7 Best Restaurants in Wales

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Wales has developed a thriving restaurant scene over the last decade or so, and not just in major towns. Some truly outstanding food can be found in rural pubs and hotel restaurants. More and more restaurants are creating dishes using fresh local ingredients—Welsh lamb, Welsh Black beef, Welsh cheeses, and seafood from the Welsh coast—that show off the best of the region's cuisine.

Bodnant Welsh Food

$ Fodor's choice

Wales has undergone something of a culinary renaissance in the last couple of decades and this fantastic center is a great place to explore why. Traditional cheeses, house-made ice creams, and other artisanal food products are for sale in the farm shop and deli; there's also a bakery, a butcher, a coffee bar, and a wineshop where you can pick up Welsh malt whisky. The Furnace restaurant serves breakfast and snacks including pizzas, while the Hayloft Bar & Grill has plenty of local meat dishes on the menu for lunch and dinner. Bodnant is on A470, 12 miles north of Conwy.

Asador 44

$$

Housed in a red-brick building near the Cardiff International Sports Stadium, this shabby-chic restaurant specializes in Spanish grills and wine. Try the Asturian cider-cured salmon to start, followed by sirloin from a Spanish dairy cow, and then round it off with a Catalan tart accompanied, of course, by some sherry. The group also owns a stylish boutique hotel, Parador 44, located above the restaurant as well as a tapas bar, Bar 44, around the corner on Westgate Street.

Hoogah

$

This fashionable, cozy café-bar with a social conscience has plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians. During the day, the menu features mainly soups, sandwiches, and salads while in the evening there are sourdough pizzas and sharing boards—all made with local produce where possible. A popular student hang-out, Hoogah has a good range of local craft beers and some great cocktails. There's usually live music on Saturday night.

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Pontcysyllte Chapel Tearoom

$

This 19th-century chapel has been successfully converted into a café, complete with its original features. It's a good spot for breakfast, and at lunchtime, you'll find sandwiches and salads on the menu. Book ahead for a delicious Afternoon Tea. The owners use local produce where possible. The café is 3 miles east of Llangollen.

Shepherd's Parlour

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Sheep's-milk ice cream, delicious cakes, and local produce mixed with international flavors are offered at this little café. Many customers come just for the coffee, especially the Lebanese variety.

Sugar and Spice

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This sweet and friendly little bistro looks unassuming from the outside, but its pan-Mediterranean, locally-sourced fare has won over legions of local fans. Choose from the selection of tapas (Spanish with a hint of Greek), fresh pasta or pizza, a Mediterranean salad, or just a tasty hamburger; there are also vegan options. It's all rather haphazard but the cheerful combination works. During the day they serve sandwiches, panini, and light snacks.

Wavecrest Cafe

$

This idyllic English countryside café, 21 km (13 miles) north of Holyhead, serves probably the best fresh cream scones with strawberries in Wales. The meat, fish, and potato pies impress as well, especially when followed by apple pie with custard, all homemade with fresh ingredients. For the full measure of Welshness, pop in mid-afternoon for traditional tea with scones. The nearby coastal path provides excellent motivation to work off the calories.