A pub and hotel venue has been described as the "poshest Wetherspoon" in Wales, where you can enjoy a fish and chip meal and a pint for £7. According to Mark Williams, who reviewed Castle Hotel in the town of Ruthin in Denbighshire for North Wales Live, the pub is a "fine-looking Georgian building", which people often mention that it looks "more like a wine bar".
The pub, which dates back to 1730, was originally called the White Lion. The inn was owned by the Myddletons - a very wealthy and prominent family, who ruled a vast estate from Chirk Castle in Wrexham. Their coat of arm features a white lion hence the pub's old name, but the name was changed to Castle Hotel in 1883.
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Having been taken over and refurbished by Wetherspoon in 2012, the interior is designed in a "manner sympathetic to its origins", according to Mark Williams. It has wrought-iron candelabras, suits of armour and the coat of arms of the last native Prince of Wales, Owain Glyndŵr.
The venue is said to be a popular hub for both locals and visitors, and a particular popular point for the younger crowd who want to start off their night with a cocktail pitcher or two. According to the reviewer, it has a mix of families with young children, people popping in after work and the "odd lone drinker nursing their pint".
Its exterior and interior settings aren't the only things on offer however, as the pub and hotel has fantastic views of Moel Famau, which is the highest hill of the Clwydian Range. In other words, it is a fantastic venue to sit outside in nice weather.
According to the reviewer, there are plenty of healthy and vegan choices on the menu, as well as traditional dishes. Mark said: "It may not get a Michelin Star anytime soon, but the battered fish is crispy, the chips are hot and the mushy peas are mushy. Fish and chips with an ice-cold beer, for just over £7, can’t be beaten at any time, never mind at these prices.
"My wife goes for a fried chicken dish of boneless chicken in a basket. You get a mixture of southern fried chicken and nugget breast bites, served with a dipping sauce that comes with coleslaw and chips."
He added: "Some might sneer but this posh Spoons, is reliable and half the price of some chain pubs. Don't get me wrong, it's certainly not for everyone, but as a chain, they sell over half a million breakfasts each week.
"Spoons are a bit like marmite, you either love them or you hate them? But even for the more cynical, this posh Wetherspoon in an old Georgian building is not a bad place to find yourself with two meals and two pints costing just over £15."
