YouTube food critic Gary Hanna visited Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms in Eglwys Fach, Ceredigion, to review the 30-course tasting menu at the restaurant widely regarded as one of the best in the UK. He gave it a 10-star rating but admitted the final bill was "ridiculous".
Gary, who runs the Gary Eats channel, paid £540 for the experience. The minimum dinner experience costs £450 plus 20% VAT per person. He said: "It's a simple 10-star. Quite a few are going to say that's a ridiculous price. Yes, it is a ridiculous price."
Paying for a Dream
The food vlogger said customers are also paying for the experience, panning the camera to show the scenery surrounding the restaurant. He added: "You're paying for a dream. And that's what it is. I think it's their dream. um they they have smashed it out of the park and take my hat off to both of them."
A Five-Hour Feast
Eating at Ynyshir is not a quick bite. The meal took Gary and his cameraman more than five hours from start to finish, and it was light when he entered and nighttime when he left. Despite the length, Gary called it "the best dining experience" he had ever had.
Two Michelin Stars and a Global Menu
The restaurant, run by acclaimed chef Gareth Ward and his partner Amelia Eiriksson, holds two Michelin stars. Its menu draws heavily on Japanese, Thai and Southeast Asian street food, combined with local Welsh ingredients and top-tier produce.
Dishes Gary sampled included Japanese madai, Japanese hamachi, Balfego bluefin tuna, carabineros prawn, Atlantic black cod, and Japanese crown melon.
Advice for Foodies
Gary added: "If you are a massive foodie, this is definitely for you. What I suggest you do is actually come here, book a hotel, and have the whole ambience of some wonderful wines, whiskys etc etc." He added: "The only way you can understand what I've experienced is to experience it yourself."
A Mammoth Meal
He acknowledged that not every dish was to his liking: "Not every dish was to my liking. And we actually disagreed on certain points. The other thing is you think this has gone on all night and it takes forever to do." He also said the meal was "actually quite fast-paced" because all the courses come out pretty quickly. By the time he reached the first of six desserts, he was "really, really full up."
Background and Recognition
Gareth Ward has run the restaurant since 2013. Celebrity chef James Martin previously called it "the best restaurant in the world" and predicted it would soon achieve three Michelin stars.
