The Six Bells

Update 07-​03-​2010
After a disappointing visit last year, a more recent visit went better. The meal was fine, and came in at around £20 a head (some had two courses, others three), and service was friendly (they made a couple of mistakes but rectified them straight away without a quibble). Decent portion sizes still, but not a great deal of choice for vegetarians.
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Located in the tiny village of Penmark in the Vale of Glamorgan, the Six Bells is a traditional pub with a restaurant area and function room, under new management (as of January 2009).
Penmark itself has a church and the remains of a 12^th century castle, once home to the Umfraville family. The Pub itself has a traditional bar area with a low ceiling, wooden beams and a tiled floor and a large fireplace, which is home to a roaring fire in winter. There’s a second bar on the other side of the servery leading to an airy, modern dining room, although I prefer the cosier side myself. They serve real ales, which on my visit included Hancock’s HB and Old Speckled Hen.
They also serve food (Tues-​Sats, 12 – 14.30 & 18−21h) ranging from sandwiches, warm baguettes and salads to a decent menu of pub grub favourites, including a curry, lasagne, sausages and mash, fish and chips and a slightly more upmarket menu with the likes of steak and sea bass. They also have a daily selection of traditional desserts and a Welsh cheese board. During the week they do a £10 for two courses special offer. On Sundays they do a traditional roast from 12−16h, for which it is advisable to book.
We had a family meal there recently, and the food was both well cooked and very good value indeed, with everything freshly prepared — be warned that some of the portions can be on the generous side, so if you want pudding, you may want to skip the starters! Although they weren’t terribly busy with diners (it was a Saturday lunchtime), service was spot on, and all the staff were very friendly and helpful.
The pub has strong competition locally, as neighbouring villages feature the Blue Anchor (a genuine ‘olde worlde’ building with excellent real ales and a posh restaurant) and the Fox & Hounds at Llancarfan (also well known for its food, but pricier). The Six Bells sensibly goes for something slightly different, and scores on quality and good value food and the friendliness of its service.
In terms of practicalities, it also has a large car park tucked behind the building, so parking is straightforward. It is accessed by a minor road off the B4265 Cardiff Airport — Llantwit Major Road.
Worth looking out for.