A tiny pub in Wales was listed as a travel writer's favourite discovery of 2023. The annual round-up listed the best places Guardian travel writers had visited this year and included hotels, rivieras, ancient tombs, vineyards and islands across the globe. But the Welsh destination that made the cut was a tiny pub in Carmarthen named Cwrw.
As some of us will already know, Cwrw means beer in Welsh and travel writer Phoebe Taplin said the pub "does what it says on the sign and more". The bar is also an off-licence and music venue which specialises in craft beers. The self-described "coolest bar in town" is located on King Street in Carmarthen and hosts poetry and comedy nights, live music events and beer tastings.
For The Guardian, Phoebe Taplin wrote: "What drew me in was the motley decor: pot plants and bunting trail round a window that says BAR in neon letters. Lighting ranges from repurposed traffic lights to filigree lamps; postcards paper the beams and international number plates hang over the bar." For the latest Carmarthenshire news, sign up to our newsletter here
"One of the wooden tables sits under a wall-sized photo of sunshine streaming through a misty forest. Upstairs, above a patchwork sofa, there’s a record store. The streets nearby are home to independent shops, cafes and art galleries. The Oriel Bevan Jones gallery opposite is run by the Arts Care charity and sells elegant textiles."
The pub was in good company in the travel writers' round-up, as it was listed alongside the breathtaking Lundy island in Devon, the beautiful mural trails and tapas on offer in Torremolinos, Spain, and a hilltop castle in Croatia. While the Carmarthen bar is clearly rivalling spectacular locations across the globe, our reporter Rob Harries recently visited a row of houses in west Wales that he described as a mini version of The Hamptons. For those looking for other worthwhile places to visit out west, Rob recently took on one of Wales' most scenic walks, between Pendine and Tenby, and it took his breath away. Find out about the latest events in Wales by signing up to our What's On newsletter here
