Harden's survey result
Summary
“The new team continue the excellent food one has come to expect” according to (practically) all reports on this well-known culinary haven near Lake Bala, which was taken over in 2024 by Gareth Stevenson (formerly a chef at nearby Palé Hall) from Bryan & Susan Webb who had established it over twenty years as one of Wales’s foremost restaurants with rooms. Fans say the cooking is “in a light style now but cooked to perfection” and there’s particular praise for the “excellent list of wines with many unusual vintages” (including from English and Welsh vineyards). Fascinating fact: in the 1980s, it was BBC production designer Peter Kindred who first converted this Georgian hunting lodge into a hotel, whose credits included designing the sets for Fawlty Towers!
Summary
“Deepest Wales is the setting for this long-established hotel-restaurant” which was sold in February 2024 by long-term owners, Bryan & Susan Webb. Under a new owner, chef Gareth Stevenson (formerly of nearby Palé Hall) is now at the stoves, and one regular notes “It has been sold but currently still going strong”, on which basis we have maintained its very good all-round rating.
Summary
“The very best quality ingredients, the very best cooking and excellent service” have long singled out Bryan & Susan Webb’s upscale converted shooting lodge, in the rolling Dee Valley; while it no longer has the tyre men’s acclaim, the “cooking is still of a very high standard” indeed, and “this combined with the spacious dining room and lounge makes for a memorable evening”. Top Tip – “just visit quick before they sell”: after 20 years, the duo put the property on the market recently and are looking to retire.
Summary
“You have to go a long way to find better food and surroundings” than Bryan & Susan Webb’s comfortable former hunting lodge, where “great produce is cooked to perfection, service is always just right”, and the wine list is superb. You may have to be quick to book a meal, though: the couple put the place on the market last summer and have their eyes on retirement. Bryan has been a chef for more than 45 years, and they opened here 21 years ago.
For 35 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 Tyddyn Llan?
Llandrillo, LL21 0ST
Restaurant details
Tyddyn Llan Restaurant Diner Reviews
"We’ve visited twice since the new owners and chef took over. Our first visit was fairly soon after the change, and overall it was a pleasant experience — the food was enjoyable and the staff (including some familiar faces from the previous team) were all lovely and welcoming. On our second visit, we noticed the lounge area had been redecorated and it looked really beautiful — warm, stylish, and inviting. The dining room had also been updated, but unfortunately it lacked the same cosy feel as the lounge and felt a bit underwhelming in comparison. Sadly, the biggest disappointment was the food this time. It just wasn’t up to the same standard — in fact, my partner even commented that a friend’s husband makes better roast potatoes than what we were served, which is not what you’d expect from a professional kitchen. To round things off, the chef came out at the end of the meal but didn’t introduce himself or engage with us, which felt like a missed opportunity to connect with guests. Overall, a real mix of positives and negatives — a lovely setting in parts, but the food and overall experience didn’t quite live up to expectations on our most recent visit."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £34.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £5.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 12.50% |
Llandrillo, LL21 0ST
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | CLOSED |
| Thursday | 6:30 pm‑8:45 pm |
| Friday | 6:30 pm‑8:45 pm |
| Saturday | 6:30 pm‑8:45 pm |
| Sunday | 12:30 pm‑2 pm, 6:30 pm‑8:30 pm |
Best British, Modern restaurants nearby
British, Modern restaurant in Llangollen
French restaurant in Weston Rhyn
British, Modern restaurant in Bodfari
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
British, Traditional restaurant in Liverpool
