Restaurants in Wales
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A
Happy Gathering
It's always a sign of a good Chinese restaurant when you see the local Chinese community eating there, and you'll see them in force at this popular, long-established place (it's been around for more than 30 years). Noisy, good-natured atmosphere, good service, and kids are made welcome.
reviewed
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B
Thai House Restaurant
Wales' oldest Thai restaurant has been around for more than 20 years and is still winning awards. Warm yellow walls, polished wood and candle-light make for an intimate atmosphere, and the Thai chefs certainly know their stuff, using fresh ingredients flown in from Bangkok every week.
reviewed
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C
Old Ford Inn
The Old Ford is an old-fashioned country pub with weathered oak beams, stone fireplace and a range of well looked-after real ales. You can eat in the bar, or opt for a more formal meal in the farmhouse kitchen-style restaurant. Llanhamlach is on the A40, 4 miles southeast of Brecon
reviewed
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D
La Braseria
Having gained a reputation as a favourite hang-out of the Swansea glitterati (Catherine Douglas-Zeta-Jones is a fan), this place is enormously popular, often packed solid at weekends. It's a Spanish bodega-style place, with a global menu ranging from beef satay to local lobster.
reviewed
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E
Govinda's
This sparkling restaurant specialises in vegetarian and vegan cuisine using locally sourced organic produce. The menu ranges from Indian samosa, dhal and vegetable curry, to veggie lasagne, nut burger and vegan cheesecake. It's run by Hare Krishna, but there's no proselytising.
reviewed
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F
Papillon
An excellent deli-cum-café with a Mediterranean motif and an ethical policy of donating tips to international aid projects, this is Bangor's best place to eat by far. Aside from tapas, special deals include an Express set lunch and all-you-can-eat Italian night on Wednesdays.
reviewed
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G
Cwtch
Stone walls and wooden beams mark this out as a sense-of-occasion place, as indeed does the price, yet there's a snugness that lives up to its name (cwtch means a cosy place or a cuddle). There's an emphasis on local produce, so expect plenty of fresh seafood on the menu.
reviewed
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H
Bistro Conwy
It may not be the cheapest in town, but this intimate little bistro with a cosy ambience and an attractive setting in a secluded little red-brick cottage offers modern and traditional Welsh cooking. Vegetarians will feel particularly well served by the broad menu.
reviewed
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Plas Derwen
A very modern and airy café serving lunches and light meals, plus a full afternoon tea (£6.50). A few tables overlook the main street for an al fresco morning coffee and the owners have introduced a couple of modern, tasteful rooms upstairs for B&B (rooms £25).
reviewed
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Scallops
No surprise that pride of place on the menu here goes to fresh seafood - from seared scallops with pea and mint purée to full-on lobster thermidor. The brightly decorated dining room is complemented by an attractive al fresco terrace with a view of the bay.
reviewed
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Didier & Stephanie
Swansea's top restaurant is an intimate and relaxed place, run by the Gallic duo with their names on the door. It's well regarded for its French cooking, refined setting and attentive service, and it offers good-value set menus at lunch (two/three courses £14/17).
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Armless Dragon Restaurant
One of Cardiff's first foodie restaurants and still one of the best, the Dragon pretty much created what is now called 'modern Welsh cuisine' - that is, taking the finest Welsh produce and traditional Welsh recipes and giving them a contemporary gourmet twist.
reviewed
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M
Madame Fromage
One of Cardiff's finest delicatessens, with a wide range of charcuterie and French and Welsh cheeses. The Madame also has a cafe with tables spilling into the arcade, where you can read French newspapers and eat a mixture of Breton dishes and Welsh caffi food: rarebit, lamb cawl and bara brith.
reviewed
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N
Brava
With local art on the walls and an informal vibe, this cool cafe is our favourite brunch spot on the strength of its eggs Benedict, silky white coffee and attentive service. Tables spill out onto the pavement in summer and in the evening it morphs into a licensed bistro. Brava indeed.
reviewed
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O
Trading Post
Housed in a 16th-century town house that was formerly the Cow Inn (check out the carved cow's heads on the outside), the Trading Post is a pleasantly old-fashioned café serving a wide range of teas and coffees as well as a bistro menu of light meals.
reviewed
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Flat Rock Bistro
Head three miles north to Gwbert for this stylish bistro with an outdoor terrace, great sea views and a menu of good seafood (roast sea bass with citrus butter), Welsh beef (fillet steak with stilton and port sauce) and a range of sandwiches and snacks.
reviewed
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P
Pilgrims Tearooms
The café in the cathedral grounds is housed in a tithe barn-style building, with outdoor tables beside a herb garden. The menu includes home-baked bread, salads, jacket potatoes and daily specials, and a Sunday lunch of roast lamb, beef or chicken.
reviewed
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Q
Wild Swan
Swansea's best Cantonese restaurant is sumptuously decked out with red leather sofas, delicate Chinese screens, and even a pond filled with koi carp. The menu covers all the classics from stir-fry squid with black bean sauce to aromatic crispy duck.
reviewed
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Popty r Dref Deli
A fantastic deli for take-away sandwiches and one of the few left with the original bakery out the back. Support it to keep a rare example of local industry alive. The house speciality is the honey bun - be quick, they're usually sold out by 11:00.
reviewed
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S
Thyme Out
Located upstairs in the Salt and Pepper kitchenware shop, this stylish little café serves the best coffee in town, and also does breakfast (croissants, eggs or a fry up, 09:00 to 11:00) and lunch (soup, quiche, baked potatoes, noon to 14:30).
reviewed
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T
New York Deli
This tiny wood-panelled café serves up giant, US-style sandwiches - one between two is enough for most mortals - stacked bagels and big mugs of coffee. There's a good breakfast menu too, but get in early as there are only a couple of tables.
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Little Italy
With red-and-white chequered tablecloths, this is the cosy, wine-bottle-in-baskets kind of Italian eatery. It's also popular, with a big menu of traditional Italian favourites including good vegetarian options. There's also a decent Sunday lunch.
reviewed
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Dylan's Books'n'Bites
Armchairs and tables scattered among the bookshelves in the Dylan Thomas Centre bookshop make an agreeable spot for a coffee and a read. The lunch menu includes home-made soup and sandwiches, plus dishes from the more formal restaurant upstairs.
reviewed
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W
Café Macsen
A simple but airy café with marble tables, it offers the stock-in-trade all-day breakfasts and sandwiches, as well as some reliable mains. While the food may be simple, the place is cleaner and friendlier than other cafés in the block.
reviewed
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Miah's
Housed in a beautifully converted church with bare stone walls, exposed roof beams and tables ranged around a mezzanine at half-height, Miah's is a cut above the six-pints-and-a-curry type of Indian restaurant. The tandoori trout is exquisite.
reviewed