Look out for Conwy mussels, which come from deep down in the seabed of the Conwy Estuary. I didn’t find any laverbread (“Welsh caviar”), which seems a pity – though it’s more properly associated with the south coast and the Gower Peninsula.
A short drive inland, Bodnant Welsh Food has a good locally focused shop and restaurant.
But don’t do this
The Carlton pub looks like a great freehouse, but it’s owned by mega-chain Stonegate, and hosts bingo on Thursday evenings and karaoke on Fridays. I know bingo “belongs” in seaside resorts, but surely not in a Grade II-listed boozer.
From a local
“It’s a beautiful place to live,” says Helen Parkes, 37, who moved here two years ago from London with her husband and three children. “We sometimes say it’s like a holiday that never ends. It’s lacking in terms of retail and culture – Conwy next door has had more spent on it and has more independent shops – but living here you do realise life’s not all about spending.”
Liz Westwood, 21, works at the Llandudno Pier Coffee Shop. “I came here from the Midlands, to live with my nan and, in a way, start again,” she says. “You’ve always got the beach and the mountains. I get on with people of all ages, but there are young people here if you want to find them. The only negative is the 20mph rule where it’s not needed; it causes jams, increases emissions and is really unpopular.”