Boutique hotels in Carmarthen Bay
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Hurst House on the Marsh
- Style
- Contemporary countryside clubhouse
- Setting
- Lost in Wales
Self-catering properties in Carmarthen Bay
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Longshore House
- Style
- Bubble of luxury within a Welsh stone house
- Setting
- Dylan Thomas’s Laugharne
Carmarthen Bay
Eating, drinking and dancing
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Carmarthen Bay.
Restaurants
(+44 (0)1994 427417)
Hurst House on the Marsh
Pass through towering Moroccan hand-carved doors into the expansive Hurst House restaurant to sample young star chef Scott Davis’ Modern British cuisine. Local produce is the thing here (all sourced within 30 miles of the restaurant when possible), and it's the perfect place for languishing over lunch at the weekend. Expect lashings of salt marsh lamb and sea trout. Booking essential. The hotel bar is a good place for a drink of an evening.
East Marsh, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire SA33 4RS
(+44 (0)1994 427219)
The Cors Restaurant & Gardens
One of the best places to eat in Laugharne, with home-cooked food served in an elegant former vicarage. The traditional Welsh menu makes use of produce lifted fresh from Carmarthen market as well as local delicacies like salt marsh lamb. Take a stroll in between courses in the exotic gardens criss-crossed with streams (service is suitably relaxed). Owner Nick often joins his patrons for a bite, or, even more frequently, for a drink. Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only. Booking essential (www.the-cors.co.uk).
Newbridge Road, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire SA33 4SH
(+44 (0)1994 427476)
Portreeve’s Restaurant
An offshoot of the local pottery and glassworks, this restaurant, bar and coffee shop serves home-made food. Welsh lamb and hams rub up against retro-flavoured classics such as lasagne and chicken chasseur; steak and chips is appealing, made with excellent, locally sourced ingredients.
Market Square, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire SA33 4RY
(+44 (0)1994 427777)
The Stable Door
Conservatory restaurant on a cobbled side street behind the clocktower, with pretty grounds overlooking Laugharne Castle that makes for a great place for Sunday lunch. The menu takes from British, Mediterranean and Eastern cuisines, while the wine list is predominantly New World. If you’re only looking for a nibble, there’s a full tapas menu served in the bar.
Market Lane, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire SA33 4SB
(+44 (0)1558 823394)
Angel Salem
Multi-award-winning rustic inn in a tiny hamlet, worth popping into on your journey if you're heading down to Carmarthen Bay from the western fringes of Brecon Beacons National Park. Serves a meticulously contemporary menu with classical influences and has enough going for it to out-rank a cut-above city restaurant. Co-owner Rod Peterson is a former Welsh chef of the year – and it shows in the regularly changing menu (www.angelsalem.co.uk).
Salem, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire SA19 7LY
(+44 (0)1558 823500)
The Cawdor Restaurant
Another en-route restaurant at Brecons border town Llandeilo: a bright, modern venue that serves continent-crossing bistro meals. After crispy Gressingham duck breast with Delmonico potatoes or chicken in Parma ham with tagliatelle, finish off with a brandy on the deep leather sofa, in front of the Georgian fireplace.
The Cawdor, Rhosmaen Street, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire SA19 6EN
(+44 (0)1994 427263)
The Boat House Inn
A recently refurbished pub and brasserie that used to be one of Dylan Thomas' favourite haunts – the views of Laugharne Castle and the estuary explain why (www.theboathousebnb.co.uk).
1 Gosport Street, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire SA33 4SY
(+44 (0)1348 831518)
The Shed
Run by a local fisherman, this popular little wine bar-cum-eatery about 45 minutes from Hurst House on the Marsh is tiny but charming; bistro-style menus centre on the patron's catch of the day. No children's menus; vegetarians should give 24 hours' notice; booking essential. Porthgain has a little art gallery, Harbour Lights, well worth peeking into.
Porthgain, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire SA62 5BW
Cafés
(+44 (0)1994 427870)
The Pea Green Boat
Quaint stone-built café, busy licensed restaurant and well-stocked deli all under one roof. Whether you drop in for teacakes and coffee, a home-cooked curry or a jar of locally produced jam, make room for a butter-slathered slice of bara brith, a currant-speckled Welsh fruit bread.
6 Grist Square, Laugharne, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire SA33 4SS
(+44 (0)1994 427742)
The Owl & The Pussycat Tearooms
A bastion of home-country cooking in the town centre, with a menu that strays beyond the Welsh border. Specials include locally caught dressed crab and shepherd’s pie, as well as coronation chicken and Italian meatballs.
3 Grist Square, Laugharne, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire SA33 4SS
(+44 (0)1267 220461)
Cafe Number Four
Chic and imaginative café off historic Nott’s Square. There’s a daily changing lunch menu, or drop by mid-afternoon for something lip-smackingly delicious from the laden cake counter.
4 Queen Street, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire SA31 1JR
Bars and clubs
(+44 (0)1994 427426)
New Three Mariners
A magnet for locals, this marine-themed venue has a great jukebox. Drop in for a pint of Felinfoel and join the nightly party.
Victoria Street, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire SA33 4SE
(+44 (0)1994 427923)
The Cross House Inn
Dylan Thomas was something of a fixture here, regularly holding forth while his drink rested on the bar. These days, the biggest attractions are the draught beers, and the home-cooked Welsh and Kiwi specialities – the owner hails from New Zealand.
Grist Square, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire SA33 4SS
Pubs
(+44 (0)1267 275330)
The Butchers Arms
Reliable dining pub six miles from Carmarthen, serving huge portions of traditional, taste-of-Wales cuisine made with locally sourced goodies, including lamb and cockles (www.butchersofllanddarog.co.uk).
Llanddarog, near Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire SA32 8NS
