Bristol,Llandudno,London

[pierre45]

WE shall be spending a few days in each of those cities in late june.

We are looking for worthy restautants that use good qualiy ingredients and have skillful chefs without having us brake the bank.Ethnic is fine ,except for french.

[Mrs Woman]

I've never actually eaten in a restaurant in Llandudno, we always end up getting fish and chips and eating them on the seafron, doing battle with the seagulls However, I've heard that the St Tudno hotel is meant to be good: http://www.st-tudno.co.uk/

I can recommend a great French place in Deganwy (a 5 min drive/taxi ride away) called Paysanne. I refer you to my recent post on the Guardian travel website (abuot the 11th post down): http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/places/unite...=united-kingdom

We're going back next Friday. Great value at about £22 for 3 courses.

Oops just noticed you don't want French! Oh well...

Just remembered the Fat Cat bar in Llandudno is ok for lunch, nothing special but decent enough grub. This FC outpost (its a chain) seems to do better on the food front than in other ones. http://www.fatcatcafebars.co.uk/llandudno/index.html

Bistro Conwy (funnily enough in Conwy) does good Welsh food, see my earlier post, you do have to book ahead though: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=89493&hl=conwy

[beandork]

I had an interesting meal at Bell's Diner in Bristol recently. The menu was adventurous and some of the courses were hit-and-miss, but it was a cut above the usual and didn't cost that much considering the jellies-and-foam fare ...I had problems finding much else in Bristol that was extraordinary, you might be best taking the short trip over to Cheltenham or Bath.

[Corinna Dunne]

In London, for “fine dining in trainers” and avant garde food, Bacchus is very reasonably priced, you’ll find the thread here.

For bistro-style cooking, check the following threads:

Arbutus

Galvin Bistro Deluxe

And Racine here and here

[MobyP]

Well, you don't want french, so the above may not be suitable.

The River Cafe is a great restaurant for sitting by the river. Excellent ingredients, cooked simply. Quite expensive though.

You'll probably find St John's of interest. If you want loud and noisy, Anchor and Hope.

Chinese - Haakasan is worth going to for lunch, and you can keep the bill down by ordering some of the excellent dim sum.

Sushi Hiro in Ealing for superb, inexpensive sushi or more probably Sushi Ikeda near New Bond Street - some of the best sushi in London, more expensive, with excellent cooked food too.

I'll think of some more.

[Mrs Woman]

Another rec for Llandudno: http://www.bodysgallen.com/dining/index.php Bodysgallen Hall on the road between Llandudno and Deganwy/Conwy has good afternoon teas, never properly dined there though.

Also in Deganwy is Nikki Ips, a pretty decent Chinese restaurant that got in the Michelin guide a couple of years back (a bib not stars though). Think they may also own the Wild Orchid Thai next door but not tried that yet. The Quay hotel has recently opened in Deganwy also but it looks like all fur coat and no knickers to me.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you staying? And why on earth are you staying in Llandudno in the first place? There are much nicer places throughout Snowdonia! I always see Llandudno as a bit of a faded old seaside town where lots of OAPs go on coach holidays to!

Edited May 21, 2007 by Mrs Woman (log)

[pierre45]

Another rec for Llandudno: http://www.bodysgallen.com/dining/index.php Bodysgallen Hall on the road between Llandudno and Deganwy/Conwy has good afternoon teas, never properly dined there though.

Also in Deganwy is Nikki Ips, a pretty decent Chinese restaurant that got in the Michelin guide a couple of years back (a bib not stars though). Think they may also own the Wild Orchid Thai next door but not tried that yet. The Quay hotel has recently opened in Deganwy also but it looks like all fur coat and no knickers to me.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you staying? And why on earth are you staying in Llandudno in the first place? There are much nicer places throughout Snowdonia! I always see Llandudno as a bit of a faded old seaside town where lots of OAPs go on coach holidays to!

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THank you for your help.We have 2 days and we don't have a car.Our concern was arrival by train from bristol and return to london.We also don't know the area.

[Mrs Woman]

If I were you, I'd stay in Conwy or Deganwy then! Bear in mind, Deganwy's station is called Llandudno Junction, quite confusing!

[pierre45]

If I were you, I'd stay in Conwy or Deganwy then! Bear in mind, Deganwy's station is called Llandudno Junction, quite confusing!

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Too late .we are booked at swn-y -mor in a sea view room.

What's OAP'ers.?

WE are seeking something different from the sophisticated urban places such as paris or new york where we live.

[algy]

WE are seeking something different from the sophisticated urban places such as paris or new york where we  live.

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Llandudno is definitely different to Paris and New York.

OAP = Old Aged Pensioner

[Mrs Woman]

Ha ha, yes Lllandudno is definitely neither sophisticated or urban!

http://www.swn-y-mor.com/features.htm Well my first impressions of your hotel was that it looks a little dated but Trip Advisor members appear to give it great reviews so you obviously can't judge a book by it's cover

If there is anyway you can get out of your booking, I would really recommend Conwy instead, it's a much prettier, friendlier little harbour town. Not sophisticated or urban either but much nicer than Llandudno.

EDIT: Just to add though, my husband loves Llandudno and thinks i'm being a terrible snob. So just ignore me

Edited May 23, 2007 by Mrs Woman (log)