Restaurant-Guide.com
hand picked restaurants

Llandudno has always been a great holiday spot for the British, with a warm, balmy climate, acquiring en route Victorian and Edwardian elegance, a cable tramway to the top of the Great Orme and a reputation as Wales's largest resort. And, if you are feeling the pangs of hunger, where better to head for there than The New Mediterranean Restaurant where Ibo, the Chef/Owner, and his team are braced to cope calmly with ozone-fuelled appetites; Ibo was Head Chef in a fish restaurant serving 250 covers when he was 15 so he can afford to be calm some years later.

Two magnificent sandy beaches ensure there is room for all and a variety of attractions, some of which exploit the town's geology and geography leave plenty to do for those who want more than a sand-bunny holiday.

Whatever their pursuits people love to eat and drink, particularly when on holiday. People whose normal idea of breakfast is a half burnt piece of toast with peanut butter off the corner of the kitchen table, if they're lucky, as they head for the door at speed find themselves surrounded by splendour and comfort and a large Welsh (of course) breakfast. Splendidly incapacitated by such unaccustomed largesse they sally forth to do their thing, the exertions of which are likely to instil thoughts of lunch from about 12 noon onwards.

With a menu that encompasses the Mediterranean in the widest sense it's hardly surprising to find generous homage paid towards the fruits of the sea, and whitebait and king prawns vie with New Zealand mussels, whole sardines and a multitude of other fish including black bream, red snapper, sea bass and plaice. Seafood kebabs involve white fish, silver javelin and tiger prawns baked in garlic butter served with choice of salad, rice, vegetables or French fries.

A Mediterranean mixed grill comes out fighting with sirloin steak, chicken breast, lamb's liver, Turkish sausage, lamb kebab, mushrooms and tomatoes. A rich aromatic casserole of beef labouring under the name of stifado is absolutely delicious, but moussaka from Greece or veal scallops Milanese coated in bread crumbs, pan fried and served with spaghetti Napoli are well up in the popularity polls. Specials are a real feature; do keep an eye open for the unexpected, a response to the season perhaps?

Pizza, in ten different manifestations, makes a welcome appearance with wafer thin dough and the House special, the Arco Balleno, containing a touch of everything. A splendidly wide array of pasta leaves little to the imagination, but should there no ingredient to your liking, which is unlikely, let them know and they will probably shift the Great Orme to find it for you. At Llandudno they take great pride in the fact that most visitors make return trips, so much is there to do and see, but it seems to me that the eating experience at The New Mediterranean would be reason enough for returning.

A wine list hails from predictable quarters, with Spain and Italy bearing the main burden of supply, most in the price teens and only the champagnes over £20.

Have a look at their Website for further details and opening arrangements. And by the way where do you think many of those well-breakfasted and lunched people come to rest in the evenings? Check out The New Mediterranean - you read about it here.

Llandudno, even in its wildest moments, would not claim to be the culinary Ludlow of the Welsh seaboard, which makes it all the more refreshing when someone of the ilk of Don and Gill Hadwin materialises into the community and creates the sort of success which The Seahorse has become, only a few minutes walk from the Promenade.

Not only does the restaurant offer food of a very high standard, under their guidance a warm and friendly atmosphere has been created within which customers can relax and enjoy dishes from a cuisine that draws from across the world. Upstairs in another dining room they have created a coffee house scenario, which we shall return to later. In the restaurant there is a wide level of expectancy as the menu responds to the seasons and what is locally available, something the Hadwins are very strong about, believing that wherever possible the immediate community should benefit from their enterprise.

Quite apart from that the local produce is of a high standard, and it more than likely that on your first visit you will recognize some of the flavours of years past; flavours that tend to be overcome all too often by modern methods of rearing and producing.

Amongst the starters which regularly feature expect to find spicy Thai style salad of pan-fried beef with chillies, sweet soy and coriander on marinated bean sprouts; seared scallops with a lemon and saffron sauce, or Mediterranean fish soup, a favourite the world over.

Duck has become a major growth item in the menus of the Britain, no longer mainly the property of the Chinese restaurant menu, but interestingly they have clung to some of the habits they acquired there, so at The Seahorse pan-fried Gressingham duck breast is served with a sweet Thai plum sauce. It would be dereliction of duty not to savour some of the superb Welsh lamb to be found or the whole grilled local lobster served with either garlic butter or thermidor sauce.

Some restaurants have puddings, other go for desserts, but at The Seahorse they have 'hand-crafted' after dinner indulgences, all of which are made in their own kitchens. There is the traditional hot toffee pudding, served with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream, or a delicious Italian double chocolate torte, freshly baked and served with vanilla ice cream. A cup of after dinner coffee helps in rounding off the meal in style.

The wine list has been compiled by somebody who knows their way around and whilst most bottles hover round the £20 - £30 mark there are some more expensive bins at prices that will make your day. House wines are very well priced and at £3.95 a large glass cannot be faulted. In the coffee house look for tea for all tastes and on the bakery menu keep an eye open for the local delicacy, bara brith, delicious scones with jam, and large slices of fruit flapjack.

Open 7 days per week from 4.30pm onwards. Check on their attractive and well set-out Website for details of events, including Thai nights and Italian and French evenings, even a Great British Evening; whilst they normally take last orders at 9.00 pm, they do sometimes close earlier if it is quiet. Please note that they do not take reservations on e-mail, the facility is only for enquiries.

Brewer's Fayre restaurants offer a warm welcome to those who want a reliably tasty meal in pleasant surroundings, with plenty of choice, minimal fuss and friendly service. With a reputation going back 25 years they should have a fair chance of doing that, but don't take our word for it. Give them a try and see if you agree that this is how good quality pub food should be served.

Whether it's snacks, grills, pub classics, fish, Sunday roasts or side dishes they think their way through the options, talk to their guests, and then come up with the goods. Not everybody wants a full meal so they've considered the needs of those who want to keep the gap filled and the children contented, perhaps on a journey or a day out.

Hot filled baguettes are always popular be it sausage and red onion or a classic chicken club sandwich. Jacket potatoes are good on their own but filled with mature cheddar cheese and beans they take on a new dimension.

More paced occasions demand a wide menu, perhaps with starters of breaded butterfly prawns, chicken goujons or breaded camembert bites. Grills are there for the hungry and whole rack of meaty BBQ pork ribs served with extra sauce, chips and coleslaw can be very welcome. The days of the mixed grill are back - or did they ever go away - a 4oz rump steak, two pork sausages, and a gammon steak topped with a fried egg served with all the trimmings will remind you if they did.

Salmon and prawn fishcakes are served with buttered new potatoes, tartare sauce and a lightly dressed salad. A combination of sea and land comes with a rump steak, whole grilled chicken breast and breaded breaded butterfly prawns, served with chips and a side salad or garden peas.

The rise of eating out in pubs has brought into our daily lives a whole legion of what might be termed 'pub classics'. Many of them have their roots in what used to be called 'good home cooking' and include such dishes as sausage, egg and chips, beef and ale pie, chicken and mushroom pie and for the very daring a beef lasagne. Well, all of them and many more are on the menu at Brewer's Fayre, supplemented by such new regulars as vegetable Goan chicken curry, pork chop, chilli con carne and grilled chicken and bacon salad.

It has often been said that chicken tikka masala is now the most popular dish in Britain. Some may not really want to believe that, much as they love curry, but travel, population movement and other factors have widened our scope and they are probably pretty keen on fish and chips in Timbuktu.

What is certain is that the great British Sunday roast is exclusive to these islands, though copied maybe elsewhere or in ex-pat outposts. No surprise therefore that it's on the Brewer's Fayre menu. A trade of three roasts with an opportunity to trade up to a mega roast for a modest sum. With it come two Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables and that important element - gravy.

A fine list of immensely tempting desserts may well bring the most ardent weight-watcher to their knees. A short but well thought out wine list offers all choices, except champagne, by the glass. Staying the night - check to see if there's a Premier Inn next door - chances are you'll be lucky.

A quick click on their Website is always worth while. The only thing that stays still permanently is the quality which is helped by a changing menu, and some very special offers.

Brewer's Fayre restaurants offer a warm welcome to those who want a reliably tasty meal in pleasant surroundings, with plenty of choice, minimal fuss and friendly service. With a reputation going back 25 years they should have a fair chance of doing that, but don't take our word for it. Give them a try and see if you agree that this is how good quality pub food should be served.

Whether it's snacks, grills, pub classics, fish, Sunday roasts or side dishes they think their way through the options, talk to their guests, and then come up with the goods. Not everybody wants a full meal so they've considered the needs of those who want to keep the gap filled and the children contented, perhaps on a journey or a day out.

Hot filled baguettes are always popular be it sausage and red onion or a classic chicken club sandwich. Jacket potatoes are good on their own but filled with mature cheddar cheese and beans they take on a new dimension.

More paced occasions demand a wide menu, perhaps with starters of breaded butterfly prawns, chicken goujons or breaded camembert bites. Grills are there for the hungry and whole rack of meaty BBQ pork ribs served with extra sauce, chips and coleslaw can be very welcome. The days of the mixed grill are back - or did they ever go away - a 4oz rump steak, two pork sausages, and a gammon steak topped with a fried egg served with all the trimmings will remind you if they did.

Salmon and prawn fishcakes are served with buttered new potatoes, tartare sauce and a lightly dressed salad. A combination of sea and land comes with a rump steak, whole grilled chicken breast and breaded breaded butterfly prawns, served with chips and a side salad or garden peas.

The rise of eating out in pubs has brought into our daily lives a whole legion of what might be termed 'pub classics'. Many of them have their roots in what used to be called 'good home cooking' and include such dishes as sausage, egg and chips, beef and ale pie, chicken and mushroom pie and for the very daring a beef lasagne. Well, all of them and many more are on the menu at Brewer's Fayre, supplemented by such new regulars as vegetable Goan chicken curry, pork chop, chilli con carne and grilled chicken and bacon salad.

It has often been said that chicken tikka masala is now the most popular dish in Britain. Some may not really want to believe that, much as they love curry, but travel, population movement and other factors have widened our scope and they are probably pretty keen on fish and chips in Timbuktu.

What is certain is that the great British Sunday roast is exclusive to these islands, though copied maybe elsewhere or in ex-pat outposts. No surprise therefore that it's on the Brewer's Fayre menu. A trade of three roasts with an opportunity to trade up to a mega roast for a modest sum. With it come two Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables and that important element - gravy.

A fine list of immensely tempting desserts may well bring the most ardent weight-watcher to their knees. A short but well thought out wine list offers all choices, except champagne, by the glass. Staying the night - check to see if there's a Premier Inn next door - chances are you'll be lucky.

A quick click on their Website is always worth while. The only thing that stays still permanently is the quality which is helped by a changing menu, and some very special offers.

The AA recommended Imperial Hotel on the North Wales Coast is a byword for charm and sophistication and Chantrey's Restaurant is the culinary centre of this majestic hotel, anchored like some passing liner on the seafront at Llandudno. The décor has the richness, dripping with elegance that is synonymous with the hotel's style.

The menu changes every month and accurately mirrors local produce and the polished presentation and service reflect a high degree of class. Braised rabbit, pigeon and wild mushroom terrine with apple and thyme chutney and walnut brioche, and a trio of sweet melon, pineapple wafer and grapefruit sorbet make interesting starters, which could be followed by loin of Welsh lamb, fillet of hake or rib eye of Welsh beef. The dessert menu features roast plum and cinnamon cheesecake and iced white chocolate and toffee parfait.

Situated in the quaint town of Rhos-on-sea, North Wales, La Dolce Vita serves authentic Italian cuisine to guests. The restaurant owned by Gary and Angela Mason, has also gained a reputation for British cuisine.

Among cold starters choose tuna and cannellini beans tossed in olive oil and vinegar and succulent prawns on a bed of lettuce with Marie Rose sauce. If you prefer hot starters then order pan fried chicken livers flamed in brandy with mushroom and fresh sardines grilled whole with garlic and lemon. For main course try escalope of veal coated in breadcrumbs, topped with Bolognese sauce and mozzarella cheese and prime fillet steak cooked with a white wine, cream and peppercorn sauce. The extensive menu also includes pizzas, specials from the grill, pasta and rice dishes and sweet temptations such as Italian bread and butter pudding with vanilla ice cream and a boozy trifle.