Harden's says
Sous chef at The Fat Duck for seven years, chef Nick Rudge has embarked on his first solo enterprise, a 30-cover site in Conwy.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Be prepared for a treat”, with “impeccably sourced ingredients, wonderful cooking and great presentation” combining for “Welsh cuisine at its best” at this four-year-old venture from locally born ex-Fat Duck chef Nick Rudge, whose nine-course tasting menus reflect his interest in Welsh history (a ‘Jackdaw’ is a traditional nickname for people born within Conwy’s castle walls). There’s a “long and interesting wine list organised by distance”, which introduces “the interesting concept of wine mileage”, with “help at hand from the friendly and well-informed front of house staff”.
Summary
“Not the easiest place to find, but worth the effort” – local-born Nick Rudge’s small three-year-old is modern in terms of decor but occupies a period building with large windows at the heart of this historic town on the Welsh coast. He brings skills honed over the stoves of The Fat Duck to realise a high-quality tasting menu for £95 per person in the evening: reports say “the young and enthusiastic team are producing very good food with a difference and are destined for great things”.
Summary
Llandudno-born chef/patron Nick Rudge cut his culinary teeth at The Fat Duck; his small two-year-old venue occupies part of a gothic building that was formerly a cinema and bingo hall. It has won some renown for his ambitious, locally rooted cuisine, and our feedback this year was also enthusiastic (if still too limited for a rating): “lucky to get last table for two at short notice: great menu and wine flight with links to Wales for both food and wine, with strong results across all courses and very attentive and professional service… would recommend”.
Summary
No reports yet on this ambitious 30-seater, which opened in autumn 2021 run by ex-Fat Duck chef Nick Rudge. In May 2022, though, Marina O’Loughlin from The Sunday Times made the trip to this “small room in a curiously gothic building (that was formerly Conwy’s cinema and bingo hall”), finding a “scene of buzz and busyness, full and welcoming” and food that “elicits a great sigh of relief”. Local ingredients make up dishes full of flourishes – not everything works, but she was “mollified by a riot of Welsh cheeses”. She concludes: “there’s no doubt that Rudge can cook. If he concentrated more on showcasing the innate quality of the spectacular Welsh produce he’s using and less on the likes of Great British Menu, he’d be unstoppable”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Jackdaw?
High Street, Conwy, LL32 8DB
Restaurant details
High Street, Conwy, LL32 8DB
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 7 pm‑11 pm |
| Wednesday | 7 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 7 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2 pm, 6 pm‑8 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
Best British, Modern restaurants nearby
Fish & seafood restaurant in Menai Bridge
British, Modern restaurant in Menai Bridge
British, Modern restaurant in Portmeirion
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
British, Modern restaurant in Chester
British, Modern restaurant in Aughton
