Welcome to a Welsh country inn entirely devoid of horsebrasses, Welsh love spoons and any sign of chintz.

It is owned and run by Ballymaloe-trained former Chef, Charles Inkin, who has carried his uncompromising belief in "the simple things in life done well" to a quiet Welsh valley in the shadow of the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons.

Eatdrinksleep is the name of the company set up to create the new pub and all three of these basic needs are treated with serious and personal attention to detail. All the rooms are individually designed to be the very antithesis of large, impersonal hotels. The owner, although originally from Wales, has lived and worked in London and sensibly included some of the features that you might enjoy in a good city hotel: designer toiletries in the bathrooms, piles of plumbed up pillows and luxuriously soft white linen bedding on a handsomely-carved four posted bed, as well as indisputably top-quality food. But the heart of the Felin Fach Griffin is pure country; A large farmhouse table strewn with the day's papers is circled by deep leather sofas and an open fire which is lit for most of the year. You can choose to eat either in the deep red dining room area, decorated with quirky portraits on the walls and eclectic pieces of Balinese furniture, or in the bar area, painted yellow and blue in defiance of the sometimes unpredictable Welsh weather. Dutch chef, Ricardo Van Ede's food is simple but utterly delicious with a focus on the very best of local ingredients. It is served by fresh faced and always friendly local staff and made even more enjoyable by plenty of traditional ales and an excellent choice of old and new world wines, with several available by the glass. It is not unheard of for diners to enjoy their meal so much that instead of paying the bill and leaving they choose to settle back and order another bottle of wine having secured themselves a bed upstairs for the night.
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The Griffin's head chef is Dutchman Ricardo Van Ede. Ricardo, 40, was the youngest chef in the Netherlands to win a Michelin Star, at the age of 21. Following this he became a culinary celebrity in his native country, appearing on Dutch TV and in newspapers nationally and internationally. He continued his training in Europe, working in three-starred Michelin restaurants such as Michel Guerard in Eugenie-les-Bains. He returned to Amsterdam to set up Ricardo Food and Wine which was voted best delicatessen in the Netherlands. Ricardo also was voted Chef of the Year in 1995 by Dutch Elle Magazine.

His first position in the UK, after moving here in 1997, was Sous Chef at Cliveden House with responsibility for the private dining rooms. Since then he has been Head Chef at the Flaneur Food Hall in London and The Black Jug in Horsham, West Sussex.

Ricardo is a supporter of the slow food movement. The area around the Brecon Beacons was declared the first ‘slow food’ region of Wales on March 1 2002, joining 560 other regions across 45 countries.

Check Ricardo's page

Since opening, the Griffin has predominately been known for the food produced. The ethos behind what we produce from the kitchen is to keep it as simple as possible. Not to take the raw ingredients & mess around with them, but to respect them. Everything we buy in is locally produced, salad from a nearby organic farm, beef from the surrounding area, lamb from Carmarthen, Sewin (Sea Trout) from local rivers. We have now started growing our own vegetables on a small scale and will become increasingly self sufficient over the next few years. The restaurant was honoured by the AA in awarding us with Restaurant of the Year for Wales 2002/2003. We can cater for private parties for up to 50. There are also two rooms that can be used for those wanting to have small parties away from the main Restaurant.

Check the Eat page.

A very relaxed and warming place in the winter, and cool as cool in the summer.
The Griffin bar is... well, just the place to consume your preferred tipple. The landlord's belief in a home from home you are sure to enjoy the hours as they flow away with the drinks.

Griffin bar check the drinks page

Each of the seven rooms has been individually designed, void of chintz & free of Televisions. The beds, two of which are Four Posters from Rajasthan and one four poster from Morocco are covered with goose down feather filled duvets & Welsh woollen blankets. All are ensuite with large baths & power showers. With seven rooms The Griffin is the ideal place to take over for a weekend away with your friends or extended family.

Check the SLEEP page and choose your room on line

We are located on the edge of The Brecon Beacons National Park, an area of Outstanding Beauty, 4½ miles north of Brecon & 8 miles from Hay on Wye. An ideal base for those wanting to explore 520 square miles of remote mountains, or for the more idle a wander around the bibliophile's paradise of Hay on Wye.

Check the Map page, Printable Map page and Directions page for directions