Sosban — Restaurant in Wales

This was the weirdest experience at a Michelin restaurant I've ever had. I must say that the food itself was phenomenal but everything else was just off. A huge pet peeve of mine is a lack of price transparency. We save hard to be able to afford such experiences and we should be granted with the ability to choose the price of our wine. There was no wine list and no pricing, just a recommendation by the head chef which I think is jarring and pretentious. It's such a tiny restaurant which could be intimate and warm but instead the atmosphere was awkward and quiet. The head chef tried to encourage diners to approach the pass and chat throughout plating but it all feels performative and the diners feel like we're inconveniencing him. I did however enjoy the story he told with each course. Then we move onto the waiter. I keep repeating how awkward the whole experience was. The waiter had no interpersonal skills and no gift of the gab. He repeated the same closed questions to each table of diners and spoke so quietly we had to ask him to repeat himself so many times. If we ate too slowly he would hover. He was not attentive with drinks orders. However he did keep on coming to the table to move around the wine and water glasses on the table, constantly and unnecessarily moving them from where I'd set them down with my right hand over to the left hand side. I felt as if I was getting in his way. After finishing, paying the bill felt rushed and there was no desire to hang about and enjoy a night cap in such a weird atmosphere. Such a shame that the service and atmosphere were so weird as the food...

This was the second time we ate here, and it certainly won’t be the last.

As this outstanding restaurant uses seasonal produce we intend on going back later in the year.

I have never eaten food like this; in fact it’s more like an explosion of all your senses rather than eating food - a truly extraordinary experience.

As this is a fixed menu, where all the diners enjoy the experience together, it’s quite a unique evening.

Stephen, the head chef and owner, who clearly has one of the most well defined palate’s along with the knowledge of science behind food and food prep, greets you with an overview of the evening to come.

You can see each course being prepped at the pass and Stephen explains the reasons, the ingredients and the process of each course along with the paired wines.

His knowledge is extensive and skills are insanely honed! Real nice guy too.

It was an absolute joy to be part of such culinary experience within such cool surroundings.

The food is the best I’ve tasted anywhere in the world and the journey he takes you on just blows your mind and your senses.

Kasabian as the soundtrack was a stroke of genius!

Service was consistently attentive and what a cool environment!

If you ever eat at one fine dining restaurant in your life, let it...

We should have checked the number on the door but once seated it was like we were taking part in an episode of Inside No.9.

In the space of the old butchers shop, four tables of two were individually introduced to the evenings concept by Head Chef whilst his Commis Chef meticulously laid plates.

It was a secret tasting menu with wine pairing and as a loosener we were offered a fizzy scrumpy cider, apparently made in the technique of Champagne. This needed to be nursed as the main wine wasn't due to commence until 8.30.

The two Chefs were busy at the pass preparing courses and each individual plate was dryly explained, thankfully to us all at once.

In my reviews I would normally describe the food but at Sosban the ingredients of each serving is vast and more complicated than a science lesson, however the taste and flavour of each course reached its conclusion worthy of his star.

Overall, the food was thoughtful and different, albeit smaller portions than the norm at such restaurants and one or two more courses would have been welcomed. The lively background music often competed with Head Chefs explanations and the evening ended quite abruptly, perhaps with the trademark twist we had expected at the start with an absence of coffee and...