Harden's survey result
Summary
“Hidden in the Wye valley”, Chris and Kirsty Harrod’s “charming” restaurant with rooms is often hailed as “the Welsh version of Noma” – “lots of foraging and sustainability is in evidence and Chris will spend time talking you through ingredients and cooking methods”. Most diners “really love the ethos of using local seasonal produce to produce such delicious food” and “the absence of silly combinations to deliver a seriously well put-together menu, with reasonable wine pairings”. Its ratings slipped a fraction this year, as it struck the wrong note on the odd occasion. The tenor of most reports though? – “unique and certainly worth seeking out”. Top Tip – lovely terrace for a summer’s day.
Summary
“Noma meets Wales” say fans of Chris & Kirsty Harrod’s “lovely” restaurant, “tucked away in a wood in the Wye valley”, whose “idiosyncratic tasting menus built around local and locally foraged ingredients” have made it one of Wales’ most renowned culinary destinations, founded on its “unique” style of cooking. “The dining tables are well spaced in the attractively decorated interior, making it a cosy and relaxing environment” and there are “stylish bedrooms for an overnight stay”. “There is nothing more romantic than sitting on the terrace on a warm day, sipping a sparkling wine and enjoying the solitude.”
Summary
“Set up from a brook on a winding Wye Valley road”, Chris & Kirsty Harrod’s “elegant and stylish restaurant with rooms” enjoys a “beautiful and peaceful location” and yet is the survey’s most commented-on destination in Wales. “Ingredients tend to be foraged, grown at the restaurant or sourced locally, and the result is a wonderful and unexpected array of flavours” from “menus which are always novel and intriguing”. “I spent days thinking about how challenging and rewarding the meal had been… always a good indicator of excellent food!” “Comfortable rooms”, too.
Summary
“The Wye Valley setting is remote and peaceful” at Chris & Kirsty Harrod’s restaurant-with-rooms, which is again enthusiastically endorsed for its “fascinating (I had to ask about the ingredients, many of which seem to have been foraged or grown locally) cooking with a stunning level of skill, care and attention going into every plate”, plus “interesting wine pairings” and “informed and professional service”. In October 2019 the couple purchased the freehold, with plans to up the degree of luxury and number of rooms.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at The Whitebrook, Restaurant with Rooms?
Whitebrook, NP25 4TX
Restaurant details
The Whitebrook, Restaurant with Rooms Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Tucked away in a secluded Welsh border’s valley, this former pub is an unlikely venue for a high end restaurant. The quirkiness doesn’t end there. Chef Chris Harrod’s food is highly original with most dishes featuring some sort of foraged leaves or organic what not. I was a little sceptical but I shouldn’t have worried. The food was sensationally good, packed with intriguing flavours, beautifully presented and very different. Restaurant is a little dull but you come here to experience imaginative cooking with unusual ingredients, not for ambience."
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £56.00 |  |
|
|
| Cost | Availability | Courses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu1 | 130.00 | Dinner only | 10 |
| Menu2 | 78.00 | Lunch only | 8 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £35.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
Whitebrook, NP25 4TX
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | CLOSED |
| Thursday | 7 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 7 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 7 pm‑8:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑1:30 pm, 7 pm‑8:30 pm |
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