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Bryan and Susan Webb, formerly of Hilaire Restaurant in South Kensington, insist on calling their country house hotel a "Restaurant with Rooms." Well, we suppose it is and there is nothing wrong with having the emphasis on the food, especially when it has been cooked by one of the best chefs in the country.
There are a number of Bryan's signature dishes on the Tyddyn Llan menu, notably the scallops with vegetable relish, red mullet with aubergine purée, the crab salad (note, you other cheating chefs - white crabmeat only), lamb with a herb crust, peas and broad beans, turbot with a leek risotto and roast wild bass with a laverbread beurre blanc, to name but a few. The trio of chocolates and the cherry soup on the dessert menus will keep the Hilaire aficionados happy, too.
The quality of the produce used is naturally first class and Bryan hasn't fallen into the trap of only using local ingredients - there are some, notably the Welsh Black beef and the lamb, but Bryan needs to feel free to trawl all over the country to find the best of supplies, so scallops come from Scotland, most of the fish from Devon and ducks from a farm in Hereford.
What is remarkable about Bryan's cooking is the accuracy. The last meal we had there, consisted of perfectly cooked red mullet, and grouse cooked just past pink - succulent and literally melting in the mouth. But perhaps Bryan's greatest achievement is the consistent accuracy of his cooking of fish, never dried up and overcooked. The presentation is simple. He doesn't try to be too clever by half by trying to present a work of art on a plate which looks too pretty to be eaten. Nor does he attempt to put too many contrasting flavours in a dish, nor to lean towards fusion cuisine (so often akin to confusion cuisine). What you see is what you get, but the result is generally an explosion of good tastes on the palate, which are a joy to consume.
There are a number of Bryan's signature dishes on the Tyddyn Llan menu, notably the scallops with vegetable relish, red mullet with aubergine purée, the crab salad (note, you other cheating chefs - white crabmeat only), lamb with a herb crust, peas and broad beans, turbot with a leek risotto and roast wild bass with a laverbread beurre blanc, to name but a few. The trio of chocolates and the cherry soup on the dessert menus will keep the Hilaire aficionados happy, too.
The quality of the produce used is naturally first class and Bryan hasn't fallen into the trap of only using local ingredients - there are some, notably the Welsh Black beef and the lamb, but Bryan needs to feel free to trawl all over the country to find the best of supplies, so scallops come from Scotland, most of the fish from Devon and ducks from a farm in Hereford.
What is remarkable about Bryan's cooking is the accuracy. The last meal we had there, consisted of perfectly cooked red mullet, and grouse cooked just past pink - succulent and literally melting in the mouth. But perhaps Bryan's greatest achievement is the consistent accuracy of his cooking of fish, never dried up and overcooked. The presentation is simple. He doesn't try to be too clever by half by trying to present a work of art on a plate which looks too pretty to be eaten. Nor does he attempt to put too many contrasting flavours in a dish, nor to lean towards fusion cuisine (so often akin to confusion cuisine). What you see is what you get, but the result is generally an explosion of good tastes on the palate, which are a joy to consume.
...Service is cheerfully and enchantingly led by Susan Webb who has the uncanny knack of unstuffing even the stuffiest and haughtiest of diners and making everyone feel relaxed and at home.
You are at liberty to study the wine list which has been thoughtfully placed in your bedroom and are encouraged to make your choice before dinner, so that your bottle may be properly prepared. The list has some 200 bins, so it is not too short (and not too long either) arranged by style rather than country, with helpful tasting notes (n.b. by me, Neville. I have input on choices, but... not prices), to let you make an informed choice. There are, of course, classic choices from Bordeaux and Burgundy, but the list covers almost the whole world, with a number of excellent, but little-known offerings from Italy and America, in particular. But the feature of the wine list is the gentleness of the prices, which represents an opportunity to trade up that is not to be missed.
Restaurant Ratings...
Food 47
Winelist 18
Service 9
Ambience 5
Value for Money 14
Total 93
You are at liberty to study the wine list which has been thoughtfully placed in your bedroom and are encouraged to make your choice before dinner, so that your bottle may be properly prepared. The list has some 200 bins, so it is not too short (and not too long either) arranged by style rather than country, with helpful tasting notes (n.b. by me, Neville. I have input on choices, but... not prices), to let you make an informed choice. There are, of course, classic choices from Bordeaux and Burgundy, but the list covers almost the whole world, with a number of excellent, but little-known offerings from Italy and America, in particular. But the feature of the wine list is the gentleness of the prices, which represents an opportunity to trade up that is not to be missed.
Restaurant Ratings...
Food 47
Winelist 18
Service 9
Ambience 5
Value for Money 14
Total 93
Tyddyn Llan Hotel and Restaurant Llandrillo, Nr. Corwen, Denbeighshire, Wales LL21 0ST
Phone: 01490 440264 Fax: 01490 440414
E-mail: reception@tyddynllan.co.uk
www.tyddynllan.co.uk
Open: All year.
Rooms: 13 all en suite.
Prices: Bed and Breakfast £65 to £120 per person, depending on the room. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast: £80 to £140 per person depending on the room. You can view all the rooms with the price options on their web site.
Credit cards: all major cards.
Phone: 01490 440264 Fax: 01490 440414
E-mail: reception@tyddynllan.co.uk
www.tyddynllan.co.uk
Open: All year.
Rooms: 13 all en suite.
Prices: Bed and Breakfast £65 to £120 per person, depending on the room. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast: £80 to £140 per person depending on the room. You can view all the rooms with the price options on their web site.
Credit cards: all major cards.