Gwynedd
At The Portmeirion

At The Portmeirion

LL48 6ER, Penrhyndeudraeth, United Kingdom, Gwynedd

Welsh • Vegan • British • European


"I made a reservation for Sunday lunch at the hotel, as last time we tried to visit there was a private function and we had heard great things about the food. We had high expectations, but the experience far exceeded them. The food was spectacular. It was a windy and wet September 24th Sunday. We arrived early with the intention of going for a walk, but the weather was so bad that we decided to seek shelter at the hotel and enjoy a warm coffee while taking in the view before our lunch reservation at 2:15. We were pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome we received from a young man who informed us that our table was ready but encouraged us to relax and come in whenever we were ready. A talented harpist played beautiful music in the bar reception area, creating a calm oasis on such a stormy day. The hotel's decor and stunning views impressed us, and every staff member greeted us with a warm smile and professional demeanor. We enjoyed coffee in the cozy lounge, soaking in its relaxed beauty before moving to our window table for lunch. Our Sunday meal was delicious, with Alex ordering the perfectly cooked roast beef and me opting for the cauliflower soufflé, accompanied by roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and the most decadent cauliflower cheese I've ever tasted. It was truly fantastic. Our attentive waitress, a young lady with red hair and a big smile, kindly got the recipe for the cauliflower cheese for me. We were so full that we decided to have our cheese and biscuits packed up and enjoy a drink in the lovely lounge. The staff members who greeted us, showed us to our table, and served us throughout the meal, including the young lady with dark hair and glasses, the young lady with red hair, and the young lady from Newport, were all warm, welcoming, professional, and made our Sunday lunch experience special. We will definitely be returning. Thank you to all the staff for a wonderful afternoon."

Plas Yn Dre

Plas Yn Dre

23 High St Bala LL23 7LU, UK, LL23 7AG, Gwynedd, United Kingdom

Food • Sushi • Steak • Mexican


"Me and a few friends had travelled to Bala lake for a nice day out, we walked into Bala centre to find somewhere for food and drink around 4pm. This was the first place we crossed, so we went in and waited by the sign where it said ‘wait to be seated’. We saw people sat outside with finished plates so we thought they’ll be serving food. We were waiting a fair few minutes, I popped my head around to the bar where this middle aged grumpy looking guy was working. He could definitely see us as I tried saying excuse me a few times, but he proceeded to ignore. So I went through to the bar where he was serving people and politely asked if they were serving food. He looked at me as he was pouring a pint and in a really grumpy way went ‘no’ and looked back down at the pint he was pouring. He looked angry? Even people at the bar noticed, we all just looked at each other a bit surprised. As we walked out, some people from the bar followed and said ‘yeah he’s a ‘wan*er, you’re better off trying somewhere further up’. Which we did and found a much more welcoming and friendlier place. It was just a shame he was so cold, like he didn’t want us there. We were tempted to get pizza from next door and all have drinks outside, but after the way he was we didn’t want to spend our money there. He lost out on 8 of us who were happy to fork out for drinks at least."

The Golden Fleece

The Golden Fleece

Market Square, LL49 9RB, Gwynedd, United Kingdom

Pub • Steak • Welsh • British


"We visited the pub twice during our stay in Porthmadog. Visit I booked months ahead knowing that August would be busy so we were disappointed to be offered a table in, what I would class as, the poorest area of the dining areas.. the room at the front of the pub. We were a party of and the table was for It wasn't cleaned and ready even in these covid times the chairs were all over the place and it was made up of two tables which were uneven and weren't lined up together even though we only needed one of the tables for the of us. There appeared to be table reservations notes on tables but our name was not on the table we were offered. I looked around the pub and found a table with no note on it and asked if we could move to that table. The staff explained that the table system was in disarray and to ignore the notes on the tables. They agreed that we could move tables. The food was great very generous portions, hot and good service. Visit we called in to try to sit in the beer garden at and were told that it was closed. The pub was virtually empty and the staff seemed happy to turn away our business as they did not offer that we could sit in the pub which was quite empty. Overall the staff were not very welcoming, all requests seemed like an inconvenience to them and I got the feeling that they were not bothered about custom surprising given the lean times they must have had during covid. They seemed like they were working to an early closing/tidy up/emptying the pub time."

Royal Sportsman

Royal Sportsman

131 High Street, LL49 9HB, Gwynedd, United Kingdom

Pizza • Cafés • Mexican • Seafood


"Last night, we decided to have dinner here based on the trip advisor reviews. While the food itself was undeniably delicious, our overall experience was marred by the presence of inexperienced staff and a clear sense of being taken advantage of when it came to the drinks menu. Upon arrival, we were seated, and our orders were taken. Unfortunately, our first issue arose when we had to ask for water on three separate occasions before it was finally brought to our table. To make matters worse, they only brought still water despite our request for one still and one sparkling. Another disappointing aspect was the absence of garlic bread, which was supposed to accompany our meal. I had to personally inquire about its whereabouts, only to discover that it had not been included in the order. Regrettably, it arrived after we had already finished our pasta, leading to a disjointed dining experience. To rectify their mistakes, our waitress kindly promised to remove the drinks from our bill as an apology. However, when the bill arrived, it was evident that she had only taken off the cost of the garlic bread. This discrepancy in the bill left us feeling as though we had been taken advantage of. Adding to our sense of being ripped off, the issue with the wine selection was the most shocking of all. Since we were not provided with a wine list, I simply asked for a bottle of the house red. To our surprise, when the bill arrived, we discovered that the house red wine had been charged at a staggering £33! Subsequently, when we visited the bar area, we noticed several bottles priced at £22.50. We approached the bar to question the exorbitant charge and were informed that the £33 bottle was indeed their designated house wine for meals. This experience left us feeling thoroughly disappointed and deceived. It is essential for future patrons to exercise caution and specifically ask for a wine list, as well as be explicit about their wine preferences to avoid feeling ripped off. The inconsistency in pricing and lack of transparency regarding the house wine left us questioning the integrity of their service. While the food itself was commendable, the untrained staff and the apparent overcharging for drinks tarnished what could have been an enjoyable dining experience. We hope that the restaurant takes our feedback constructively and takes steps to address these concerns to provide a better overall experience for future customers."