Caffi Gwynant, Nantgwynant

CAFFI Gwynant is located near the base of the Watkin Path up Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon in the heart of the National Park. It is an ideal place for a bite to eat before or after a walk to the summit or if you are just touring the area.

The cafe is in the former Capel Bethania, which has been sympathetically transformed into a quirky cafe.

For instance, it has colanders as ceiling lights with the original altar still in place with a sign that states that “all our ketchup is homemade” hanging in front of it.

The building has high ceilings and looks magnificent when the sunshine pours in through its huge chapel windows.

I don’t want to preach, but it’s essential to book ahead as all the tables had “reserved” on them when we arrived.

We were certainly witness to a few disappointed customers having to be turned away as the congregation was full to capacity.

There is a breakfast menu available until 11am, which is replaced by brunch options until 2.30pm.

The menu reassuringly states that their food is made fresh to order, so there may be a wait during busy times.

The menu declares daring combinations such as buttermilk chicken and syrup waffles along with a few specials chalked on a blackboard like the order of hymns before a service.

Our dishes were certainly brimming with imagination and taste.

My order of short rib benedict consisted of slow cooked beef under soft poached eggs with a delicious hollandaise sauce.

It was served on toasted muffins with some lime-pickled red onions on top to give it a bit of color and some zing.

This unlikely pairing worked together perfectly with the yolk oozing over the tender beef as you poked your fork into it.

My wife took an age to choose her dish as they all sounded delicious.

She reads them out loud, sermonstyle, but eventually opted for oriental crispy duck bon-bons.

These bite-size perfections of duck were covered by a savoury crispy crumb that combined superbly with the tangy confit garlic emulsion and sweet pickled red onions.

We order some halloumi fries to share that were served up in a mini frying pan.

They had a golden crispy outing with the cheese soft and oozy inside as we took turns dipping them into the chilli jam dip on the side.

We wash it down with two bottles of sparkling water from Llanllyr, which due to its huge bubbles is known as the “Champagne of sparkling water”.

However, if you really want to drink alcohol in a former chapel, then there are plenty of options for you including local beers like Porthmadog’s Mŵs Piws/Purple Moose or even an espresso martini.

We later take a homemade carrot cake with us to eat by the Watkin Path waterfalls, which just may be the most perfect spot to have a picnic in the whole of the UK.

It had a moreish cream cheese icing topping with chopped pecans and cranberry on top of a moist sponge.

We loved the care and safety measures regarding Covid-19 being taken for the protection of staff and customers alike.

They have some new cool-looking wooden eating pods outside, which are a handy addition providing both social distancing measures as well as protection from the weather.

There is an outside cabin serving snacks for any hungry or thirsty walkers passing through as well.

This cafe served us such tasty and well-presented food that we vowed to return to try the rest of the menu one day.

It’s as popular with locals as it is with those intrepid folks looking to scale Wales’ highest peak.