Peint o Gwrw Tafarn in Chatham
He's waiting to share a pint with you.
If you're headed to Chatham for the FilmColumbia film fest this weekend, be sure to stop in for a pint or two at Main Street's Peint o Gwrw Tafarn.
Where? The name is Welsh and it's pronounced "pint o ger-ROO" -- which means pint of ale -- but locals know it simply as "the pub." And not only is it the only Welsh-style pub in Chatham (or, as far as we can tell, the whole area), it may also represent your only opportunity to sip a pint in the middle of a taxidermied menagerie.
Yep. You read that correctly.
When you walk into Peint o Gwrw Tafarn, you're immediately "greeted' by a life-size stuffed bear on all fours. And no, we don't mean the teddy bear kind. These stuffed animals are, well, stuffed. It's a little off-putting actually. Stuffed owls, pheasants and game birds are arranged throughout the rest of the tavern, interspersed with Welsh flags, pieces of armor and decorative swords. That's along with the plenitude of mounted deer heads and antlers.
Rumor has it that there used to be a stuffed cat in the women's bathroom (yes, a real deceased house cat) but they had to remove it because people kept moving the feline, or trying to take it. Now two stuffed cats glare out with glassy eyes from behind the bar. No joke. It's a little eerie actually.
With its long, low main room and old-school tin ceilings, Peint o Gwrw Tafarn is the kind of place where you can just feel totally relaxed as you sip your brew. Carved beams overlook comfy benches and a fireplace near the back. It's the kind of place where weekenders and locals alike rub elbows; it's unpretentiously hip and people of all walks seem equally comfortable here. There's even a funny little smoking room upstairs.
And while I've never been to a pub in Wales, it certainly seems authentic, right down to owner Thomas Hope, with his bushy gray mustache and button-up vest. Hope, raised locally by Welsh coal miners, opened the pub in 2001 after living in San Francisco and New York City.
The menu boasts a bunch of typical pub grub such as fish and chips, pigs in bacon, steak fries and wings, along with a few less expected items like baba ghannouj and falafel. Oh, and something listed only as "block o'cheese." On a recent visit, a sign behind the bar advertised the "Wall Street Dinner: Hot Dog for $1." The pub also serves several brews from local brewer Chatham Brewing.
Find It
Peint o Gwrw Tafarn
36 Main St
Chatham, NY 12037
(518) 392-2337
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Comments
I never realized how close Chatham is. Hmm, I think this necessitates a trip!
... said Albany Jane on Oct 15, 2008 at 11:48 AM | link
totally up my alley :)
I will be sure to check this place out!
... said Melissa on Oct 15, 2008 at 12:02 PM | link
Finally! A place where I can really celebrate St. David! Forget that jack-ass St. Patrick- he sucks. St. David rules! GO WALES! Huzzah!
... said Katherine on Oct 15, 2008 at 12:28 PM | link
Seen the cat, it really does exist, if you have a few pints you might even get to try on a helmet or two
... said Kate on Oct 15, 2008 at 2:22 PM | link
Chatham is a great town and the Peint o Gwrw is an exceptional pub.I went there for the first time in the evening on Inauguration Day.It was like being in a European pub -- decorative tin ceilings, a massive wood bar, lots of people of all ages (even some kids and at least one baby), and a spread of free food that didn't seem to end throughout the night - it was a feast that filled every belly. Someone even stood up on the bar to open a bottle of champagne and toast the 'big event' while other bottles went around the room to share with everyone. It was fantastic to see that there really is a community of people who know how to celebrate the good ol' way of the Welsh -- food, fun and friends (even if you don't live in Chatham, and even if you aren't Welsh).
... said franny on Jan 23, 2009 at 3:17 PM | link
FYI. I live in Chatham and know the pub all too well... The cat is fake.
Actually, it is a rabbit pelt.
... said stephen on Feb 6, 2009 at 3:41 PM | link
Peint .. has open mike first Sunday of the month, and a traditional celtic seisun the fourth Sunday of the month. We had great fish and chips there last Sunday as well as a good salmon salad.
... said Blue on Feb 9, 2010 at 3:13 PM | link
Ahhh, fond memories. Used to live in the area and had a friend come over from Massachusetts for a couple of days. At that time the "cat" resided on the window ledge in the WOMENS rest room. A few pints in to the evening my buddy tottered off to relieve himself and upon returning he looked me in the eye and asked; "Why is there a stuffed cat in the bathroom?", to which I replied; "Why were you in the ladies room?" We never did determine the story behing the cat, but the "House of Consonants" as we called it, (due to our inability to correctly pronounce the name of the pub, was always a nice place to relax.
... said Shane on Mar 4, 2011 at 1:02 PM | link