La Plie Restaurant

This relative new comer in Southerndown area is the brainchild of the former Raymond Blanc's protégé, Matt Powell, who returned to his home turf on a mission to serve carefully crafted French food. The location is idyllic and it's easily accessible from Cardiff, Swansea and Port Talbot.

The regularly changing lunch and dinner menus prevent the palate from slipping into boredom, so there could be a Balmoral Estate venison carpaccio, sautéed free range duck liver or butternut squash velouté amongst starters. Main courses are a tribute to the fruits of the sea with as many as three choices of fish - pan-fried fillet of wild sea bass, roasted tail of monkfish and grilled Channel gurnard. For those meat cravings a rump of Usk Valley lamb with its own liver, haricot blanc, buttered sea kale, roasted golden and candy striped beetroot and lamb jus should suffice.

Desserts include an iced blood orange parfait and tea and Armagnac poached pear clafoutis.