The Pelican in her Piety

For a pub, the Pelican is a little bit fancy, with beer prices – shockingly in these parts – comparable to London. The difference is that here, on Wales' stunning south coast, you get the incredible doorstep countryside and coastal views of Ogmore and the sand dunes of Merthyr Mawr thrown in as well.  In summer the place is a right ol' laugh – heaving to the rafters inside, with an infectiously jovial atmosphere, while outside sheep and horses roam freely around the neighbouring fields (some finding their way onto the road), – despite being close to bustling Bridgend town, you really do feel a million miles from it all.  They've got a fantastic selection of real ales, plus a few unusual premium lagers on tap like Peroni, a menu of pretty standard posh pub grub: like the drinks, the prices are fairly steep, but the steaks in particular are good-sized, good quality and packed with flavour. It's also a great place to take your pooch, plus it has live music every week. Incidentally, if you're wondering what the Pelican in her Piety means, it's a famous medieval image portraying sacrifice, showing a Pelican bird plucking at her own breast in order to draw blood to feed her young.  Now that's different!