LT16 — Restaurant in Wales

Honest review from an honest customer.

There’s no denying this place has potential, the small plates we tried were very tasty and nicely presented, but the overall experience was disjointed and, frankly, disappointing.

We visited as two couples. My wife and I ordered two small plates to accompany our smash burgers, and our friends had chicken satay Kiev with truffle fries and a sirloin steak. One of our small plates arrived promptly and was delicious, so we ate it rather than let it go cold. After a 15‑minute gap the second small plate finally arrived, by which time our friends’ mains still hadn’t appeared. The fries for our friends were brought out on their own, then taken away when we queried why courses weren’t served together. Our burgers were then delivered, with the remaining dishes arriving about five minutes later. The staggered service left us awkwardly scoffing most of our food while our friends had barely started, which spoiled the social side of the meal.

The burgers themselves were very dry and the chips were neither fluffy nor crunchy and arrived lukewarm. Plates were left on the table while we paid, about an hour and a half after arrival, so we finished the evening surrounded by seven cold plates, which felt careless. We raised these concerns and were offered a 20% discount and told the kitchen serves dishes “when they’re ready” rather than as a complete meal. That might work for a bar where people graze over cocktails, but not when you have booked a proper dinner and expect to eat together.

Worryingly, we also found what we believed to be a hair in the mussels. Staff explained it was a natural fibre attached to the shell, but regardless of its origin it should not be on the plate. Minor incidents like this, combined with odd pacing and inconsistent cooking, make the experience feel unfinished.

In short, good flavours and attractive small plates, but the serving concept and execution let it down. This venue could be excellent with a rethink of how and when dishes are served, tighter kitchen consistency and more attentiveness to basic plating standards. Until then it feels like an expensive night out that does not deliver the dining experience you would expect.

I would return for another meal and give the “restaurant”/bar a second chance if said concept was to either be an option, or to be totally...

EDITED - wrote the below a few weeks ago after trying it for the first time. I've been back since and didn't have quite as good an experience - I was given alcohol eventhough I ordered a mocktail (not great as I'm 8 months pregnant) and we were seated at the top next to the service door - Lots of waiters coming in and out, slamming the door and standing and talking loudly near us, which was pretty off putting. Wouldn't mind too much being put by the door if the waiters maybe tried to be a little quieter.

Just brilliant. I'd heard good things about it but I was genuinely really impressed. Firstly, the food is amazing. There were a few of us and we tried the mussels, glamorgan sausages, scotch egg, cabbage, parsnips, truffle potatoes, chicken katsu kiev and mushrooms on toast. It was all brilliant - the only dish we didn't like was the glamorgan sausages, as they didn't have any leeks in like you'd expect and had a very strong mustard flavour.

The service was brilliant - our waitress was lovely and when we had a question about the cocktail menu that she didn't know, she brought over one of the managers. I asked if they could make any cocktails and she explained any of the cocktails could be turned into a non-alcoholic version, giving me lots of recommendations and personally bringing me the one I ordered. She then checked in a number of times to see if I liked it and if we were all happy.

The atmosphere was also great, very nice and relaxed. We left shortly before a dj came on, so unsure what it's like later in the evening.

Already...

I was welcomed warmly and taken to our table. Our waiter was Flavius who was professional and yet at the same time friendly and warm. I had looked up the menu on the website and was somewhat confused or intrigued. But Flavius explained how it worked and everything made sense. Crucially, he explained that the small dishes we chose, come out as they are cooked, so not all together.

My guest arrived and we greeted each other and chatted. So much so, we forgot to look at the menu, but Flavius was gracious and let us choose in our own time.

We chose "Crispy spicy Mozzarella" which was melty and yes, spicy! (I would have recommended serving this one later to give the taste buds a chance to build up. It was tasty! and spicy!).

Next "Carbonara Scotch Egg"- comes with a smoky tomato salsa! Also tasty!

Then, our two favourites of the meal, "Scallop and Parma Ham Rosemary skewer!" OMG! Such a perfect combo and melt in the mouth beautiful! followed by"Grilled Thai style King prawns (shell on)". The last time I had a prawn that big was in Thailand! They were beautiful. Served with a Thai sauce of coconut, lime and coriander. Exquisite!

Fantastic small plates served with style by Flavius! The whole thing including 2 orange juices cost £60. I felt that was great value for money considering the quality of our food! Highly...