A comfortable old inn in the bookshop-lined town of Hay on Wye, where even the intellect has to be fed and where better than the Old Black Lion? An earlier visitor of note, Oliver Cromwell, is believed to have stayed here whilst the lads laid siege to Hay Castle.

Considering how many hostelries OC is alleged to have honoured with his presence it is surprising he did not have a secondary career as a restaurant critic. However, it seems a fair bet he would approved of the Old Black Bull, indeed he might even have put the word round that there was no hurry to capture the castle.

Local produce and ingredients, some of them organic, are eagerly sought after and include seafood from Cornwall and vegetables and herbs from the hotel's own garden. Wild boar is a not unknown dish. An extensive wine list completes the picture of a place that knows how to charm its customers off the streets.