Deganwy Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: In the “stylish National Trust-owned surroundings” of this Grade I-listed seventeenth-century manor house on the outskirts of town – run these days as a spa hotel – this dining room is notable for its reliable standards, although it is “not adventurous in any way”, and the formality can make for a “slightly stuffy atmosphere” for some tastes. Unless you have a major appetite, you do “need to decide between afternoon tea and dinner” – both would be a stretch!

“The only recognised fish restaurant in the area” – this Grade II listed building has housed Don & Gill Hadwin’s split-level venture for two decades, with an informal bistro downstairs and a Victorian-style dining room on the upper level.

“With a window seat, smart service and very reliable cooking, this is one of the better places to eat in North Wales”, is a generally agreed take on this outlet from high-profile Welsh chef Bryn WIlliams, in a modern beachside development owned by the local council. Although there’s a view that it’s “not a patch” on his more gastronomic Odette’s in London, it’s “clearly popular” and “even if the menu could be more exciting, it’s good at what it does”.

There’s no dissent about the “great setting” of this “busy, buzzy” modern waterfront establishment, overlooking the Menai Straits; the food, however, tends not to live up to it, being “competent rather than interesting” (though “vegetarian dishes perform better than fish”). Despite recurrent grumbles, the business opened its fourth North Wales link in September 2023: a baked goods and general store, on Conwy’s High Street, and with a restaurant offering epic views to the castle.

Stephen Stevens continues to impress those who visit this converted butcher’s shop just over the Menai Bridge, which has won renown as one of Wales’s top culinary destinations. You are encouraged to ‘Forget the menu and savour the experience’, which is only available three nights per week and remains at £175 per person.

Llandudno-born chef/patron Nick Rudge cut his culinary teeth at The Fat Duck; his small two-year-old venue occupies part of a gothic building that was formerly a cinema and bingo hall. It has won some renown for his ambitious, locally rooted cuisine, and our feedback this year was also enthusiastic (if still too limited for a rating): “lucky to get last table for two at short notice: great menu and wine flight with links to Wales for both food and wine, with strong results across all courses and very attentive and professional service… would recommend”.

2023 Review: “Best Chinese in Llandudno” is arguably a double-edged compliment to this well-established fixture, which occupies an old ice cream factory in this characterful Victorian seaside resort. But local reporters say its cooking is “consistently good” – “vegetables and fish dishes always seem particularly fresh and tasty”.