The Jackdaw — Restaurant in Conwy

Standing next to the discreet Jackdaw logo at the foot of the dungeon gate with its heavily padlocked iron bars cowering from the torrential Welsh rain had somehow peaked our fine dining expectation.

We were warmly invited upstairs into a castle like banqueting hall and introduced to the tasting menu. It seemed we were waiting for other guests to arrive as the drinks order was slow.

Biding time we noticed a bookcase full of top restaurants, many of which we had visited. Not sure whether the chef had been swotting or whether he was setting the scene, either way Blumenthals Fat duck was at the bottom and Noma proudly sat at the top of the pile, the Chef clearly a good judge of fine dining.

After a strenuous walk earlier in the day we were famished, three amuse bouche arrived to take the edge off, but an hour later we were still waiting the main event as we realised we were part of a school dinner conveyor belt system with each table delivered its food in order.

Wine was poured, unusually in bulk at the bar, in small measures, then delivered to each table with the waiter individually issuing the same well rehearsed monologue.

Finally the first course, a tiny chicken parfait in a langoustine sauce which was tasty. We wondered how exciting the next course of leek and potato could be, but it was suprisingly full of flavour with its salty background offset by a sweet wine, although my wife would have prefered a crisp white and certainly a splash more.

Salmon followed with a really unusual mushroom tasting white wine which went well with the fish but impossible to drink on its own.

We wondered were the obligatory home made bread was, before it arrived four courses in with a strange collection of meat and three veg in the form of four dice like cubes. The lamb apparently cooked for 17 hours still offered some resistance and the whole course was somewhat out of place on the menu and more akin to school dinners.

The main course of Welsh salt duck was tasty enough but unlike the previous courses which were piping hot this one wasnt, perhaps juggling 24 larger plates at the same time was a challenge.

Finally, two dessert courses with the Blaenau Slate dish clearly the Chefs pride and joy demonstrating his North Wales heritage.

Little care had been paid to the coffees which were served in small bowls rather than a cup rendering them difficult to drink, the espresso was just a black coffee and no petit fours.

To cap the school night we were encouraged to form an orderly queue to pay the bill, I was wondering if we would get homework.

Overall we marked Jackdaw 7 for flavour, 3 for portion size and 2 for delivery, must try...

The booking process was easy and I received a call a few days before from the restaurant to confirm it. The table was reserved for 19.00hrs and we arrived at 18.55hrs to find a metal gate at the entrance chained shut which was rather off-putting. A member of staff opened the gate at 19.00hrs and explained that they chain it shut to prevent people arriving early and just wandering upstairs into the restaurant. This is not quite what I would expect from a fine dining restaurant. We were greeted with enthusiasm and seated at our table. We had the chef's taster menu which is the only thing served during the week and chose the wine tasting to match. In short summary: the food was absolutely delicious and probably the best I've tasted in North Wales during the 50+ years I've been visiting the region. However the property itself, the decor, background music and general ambiance let the experience down. The dining tables are wobbly and round shaped which is not pleasant when dining with two people (most of the tables were couples) and the legs obstruct the seating. The background music was not all suited to a restaurant, let alone a fine dining one. The lighting is awful and does not create a cozy or in any way refined ambiance and the general decor is bland and uninspiring. The dining room itself is pretty awful and dull and the whole location is substandard. The staff were all very pleasant but their inexperienced showed. The Maitre D' was very enthusiastic, professional and efficient but a little over powering at times. In conclusion, we had a fabulous dinner so well-deserved compliments to the kitchen but in my opinion the restaurant needs to find a new and more suitable location and employ an interior designer to create the right ambiance. Given time and under the right guidance I'm sure all the staff will raise their game to the correct level. Will we return?...

Dinner at The Jackdaw was a most wonderful and memorable experience.

Given the good things I have to say, I will say right now that this is NOT a paid review - it was simply a stunningly good experience that I can't recommend highly enough.

Having had the privilege and pleasure to have dined all over the world in exquisite and renowned restaurants myself, I can confidently say that The Jackdaw is easily in the (equally rated) Top 3 for me.

Hidden away up a small staircase of a lovely old building in Conwy, the entire atmosphere of the The Jackdaw already highlights from the beginning that this is a quite "private" space where you will be part of something special and let in on some culinary secrets. It is truly fine dining without being pretentious in the slightest.

The staff live and breathe hospitality. Warm and welcoming as well as highly knowledgeable about the drinks and dishes, we were superbly well looked after. Food intolerance were taken care of in a very reassuring way, and all dishes were adjusted without us having to ask again or worry.

The tasting menu we enjoyed was highly creative and full of uncommon yet perfectly balanced flavour combinations. Pairings with the wines that accompanied the dishes were also very well thought through and spot on.

Even if you are not necessarily after fine dining per se but are open to dishes cooked differently to the "usual" (e.g. sous vide meat or sushi style fish) then you are in for an absolute treat at The Jackdaw.

Given that they get fully booked up to a month in advance (yes, they are THAT good) make sure to plan in a visit if you head to Conwy.

I can't wait...