Coveted AA rosettes for 27 N.Wales restaurants

THE AA Restaurant Guide for 2022 has been released, showcasing the very best in culinary experiences across the UK, and there are 27 North Wales venues on the coveted list.

Each year, the AA’s guide takes a deep dive into the restaurants awarded prestigious rosettes by inspectors for their quality food, service and atmospheres.

The 2022 edition features about 1,700 restaurants across the British Isles, after no guide was released in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Just making it into the book is an achievement and the AA then breaks down eating places into different categories, from one to five rosettes.

Here are the North Wales restaurants on the list and what judges said about them:

Five Rosettes:

Ynyshir Restaurant & Rooms, Eglwys Fach

With chef-patron Gareth Ward at the helm, Ynyshir has been on the foodie trail for some time.While cooking is clearly the kitchen team’s priority, they also do their fair share of pickling, salting, fermenting, plus preserving fruits, leaves and berries. Neither lunch nor dinner is a hurried affair - with so many courses, how could they be?

Four Rosettes:

Sosban & The Old Butcher’s Restaurant, Menai Bridge Dining at Sosban (pictured) is a hot ticket, and definitely not your everyday restaurant experience.

Three Rosettes:

Pale Hall Hotel & Restaurant, Bala

Gareth Stevenson’s menus are informed by the grandeur of the surroundings, but with today’s ingenuity of approach adding interest throughout. Bodysgallen Hall and Spa, near Llandudno

Balancing traditional and modern British modes has become an essential skill of aspirant chefs: Abdula El Shershaby possesses it in abundance. Two Rosettes: Signatures Restaurant, Conwy The seaside holiday park location is a little leftfield, but Signatures is well worth tracking down for its inspired modern cooking. Plenty of craft and attention to detail throughout. Gaerwen Arms

Well executed modern British dishes with well balanced flavours are the hallmarks at this friendly pub.

Brasserie 1786, Abergele

After a day in the Kinmel’s spa, the hotel’s bright,contemporary Brasserie 1786 is the place to head for some plain-speaking, seasonal food.

Bryn Williams at Porth Eirias, Colwyn Bay

Floor-to-ceiling windows offer sweeping views, and exposed steelwork, pendant lights and industrial-chic create the feeling of a hip, big-city eatery. The Hand at Llanarmon, Llanarmon DC

The classic and modern pub food menu changes frequently, but old favourites, like slowbraised Welsh lamb shoulder, refuse to budge.

Castle Hotel, Conwy

With its courtyard garden and stylish decor, Dawsons Restaurant & Bar offers modern British menus that deliver brasseriestyle dishes and classic comfort options.

Dunoon Hotel, Llandudno The restaurant here is full of old-world charm,with oak-panelled walls, brass fittings and chandeliers, flowers and linen napery on the tables and a cooking style that’s more likely to reassure than to startle, the kitchen quite rightly keeping its customers happy.

Imperial Hotel, Llandudno On a balmy day, alfresco dining on the terrace with a splendid backdrop of the bay is on the cards. The kitchen turns out classically-inflected modern cooking featuring a sound showing off fine Welsh produce.

Porth Tocyn Hotel, Abersoch The Fletcher-Brewer family converted a terrace of lead miners’ cottages into the comfortable, relaxed and unstuffy place we see today. Louise’s repertoire combines traditional values and more modern sensibilities.

Ty Castell, Caernarfon

Close to Caernarfon Castle and occupying a notable 18th-century building, this contemporary restaurant looks far beyond Wales for its culinary inspiration. The interesting tapas style menu has a global influence. Penmaenuchaf Hall Hotel, Dolgellau

The menu pays homage to indigenous produce, and there’s no lack of contemporary, creative flair.

The Hotel Portmeirion

The fantasy Italianate village was conceived around the ruin of what is now the hotel. Today, expect the fresh, lively, modern Welsh cooking to enhance the whole experience.

One Rosette

Padarn Brasserie, Llanberis Popular with walkers and tourists as much as locals, the modern British menu keeps things simple.

The Dining Room, Abersoch In pole position among the buzzy bars and hip surfie shops of trendy Abersoch’s main drag, this low-key bistro with a teashop frontage and mismatched chairs and tables is building a loyal fan base for its warm hospitality and confidently executed food.

Bishopsgate House Hotel, Beaumaris

Intimate, low ceilinged restaurant is full of old-world charm. Bron Eifion Country House Hotel, Criccieth

A majestic staircase, oak panelling and comfortable countryhouse furniture give the right impression, though the Garden Room restaurant offers a more contemporary experience. Craig-y-Dderwen Riverside Hotel, Betws y Coed

A hotel since the 20s, it offers the full country-house package, complete with views of a riverside teeming with wildlife (do look out for the otters)

Llugwy River Restaurant@ Royal Oak Hotel,Betws y Coed The kitchen supports local suppliers and the menu buzzes with interest.

Quay Hotel & Spa, Deganwy

The smart Grill Room offers a relatively informal setting for straightforward European cooking. Locally landed fish and seafood feature on the menu.

Samphire, Llandudno

Overlooking the wide sweep of Llandudno Bay. You’d wbe right to expect fish and seafood to feature prominently.

St George’s Hotel, Llandudno The place is a timeless slice of Victorian wedding-cake grandeur, with an irresistible terrace and floor to-ceiling windows in the restaurant.

The Gunroom Restaurant, Caernarfon

In Plas Dinas, the small country house once the home of Lord Snowdon, the menu changes monthly, and revolves around seasonal Welsh produce. Bwyty Mawddach Restaurant, Dolgellau

Ifan Dunn turned the old granite building on the family farm into a snazzy modern restaurant with views over the Mawddach Estuary and the slopes of Cadair Idris through its glass wall.