Visited for the first time today for Sunday lunch. Lovely atmosphere, oldie worldly pub. Food was stunning, gravy was amazing, and sticky toffee pudding was stunning. Overall experience. ( fabulous ). If I had to criticise it would be there was not enough vegetables, can I a little soup bowl for the Two of us. They did bring another bowl after I asked for another.
Called in on the off chance and a good choice of meals on offer , I had the steak and ale pie with chips and seasonal vegetables . And have to say it was very nice, my partner had the Gammon with chips and egg plus veg and that too was very nice. Did tothd nice day we sat outside but inside is very tidy and clean. So overall very nice meal and staff very friendly
A proper village pub, if I lived in Draethen they would be sick of seeing me walk through the door! It's lovely and rustic inside with planty of space to sit down and relax with a nice ale. There is outdoor seating too with lush views. The menu has a good selection. The food was lovely pudding especially nice. There is free parking outside and bike racks. While here I noticed they allowed dogs! To some it might be off putting personally I love it. The bar and waiting staff where friendly, knowledgeable, helpful and couldn't do enough to make you feel welcome. Hopefully I can get there on a thursday one day for the open mic. But if you are out for a walk, drive, bike ride or exploring on a motorcycle as myself and partner were, you will not be disappointed with a visit here!
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Located in the sleepy village of Draethen, near Machen in the lower Rhymney Valley, the Hollybush Inn is an establishment with a long history behind it. I last visited it over 30years ago when it was very highly regarded. I believe it has had a checkered history of late but is now under new management. I called in for lunch and found the welcome warm and friendly and the bar area just what you'd want to find in a country pub. I ordered sea bass and I have to say it was one of the nicest I've had the pleasure to taste. It was fairly obvious the new management are still finding their way. The menus for instance could do with an overhaul and do not create the best impression. However the staff are very enthusiastic and applauded the changes that had been made and that were in the pipeline. Management should be proud of the two young ladies on duty at the time, they did a great job and are obviously great team members who should be highly regarded. I left well pleased with my lunch, especially as I am gluten intolerant yet had enough options to satisfy me. My partner is a vegetarian but while she felt the options were a little limited there was a choice and what she had was stunningly good (garlic mushrooms I believe). After an absence of 30years I can say I am genuinely looking forward to my next visit and wish the Hollybush staff well for the future
Great village pub. Top quality real ales (usually including Timothy Taylor Landlord and Butty Bach). Very nice atmosphere and usually busy with friendly locals. Open fire in the winter. The landlord and staff are great and very welcoming to children - unlike the Cefn Mably Arms up the road!
Lovely pub with lovely food. Not a cheap choice for lunch but a lovely setting, great base for walks and a log fire on a cold day. Plenty of outdoor seating too.
We loved this cute little country pub and would definitely stay here and eat their yummy food whenever we are in the area again. We stayed with friends in the attached accommodation and had a really comfortable stay. The owners are unbelievably friendly and couldn't do enough to make our stay pleasant. The pub area has such a warm and cosy atmosphere with an open fire, comfy chairs and lovely decor. We ate a yummy Sunday dinner in the restaurant upstairs which was also very cosy. We all had the Sunday roast which was delicious, especially the slow-cooked meat (we tried the pork and lamb - both options were yummy). The pudding was incredible - the pub have their own dessert chef and you can tell. It was hard to decide what to have tbh but all the options we tried (brownie, apple crumble and sticky toffee pudding) were YUM. 100% recommend visiting this little gem if you're in the area!!
It's great to see this lovely pub back on track. Good quality freshly cooked food, nicely presented. Sunday lunch and the weekday menu both very good. Will be back!
Excellent food. Lovely cosy atmosphere. Loved the open fire. Very welcoming pub. Will definitely be going back.
The food was absolutely wonderful and very pleasing. The staff were friendly and there was a lovely atmosphere in the resturant / bar area. We would highly recommend the Hollybush and look forward to our next visit soon.
Lovely country pub... went in for a pint after a winter walk and ended up having a meal as other peoples food looked and smelled great.
Friendly staff and best bar meal in the area, huge portions and cooked to perfection, stands out from the other pub in close proximity, much better in standard of food and value for money, highly recommend.
Fantastic family meal where our Labrador, Murphy, was thoroughly welcomed. The Hollybush served delicious meals and had a brilliant atmosphere. Thank you!
perfect country pub. great well-kept ales, unpretentious freshly prepared food, proper old-school pub decor.... lots of good country walks nearby : ) what more do you need on a sunday!
Lovely night out for the rugby, great food and lovely atmosphere. Would recommend a night out to anyone going , lovely local pub with a roaring log fire .
First visit in a year and very pleased with the warm welcome. A couple of beers and enjoyed the classic pub food. Will be returning soon.
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