewashed stone building with hanging baskets by the door, it's one of those pubs you make a mental note of as you pass by.

The interior has been given a major refurb in recent years, and it shows. It delivers on the promise of the building itself, which is saying a lot. As you walk in, there's a dining area to the right with a barn-style sliding door that helps separate it from the rest of the pub.

To the left is the bar - most of which had to be replaced following the fire earlier this year - with a log store on one side and an inglenook fireplace to the other. This is a slightly more relaxed area, so I took a seat there for my lunch earlier this week.

The pub underwent a major refurbishment a few years ago (Image: Daily Post)

As I sat down, I couldn't help but think of how grateful I'd be to have such a great pub in my village. It's such an appealing place to come for a pint and there's a decent selection of ales and beers as well - I could see why there was such a clamour in the community for it to reopen five years ago.

They were serving a lunch menu and a light bites menu when I visited. There was a mix of salads, platters, burgers, and some pub classic like ham and chips and fish and chips on offer.

I opted for a deep fried crispy beef salad, and I wasn't disappointed. There was a generous amount of beef on the salad which was topped with shredded carrot and sesame seeds.

Deep fried crispy Welsh beef strips on a beansprout, carrot and mixed leaf salad with roasted cashew nuts, sesame seeds and sweet chilli sauce - £15 (Image: Daily Post)

I was expecting the beef to be a bit stickier and I initially made the mistake of just going for one of the strips without mixing it with the salad and the chilli sauce. It wasn't the Asian-style dish I had envisioned, for some reason - and I can imagine other people perhaps having a similar reaction - but to be fair it was exactly as described on the menu.

Once I'd mixed the beef in with the rest of the salad, it went down very nicely. There wasn't much seasoning on the beef itself, but it was tasty enough as it was, and it went nicely with the fragrant flavours of the salad and roasted cashews in the sweet chilli sauce.

Perhaps not a meal you'd have with a pint, but it was a very satisfying lunch overall and I could see why the pub is such a popular spot for walkers and cyclists looking to refuel - especially with some of the heavier options available. My only disappointment was that I couldn't stay there for longer with a pint, but I'll definitely be stopping at the pub again when I'm passing through the village - and I'd advise anyone else to do the same.

Prices:

Deep fried crispy Welsh beef strips on a beansprout, carrot and mixed leaf salad with roasted cashew nuts, sesame seeds and sweet chilli sauce - £15
Pint of Pepsi Max - £3

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