From Narbeth to Carmarthen, Zoe Brookes rounds up the best of what West Wales has to offer.
cwtch*
In-between the pretty streets of Britain’s smallest city, cosy little cwtch* does well to live up to its name. The tiny converted home is decorated with white-washed exposed walls and stripped-wood flooring. And the menu is a taste-bud-tingling array of hearty and homemade Welsh cuisine that comes complete with oodles of Welsh Black beef fillet and shoulder of spring Welsh lamb in a red wine jui. Treat yourself with a decadent chocolate torte or skimp and save on calories by plumping for Devils Chocolate Cake cocktail made with espresso, white chocolate liqueur and creme cacao, from the upstairs bar.
Cwtch, 22 High Street, Saint David’s, Haverfordwest, 01437 720 491
The Grove
This beautifully restored mansion house in the Pembrokeshire countryside is spilling with 26-acres of home-grown produce for chef Duncan Barham to forage from the hotel’s grounds. He caters for the diners in the romantic and elegantly appointed Orangery restaurant, surrounded by trees, gardens and wildflower meadows, a particularly seasonal experience on all counts. Modern and inventive European-style a la carte choices might include a ham hock ballotine with pea velouté, Aylesbury snails and salted white chocolate.
The Gove, Molleston, Narberth, Pembrokeshire, 01834 860 915
Y Polyn
Generous portions, rustic plating and classic combos unite; gutsy home cooking is the order of the day. Y Polyn is a rambling gastro-pub, carving a niche for itself in offering ambitious –yet modest – cooking without the fuss and faff of fine wining and dining. Be sure to find local ingredients, from Carmarthen ham to Welsh Black beef and Pantysgawn goats’ cheese.
Y Polyn, Capel Dewi, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, 01267 290 000
Cnapan
A little pink home-from-home, with a lived-in and loved feel, serving up the best of “family fare”. Cnapan caters for all, from full-blooded carnivores to vegans, and it is distinguished by its unerring delivery of great food served in bold new ways that eschew the pretention of modern fad. Cnapan has been featured in both the Good Hotel Guide and the Good Food Guide for over 25 years.
Cnapan, East Street, Newport, Pembrokeshire, 01239 820 575
Llys Meddyg
A relaxed seaside haven – cosy in winter, bright and breezy in summer, and a warm welcome all year around. Here, natural materials flourish – slate, seagrass flooring – and handwoven woollen Welsh throws provide a colourful warmth. But, food is right at the heart of the operation; locally caught seafood, organic fruit and vegetables and neighboured reared meat.
Cnapan, East Street, Newport, Pembrokeshire, 01239 820 575