Eat & Drink in Bala

Where to eat and drink in Bala

Most of Bala’s pubs, cafes and takeaways are along the High Street (Stryd Fawr), so it is easy to wander and choose. Opening hours change with the seasons and some places close early midweek in winter, so check before you set out, and book for Saturday nights and Sunday lunch in summer.

On the High Street

• Plas-yn-Dre: a family-run bar and restaurant in a listed building, where food comes first. Lunch and evening meals, with a snug oak-panelled bar.
• The Olde Bulls Head: a black-and-white coaching inn dating back to at least 1692 and said to be the oldest in town, with a big stone fireplace, games room and food at lunchtime and in the evening.
• The White Lion Royal Hotel: built in 1752, a traditional Welsh pub and hotel with an open fire, restaurant and beer garden.
• Plas Coch Hotel: a bright, busy town-centre hotel bar and restaurant with a good local reputation for food, served daily.
• Y Badell Aur: a long-standing High Street fish and chip shop (the name means “the golden pan”). Famously, the Manchester United squad stopped here after a rafting trip in 2005.

Around the lake and villages

• The Eagles Inn (Tafarn yr Eryrod), Llanuwchllyn: a community-run village local dating from the early 18th century, about 5 miles south-west of Bala off the A494, with a shop, lunch and evening meals and beer from local breweries. It is about ten minutes’ walk from Llanuwchllyn station on the Bala Lake Railway.
• The Bryntirion Inn, Llandderfel: a centuries-old inn on the Palé estate, reopened after a major refurbishment and named among The Guardian’s top 30 UK inns in 2025, with wood-burning stoves, Sunday roasts and food from nearby growers.
• Palé Hall, Llandderfel: the Henry Robertson Dining Room at this five-star country house hotel is the place for a special occasion, and is open to non-residents. Read more about Palé Hall.

A taste of Welsh

Bala is a Welsh-speaking town, so have a go: “diolch” (thank you) and “iechyd da” (cheers, literally “good health”) will always go down well.

Make a day of it

Walk off lunch with ideas from our things to do in Bala guide, or plan a cosy pub evening with Bala in winter. Coming by bus? The T3 stops on the High Street: see getting to Bala.

Run a cafe, pub or restaurant in Bala?

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