The Walnut Tree

This was our splurge meal. It was also one of the best meals I had while in Wales.
The food here is more about quality and less about quantity. If you are an American and reading this review, you will know what I’m talking about. We eat too much as a society. I’ll admit it myself. I am used to getting and eating a lot of food. It is amazing I am not overweight.
Anyway I went off on a tangent there. Sue and I read about this place in a travel book she had for Wales. We decided on the airplane that if we were going to have one really good meal while in Wales, it would be at the Walnut Tree. Not exactly around the corner from where we were staying in Barmouth, but we had plans to be down around this part of the country so it was a no brainer.
We got here quite early on a weekday evening. The night was beautiful and we decided to secure a table outside. Before we left all of the tables were filled. Not sure if that was the case inside as well as the only time I was inside was when we initially walked in and asked if we could sit outside.
Started out with a refreshing elderflower drink. We decided against alcoholic drinks as we were a distance away from our home base and had a long drive back to get there. The drink was the perfect drink for a warm summer night. After our drinks came, they also brought out a small fish cake to whet the whistle. A nice extra touch that was unexpected.
Our food started out with a few appetizers. A Panzanella Salad along with monkfish with tomato, chilli and ginger. Good choices both on the starters. The monkfish (similar taste to lobster) was pretty damn amazing if I have to say so myself. I just did.
For my main I had suckling pig, morcilla (blood sausage) and empanadilla. The suckling pig came bone in. It was fun getting every little piece of pig that I could get. Presentation was A+ and the quality was too. Nothing wrong with this meal at all.
When it came time for dessert, our server (one of a few that took care of us on this night) asked if we had any room for «puddings». He pronounced it poo-​dings. You have to love the Welsh accent. We did and made room for the orange and almond cake. A good palate cleanser.
This was a 5 star meal if there ever was a 5 star meal. Again, you aren’t going to get a ton of food here, but you will happily leave satisfied and you won’t have a gut bomb to deal with. I highly recommend this restaurant.

The Walnut Tree is now under the management of reknowned chef Shaun Hill. He retired with several Michelin stars from the Merchant House in Ludlow, only to re-​emerge at the Walnut Tree, presumably looking for a new challenge.
I’ve eaten there 3 times in the past 12 months, two lunches and a dinner. All experiences have been outstandingly good and memorable. It has been voted best restaurant in the UK by Gourmet Britain recently and came 2^nd to Hibsicus in another award ceremony.
Rather than list what I ate, check out the menu on the website and see for yourself. I couldn’t fault any of the dishes I had. The wine list is also superb. Here’s a typical set lunch:
plaice with shrimps and dill
brawn with celeriac rémoulade
confit fillet of salmon with creamed leeks
grilled skirt of beef with dauphine potatoes and salsa verde
buttermilk pudding with roasted figs
Bakewell tart with vanilla ice cream
The service is informal and friendly, and efficient. The outside loos didn’t bother me that much… as it frees up more space for diners! The only suggestion I would make is that they need to improve wheelchair-​access into the restaurant, which shouldn’t be too difficult.
The set lunch represents very good value — take a day off work, drive through beautiful countryside and treat yourself to a lovely 3 course meal for around £20.00

A bit of an enigma is the best way of describing this restaurant! It is set in the most beautiful of surroundings. It looks quite basic when you go in and I personally feel the restaurant could be decorated in a warmer tone but having said that. the food was outstanding as was the service. The staff were knowledgable about each of the dishes. The wine list was wide and varied. I didn’t particularly like having to go outside to use the bathroom although I did approve of the White Company toiletries! Would I go again? Most definitely! If you are in the area, it is worth a trip — don’t be put off by the programme Kitchen Nightmares — it is now under new ownership.

If it wasn’t for the very very decent prices, and the superb wine list, I would say this restaurant was overrated. It was half-​empty, and the atmosphere was more sedated than sedate. But the service is friendly, and there’s no doubting the premium quality of the basic ingredients. Local beef and lamb are undoubtedly the best choices, for their distinctive rich flavour and for the skill with which they are cooked. I had an excellent starter of calf’s brains, perfectly fried with capers (ideally to be spread on toast, but the bread was OK) and then the pork I had to follow was passable — the cheek was better than the chop. My dining partner had a rack of lamb of the highest quality. The desserts were pre-​prepared and nothing to write home about. This place should either become less pretentious and serve food that’s more basic and more focused on the quality of the raw material, or become more ambitious and upmarket and go for some serious cuisine. It’s currently lost somewhere in between. But still worth checking out if you’re in the area.

We arrived at the Walnut Tree almost an hour earlier than we had booked for Saturday lunch, but were warmly welcomed and seated straight away. The food was fantastic, from the complementary amuse-​bouches followed by delicious fresh bread & brioche, to the starters and mains that were worth the rather extended wait. The pheasant and chestnut soup was so deep, rich and complex that I will remember it for a long time. The fish stew was also immensely rich and bursting with flavour. Meanwhile the brace of quail were just delicious, juicy and tasty with a savoury sauce and excellent veg. We were gutted that we couldn’t squeeze in a pudding, so imagine our delight when the coffee arrived with gorgeous petit-​fours (delightful chocolate, lovely gooey brownie and a shortbread each too). Although it was strange to have to leave the building to find the toilets, this is as nothing to the joy of being cooked for by people who obviously want to make delicious food, and succeed so splendidly. It’s only an hour from Bristol, well worth the pilgrimage!