Fernery Restaurant — Restaurant in Wales

We had a lovely meal here for my wife's birthday on December 20th - a rare occasion for a night out without the kids whilst we were on a pre-christmas break in Wales!

The venue is lovely, the restaurant (and hotel) being set in a pretty georgian building in the countryside. Other than not quite knowing where the entrance was, once in we were welcomed warmly and shown to our table. Decor and ambiance were perfect for a dark winter night, and whilst reasonably busy, we never felt overlooked or that we didn't have privacy.

We chose the 5-course tasting menu, and we had no regrets. Along with the 5 courses, we were served an initial amuse-bouche plus a post-dessert sweet treat, both of which were large enough to have really counted as additional courses!

Each course was a real adventure in unexpected ingredients coming together in oddly successful ways! Given the somewhat cryptic menu, you naturally are a little trepidatious about what you might end up eating, but certainly for us there were very few "fails"!

The whole evening is pulled together by the friendly, enthusiastic (and adorably nerdy) staff, who make a real effort both to explain both the food and it's provenance (pretty much EVERYTHING is locally sourced), but also do so in a way that demonstrates real enthusiasm and love for what they do.

Initial trepidation was reinforced when the early course contained ingredients that traditionally I'd avoid like the plague, but in the spirit of adventure I tried anyway - to be pleasantly surprised! Eggs and Eels were transformed by the addition of strong pesto-esque basil, Parmesan became tolerable with the addition of (I think) licorice (which is normally the devil's own foodstuff) and pine nuts and AMAZING bread? (my memory is fuzzy!)

Our highlights were "The Kings Estate" and the desserts. I won't ruin the surprise in case you decide to go, but both were utterly heavenly. As was the Mango cake/Mousse thing from the second dessert course!

What I will say is that, excluding the dessert, it's probably the most "savoury" meal I've ever eaten. I like that, but if you prefer a more even mix of sweet and savoury flavours in your dishes, then the menu on the night we went might not be for you. In addition, the menu has very obviously had a lot of love and care put into it, and there are flavour themes that seem to run through many of the dishes - I'm recalling basil, lemongrass, licorice being particular standouts. As a consequence, if you have a particular hatred of any of them, you might not get much respite through the meal (although I generally do not eat cheese OR licorice and had a wonderful meal!). There are other menu options such as a vegetarian and vegan tasting menu though, so you have options.

Overall, I think this is one of my favourite meals I've ever eaten. It was memorable for the interesting and creative food we ate, and it was augmented by really charming service from, primarily, the Head Sommelier and (if my memory serves) our server who was called Tilly (?). The fact I'm remembering names tells you much about the impact of good service.

It's not a cheap restaurant, but you leave feeling like every penny was well spent. If you find yourself in Pembrokeshire, there are no shortage of great restaurants, but I'd probably recommend taking a drive out to Fernery vs booking at the more obvious sister restaurant Coast in Saundersfoot (although I bet it's lovely there on a...

During our stay at Grove of Narbeth, the highlight of the visit was the seven course taster experience at the Fernery. After being warmly welcomed by Luke, offered drinks, we were seated in the plush restaurant, and the delights followed. The dishes, the craftsmanship, the ingredients (the chef is obviously a genius), the enthusiasm from all the staff describing each dish, their sommelier Cathryn's expert choices and advice - was about as perfect as any taster experience we've enjoyed. Each course was presented beautifully, the choice of ingredients varied in a way that wasn't at all repetitive. The "Grove Vegetables" following fresh breads was immediately impactful with freshness and wonderful kale sauce with hints of seaweed. For "The Love of the Sea" with lobster on a tomato base again fresh, light and so tasty - as well as beautiful. And on it went with Sea Bass and a Beef dish to die for. Just outstanding presentation and flavours. As we moved towards dessert we were presented with “Farmesan” a cheese a hard Welsh cheese that resembels Parmesan - aged for over 3 years. They aerate the cheese with cocoa butter and serve with a pepper sorbet and black olive. Just wow. And to finish "Hedgerows", a delightful dessert so multi-layered it's hard to describe. The overall flavour seemed to present Christmas and carrot cake on a bed of meringue. What's not to love? In conclusion, probably the finest taster menu we've ever had (and we've had quite a few). Mostly because of the menu, ingredients, execution, presentation and, of course, taste. But also because of the team - from the maitre d, to the sommelier, to the procession of smiling, enthusiastic waiters. Simply superb. Cannot recommend...

Stunning experience from start to end. We opted for the 8 course option which was very indulgent. (I ate the pescatarian menu whilst my partner had the meat)

A laid back but still elegant atmosphere in beautiful surroundings. It needs a Michelin star!

Staff were lovely and each course was totally different, a fantastic mix of flavours. I loved how most items on the menu were either grown on site or from the local area.

Also a big thank you for being able to cater for my gluten free needs, It felt like it was no issue for them which made me feel totally relaxed and welcomed.

Would...