Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Powys. 01597 823700 / www.metropole.co.uk
115 years on and The Metropole Hotel is flourishing as Justin Baird Murray and his sister Sarah continue the good work their great, great grandmother Elizabeth Miles started in 1896. This old Victorian building in the beautiful spa town of Llandrindod Wells is surrounded by the most stunning scenery in Wales.
The Metorpole is partly Hogwarts: pillars, turrets, corridors, huge landings with immense mirrors, and canvases with delicate wallpaper and old furniture; whilst it also maintains a sense of modern chic, with a state of the art spa and recently refurbished brasserie with modern flooring and decor.
The hotel is big yet intimate, accommodating a diverse clientele. We dined in the award-winning Radnor Miles Restaurant, and starters arrived in the form of scallops with laverbread, beetroot and a squash puree, and Welsh goat’s cheese served with a homemade biscuit. Beautifully cooked mains of monkfish in pancetta and black beef fillet steak followed. Desserts of crème caramel with rhubarb, and a smooth hazelnut ice-cream beautifully complemented the two previous courses. The accompaniments and how they were presented are too long for this review, however, I can assure you that the attention to detail and combination of fresh, local ingredients – many from the kitchen’s own allotment – produced by head chef Nic Edwards, was excellent.
Everything was fabulous, from arrival to departure, with extremely welcoming and friendly staff thoroughly deserving of a two-star AA rosette for modern British cuisine. The Metropole is one of the top luxury hotels in Wales, and remarkably affordable given its credentials. Foraging weekends are a new thing in August, and a live music weekend coming up towards the end of the year, are both worth keeping an eye out for. ANTONIA LEVAY