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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.

Another of those beautiful conversions from farm to hotel and restaurant which seem to have become a bit of a feature in Wales as farming adapts. Miles and Jacky Glossop have done a fine job and the eating arrangements have obviously featured highly on their priorities.

The wonderfully flavoured products of the locality are noticeable by their presence, including smoked salmon from the Black Mountains and Pantysgawen goat's cheese, with the emphasis on honest-to-goodness country cooking. Penbontbren is rural Wales at its most compelling.

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.

Rhyd-y-Groes Guest House and Restaurant is located in a quiet location by a country lane and stream. They offer 4 Star Visit Wales and AA accommodation, available for those travelling and wishing to stay overnight. Why not spend a night in their romantic log cabin overlooking the stream, with its four poster bed and seclusion from other guests? Children are welcome at the guest house and restaurant and should enjoy meeting the various animals that live there.

The restaurant has recently received a healthy eating award, a Welsh bronze food hygiene award and is a member of the Vegetarian Society Food and Drink Guild. All dishes are prepared fresh using local produce, organic is used whenever possible; there are duck eggs from their own ducks and freshly made bread. Special diets are always catered for, whilst all vegan and vegetarian dishes are stored and cooked separately.

The restaurant, a converted stone barn, is small and intimate and the ideal location for holding family celebrations or reunions. Recently licensed, Rhyd-y-Groes has everything that you should look for in providing total relaxation and enjoyment.

The Hungry Trout in Ceredigion is just minutes away from the New Quay which provides some spectacular seafront views for diners intent on enjoying the bounties of the coast, more specifically Cardigan Bay. The ambience at this remarkable seafood restaurant is warm and welcoming, creating a relaxed fine dining experience and the terrace offers a wonderful al fresco option. The fish and seafood is the freshest you can find although they also have a few meat and vegetarian dishes in the unlikely case of you finding piscatorial delights unappealing

A typical menu might bring you grilled sardines with paprika followed by a main course of plaice fillets with a sun-dried tomato and olive tapenade baked over tomatoes and spinach. On the other hand there's also chicken liver parfait and rack of Welsh lamb if you prefer the evening à la carte. An extensive list of homemade desserts should satisfy those of a sweet tooth and the extensive wine list also includes a large selection of brandys, liqueurs and ports.

Castell Malgwyn's location in Pembrokeshire alongside the River Teifi is ideal for the many attractions the area offers. The three star Georgian mansion house is situated in glorious parkland surrounded by woods and you could spend time fishing, swimming, walking, or cycling in the countryside. There are beautiful views from the windows across the lawns to the woods. Rabbits play on the grass, buzzards circle overhead and kingfishers and otters can be seen at the river's edge.

The restaurant makes use of fresh local produce to create dishes such as chicken liver pâté with redcurrant and port sauce; ham with melon balls and cottage cheese; River Teifi salmon with a prawn and cream sauce, and Thai spiced chicken breast char-grilled with yoghurt, cucumber and coriander, all accompanied by a selection of fresh vegetables and potatoes.

To finish, pavlova filled with white caramel sauce and surrounded by a chocolate coronet could catch the eye. Fifty wines make up an intelligent list.