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AT last an evening out for the grown-ups. The excuse? I hadn’t been out without the kids for ages – I even missed celebrating my birthday.
So we decided to go to the Winter Garden Restaurant at Dolserau Hall, Dolgellau. We arrived just before 7pm and took a seat in the bar lounge where we met owner Tim Langdon, who with his wife Susan took over in 2005. They’ve spent the last three years renovating the hotel up to three star standard, with a rosette for the restaurant.
While we read the menu, amuse bouche arrived: cottage cheese, pepper and spinach pinwheels with salmon and smoked salmon cups.
The bar lounge, three rooms along the side of the hotel with views down to the river, has open fires and comfortable armchairs.
Dinner was a £29.50 a head four course table d’hote, with coffee and mints. I chose a Greenland prawn platter with marie rose sauce, passion fruit sorbet and char-grilled sirloin of Welsh Black beef.
My husband ordered Thai pork boneless baby ribs, cream of tomato and basil soup, plus coq au vin. There are also vegetarian options.
The wine list is extensive but we don’t touch alcohol and opted for soft drinks.
The other diners waiting in the bar are mainly residents. The hotel can sleep about 40 guestsand non-resident diners are only taken when the restaurant is not full of residents.
The guests are mostly older peopleand the hotel does not cater for children under 10; wonderful.We wait about 10 minutes before the waitress reappears to take us through to the restaurant, which again appears to seat about 40 people. The restaurant is the old Victorian conservatory and so has windows running the length of the room. Each table is lit with an oil burner and set with a rose. The candlelight reflected off the glass and silverware and bounced off mirrors, creating a fairytale effect. No doubt someone spends hours polishing, I’m glad it’s not me.
Warm fresh bread accompanied our first course. The portions are generous without being overwhelming. My prawns were light and succulent with a tangy sauce and crisp salad. My husband’s ribs were sweet and, being boneless, unlikely to embarrass. They came on a bed of stir-fried vegetables.
Soup and sorbet come next; the sorbet served in a frosted glass on a saucer. A bit wobbly but I manage not to drop it. The tomato and basil soup was tart but not acidic and was just the right temperature.
We have a break before the main course, not wanting to show ourselves up with our uncouth manners, dinner at home is generally a challenge to eat before we’re disturbed by ‘mum can I have...’.
Our main course arrived in style on large square platters with octagonal side dishes containing baked aubergines and tomatoes, braised leeks and sweet potato roses.
My steak came with grilled tomatoes, flat mushrooms and pont neuf chips – the latter appeared to be chunky home made chips. The steak was cooked to perfection – I ordered it well-done, being a tad squeamish, and it was tender but still succulent, just how I like it.
The coq au vin was a large portion served in a deep platter with baby onions, bacon and red wine. The meat was again tender and succulent, tasty without being too winey. The plates were heavy and hot, and kept the food warm long enough to eat the whole portion.
The presentation as a whole was very good; lots of colour variation, different flavours and textures.
After a rest we found room for a dessert. The options were cherries jubilee soaked in kirsch, rich fruit pudding with brandy sauce, white chocolate nougatine cake, rhubarb fool or the Winter Garden fruit salad. There were also cheeses, but I’m a pudding girl.
But there’s no way I could manage a heavy pudding after three courses so I opted for the cherries jubilee. They came hot and heady in a brandy-snap basket with ice cream from Harlech.
My husband had the rhubarb fool, which was creamy and tart at the same time and came with a shortbread round.
Coffee was help-yourself as we left the restaurant and headed back to the bar. By now it was nearly 9pm and we had to get back to the children.
The bill came to £63.70 – an excellent price for a four course meal in delightful surroundings.
