Michelin star restaurants in Wales

Cymru is home to an ever-growing collection of exceptional fine dining experiences, including a number of Michelin-starred restaurants. 

Wales’ Michelin highlights include Sosban & The Old Butchers, Beach House, The Whitebrook, The Walnut Tree and Home retaining their stars, and Ynyshir standing out as the nation’s only two‑Michelin‑star restaurant.

Awarded Caerdydd’s first Michelin star in 2025, Gorse has quickly become a defining name in the city’s dining scene. Chef Tom Waters’ modern Welsh cooking has gone on to attract further acclaim, helping to position the restaurant among the country’s most talked‑about fine‑dining destinations.

On the isle of Ynys Môn (Anglesey), is Chef Stephen Stevens’ ideas factory, Sosban and the Old Butchers. When I visited last the artist was hidden behind the ‘pass’; he now conducts his ingredients from the dining room. To view a chef grating, pureeing, blow-torching, perfecting is truly a sight to see! It’s true, it’s not ‘food’ as we usually consume, but we are talking Michelin-grade cuisine. It actually makes you consider what an award-winning chef has to offer. A vision, an ambition, the act of creation - this is food as art, and it really is exciting to see. All dishes on the tasting menu (£175) were extraordinary. My favourite? Local lamb’s tail with mussel custard, paired with coffee and broccoli. Outrageous! And yet, OMG...

A visit to Ynyshir is a full‑on investment in a fabulous food pilgrimage for anyone who likes to travel well, and eat even better. The wildest raw ingredients sourced from all over Ceredigion embrace full-throttle Far Eastern flavours. The name is now so famous that it’s reached peak-Welshness, in terms of mis-pronounciation. Quite simply, ‘ynys hir’ means ‘long island’ in Welsh, far removed from the usual food endeavours. Chef Gareth Ward and team have flipped the narrative of how Cymru is presented to the world. In culinary terms, it’s no longer ‘the middle of nowhere’; it’s at the centre of the food universe.

And speaking of Welsh legends, how does one best prepare for a 30-course 2 Michelin star menu, I wonder? If we’re talking about Ynyshir, then the best advice I can give you is, quite simply, just go with it. Open your mind, expect the unexpected and enjoy a transcendental trip to remember.

During a Welsh winter, the rising numbers of cold water swimmers seek a bracing awakening of the senses and heady life-affirming experience. The culinary version of a refreshing outdoor dip is a trip to Beach House Oxwich. As a Michelin star destination, it really ticks all the boxes. There’s that awe-inspiring journey to get there, as well as that first lungful of fresh sea air; epic beach views and an incredible menu celebrating the best that the growers of Penrhyn Gŵyr (the Gower Peninsula) have to offer.

On top of it all, Chef Hywel Griffiths writes his own bilingual menu for an authentic Welsh cultural experience. Between the laverbread bread and bara brith soufflé, you’re in for an epic immersion.

Caerdydd’s (Cardiff's) first ever Michelin‑starred restaurant is an exceptional gateway to Wales, offering a taste of the Welsh landscape and surrounding waves. A pleasant walk from the city centre (or 5 minutes by car), Gorse is located right at the heart of Pontcanna; a friendly village and foodie enclave with its own distinct café‑bar‑deli culture.

A warm welcome awaits you - it says “Croeso i Gorse” on the front door - and chef Tom Waters and his team take great care to ensure your visit goes well. Choose from a four‑course midday lunch (£45), or a seven‑course (£95) or 10‑course (£125) evening supper, then be prepared for an exploration of flavours, from the kelp‑infused house Martini to the buttermilk bread and umami‑rich seaweed butter. The ingredient‑led menu changes frequently at Gorse, ensuring that each visit is a memorable affair.

If you’re close to Caerdydd or the Vale of Glamorgan, give Home, Penarth a whirl. Nobody knows quite what to expect before ringing the restaurant’s doorbell. But once you’ve been welcomed through those luxury grey curtains, be prepared for an evening of high drama! For one thing, there is no ‘menu’, rather an eight-course (£145) ‘surprise’ tasting menu full of Chef James and daughter Georgia’s Sommerin-style ‘Home’ comforts.

Of course you may state your food preferences beforehand, but I rather enjoyed the rare thrill of anticipation. Die-hard Sommerin fans will be relieved to see the classic pea ravioli. And what these two can do with a savoury bread and butter pudding has to be seen to be believed.

For a country bistro or classy ‘gastro‑pub’ experience, book a table at The Walnut Tree in Llanddewi Skirrid, near Y Fenni (Abergavenny). It’s widely regarded as one of the best‑value Michelin‑starred dining experiences in Wales.

From the home-made bread, beef from Bwlch near Aberhonddu (Brecon), to the apple and Calvados pudding I savoured a feast of local treats and comforting autumnal flavours. Indeed, what left the most lasting impression was the simplest of seasonal starters; ceps and girolles on sourdough toast with a sprinkling of Welsh black truffle. Chef Shaun Hill’s classic menu is a Welsh national treasure. Don’t be surprised if it becomes a firm family favourite; a return visit is always a pleasure.

If you’d prefer an ‘Into the Woods’-style fairy-tale experience, head for The Whitebrook, at the heart of the Wye Valley. Chef Chris Harrod is truly a wizard in the kitchen, casting spells with ‘forest findings’ and ‘forgotten flavours’. I adored the six-course tasting menu - which included meadowsweet-cured mackerel and the finest Wye Valley pork. But for the first time ever I found myself coveting the vegetarian menu. The radish-based dish, as well as the mugwort beets, looked absolutely stunning. Sign of the times, I wonder? Perhaps it’s not so surprising. Recently, The Whitebrook has focused its vision on elevating plant-based pleasures which in 2024 earned Chef Chris Harrod an additional ‘Green’ Michelin Star. The current menu includes a set three course lunch menu (£64) and seven course tasting menu (£95).

So what did I learn from my Welsh foodie sojourn? Well, Michelin star cooking is far more than ‘style over substance’. This is a continuous conversation with producers with generations of expertise. It’s a creative collaboration with, and a deep love of, land and sea. It’s an acceptance and understanding of where you choose to live and breathe. It’s a confident recognition that local food that grows in season is ‘y gorau yn y byd!’ – the very best there really is. It’s finally a gift to diners that you hope they will embrace. For many, it’ll last forever as a wonderful memory of Cymru

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