Llangollen, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

“Adjacent to the River Dee and with decking over the water”, this “consistent Brunning & Price establishment” in an old watermill certainly has “an idyllic setting, particularly in the summer months” when you can “spend a lazy few hours just absorbing some of the good things in life”. The food (“high-quality” gastrogrub fare) also elicits positive comments but it is indeed “the location which sets it apart”.

“Having relocated from the original site on the Wirral to rural Shropshire”, Marc Wilkinson “greets, cooks, explains and serves a range of incredible dishes in his new venue near Oswestry”: part of his home (with the address provided on booking) and now more in the format of a chef’s table experience than during his days in Oxton. “Marc is a consummate professional and never fails to impress” with his £130 per person tasting menu (with bookings released on the 1st of each month): “a truly unique dining experience unlike any other”. As yet he is unlicensed, so you can BYO! – an incredible boon with a meal of this quality.

Sixteenth-century inn ‘the Pant’ (as owners Brunning & Price fondly call it) occupies a substantial, “very comfortable” Victorian property a short drive outside Wrexham; and its conversion has created “a great pub: warm and bustling in the winter, loads of outside space in the summer” and offering a “reliably good beer selection” too. Given its high standards, the odd reporter this year did quibble with the food, but overall this “very busy” destination remains a “favourite year after year”.

“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.

“Impressive surroundings” and very acceptable (“if not quite outstanding”) cuisine feature in reports on this Relais & Chateaux property: a grand former hunting lodge once owned by the Duke of Westminster, rurally located on the edge of Snowdonia National Park. But change is afoot, so we’ve left it un-rated as in mid 2024, Anthony & Donna Barney purchased the hotel, planning to add a new spa and dining room. So we are watching this space.