This is a list of notable restaurants in Wales. The number of restaurants has significantly increased since the 1960s, when the country had very few notable places to eat out. [1] Today, Wales is no longer considered a "gastronomic desert", [1] there are five Michelin starred restaurants within the country. [2] [ better source needed ] 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. [1]
Many Welsh restaurants attempt to showcase their "Welshness", but few include historic Welsh dishes besides cawl. Instead, they showcase their Welsh ingredients, creating new dishes from them. [1] There has also been a rise in Asian cuisine in Wales, especially that of Indian, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Japanese, with a preference for spicier foods. [1]
Angela Maria Hartnett is an English Michelin-starred chef. A protégée of Gordon Ramsay who became well known by her appearances on British television, she was Chef-Patron at Angela Hartnett at The Connaught in London. Currently, she is Chef-Patron for Murano in Mayfair, Café Murano in St James's & Covent Garden and Cucina Angelina in Courchevel (France).
Martin Lauris Blunos is a British TV chef. Blunos earned two Michelin Guide stars at his restaurant Lettonie, first in Bristol and then in Bath.
Stephen Terry is a chef from Wales and the owner of the Hardwick Restaurant in Abergavenny, Wales.
James Sommerin is a Michelin-starred Welsh chef.
L'Enclume is a French restaurant opened in 2002 in Cartmel, Cumbria, England, run by chef Simon Rogan and his partner Penny Tapsell. L'Enclume received a rating of 10 out of 10 five times in the Good Food Guide and named their top restaurant for the fourth consecutive year in the 2017 guide, and placed second in the 2018 guide. It has received three Michelin stars and five AA Rosettes.
Midsummer House is a restaurant located in Cambridge, England, on the bank of the River Cam. It is a Victorian house that was transformed into a restaurant in 1986. It won its first Michelin star in 2002, and a second in 2005. The chef patron is Daniel Clifford.
Thomas William Kitchin is a Scottish chef and owner of The Kitchin, where he became Scotland's youngest winner of a Michelin star.
Armstrong's Barn is a defunct restaurant in Annamoe, County Wicklow, Ireland that was awarded a Michelin star in 1977.
House is one of the restaurants at the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, County Waterford, Ireland. It is a fine dining restaurant that was awarded a Michelin star for each year in the period 2010 to present. Bridgestone Guides also lists the hotel as one of the 100 Best Places To Eat. Journalist Pol O Conghaile listed the hotel and restaurant on his The travel hot list 2010 in the Irish Independent.
Martijn Kajuiter is a Dutch Michelin star winning head chef with Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, County Waterford.
Claude Bosi is a French chef. Claude's first Head Chef position was at Overton Grange in 1999. He opened his first UK restaurant Hibiscus in the market town of Ludlow, Shropshire, in 2000 and was awarded two Michelin Stars in 2004. In 2007, he relocated the restaurant to London, where he went on to reclaim the two Michelin Stars in 2009.
The Whitebrook, formerly known as The Crown at Whitebrook, is a restaurant with rooms in Whitebrook, 6 miles (9.7 km) south-south-east of Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales, near the River Wye and the border with England. The building is thought to date from the 17th century and by the 19th century it was used as a roadside inn. Its restaurant was run by Chef Patron James Sommerin until 2013; it gained a Michelin star in 2007. It contains eight double rooms and a 2-acre (0.81 ha) garden. On 7 March 2013, it closed because of financial difficulties; at the time it had the longest held Michelin star in Wales. Critics praised the food under Sommerin, but have criticised the difficulty in finding the restaurant. It re-opened in October 2013 under new chef and owner Chris Harrod, and regained the Michelin star in 2014. Harrod serves a menu using locally produced meat and vegetables along with foraged ingredients such as charlock, hedge bedstraw and pennywort.
Stephen James Gomes is a Welsh chef and restaurateur based in Cardiff and Essex and originally from Mumbai. He represented Wales in Series 10 of the Great British Menu in 2015. He won accolades for his restaurant Moksh and operated other restaurants across Cardiff.
The Checkers, is a restaurant with rooms in Montgomery, Powys, Wales. Historically, the building was used as a coaching inn dating from the 17th century. Until the 2000s, it was used as a pub/hotel. It was converted into a French restaurant in 2012 and under chef Stephane Borie, it was awarded a Michelin star later that year. There are two main rooms in the restaurant, and three hotel rooms. It has received a mixed reception from critics, who have praised particular dishes but criticised the atmosphere. It serves both modern and classic French dishes, and in 2016, switched to only using set menus. In 2018, The Checkers moved away from their Michelin star and opened a breakfast and lunch restaurant renamed Checkers Pantry.
Restaurant James Sommerin was a restaurant in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It was owned and run by chef James Sommerin.
The Walnut Tree is a restaurant in Llanddewi Skirrid, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is run by chef Shaun Hill and holds a Michelin star. It was previously owned by Franco Taruschio for more than 30 years, and had previously held a star when Stephen Terry was head chef there. It closed briefly in 2007, which the owners blamed on an appearance on Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares three years earlier. It regained its Michelin star in 2010 and continues to hold it.
The Black Swan is a restaurant with rooms at Oldstead, in North Yorkshire, England which provides food, drink and accommodation. Its restaurant, run by chef Tommy Banks, has been awarded a Michelin Star and Four AA Rosettes. It was rated the best restaurant in the world in 2017 by TripAdvisor.
Peel's Restaurant is situated in Hampton Manor, Hampton-in-Arden. It currently holds one Michelin star and four AA Rosettes. Hampton Manor is a Grade II listed building. Originally the family home of Frederick Peel, son of Prime Minister Robert Peel, the Manor was acquired by hoteliers Derrick and Janet Hill in March 2008. Under the stewardship of their son, James, and daughter in law Fjona, today it runs as a Restaurant with Rooms.
Home is a restaurant in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It is owned by chef James Sommerin and run by Sommerin and his family.
Ynyshir is a restaurant in Eglwys Fach, Ceredigion, Wales. It is run by chef patron Gareth Ward and has been awarded two Michelin stars.