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Tides is a stylish restaurant, in a spectacular situation, overlooking Cardigan Bay with its magnificent sunsets. Their food is all homemade, even including the pasta and ice cream, and is locally sourced whenever possible, while their position means that lobster, crab and fresh fish are regular specialities.

Families are always made welcome, as the atmosphere is thoroughly relaxed; even it appears to be on the posh side.  The food at Tides shows much original thought and is very much in the modern mould, witness possible first courses like butternut squash and sage ravioli with watercress salad; citrus cured monkfish tartare with remoulade and caper salad or the thoroughly tempting tempura fried red mullet and spinach and watercress fritter served with tomato jam.

Mains follow in a similar vein with seared scallops and cannelloni of ricotta, pancetta and spinach mousse; seared tuna served with pistachio risotto, carrot crisps and a balsamic glaze or Welsh Black beef fillet cooked three ways - pan fried, Wellington style and steamed with ginger and spring onions.

Desserts can be be simply described as delicious, like iced chocolate parfait with mulled strawberries and candied lemons or apricot bread and butter pudding served with homemade vanilla ice cream.

A very traditional, but with-it, Edwardian-style restaurant is the hub of this elegant hotel with wonderful views of the Welsh mountains. The well-tended gardens include herbs and salad ingredients and there is a feeling overall that everything is well under control, and confidence soars. Local produce features strongly with Cardigan Bay crabs, Welsh lamb and really fresh fish. The menu makes more than a nod towards modern trends but never at the expense of the integrity of the raw materials. An interesting wine list will not disappoint, and house wine is £13.

A family owned hotel sitting proudly amongst the Victorian architecture of the promenade offering simple good taste and comfort with very recognisable dishes amongst which guests will feel pleasantly familiar. There are few flights of fancy and service is homely. House wine at £9.

Standing at the head of the spectacular Mynach Falls, the Hafod Arms started life as a small hunting Lodge in 1787, before being enlarged into a Swiss style chateau in 1839 by the 3rd Duke of Newcastle. There can be few more splendid locations in Britain.

In recent years the Red Kite, with its impressive 5 foot wingspan, has returned in force to mid-Wales, thanks to a sustained programme of reinstatement, adding yet another gentle attraction to this outstandingly beautiful area.

At night the muted rumbling of the falls provides a mysterious background to otherwise quiet surroundings. From the windows of the restaurant it is possible to see down the Rheidol Valley, perhaps with an ear cocked for the steam-whistle of the small gauge steam train as it completes the final stages of its long uphill haul from Aberystwyth, 12 miles down the line.

The food is homely and without pretension. A keenly priced a la carte menu could include herring sautéed with tomato, lemon and garlic, roast leg of Welsh lamb with mint, leek and red pepper stuffing, followed by almond meringue with banana and toffee sauce, and coffee. Service was charmingly friendly.

The menu changes almost daily, offering up to five or six choices of each course, with carefully considered variety. A wine list bears the stamp of Tanners of Shrewsbury, always a good sign, with three very credible house wines, the whole list at prices that are a positive incentive to over-indulge. Should you do so - and we did, by arrangement - the rooms are comfortable, many enjoying the same spectacular views into a part of wild Wales that still remains not over-visited and intensely natural.

As a setting for short breaks, romantic trysts, conferences and private parties The Hafod Arms has a great deal to commend it.

The Groves Hotel is located right in the heart of Aberystwyth and the culinary team have an established track record of success and excellence. Good use is made of local produce and a typical three-course dinner at £16.00 might be chicken brochette grilled with a Creole sauce followed by Welsh lamb with Miss Vaughan's pudding (don't even ask - just go and enjoy it). An apple liqueur tart makes a mouth-watering close, though some of the Welsh organic cheeses are particularly enticing.