The Jackdaw

A Meal Worth Writing a Poem About We had the dinner tasting menu at The Jackdaw, paired with a crisp rosé from Provence, and it was nothing short of a revelation. The menu leans fish-forward — in all the right ways — and each course felt like a quiet marvel: surprising, intriguing, and inspiring. Even the bread came with a poem. Every element of the evening was thoughtfully crafted. Each dish told a story, and each bite was a page-turner. It’s hard to choose a favorite when the entire experience felt so cohesively excellent. The service was warm and seamless, striking that rare balance of professionalism and personality. This wasn’t just dinner — it was a walk through local Conwy culture and history, plated with intention and care. Highly recommended for those who love food with a sense of place — and a bit of poetry.

This place is next level. The food was of such a high standard if felt like it should be on a tv show like The Great British menu. The knowledge and sustainability aspects was quite something aswell. We had a lovely young male waiter who was incredibly engaging. All in all an amazing experience at a really good price point for what you get.

We had a great seasonal spring set menu. What I really liked about the meal was how they cared about the locality of their ingredients and presented them with stories of where they came from. Uniquely their wine list is organised by how far the wine traveled, and was an excellent choice of curated bottles.

Was there on 15th February as a birthday treat. It was a lovely experience and I enjoyed all the food save for one Blaenau slate but that was down to personal taste. The wine pairing was interesting and I'd definitely do it again. My only negative is as it was a tasting menu and all 10 covers were eating the same meal at the same time there was no need for the waiting staff to ask if they could take our empty plates and glasses away, they should just take them

What can we say? Let’s start with the food: Such subtle flavours, so much so we were lingering over every spoon/fork/finger full trying to identify the exceptional ingredients on display. The presentation was first class - you eat with your eyes and boy did we! The service: From start to finish we were treated to great service. Gareth certainly knows his wines and his recommendations were spot on. We were delightfully surprised by the Welsh fortified wine - a wonderful compliment to the additional cheese course that we ordered. Overall a superb dining experience that we would happily repeat.

General Experience
- We received a warm and friendly welcome, and the service throughout was excellent. The dining room had a cozy atmosphere, and it was fascinating to read about the history behind the restaurant’s name, which is explained in the menu. A standout touch was the background music—it was refreshingly modern, breaking away from the usual, old-fashioned tunes you might expect at a restaurant of this calibre. Dish Highlights from the Winters Menu: * Forager’s Friend: This starter set the tone for the meal with its bold blend of flavours and impeccable presentation. A fantastic way to begin. * Blaenau Slate: Unusual and distinct from anything we’ve ever had before. Not only was the presentation striking and reflective of the local area, but the flavours were equally impressive. * “Bread Of Heaven”-A comforting array of bread with two homemade butters. The oat butter, in particular, was phenomenal. * Juniper Smoked Trout: A beautifully composed dish with a well-balanced combination of flavours, thoughtfully crafted and delicious.

We went for my wife’s birthday and we will definitely visit again. Located in beautiful Conwy, the restaurant offers a seasonal taste of Wales with their delicious and creative take on traditional dishes and ingredients. Far from pretentious and very attentive to details, the wine pairing was well selected with a good variety. The staff were fantastic and made us feel comfortable throughout.

Superb meal by chef Nick Rudge who we saw on Great British Menu 2024. Tasting menu only these days. We went on a Wednesday (if I recall correctly) and it was only the chef and the manager there working 3 tables. Apparently they limit the number of heads on weekdays. The entrance is quite subtle, a single street level doorway and you climb some stairs to another imposing door, we were almost afraid to enter. But we were greeted warmly by the manager who had plenty of time to chat. The food was all excellent, easily Michelin standard, one of the top two meals we had on a foodies tour of Scotland and Wales. The biggest revelation was the Bread of Heaven, which was made with traditional grains, including an innovative porridge like dish and spreads also infused with fermented grains (if I recall). Bread is normally a side, or a filler, but Jackdaw truly elevated it to a stand alone dish. We didn't try the wine pairing. I read a review from just a few days earlier that clearly had the same menu, and they were unhappy. I don't know why. I found every dish enjoyable and innovative, and thought it was good value for an exquisite meal and great service given it was quiet.