Pub of the Month
Location: Brecon

The Puzzle Tree

This month, Brecon was the subject of our pub-crawl.

We began at the bottom of the main street on the outskirts of town at The Camden Arms - well decorated maybe, but the bar was deader than a grave yard, so we adjourned to the back-bar where there was a bit more life.

Heading back towards town, on the left, we reached the mock-Tudor Gremlin Hotel. This was a welcoming place with an open fire, where we watched the death throes of yet another Welsh club in the Heineken Cup. There was a small pool-bar at the back, which was hosting a private birthday party - judging by the noise, all six of them seemed to be having a whale of a time!

By-passing the lifeless Clarence, we came upon the newly opened Puzzle Tree and were welcomed by two friendly bouncers. This impressive place was all columns, pine and spotlights, with an excellent sound system and upstairs bar/restaurant.

We spotted a number of smart birds amongst the mixed crowd, and we also got chatting to a cracking looking barmaid. She informed us that the place had a 1a.m. license (Thur-Sat) and to get in early to avoid disappointment. This place was obviously the new focal point of the Brecon pub scene, with a varied selection of drinks and cocktails.

After promising ourselves a return visit, we headed further into town, and came upon The Wellington. This large place was superbly decked out with mahogany tables and chairs, plush velvet settees, and a two-sided open fire. We all drank Old Speckled hen, while contemplating the demise of the poor stag whose head was mounted above the bar - what a night that must have been!

To the right of the pub was a lovely courtyard/beergarden, with steps leading up to the separate Blooz Nightclub (1a.m. Thur-Sat).

Further along we came upon The Sarah Siddons - named after the Georgian actress who lived there (though no-one could recall any films she'd been in). This was a lively joint with two bars decked out in red and white. The couply crowd were dancing to the loud jukebox music, as we looked on with awe/jealousy whilst supping Labatts and Caffreys.

Next up was the Punch Bowl. This place again had two bars, with the livelier one at the back crowded with what turned out to be a Christening party - was there a rival satanic rites shindig in another pub we wondered?

Just opposite was our last port of call, the Lounge - a trendy continental affair with high metal chairs and tables, and various cocktails on offer. Not really our cup of tea, but there is always a guarantee of a few scantily-clad women - so why not?

Despite the obvious charms of The Wellington, our pub of the month is The Puzzle Tree - not just the best place in Brecon, but one of the best in Wales.

Pub Score: 9 leeks out of 10
Crawl Score: 7.5 leeks out of 10