Gwen

Unless you’re passing through Machynlleth on a food pilgrimage to nearby Ynyshir, you might not know that this sleepy summer tourist town hides another superb restaurant. At the front Gwen is a slick, fun wine bar with a small, ever-rotating list of wines. Glance through the curtain at the back and you’ll see where the real fun is hiding though - chef Corrin Harrison’s intimate eight-seater chef’s table, where the former Ynyshir head chef knocks out an exhilarating 10 course menu.

Lit by the flicker of candles, Gwen is a thoroughly intimate affair. Two tables of four make up the entire restaurant, so unless you’re a group of four, you’ll likely find yourself chatting to a new friend. Meanwhile, the personable Harrison is cooking and dishing up a metre away, chatting through each dish as he goes. So many restaurants feel contrived when explaining dishes, but Gwen is a great example of how it should be - relaxed, engaging and convivial. Sommelier and restaurant manager Jake is also ex-Ynyshir and takes a similar tack with wines, effortlessly matching drinks to courses, amplifying the power of both.

The food itself is outstanding too - Harrison is an exceptional talent and his menus show-off some serious technique as well as delivering levels of flavour that are reminiscent of a certain two-star restaurant down the road. Gwen also has a trump card in the pocket, in that Harrison gets to make use of Ynyshir’s world-class production facilities, like its Himalayan salt chamber. There are lots of high notes: a fantastic combination of pink fir potatoes, jammy hen’s egg and olive; brilliant celeriac teriyaki; a nugget of perfectly cooked trout napped with a sparkling wine sabayon.

Later, a slab of Iberico pork belly comes off the grill and rests on the pass. We watch the fat shimmering in the scoring on its surface, and wonder if Gwen might actually be the real star attraction in Machynlleth. Not quite - Ynyshir’s brilliance is insurmountable, but to speak of Gwen in the same realms says a lot about this young sibling.

Gwen, the sister restaurant to Ynyshir, offers an intensely intimate and carefully choreographed tasting menu experience in Machynlleth. Led by chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, the restaurant distils the spirit of his career – including time spent at acclaimed Bristol restaurants Casamia and Paco Tapas, as well as Decimo in London – into a highly personal format shaped by instinct, craft and creativity.

The room itself is strikingly compact, with just eight seats set within a narrow, atmospheric space. At its heart are two open kitchens, around which the experience unfolds. Guests move through the restaurant over the course of the meal, engaging directly with the cooking process and the team behind it. The kitchen is deliberately small, typically comprising Sanchez-Iglesias and a single assistant, reinforcing the sense of precision and focus.

The multi-course tasting menu draws on global influences filtered through the chef’s own perspective, with an emphasis on exceptional ingredients and a hyper-seasonal approach. Fire plays a central role in the cooking, lending depth and character to dishes that might include combinations such as seafood with rich sauces, bold spice-led preparations, and carefully handled meats alongside house-made elements.

Design comes courtesy of Ynyshir’s Amelia Eiriksson, whose dark, layered interiors are elevated by contributions from local artisans. Bespoke crockery, custom cutlery and hand-forged details create a setting that feels immersive and distinctive without distraction.
Drinks are curated with the same level of intent, with a wine list focused on craft producers and low-intervention styles, available by the glass or bottle to pair with the evolving menu. Service is guided by a close-knit front-of-house team, ensuring a seamless and considered progression from start to finish.