The Market Place

Very lovely restaurant, if you are ever in this neck of the woods this is a must visit. We looked at the website and thought it looked ok but when we arrived it exceeded all our expectations. A group of 7 of us went there for my mother in laws birthday. What a surprise to find that there was a private little room just off the main restaurant that we had the pleasure of using. For a small group like ours it was perfect as it felt very private and the ambience was just right with soft lighting and warm colours. The waiting staff weren’t bothersome and very accomodating and friendly. We ordered our food which was delicious beyond measure, my mother in law said it was the best cod she had had in her life and at 74 i expect thats pretty good. We had a mix of different things from the starter and the main menu and all the plates were practically licked clean. Only myself and my MIL had a dessert, it was crème brûlée with an almond biscotti and rhubarb. Yes we also thought it sounded strange but thought we’d give it a try, well its worth driving all the way to Wales just to taste it! The most delicious dessert we’ve ever had. The inside is decorated really well not too modern not too old and fusty and they played good music softly in the background. I hate loud music or naff music in restaurants. They also have a nice garden out the back and a sort of mezzanine bar upstairs, looks great if you wanted a private party. The only negative was the fact that the toilets were upstairs, not a bother for me but it can be for someone in their 70’s. Toilets were also nice and clean and had a vintage feel to them. The prices were pretty standard good restaurant prices so a little more expensive than a Zizi’s or a Loch Fyne but for the standard of everything its worth paying a little extra. For 7 of us it came to £240 which is about £35 each that was for 2 courses, 2 bottles of wine and about 6 bottles of real ale. All in all we had the most superb evening and left all full, merry, happy and rambling about how i was going to write an amazing review on Qype, so here it is.

The Marketplace is a really versatile venue, in the winter the log fire roars and the exposed brick walls glow with warmth and rustic charm. In the summer the big umbrellas in the courtyard provide shade for those long lazy lunches that are perpetuated by an endless stream of chardonnay. It’s glorious and charming and a wee bit posh. We went in seeking shelter during a very rainy day in March, my lovely French connection playsuit soaked through and my hair plastered to my head, very attractive indeed.
Not especially hungry we opted for the light lunch, my companion (the filthy carnivore) had a chunky burger with salad and I had to admit feelings of mild envy when it came. I had the mushroom/​toast type thing which was absolutely lovely but cost me £7. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no scrooge but for £7 I want a little more than mushrooms on toast (the only other option on the light lunch ‘menu’). It was beautifully presented though and probably the prettiest plate of mushrooms on toast I’ve ever encountered.
The staff were lovely and didn’t even sneer at me for looking like an absolute rat with horrible hair, our waitress was even sympathetic to my plight making helpful ‘oooh’ noises when I squelched in saturated with rainwater. It’s a little on the pricey side but the food is excellent and the setting is pretty perfect to be honest.