Wales has become something of a gastronomic hotspot in recent years, and leading the charge is the market town of Abergavenny, surrounded by the stunning Black Mountains. This sleepy town undergoes something of a transformation in September, when the whole area gears up for the Abergavenny Food Festival (September 19 and 20), but the cosy pubs, sleek restaurants and indulgent cafes are a treat at any time of the year. Best of all, although the odd Michelin-starred eaterie has snuck over the border, most places remain reassuringly unpretentious - and affordable. Here is our pick of the best.
1. The Kings Arms
Wash down a few plates of pan-fried squid, grilled chorizo and chillies with ricotta and feta with a half or three of the Kings Arms' own ales, made in their micro-brewery. The ales take their names from the three mountains that border the town; Skirrid, Blorenge and Sugarloaf, all made with water from the Brecon Beacons. The 16th-century coaching inn is also a gallery for local artists, with artwork on the walls of the dining room and bar areas.
• Tapas plates from £2.75, +44 (0)1873 855074; kingsarmsabergavenny.co.uk.
2. The Hen & Chickens
Reassuringly old-school, this town-centre pub is a fringe site for the food festival and famed for its beef and dripping sandwiches, particularly when followed by a portion of jam roly-poly. On a sunny day grab one of the tables on the street and order up a Welsh cheese slate; when its grey, curl up in the bar with a comforting bowl of Welsh cawl - a meaty casserole-cum-soup, stuffed full of root veg and mutton or lamb.
• Mains from around £4.50, +44 (0)1873 853613; sabrain.com/henandchickens.
3. Crumbs Cafe
Try to overlook the name and concentrate instead on the slap-up breakfasts that Helen and her mum serve up, along with freshly-made pies, cakes and roasts on market day. The all day breakfast (known locally as the 'big boys' breakfast') comes with bacon, sausage, fried bread, hash browns, beans, mushrooms and the kitchen sink. Well, almost. If you're after a quinoa and tofu salad, go elsewhere; Crumbs is about old-fashioned home cooking - and all the better for it.
• Breakfasts from £4.50, 5 Market Street, +44 (0)1873 852614.
4. Abergavenny Market
Surrounded by farming country, Aber is home to some fabulous meat, cheese and fruit and veg producers, many of whom convene on the town for the weekly Tuesday market and the monthly farmers' market (many make a repeat appearance on Friday and Saturday, too). Pick up a slab of Y-fenni (a cheddar laced with grainy mustard) and some crusty bread for a picnic, or stock up with an all day breakfast at the Market Cafe and walk it off on the long haul up to the nearby Sugar Loaf mountain - worth it for the breathtaking views.
5. The Skirrid Inn
Although not strictly in Abergavenny (it's about five miles upcountry), you can't visit the town and not stop in for a pint at what is reputedly Wales's oldest pub. The ancient, wood-panelled restaurant makes the perfect backdrop to the hearty food; slabs of steak and gammon, thick chunks of battered fish and hefty bowls of sticky toffee pudding and fudge cake for pud. The food - much like the walk up the mountain that shares its name - is not for the fainthearted; hearty, filling and astonishingly well priced.
• Mains from £7.50, +44 (0)1873 890258; skirridmountaininn.co.uk.
6. For the Love of Cake
Lemon drizzle, sticky almond, ginger and treacle, banana and cherry - this small shop and cafe on Frogmore Street is cake porn for those with a sweet tooth; fresh brownies and shortbreads and flapjacks, all served up with Fairtrade teas and coffees. The cakes - all homemade - come from Clams Cakes, which began life as a coffee shop in Abergavenny before relocating to bigger premises and exporting cakes to several shops. The best news is that once you've developed an addiction to the carrot and orange, or pumpkin flapjacks, you can order them online.
• 59a Frogmore Street, +44 (0)1873 850009; clamscakes.co.uk.
7. The King of Prussia
Just to the south of the town, the King of Prussia is named after the German monarch who reputedly spent a night in the inn in the late 19th century. Over 200 years later, it's now a sleek country pub that makes good use of the farmers and smallholders that occupy the surrounding countryside; the menu is dotted with local produce, from smoked chicken from the Black Mountain Smokery in nearby Crickhowell, to Brecon venison and award-winning Blaenavon goats cheese.
• Sandwiches from £4.60, lunchtime mains from £8.95, +44 (0)1873 840232; thekingofprussia.co.uk.
8. Shahi Tandoori
Abergavenny is surrounded by dozens of picturesque rental cottages, and if you feel like a night off cooking, arguably the best takeaway in town is the Shahi. The tandoori meats are fall-off-the-bone tender and lipsmackingly spicy, while vegetarians are well catered for with the excellent Sabzi Thali - a mix of seven dishes. All the usual staples are on the menu, but the dishes are individual and a cut above most standard Indian fare.
• Tandoori dishes from £7.50, +44 (0)1873 859201; shahibalti.com.
9. The Angel Hotel
Behind the elegant Georgian frontage, and to the side of the slightly formal dining room lies the Foxhunter Bar; roaring log fires and original wood panelling keep it cosy in the winter, while in the summer the courtyard is a great bet for an alfresco lunch. The menu focuses on local produce; simple classics like a grilled steak sandwich or Black Mountains smoked salmon, although they do stray into "superfood salad" territory, if you can't shake the urban dust off your heels.
• Salads/sandwiches from £6-£8, +44 (0)1873 857121; angelhotelabergavenny.com.
10. Plas Derwen
The decor at this country pub-cum-hotel may be a touch bland and modern but there's nothing dull about the food; hefty sandwiches made from homemade bread with a selection of Welsh cheeses (Dragon's Breath, made with chilli and ale has a particular kick), burgers made from Celtic Pride beef and ploughmans with Camarthenshire ham and red Welsh mustard. Puddings all come with locally-made, award-winning ice-cream - the apple crumble flavour is to die for.
• Sandwiches from £4.95, +44 (0)1873 853144; plasderwenhotel.co.uk.
