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Wales has developed a thriving restaurant scene over the last decade or so, and not just in major towns. Some truly outstanding food can be found in rural pubs and hotel restaurants. More and more restaurants are creating dishes using fresh local ingredients—Welsh lamb, Welsh Black beef, Welsh cheeses, and seafood from the Welsh coast—that show off the best of the region's cuisine.
On the beach at Oxwich, this stylish Michelin-starred eatery is considered one of the best in all of Wales. The beautifully presented dishes are made using excellent local ingredients, particularly seafood. Menus start at £94 for three courses. The solid wine list features some interesting additions from Wales, Macedonia, Croatia, Uruguay, Lebanon, and Armenia.
This contemporary hotel restaurant certainly lives up to its name (which is Welsh for "taste") as the dishes are some of the best you’ll find in Wales. Head chef Sam Owen and his team were awarded three AA Rosettes in 2022 for their creative use of local, seasonal produce, which could include the likes of crab caught in nearby Solva or lamb from a local farm. Despite the hotel’s spectacular coastal setting, there are unfortunately no views, but the food, cocktails, wine, and professional service more than make up for it. Reservations are recommended.
This excellent "restaurant with rooms" is renowned for its creative use of local products and the rustic-chic vibe. Fruit and vegetables come from the Griffin's own organic kitchen garden, while meat is sourced from surrounding estates such as the Welsh Venison Centre. If you'd like, stay over in one of eight cozy, vintage-style bedrooms, complete with Welsh blankets and fresh flowers; dinner packages are also available. The inn is in Felin Fach, 5 miles northeast of Brecon.
Regarded as one of the best chefs in the United Kingdom, Shaun Hill has been at the helm of this rustic-chic restaurant 3 miles northeast of Abergavenny since 2008. The focus here is on local, seasonal produce with international influences; lunch is £42 for two courses. There are also a couple of cottages nearby if you want to stay the night.
On the banks of the River Usk between Abergavenny and Raglan, this "restaurant with rooms" serves imaginative modern Welsh dishes in a relaxed setting. The menu makes great use of local ingredients, like in the mussels with cider or leek and laverbread rissoles. There's a less expensive tapas menu including fried cockles.
Tucked down a lane off Wind Street, the town's main nightlife area, this cozy restaurant is consistently reliable for good food in the city center. The London Ritz--trained chef deftly turns out delicious dishes made with the best local ingredients. The two-course lunch menu is good value, and the fish courses are the most popular option. Book in advance and ask for a table upstairs as the downstairs "cave" can be a bit claustrophobic.
Named after the nickname for people born within Conwy's town walls, this sophisticated eating place above an old cinema is the place to go for fine dining. Chef Nick Rudge, who trained at Heston Blumenthal's the Fat Duck, only serves a nine-course seasonal tasting menu inspired by the produce and heritage of Wales. A lighter lunch is available for £55 on Friday and Saturday.
