(menu)

Cwtch

22 High Street, St Davids, South Wales SA62 6SD

£30.00 British South Wales
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As cuddly its name implies (‘cwtch’ is Welsh for ‘hug’), this friendly little restaurant majors on local ingredients & big, up-front flavours. Starters range from ham hock, pistachio & apricot terrine with piccalilli, toasted sourdough, pork scratchings & a shot of Gwynt y Draig cider through to Welsh beef spring rolls with pickled ginger salad & chilli jam. Mains also cast the net wide, pulling in everything from slow-roast Pembrokeshire pork belly with black & white pudding, onion gravy, roasted apple & cider sauce to local sea bass fillet with a curried mussel broth, jasmine & coconut rice. A dark chocolate & fudge cheesecake pot laced with Merlyn liqueur is typical of the decadent desserts. The interior is stylish & uncluttered, with bare floorboards, slate tiles, exposed stonework & floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with local products, interesting books & a ready supply of newspapers.

Overall Diner Rating

8.0
Food & Drink
8.0
Service
7.3
Atmosphere
7.7
Value
8.0

Based on 3 ratings. Rate it!

Customer Reviews

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  1. David Joseph C.
    Gold Reviewer

    ( 20s, Male, London )

    Situated on the far south west coast of Wales, the spectacular, and rather quaint city of St. David’s hosts an impressive number of family run coffee shops and art galleries. It is in essence a seaside bohemia with hairy Harley Davidson men and flat cap wearing fisherman, their wives are school teachers or successful local artists, sculpting at the weekend from rock or washed up pieces of wreckage.

    The dominant presence is the cathedral, set in a plush green valley, a destination for pilgrimage since the early 12th century. Pilgrimages to this little hideaway over the years have thrown up tourist supply-and-demand places of deplorable quality in the B&Bs, gastropubs and those guided heritage nature walks along crumbling cliff tops.

    A gratifying find and pleasurable visit is that of Cwtch. Rachael Knott and Head Chef, Matt Cox’s, restaurant, founded in 2005, earnt them a place in the 2009 Michelin Red Guide. A high honour for the small city entry, being recognized and famed in the region and beyond.

    Holidays with my father typically involve the American ‘Great Outdoor’ activities. Not deer hunting or squirrel catching, navigating my way through a rough-riding rapid, but hill-side walks and Withnail & I style wine binges (often dining out) in a truly English father/son bonding fashion. So on a cold, windy, and rather troublous winter’s evening it was a godsend to find Cwtch, promoting and selling local ingredients in an adorable setting within the St. David’s square.

    Cox really praises the seasons and changes the menu quarterly, expressing the most out of local produce and his talent as a chef.

    Cwtch salad with caramelized walnuts and pantsgawn goats cheese was surprisingly light, and although the taste of walnuts still has that hint of battery acid sharpness, something that is difficult to escape from such a nut, the caramilization warmed the taste buds, and the creamy goats cheese leveled the playing field.

    My main of confit duck leg with smoked bacon puy lentils and spiced plum sauce was lovely. I’m a sucker for duck. Not for lentils. The relationship between the two and the plum sauce was delightful, with the duck soft and perfectly cooked.

    Chianti Leonardo 2006, fine (Tuscany -£19.00)). A rich bodied red is good with me. Some people’s nightmares are the educated ramblings of Sir Anthony Hopkins describing human liver with fava beans and a nice glass of Chianti. I have always found it a powerful substance of dark-tongue-tingled wonder.

    Chocolate and orange torte with vanilla ice cream followed, out of greed, and was sweet and tasty.

    There’s not really much to complain about here, and three courses for £28, in times such as these when purse strings are being pulled tighter and tighter, is exemplary.

    • Overall: 9
    • Food & Drink: 8
    • Service: 7
    • Atmosphere: 7
    • Value: 7
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  2. Martin W.
    Reviews: 1

    ( Male, United Kingdom )

    Set Price 3 course meal:28 (Steak was +4)
    House Wine (Rose):14

    After booking a holiday in the lovely town of St. David in Pembrokeshire we started to research the area to find a decent restaurant for an Anniversary celebration.

    Cwtch had – to us – the best menu out of the local restaurants so we booked up a table for Saturday Night.

    The restaurant it self was full and had a wonderful warm/cosy atmosphere. The staff where very friendly and the service was relaxed. The food came out allowing us plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere with out leaving us wondering where things where. The food it self was excellent! I had the Rib Eye steak with Beef Dripping chips and I can honestly say that It was the best steak I have had in years. Starters and sweets where also top shelf too. As where the Sloe Gin cocktails we had to start!

    I can see why this restaurant was full in – what I think is a very seasonal town – out of the normal “season” and will defiantly be paying it a visit next time I am in that part of the world.

    Only down points I can think of is that the Menu was a bit different to the Website. We had to wait a little longer than we would have liked for the bill and there where a few bones in the fish (Hake main my partner had).

    Over all though, an excellent dining experience. Would thoroughly recommend it to anyone!

    • Overall: 8
    • Food & Drink: 9
    • Service: 8
    • Atmosphere: 9
    • Value: 10
    1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
     
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    Customer Reviews

    Been to this restaurant? Write a comment

    Write Your Review
    • 1Win fab prizes with free monthly prize draws!
    • 2See your views in print.
    • 3Collect your thoughts in one place.
    • 4Be rewarded with an Editor's Pick.
    • 5Rate restaurants and share your views.

    Diner reviews for Cwtch

    1. David Joseph C.
      Gold Reviewer

      David Joseph C. ( 20s, Male, London )

      June 2011

      Situated on the far south west coast of Wales, the spectacular, and rather quaint city of St. David’s hosts an impressive number of family run coffee shops and art galleries. It is in essence a seaside bohemia with hairy Harley Davidson men and flat cap wearing fisherman, their wives are school teachers or successful local artists, sculpting at… More

      • Overall: 9
      • Food & Drink: 8
      • Service: 7
      • Atmosphere: 7
      • Value: 7
      Was it helpful to you?
       
    2. Martin W.
      Reviews: 1

      Martin W. ( Male, United Kingdom )

      October 2009

      Set Price 3 course meal:28 (Steak was +4)
      House Wine (Rose):14

      After booking a holiday in the lovely town of St. David in Pembrokeshire we started to research the area to find a decent restaurant for an Anniversary celebration.

      Cwtch had – to us – the best menu out of the local restaurants so we booked up a table for Saturday Night.

      The… More

      • Overall: 8
      • Food & Drink: 9
      • Service: 8
      • Atmosphere: 9
      • Value: 10
      1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Was it helpful to you?
       
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