The Gunroom Restaurant — Restaurant in Wales

Something about writing this really pains me, as there was so much potential in what they are doing and the staff really were trying and were so enthusiastic– but the actual standard of front of house service was "luxury" style, but with none of the ease you'd find in a Michelin starred restaurant. As if someone took the attributes of luxury (white gloves, bowing, fancy outfits) and sort of missed the part where luxury might have those attributes, but to me modern luxury is about high end ease. I'll explain what I mean in a moment, but first a word on the food!

The food was very good. Surprisingly, the bread was the star of the show and really was fantastically warm was smoked- I could have had that for my whole meal and been happy. Daniel ap Geraint has done a great job getting that kitchen into order and delivering a high standard of food. I'd say the food matches a 1-star Michelin at least!

Now- to the experience:

We entered a beautiful estate down a treelined private drive that looked like a movie set! Amazing start! We arrived 25 minutes before our reservation because if you look at the reviews on OpenTable, your meal / ordering actually take place before you are sat at your table. This isn't something I've heard of anywhere else- normally you might be able to arrive before your booked time and get a drink, but the staff won't expect you early as part of the process. We didn't have a problem though, just a little odd.

We were shown into the drawing room of the home, because you're eating in the actual home of Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret- so cool! And, while dated, the decor fit the theme. 1950's version of fancy. Plush overstuffed floral print couches, antique wood furniture, and royal family photos and newspapers.

We were sat in an L shape configuration around a coffee table and menus were placed.

The first odd bit started about here, where because of the coffee tables in front of us were covered in stacks of uneven books, the menus were kind of haphazardly placed on top of the piles. It looked a bit of a mess! I'd much rather that they have cleared off those tables or put some flowers and a candle on them, and given you more room for normal pre-dinner coffee table goods.

About 15 minutes before the reservation time we had chosen, we were asked to place our order while sat in the lounge. At the time of the reservation, everyone in the lounge (I mean, everyone!) was moved to a back room with a big fireplace. The meal was served exactly 3 courses and at almost the exact same time to all 6 parties with the same dining time. I honestly haven't seen that anywhere, normally tasting menus are staggered and each group can go at their own pace with drinks and courses.

By the time we got to the end of the meal, we had ordered the cheese course. Everyone had completed dinner and the other parties all got up and left. We were sat with a full bottle of wine and waiting our cheese course in a now empty small dining area.

The server comes over and asks us to leave the dining room and move to be served the cheese course. This was maybe 3 minutes after everyone else filed out.

A little rushed feeling for 'luxury', but sure, we're good sports. The thing is, we're left to carry our own wine glasses and bottle of wine ourselves as she left just pointing us towards the drawing room from earlier. Here we are, dressed up, holding a wine bucket wandering the halls to find our way to the lounge.

When we get there– the drawing room is full! There aren't any seats for us to sit and have the cheese course that was part of our menu. We start panicking figuring out where to sit and what to do, as there wasn't any staff around to point us where to go.

We found staff who had us join a couple on their anniversary dinner, where the server placed the cheese plate haphazardly on top of two different piles of books.

She left, and we never were served again that night- no drink orders, no bringing us water. We actually had to go get up to ask for forks and knives for that...

We had the 8pm session for the evening meal and it was lovely. Service from the beginning was attentive and the sitting room we started in was so plush and very beautifully appointed. Entrement was delicious and the canapés were probably the best thing we ate for flavour and creativity, absolutely delicious. After this, we were taken into a cosy dining area with maybe 5 others couples and served the velouté which was very good. The bread and charcoal sea salt was a wonderful touch. We had champagne, which was excellent, with our dinner but their wine list and suggested pairings were a great addition and there was a good range although there were limited whites ( the menu did favour reds in their defence). For starter, the ham hock was a little underwhelming, though tasty it needed something to balance the strength of flavour from the ham but the scallop was very very delicious, definitely a favourite. The main of Welsh beef was beautifully cooked but the short rib with mustard and pickle was the star. Unfortunately the triple cooked chips were wedges not chips so lacked chunkiness. New potatoes were amazing. Sorbets and pre- dessert were great. Desserts were good. Overall we had a wonderful meal and those serving were knowledgeable and friendly but some of the staff were quite new and this was reflected in their service level, but I imagine over time this would change. Definitely recommend for the price point, and hopefully they get that star...

Our evening at The Gun Room at Plas Dinas commenced with significant promise. Canapés and pre-dinner drinks served in the exquisite drawing room established a high expectation, which was further enhanced by the refined, attentive, and genuinely excellent service from the team throughout the night. The culinary stars were undoubtedly our main courses: a perfectly prepared John Dory, an excellent quality piece of fish, and the superb Welsh Beef, which was perfectly seared and exquisitely seasoned. Both dishes were truly delightful.

However, the overall experience was slightly diminished by our seating arrangements. We found ourselves in a rather small dining room where tables were positioned a little too closely, meaning the lively chatter from nearby diners became a noticeable distraction. Compounding this, the room felt notably warm, particularly for a summer evening, creating a less than ideal comfort level.

Despite these minor environmental considerations, we genuinely enjoyed the culinary aspects of our meal. Yet, we departed with the clear sense that, with a few adjustments to the dining space, the evening could have been truly...