What was the name of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional inn at the crossroads near Bree?

The Prancing Pony was the inn at Bree where the Hobbits met Aragorn.

The inn stands in the town of Bree, a settlement where Hobbits and Men live near the eastern edge of the Shire. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin stay there during their journey east. Frodo uses the alias Underhill, but his careless use of the Ring draws attention to the travellers.

The mysterious Ranger called Strider is also present at the inn. He later reveals that his true name is Aragorn and agrees to guide the Hobbits toward Rivendell. The Prancing Pony therefore becomes the point where the quest gains its first experienced protector outside the Shire.

Tolkien gives the innkeeper the name Barliman Butterbur. The Prancing Pony is sometimes confused with the Green Dragon, an inn in Hobbiton associated with local Hobbits. The two establishments belong to different places and play different roles in the story.