Took advantage of a special Autumn deal for a Sunday – afternoon tea plus B&B for two people £71.10. Very pleasant hotel, room was very good with a lovely modern bathroom. Staff are great. We arrived at 2pm with afternoon tea planned for 3.30pm but, as Wales were playing Uruguay in Rugby World Cup at 2.30pm, they suggested we have tea in the bar so that we could watch the match AND they would bring our tea early. What an excellent idea.
Afternoon Tea was brilliant! A glass of Prosecco was included, a big china pot of tea and dainty china crockery made it even better. There were lots of sandwich ‘fingers’ – smoked salmon was very tasty – on the lower level of the cake stand; rich carrot cake with gooey topping, creamy pancetta, plus buttered fresh bara brith on the middle layer; topped with (yes, even more!) rich chocolate cake, fresh strawberries and scones. Oh yes, plus a tub of clotted cream and one of real strawberry jam.
It was a fantastic spread that we nearly finished, and after a slow start Wales won by 54 to 9 so, a perfect Sunday afternoon. Back to the room for a nap before dinner.
Dinner was of exceptional standard, really unexpected for rural Wales (although we seem to have some very classy restaur5ants in our area). If you have an opportunity to visit this part of Wales (Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion) then you must make an effort to dine or stay here.
Starters are around 35-7, we had crab cakes with coconut puree, which tasted better than it sounds, and I had asparagus with thin slices pear and a creamy cheese. This was a soft, delicate taste but a very interesting mix of textures and flavours. Mains are not cheap, between £16-22, but beautifully presented, great quality, and a lovely combination of tastes.
We had duck with red cabbage and pureed carrots, and lamb with mashed potatoes and vegetables. We added extra sides of garlic potatoes and sugar-snap peas with kale. These were good but we actually didn’t need them. There was absolutely no room for dessert, but given the cakes with afternoon tea, this was hardly surprising! Overall, it was an excellent special deal, exceptional chef and great staff so definitely worth a visit.
