Google
I have made no secret of the fact that, for the best savoury food, I look to Asia; for the best desserts, continental Europe; and for the best quality meat, right here in the UK.
For years, I hoped to find a restaurant capable of combining all three into a single meal, whilst accepting it was probably an unrealistic expectation.
Enter Ynyshir.
For as long as I can remember, Ynyshir has occupied a unique place in British dining. Some people speak about it with near-religious reverence, while others think Gareth Ward has completely lost his mind. After finally making the journey, I can see why.
The experience begins long before dinner. Hidden away in rural Wales, the setting feels like its own little world. Every detail, from the welcome during an unexpected Welsh heatwave to the intimate pre-dinner experience, the ingredients display, and Gareth preparing fish in front of guests, builds anticipation without ever feeling forced.
Then the food arrives.
What impressed me most wasn’t just the quality of the ingredients, although they were extraordinary. It was the consistency. Most tasting menus, especially one stretching beyond 30 courses, have quieter moments that simply bridge the gap between the highlights. Ynyshir doesn’t seem interested in that philosophy. Every course arrived with the confidence of a signature dish.
Despite ingredients including auction-purchased Japanese seaweed, A5 Wagyu, and an astonishing Hungarian wine, it was the Thai green curry that completely stopped me in my tracks. I’ve never eaten a mouthful of food quite like it. Somehow, in rural Wales, I was transported straight back to Thailand.
The following morning perfectly summed up the restaurant’s philosophy. After one of the most ambitious meals I’ve ever experienced, breakfast was simply an outstanding bacon, egg and cheese sandwich served with duck broth in a travel cup for our walk through the Welsh countryside. No pretension. Just exceptional food.
On that walk, my father and I reflected on the previous 24 hours. I’m obsessively analytical about food, whereas he simply enjoys a great meal. The fact that we both walked away feeling exactly the same says everything.
At its most fundamental level, a restaurant exists to feed people and make them happy.
Ynyshir does that better than almost anywhere I’ve experienced.
