Abergavenny Wales, a foodie town – where to eat and stay

The market town of Abergavenny in Wales sits at the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park and is the ideal spot for a weekend break. Many of the things to do in Abergavenny seem to revolve around food, including the annual Abergavenny food festival. You’ll enjoy the fantastic restaurants and food shops, plus the bakery school and vineyard we visited.

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But there’s much more to this Gateway to Wales! It’s packed full of stylish independent shops, with art galleries, markets and Medieval castle. Surrounded by lush green hills, the opportunities for walking are boundless.

Read on for our guide to what to see in Abergavenny Wales, the best places to eat and where to stay.

Food in Abergavenny

There’s a high concentration of excellent restaurants in Abergavenny. Many focus on local and seasonal produce and would give any trendy London restaurant a run for their money.

The famous Abergavenny Food Festival takes place in September. With a covered market and artisan food shops, you can see why Abergavenny might justifiably claim the title of top foodie destination in Wales.

Abergavenny Markets

Let’s start with the Abergavenny market which hosts many stalls both inside and outside selling great local produce.

The Victoria Market Hall in Abergavenny sits at the heart of the town. A gothic stone entrance gives way to a light and airy hall supported by iron pillars. Behind the main building there’s an outdoor space that hosts more market stalls.

On our visit we found general goods, fruit and veg, fish and fresh eggs. We couldn’t resist buying some colourful and locally grown chillis to take home from the fruit and veg stall.

Inside the covered market hall, a general market takes place on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. It features an eclectic mix of home made cakes, fresh produce, crafts, jewellery. Unusual specialist stalls sell everything from crystals to rag rugs or knitwear.

On Wednesday the hall hosts a weekly flea market, while a craft fair and artisan farmer’s market takes place once a month. While you’re there be sure to look up at the themed decorations hanging from the roof. They change once a year to coincide with the food festival.

To find out about the regular markets and other seasonal events, check the Abergavenny Market Facebook page.

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Best restaurants in Abergavenny Wales

With so many great places to eat, it was hard to choose a favourite. Here are some Abergavenny restaurants and cafes we tried or heard good things about;

For coffee in Abergavenny

Bean and Bread (36 Lion Street) – we loved this light and airy veggie and vegan cafe with a boho feel. The cafe was busy all through lunchtime. We finally dived in there in the afternoon for a warming and autumnal pumpkin latte and some delicious home baked cakes.

Other contenders for a coffee stop are

The Gaff Coffee Shop and Deli (14 The High Street) – an offshoot of The Gaff restaurant, serving coffee and cake. Try their Abergavenny bun with frangipane, chocolate and flaked almonds. They also sell sauces and other products used in the restaurant.

Fig Tree Expresso (15 Nevill Street) – in a Georgian townhouse with a secluded garden at the back serving gourmet tea and coffee and delectable cakes.

Harry’s (3 St John’s Street) – this take away snack bar with an Italian flavour is known for panini and sandwiches. But they do great coffee and cannoli too and have some outside seating.

For lunch in Abergavenny – The Chapel

Our choice for lunch was Kitchen at The Chapel, close to the Market Hall. It is part of the Abergavenny foodie empire that includes The Angel Hotel and Walnut Tree restaurant.

The cafe is on the lower floor of the old chapel building. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, coffee and cakes until 4pm, while the upper floor is used for musical events and poetry readings. Scrubbed floorboards, wooden benches and and chairs create a refined but relaxed atmosphere. They are a reminder of the building’s previous incarnation as a place of worship.

The chapel also includes a section of ceramics, jewellery and other artistic treasures. We browsed through a range of inspiring art and literature books, many from Welsh writers. A copy of The Seasonal Vegan cookery book was very much in the spirit of the food on the menu, so we decided to treat ourselves.

I ordered a thick and warming Cauliflower soup with crumbled Kirkham’s cheese matched with a blue cheese and pumpkin seed scone. Guy enjoyed his shakshuka with mint yoghurt and sourdough toast from their nearby Angel Bakery. Apparently they are well known for the cheese and pumpkin seeds scone and I noticed people buying them to take away.

As an alternative to The Chapel for lunch I’d also suggest Bean and Bread which I’ve already mentioned. Order one of the cooked dishes from their brunch menu.

Or if the weather is fine, buy some delicious bits and pieces from the food shops around town. Then head to the Linda Vista Gardens or Abergavenny Castle to eat them in the sunshine.

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Dinner in Abergavenny – The Angel Hotel

For a relaxed but definitely special dinner, we ended our day in Abergavenny at The Angel Hotel in the heart of the town near the market. This 18th century coaching inn was taken over by a local family in 2004. It was completely refurbished and restored to its original elegance as a boutique hotel.

The same owners have interests under the House of Caradog umbrella in The Walnut Tree, the Chapel, The Angel Bakery across the road and the Art shop along the street, resulting in many foodie and artistic collaborations.

There are two main dining rooms at The Angel Hotel. The Oak Room is the more formal, filled with rich colours and artwork, while the wood panelled Foxhunter Bar offers a more relaxed atmosphere.

We settled in the Foxhunter Bar, named after the show jumping champion horse of the same name. Foxhunter won a gold Olympic medal in 1952 with his jockey Sir Harry Llewellyn.

The dinner was totally delicious! I ordered satisfyingly thick pieces of Brill in a creamy sauce with mussels, pancetta and potatoes. Guy went for the meaty option with a pork chop from the free range pigs of nearby Forest Coalpit farm. It was accompanied with apple brandy, black pudding and a cheese and onion mash.

We just managed to squeeze in some desert of fragrant coconut sorbet, with Petit Fours for a chocolate fix. The cocktails were outstanding too, making a really delightful evening and a hotel we vowed to come back to.

Afternoon Tea at The Angel Hotel

It’s worth knowing that the Angel Hotel is also famous for their fabulous Afternoon Tea. Aficionados of the classic Afternoon tea, will know that it is an elegant meal in itself, with sandwiches, pretty cakes and other savoury delicacies.

The Angel Hotel has won a prestigious award from The Tea Guild for their Afternoon tea. It gets booked up well in advance, so be sure to make a reservation if you’d like to try it.

High Tea is served in the traditional manner in a separate dining room with starched white table cloths, pretty china and silver cake stands, making this a real occasion meal. It’s a tea to enjoy when you have something to celebrate or at any time you want to treat yourself!

Other restaurants in Abergavenny Wales

As a foodie hub, Abergavenny really does offer plenty of choice when it comes to excellent restaurants. Many ambitious cooks starting their careers at the famous Walnut Tree.

The Walnut Tree Inn (Llanddewi Skirrid) – Located just outside Abergavenny, The Walnut Tree has been a well known destination for food lovers since the 1960s. At that time it was run by Franco Taruschio who brought his Italian flair to the menu.

Since 2008 it has been run by local chef Shaun Hill who has retained its Michelin star. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. Expect fine dining in a cosy country inn with the emphasis on the best, seasonal produce.

The Gaff (No 4 The Courtyard, Lion St) – Tucked away in a courtyard in Abergavenny, The Gaff is set in a large and airy dining room. They serve small plates influenced by international flavours. It’s earned a Michelin plate, leaning towards a fine dining experience and is open for lunch and dinner.

The Hardwick (Old Raglan Rd, Abergavenny, NP7 9AA) – A country inn style restaurant with rooms, run by Chef Stephen Terry. Expect a relaxed but elegant atmosphere, with dishes that draw on local seasonal ingredients, prepared with care and attention. This is a good place for a special meal and an overnight stay in their stylish courtyard rooms.

Mezze Me (15 Frogmore St) – A family run restaurant serving Turkish and Mediterranean dishes in a friendly atmosphere. As the name suggests they specialise in mezze sharing platters but there are main dishes too. Prices are moderate, so it’s a good place to share a meal with friends.

Food Shops in Abergavenny

If you’d like to indulge in a spot of food shopping, we have yet more places to suggest for food lovers.

Madame Fromage (16 Nevill Street) – A cheese shop and deli selling a mixture of local Welsh cheeses and deli goods. Some of their products are from other parts of Europe, although all support small artisan food businesses. They have some outside seating and serve coffee, cakes and snacks like cheese toasties.

Cook’s Galley (6 Nevill Street) – An emporium of anything a good cook would need, with arty china and tea towels. This is a great place to shop for gifts for the aspiring Masterchef contestant in your life.

Rawlings (19 Market Street) – Tucked down the side street by Abergavenny market, this is THE place to buy some of their award winning sausages in numerous and varied flavours.

Neil Powell Master Butcher (1-3 Flannel Street) – Also for meat lovers, this master butcher has a large and open shop. The meat counters will leave you salivating and there are lots of deli and foodie gifts.

The Angel Bakery (50 Cross Street) – Part of the same family as The Angel Hotel, the Angel Bakery is right opposite. It sells sourdough bread and pastries, using flour from British mills. They supply bread to other cafes in town and have a grocery store selling deli products from other small producers.

Food Experiences in Abergavenny

We can’t talk about Abergavenny as a foodie destination without mentioning some of the food experiences that will round off your visit and make it extra special.

Abergavenny Food Festival

Taking place over a weekend each September, the Abergavenny Food Festival is one of the main reasons that the town has become such a foodie destination. The festival was started in 1999 by two farmers as a way to help the rural community recover from the foot and mouth crisis that affected so many livelihoods. It has developed into a thriving independent festival attracting 30,000 people to each year to the town.

The Abergavenny food festival takes place in several different locations around the town of Abergavenny. Explore the food stalls and ticketed food demonstrations by leading chefs. Many of the events take place around Abergavenny castle with a backdrop of the Medieval castle ruins, with cooking over fire and an end of festival party.

If you are planning to attend, it’s worth knowing that you can reach the festival by train for a stress free experience, rather than trying to drive with limited parking. Take the train to Newport and change there for the line to Abergavenny. The station is a 15 minute walk from the town and festival venues.

The Abergavenny Baker

A food experience that we really enjoyed on our visit to Abergavenny was a visit to the Abergavenny Baker. This cookery school that specialises in every kind of bread imaginable. It’s located in a lovely airy room above the Bean and Bread cafe and next to The Gaff restaurant.

The owner, Rachel, started the bakery school in her own kitchen. As it grew it found a new home in the current location, creating a homely atmosphere that encourages fun and laughter. The beautifully renovated old building will remind you of being on holiday with its French Bistro posters, Greek Island blue paintwork and Spanish tile motifs.

Rachel runs workshops here on bakery themes from around the world (Italian, Middle Eastern, Coeliac, Easter or Christmas). Each session produces a range of different breads. While the dough is proving there’s time for a ‘second breakfast’ and a break for lunch to share some of the bread and pastries that have been produced.

The classes are for groups of 6-10 people and finish mid afternoon,. You’ll go home with a range of fresh bread that you’ve baked yourself. Gift vouchers are also available in case you want to treat someone to this relaxing, foodie experience.

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White Castle Vineyard

Just outside Abergavenny is the White Castle Vineyard where we stopped for a tasting of their award winning Welsh wines. It made me think about how we love to talk about eating local produce but have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to supporting English or Welsh wines. We seem to favour whatever’s cheapest in the supermarket however many food miles it represents.

It was a breath of fresh air (literally) to take a mini wine tour of the vineyards with owner Robb and hear about this small scale family run business. They are still celebrating their gold medal win in the prestigious Decanter awards for their Pinot Noir Reserve. Robb told me he thinks this year’s vintage of the Pinot Noir will be even better so better get your order in now!

The vineyard is open for tastings and tours at 2pm on Friday and Saturday throughout the winter and more days in the summer months, or by appointment. It’s best to ring ahead to check what’s on and book in for a tasting. You get a tasting of at least 4 wines and can also purchase platters of Welsh cheese or charcuterie if you’d like to make a lunch of it.

A family run winery

We tasted the soft and fruity Harry Rondo, named after Robb and Nicola’s grandson and eyed up the pretty pink sparkling Rose “Esme Rose” named after their granddaughter. You can tell it’s a family affair!

Robb showed us around the Grade II listed 16th century Croft Barn. It has been restored using the traditional wattle panels for ventilation, and is now used for events and tastings. If you are eating in any of the better restaurants mentioned around Abergavenny, look out for White Castle Vineyard wines on their lists to try.

White Castle near Abergavenny

After visiting the White Castle Vineyard, it’s worth continuing up the hill to visit the White Castle after which it’s named. It’s run by CADW, but free to visit and open at all times to walk across the drawbridge and into the courtyard enclosed by four towers.

White Castle is one of three Monmouthshire fortresses that were built by King Edward I to control the Monmouthshire border. You can also make a 19 mile circular Three Castles Walk, linking the three Medieval castles of White Castle, Grosmont and Skenfrith.

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Shopping in Abergavenny

It’s lovely to find a market town like Abergavenny that is home to so many interesting independent shops. Be sure to explore around town and in the market hall with its eclectic mix of small businesses.

While the typical range of high street shops are to be found on the High Street, the independents seem to be clustered around Frogmore Street and the side streets that lead from it.

Luckily, much of the town centre is pedestrianised, making for a very pleasant browsing experience. Be aware that the shopping hours may be shorter than you’d expect in a big city. In winter the shops seemed to close by 3pm or 4pm as soon as it gets dark.

We’ve already mentioned several of the foodie shops, but for gifts we liked the range of interesting things on offer at That’s Lovely That and the mini department store Nicholls of Crickhowell.

For fashion we browsed in Coco Blush (ladies) and Revue Mens Clothing (men). We were ready to complete our elegant outfits at Alison Todd Milliner, crammed with hats of all kinds, from Ascot worthy to warm and woolly.

Art in Abbergavenny

Abergavenny seems to foster an artistic spirit of artisans and makers, especially through the Art Shop and Chapel, and the associated businesses like The Angel Hotel and The Walnut Tree, where local artists are on display.

At The Chapel, where we had lunch, they host exhibitions and events in their upstairs space, as well as selling ceramics, jewellery and other crafts at one end of the cafe. The Art Shop has a separate premises in a beautiful Georgian building at No 8 Cross Street, which is full of artists materials and also hosts art exhibitions in their upstairs space.

It was also fun to spot artistic touches around town, in the mural tribute to the NHS and Sir Tom on Baker Street, the Diamond Jubilee Murals of Abergavenny life on St John’s Street. The striking ceramic plaque on Nevill Street told us that Abergavenny was a major producer of periwigs in the 18th century – who knew!

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Abergavenny Castle

If you’ve read this far you’ll be forgiven in thinking that Abergavenny is all about the food and you wouldn’t be wrong, but there’s so much more! You can’t be in Wales without visiting a castle or two, and Abergavenny has its own picturesque ruins of a Medieval castle that are free to visit.

The castle you see today was built in the 12th century and tells a gruesome story of the Christmas Day Massacre in 1175. The Norman Lord of Abergavenny William de Braose invited his Welsh rival Seisyll ap Dyfnwal and his knights to dinner, asking them to leave their arms at the door as a sign of friendship, then killed them all.

Understandably, their relatives were pretty angry and attacked the castle, taking it into Welsh possession. Ruins remain of the castle’s gatehouse, Great Hall, tower complex and cellars, with some information panels to show you how they would have looked.

There are open grassy areas and benches, making this a good place to come and relax with a picnic, with space for children to run around. Enjoy the pretty views over the river valley and lush green hills that surround Abergavenny. The castle grounds are open daily 11am – 4pm.

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Abergavenny Museum

Within the grounds of the castle sits Abergavenny Museum, located in a former 19th century Hunting Lodge. The museum is free to visit and has some interesting displays that tell the story of the town through the ages.

I particularly enjoyed the information about how the Bronze age axes found nearby were made, and the replica of a cosy Welsh farmhouse kitchen, with the curly glass walking stick awarded as a prize to farmers at livestock shows, displayed over the mantlepiece. The museum is open daily 11am – 4pm except Wednesdays.

Linda Vista Gardens and Castle Meadows

To enjoy another peaceful green space, continue along the road from Abergavenny Castle to Linda Vista Gardens. The name means means “Beautiful View Gardens” since they are set on the slope of the river valley. These gardens originally belonged to the Victorian villa that stands in the grounds which was built in 1875, before being bought by the local council and opened to the public in 1957.

The gardens are laid out like a traditional public park with trees and grassy areas, attractive shrubs and floral displays, picnic benches and a children’s play area. Within one of the small outbuildings, a community cafe Ambika Social has opened, where you can get a coffee and cake (open daily except Tuesday)

From the gate of Linda Vista Gardens, continue further down the hill through the parking area to get to the Castle Meadows, a large green space beside the River Usk which is a favourite with walkers and handgliders who descend from the nearby Blorenge Hill to land here.

Where to stay in Abergavenny

If you want a very special place to stay in Abergavenny, I can recommend The Angel Hotel which offers 30 boutique bedrooms and suites. This old coaching inn has been beautifully restored with elegant but cosy furnishings in the main building and the old Mews behind the hotel.

This would be my choice for a luxurious celebration break, combined with dinner in one of the two restaurants or their famous afternoon tea. The Angel Hotel is part of the same business that includes celebrated Michelin Star Walnut Tree restaurant, and they offer packages for accommodation and taxi service to take you to dinner at the restaurant just outside the town centre.

Other good hotel options to stay in the town of Abergavenny include:

Kings Arms Hotel – a 16th century inn with 8 bedrooms that have been decorated in fresh, contemporary style.

Hardwick Farm – a bed and breakfast in a working dairy farm just outside Abergavenny, with elegant antique furnished rooms.

Check here for more hotels and guest houses in Abergavenny

Cottages near Abergavenny

While visiting Abergavenny and touring around other parts of South Wales, we stayed at Roundhouse Farm near Nantyglo. It’s about 20 minutes drive from Abergavenny and makes an excellent base if you want self catering accommodation that’s close to a range of attractions, such as the Blaenarvon World Heritage site, Welsh Valleys and Brecon Beacons.

One quirk of the farm is that it includes one of the Round Towers, built by the local ironmasters, Joseph and Crawshay Bailey who owned the local ironworks. They constructed this and another nearby round tower in 1816, as a place of refuge, when their workers rioted as a result of their wages being cut. The towers were fitted out with cast iron from the foundry and the Grade II listed cottages where we stayed also had unusual cast iron roof supports.

There are three cottages in a terrace at Round House Farm made from the original barn that forms one side of an enclosed farm yard. In the past working ponies from the mines and foundries would be kept securely in farmyards like this, since without them the works could not function.

Our cosy cottage

Ours was a two bedroom cottage, Henrietta, and it was a pleasure to stay in a Welsh cottage that was cosy and well equipped, but with fresh, contemporary furnishings. The open plan ground floor with stone flags and areas of decorative exposed stone walls, included plenty of seating, a dining table and a kitchen area.

Upstairs were a double and single bedroom that would be ideal for a family, styled with tasteful modern furniture and a large bathroom with shower. We found it very relaxing to look out on the green fields from our bedroom to see the sheep and horses grazing nearby.

Book here for Roundhouse Farm Henrietta Cottage or their other cottages, Mary and William.

Other cottages in Abergavenny

If you’d prefer a cottage in Abergavenny itself, take a look at Caradog Cottages, the family of businesses that owns The Angel Hotel, as they have a number of pretty cottages that are in Abergavenny town itself or just outside, close to the Walnut Tree.

Plan your visit to Abergavenny

There’s plenty to see in Abergavenny and you can find out more on the Visit Abergavenny website and for other things to do in the surrounding area of Monmouthshire, take a look at the Visit Monmouthshire website. On social media follow the @SouthernWales, @VisitMonmouthshire and @Dargandecymru (Welsh language) instagram feeds for more inspiration.

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This article was sponsored* by Visit Monmouthshire and Southern Wales who provided some of the experiences and accommodation mentioned.  

* More info on my policies page

Photo Credits: All photos by Heatheronhertravels.com except the following: Angel Hotel Afternoon tea from Keith Davies, The Angel Hotel | White Castle from CADW | Angel Hotel Bedroom from Angel Hotel | Abergavenny Food Festival by Tim Woodier, Abergavenny Food festival.