This is a list of notable

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

s in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. The number of restaurants has significantly increased since the 1960s, when the country had very few notable places to eat out. Today, Wales is no longer considered a "gastronomic desert", there are five

Michelin star The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...

red restaurants within the country. Other award systems from TripAdvisor and AA have included Welsh restaurants in their lists. The most significant increase in restaurants has been at the high-end, but there has been growth and improvement in quality across all the whole range of Welsh eateries. Many Welsh restaurants attempt to showcase their "Welshness", but few include historic Welsh dishes besides

cawl Cawl () is a Welsh dish. In modern Welsh the word is used for any soup or broth; in English it refers to a traditional Welsh soup, usually called ''cawl Cymreig'' (literally 'Welsh soup') in Welsh. Historically, ingredients tended to vary, but t ...

. Instead, they showcase their Welsh ingredients, creating new dishes from them. There has also been a rise in

Asian cuisine Asian cuisine includes several major regional cuisines: Central Asian, East Asian, North Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and West Asian. A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, usually associated with ...

in Wales, especially that of Indian, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Japanese, with a preference for spicier foods.

Anglesey

* Sosban and The Old Butchers,

Menai Bridge Menai Bridge ( cy, Porthaethwy; usually referred to colloquially as Y Borth) is a town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north-west Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas T ...

*:Previously a butchers shop and converted into a restaurant which is known for having no menus and so relies on the choice of the chef, Stephen Stevens. It has three AA rosettes rating. Earned its first Michelin star in 2016.

Cardiff

The Clink The Clink was a prison in Southwark, England, which operated from the 12th century until 1780. The prison served the Liberty of the Clink, a local manor area owned by the Bishop of Winchester rather than by the reigning monarch. As the Lib ...

, Cardiff *:Based within Prison ground this restaurant was owned by the Clink Charity. It opened in 2012 and employed 30 full-time staff who are inmates at the prison, under the supervision of head chef Mike Arnopp. The Clink was rated 10th on TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Favourite Fine Dining Restaurants UK 2015. The Clink closed permanently in late 2022.

Ceredigion

Ynyshir Ynyshir () is a village and community located in the Rhondda Valley, within Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The name of the village means "long island" in Welsh and takes its name from a farm in the area, falling within the historic parishes of ...

, Eglwys Fach *:Ynyshir is run by Chef Patron Gareth Ward and his partner Amelia Eiriksson. It has a five AA rosette award the first and only ever in Wales and a Michelin star and was named the 12th Best Restaurant in the UK and highest placed in Wales in the 2018 Good Food Guide.

Conwy

* Kinmel Arms,

Abergele Abergele (; ; ) is a market town and community, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough and in the historic county of Denbighshire. Its northern suburb of Pensarn lies on ...

*:17th century inn with an AA two rosette standard and 2015 AA award for Welsh pub of the year It has also been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and was listed in the

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History Early years Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...

guide to Europe's 50 best 'secret spot' locations in 2015 *

The Old Rectory Country House ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

Glan Conwy Llansanffraid Glan Conwy (), usually shortened to Glan Conwy, is a village, Community (Wales), community and Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral ward in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The name translates from the Welsh ...

*:16th century, Georgian, grade II listed building It has previously held a Michelin star.

Denbighshire

* Tyddyn Llan at Llandrillo *:Forming part of the hotel, the restaurant has been given a Michelin star under Bryan Webb as head chef. It has also been presented with Wine List of The Year Award 2016 from Good Food Guide, and the AA wine award

Gwynedd

Pete's Eats Cafe Pete's Eats is a Cafe (British), cafe in Llanberis, North Wales, popular amongst walkers and mountaineering, climbers in the Snowdonia region of mountains. Llanberis, at the foot of Snowdon, is one of the traditional starting points for climb ...

Llanberis (; ) is a village, community and electoral ward in Gwynedd, northwest Wales, on the southern bank of the lake and at the foot of Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. It is a centre for outdoor activities in Snowdonia, including walking, mo ...

*:Used prominently by walkers and hikers, this cafe has won the Best Cafe in Wales in the 2016 People's Choice Awards and the Best Walkers' Cafe 2015. It serves basic food such as "chip butties" and "pint mugs of tea" * Plas Bodegroes,

Pwllheli Pwllheli () is a market town and community of the Llŷn Peninsula ( cy, Penrhyn Llŷn) in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It had a population of 4,076 in 2011 of whom a large proportion, 81%, are Welsh language, Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the pl ...

*:Grade II listed Georgian house that has previously held a Michelin star.

Monmouthshire

The Whitebrook The Whitebrook, formerly known as The Crown at Whitebrook, is a restaurant with rooms in Whitebrook, south-south-east of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales, near the River Wye and the border with England. The building is thought to date from the ...

, Whitebrook *:Formerly known as "The Crown at Whitebrook" and the inn dates back to the 17th century. It has a Michelin star under chef Chris Harrod and three

AA Rosette AA Limited, trading as The AA (formerly The Automobile Association), is a British motoring association. Founded in 1905, it provides vehicle insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans, motoring advice, road maps and other services. The ...

s. *

The Walnut Tree The Walnut Tree is one of Aesop's fables and numbered 250 in the Perry Index. It later served as a base for a misogynistic proverb, which encourages the violence against walnut trees, asses and women. A fable of ingratitude There are tw ...

Abergavenny Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of the River Gavenny") is a market town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a ''Gateway to Wales''; it is approximately from the border wi ...

*:Opened in early 1960s and since then has featured on ''

Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares ''Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares'' is a television programme featuring British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay first broadcast on Channel 4 in 2004. In each episode, Ramsay visits a failing restaurant and acts as a troubleshooter to help improv ...

'' and held Michelin stars. The Walnut Tree is now under the direction of head chef, Shaun Hill and the restaurant has since won Great Britain's Restaurant of the Year award, Wales category at the annual National Restaurant Awards 2015, has a Michelin star and three AA rosettes. *

The Hardwick ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

*:Country road-side restaurant is owned and run by

Stephen Terry Stephen Terry is a professional chef from Wales, who was taught by Marco Pierre White in his kitchen " Harveys" and currently owns, and is Head Chef at, the Hardwick Restaurant in Abergavenny, Wales. He has a wife and three children. The Hardwi ...

who is also head chef. It has been given a

Bib Gourmand The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The ac ...

rating, it got best restaurant in Wales at the National Restaurant Awards and has received two AA rosettes. * The Foxhunter,

Nant-y-derry Nant-y-derry ( cy, Nant-y-deri) is a village in the county of Monmouthshire, Wales, located six miles south east of Abergavenny and four miles northwest of Usk. History and amenities The River Usk flows close by and the area is a rural agricultu ...

*:Owned and previously run by chef

Matt Tebbutt Matt may refer to: *Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) *Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...

, the Foxhunter had won the AA Restaurant of the Year 2004. The pub was then leased out in 2014 and its focus was to return it to "its roots of a pub".

Pembrokeshire

Cnapan Hotel Cnapan, also known variously as Cnapan Country House or Cnapan Restaurant and Bed & Breakfast, is a Grade II listed hotel and restaurant in Newport, Pembrokeshire. It lies along the main road of the town, East Street, which is part of the A487 roa ...

, Newport *:Grade II listed Georgian townhouse serving Welsh cuisine. * The Grove, Narberth *:Set in an 18th-century mansion it was awarded four Red Stars and a triple AA rosette *

Coast Saundersfoot The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

Saundersfoot Saundersfoot ( cy, Llanusyllt; Old Welsh: ''Llanussyllt'') is a large village and community (and former electoral ward) in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is near Tenby, both being holiday destinations. Saundersfoot lies in the Pembrokeshire Coast Nat ...

*:Based on a coast of Pembrokeshire this beachside restaurant is headed by chef Will Holland. It was awarded the AA Welsh restaurant of the year in 2014.

Powys

The Checkers Checkers, or draughts, is a board game. Checkers or chequers may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Checkers (1913 film), ''Checkers'' (1913 film), a 1913 lost American silent film with Gertrude Shipman * Checkers (1919 film), ''Ch ...

, Montgomery *:18th century coaching inn, the Checkers, offers a "set taster menu" and has had a Michelin star since 2012. * The Felin Fach Griffin,

Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the coun ...

*:Restaurant and bar which uses local produce has been given the Bib Gourmand in Wales from the Red Michelin Guide, Inn of the Year for 2013 by The Good Pub Guide and has been featured in the Good Food Guide, Hardens and the Good Hotel Guide. * Carlton Riverside,

Llanwrtyd Wells Llanwrtyd Wells ( cy, Llanwrtyd "church of St Gwrtud") is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, in the historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire) on the Afon Irfon. The town is on the A483 between Llandovery and Builth Wells and is l ...

*:Overlooking the

Irfon river Afon Irfon (the River Irfon) is a river in Powys, Wales. It flows from the upper slopes of Bryn Garw in the Cambrian Mountains, through the Abergwesyn Valley, past the Nant Irfon National Nature Reserve in the hills above the village of Abergwesy ...

the Carlton Riverside, opened in 1991, is run by head chef, Mary Ann Gilchrist. It has previously had a Michelin star and three AA rosettes. *

Llangoed Hall Llangoed Hall is a country house hotel, near the village of Llyswen, in Powys, Mid Wales. It is known for its decoration in Laura Ashley fabrics and styles, and was owned by Sir Bernard Ashley, the widower of the designer. It is a Grade II* l ...

*:Grade II listed building with features retained from the original designs from the 17th century. It has an AA three rosette award and has previously had a Michelin star.

Vale of Glamorgan

Restaurant James Sommerin Restaurant James Sommerin was a restaurant in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It was owned and run by chef James Sommerin. Sommerin formerly ran the Michelin starred The Crown and Whitebrook in Monmouthshire. Description The Edwardian B ...

Penarth Penarth (, ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan ( cy, Bro Morgannwg), Wales, exactly south of Cardiff city centre on the west shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay. Penarth is a weal ...

*:Named after its owner and head chef,

James Sommerin James Sommerin (born c. 1978 in Caerleon) is a former Michelin-starred Welsh chef. Born in Caerleon, Sommerin baked with his grandmother on Saturdays as a child. Determined to become a chef, his father secured the 12-year-old Sommerin's first S ...

, it was "ranked 24 in the UK in the Good Food Guide 2016 – the highest placed restaurant in Wales and was awarded three AA rosettes." Permanently closed in July 2020. *

Home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or many humans, and sometimes various companion animals. It is a fully or semi sheltered space and can have both interior and exterior aspects to it. H ...

, Penarth *:Opened by James Sommerin in 2021, the restaurant gained a Michelin Star in 2022.

References

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Wales-related lists