Ratings of food and beverage places near to SOTA summits

Lets start grading food & beverage places near SOTA Summits?

My suggestion for “near” - means you walk from these restaurants / cafes to the summit (probably using their car park) - not 10-15 minutes drive away from the start of the track up to the summit. If a pub or restaurant or cafe lies en-route between two summits that are often activated in the same day - that’s fine as well, but there should be a link to a summit.

I’ll start the list with Schlossbergalm Zell near DL/AL-171 Eisenberg with three goats (out of five) for reasonable food and beer but very friendly service.

Lord Stones Cafe near G/TW-002 Drake Howe - only two goats as the cafe has little atmosphere, very new tiled lines, food was average.

Ed.

I know the prop is bad Ed, But really ?

I am happy with a bar of chocolate and a flask of soup !

I’d have to agree!
Nearest eating place will be my backpack. :goat: :goat: :goat: :goat: :goat:
Back at the car I’ll have a wide variety of food and a kettle and stove to make whatever I fancy! :goat: :goat: :goat: :goat: :goat: :goat: :goat: :goat: :goat: :goat:

Anyway here’s my starter:
Burger van in Storey Inn carpark. Start of track for both GW/SW-001 and GW/SW-005 :goat:
Burger Van, Carpark GW/SW-010 :goat:
Burger Van, Southern Carpark Sugar Loaf GW/SW-011 :goat:
Summit cafe, GW/NW-001 :goat:

:slight_smile:

Hey! it’s a bit of fun - why not!

OK, Well its the Ponderosa here…

I am certainly having no fun at the moment. 22,401 words en-counting !

Ed

That’s quite a mission you’ve set out on there.

The revolving restaurant on Black Mt VK1/ac042 Tower is closed. The cafe and restaurant on Mt Stromlo VK1/ac043 was damaged by the 2003 fire.

The pub at the foot of Mt Ainslie VK1/ac040 is not bad though.

On Mt Taylor VK1/ac037 in Canberra the options are pretty poor as you know. Some kind person takes water up there for dogs. You’d have some competition at the bowl some days but I’m sure if you waited a while you’d get a few sips.

Nothing available at any of the other 40 odd summits in VK1. Strictly BYO.

73 Andrew VK1DA/VK2UH

Oh yeah ! The Watkin three !

Brilliant day out.

Not when I did it.

http://tomread.co.uk/y_lliwedd_nw-008.htm

I really must repeat that circuit in nicer wx sometime, and actually get to enjoy it.

Guys, I have no objection to this thread as many hill reports outside of SOTA often include suggestions for where to go for post summit beer, wine, food etc. However, I have changed the category to off-topic rather than summit info, though I will accept it’s a judgement call as to how on or off-topic this is.

ON/ON-010 Belgian Fries and more

You will Tom, I am waiting until June before I do it again. Wasn’t that the time you thought you had lost your hand held and later found it sitting between your back and your back-pack ?

I miss the big mountains, all I have left is the small summits in GW.NW

The only one I can think of that may meet Ed’s “near” criteria that I have been to would be village at VK3/VE-006, Mt Hotham. 3 Goats.

Compton
VK2HRX

OK, a few of my favourites, I would rate them all as five goats - or five sloths when the weather closes in:

Llanberis Pass, Vaynol Arms for GW/NW-001, 003, 004 and 005.
Capel Curig, Tyn y Coed for GW/NW-010
Glencoe, Clachaig Inn for GM/WS-007, 074, 200, 234
Glencoe, Kingshouse for GM/WS-017, 019, 044, 079, 096, 146
Patterdale, White Lion for G/LD-003, 007, 010, 022, 027

Brian

I had considered putting this in off-topic however as you say many include this topic (local food possibilities) in their activation reports, I chose to put it in summit info, but it was a toss-up between the two, so as this is more of a fun thing, I’ve no objection to it being in off-topic.

Here’s the list of actual food places so far (in the order they were posted) - mostly UK:

Schlossbergalm Zell near DL/AL-171 Eisenberg :goat::goat::goat:
Lord Stones Cafe near G/TW-002 Drake Howe :goat::goat:
Burger van in Storey Inn carpark. Start of track for both GW/SW-001 and GW/SW-005 :goat:
Burger Van, Carpark GW/SW-010 :goat:
Burger Van, Southern Carpark Sugar Loaf GW/SW-011 :goat:
Summit cafe, GW/NW-001 :goat:
The pub at the foot of Mt Ainslie VK1/ac040 is not bad. (No goat rating given).
ON/ON-010 Baraque de Fraiture Belgian Fries and more. (No goat rating given).
Alpine village at VK3/VE-006, Mt Hotham. :goat::goat::goat:
Llanberis Pass, Vaynol Arms for GW/NW-001, 003, 004 and 005. :goat::goat::goat::goat::goat:
Capel Curig, Tyn y Coed for GW/NW-010 :goat::goat::goat::goat::goat:
Glencoe, Clachaig Inn for GM/WS-007, 074, 200, 234 :goat::goat::goat::goat::goat:
Glencoe, Kingshouse for GM/WS-017, 019, 044, 079, 096, 146 :goat::goat::goat::goat::goat:
Patterdale, White Lion for G/LD-003, 007, 010, 022, 027.
Ty Mawr Tea Rooms in Rhyd Ddu, for GW/NW-001, 019, 024, 026 and slightly more distant 014, 008, 020, 030.
The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways at-seat restaurant food. Summits: too numerous to list here!

I fear this will end up as a long thread of no great use to anyone - although possibly an amusing diversion in poor band conditions. Some people will (possibly already have) recommend places that they have not visited in years (decades?), half remembered through the beer goggles of time. Places change hands so frequently here in the UK that recommendations rarely stand the test of time.

Tripadvisor is my first port of call for places to eat and drink.

You’re not the first to say this Richard. I had thought it may be a usefull reference for those seeking to plan a day around activating some new summits but as you say, this kind of information ages quickly and may be of little value in a few months time.

From an analysis point of view, it is interesting that mainly UK activators have contributed with only 1 Australian, 1 Belgian and 1 German restaurant recommended. Perhaps this reflects the need for sustinance after activating an often cold and wet UK summit?

Ed.

GOTA: Grub On The Air

…just means we are more gobby.

Ty Mawr Tea Rooms in Rhyd Ddu, run by Emma and Menno. Starting / ending point for GW/NW-001, 019, 024, 026 and slightly more distant 014, 008, 020, 030. Menno is from the Netherlands - his pancakes are excellent!

The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways. On the WHR you will enjoy at-seat service, including local beers, whilst the miles to or from your summit pass. Summits: too numerous to list here! Combine with Ty Mawr for maximum enjoyment.

[Disclaimer: Emma & Menno - neighbours. WHR - volunteer]