FOOD TOUR OF ABERYSTWYTH

No one can really say they go to Wales for the food – after all, no one spends their evening craving cawl and rarebit – but this only makes the restaurants some of the most underrated. Aberystwyth is full of great restaurants featuring food both local and international, and I could easily see myself revisiting just for Mama Fay’s or Sophie’s. I’ve been dining in Aberystwyth for a little over six months now, and so here are the best places to visit in the whole of mid-Wales. You’re welcome.

THE WHITE HORSE

Best for… price

The most basic place on this list offers simple British dinners at an incredibly affordable price. A full three-course meal for two could cost less than £25, including drinks. Situated dead in the centre of town, it’s the perfect place to stop after the movies or before checking out the nightlife – and they often host deals on dinners.

MAMA FAY’S

Best for… service

For service from cheery waitresses and chefs that show genuine interest in your opinion of the food, Mama Fay’s is the place. The food is also one of my favourite, specialising in Jamaican cuisine dulled down for a more British audience. Their Ital Stew is easily the best on the menu, but they have recently started offering more options for people less likely to venture out of their food comfort zone, such as Crispy Bolt Chicken. A lively atmosphere filled with music of the Caribbean and laughter from the staff, it’s an all-round great place to grab a meal.

LIGHT OF ASIA

Best for… taking away

I’m a sucker for Indian food, and so have tried out all the Indian joints in Aberystwyth. However, the best has got to be Light of Asia, which is both incredibly tasty and incredibly cheap – and perfect to eat curled on a sofa watching Big Bang Theory repeats. The restaurant itself is lovely to eat in, but can get very busy and can be quite awkward to get to – but situated close to the beach it’s great for snacking at whilst wandering the seafront.

PIER BRASSERIE

Best for… luxe

You’d likely feel out of place if you wore anything less than a bowtie and polished shoes, the Royal Pier is easily the most luxe place in the whole of Aberystwyth. Overlooking the ocean, expect classic French, Italian, and British cuisine and a vast wine menu. I recommend the Welsh Rarebit and Ratatouille Pie for a Wales-cum-France culinary experience.

     

LE CASABLANCA

Best for… atmosphere

Probably my favourite on this list due to my inexplicable love for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, Le Casablanca easily has the best atmosphere out of all the food places in Aberystwyth. The walls are hand-painted, and the chef is one of the most interesting guys you could meet – he even painted the frames around the room himself. Expect dishes that don’t stray from their traditional recipes, with even the sauces whipped up by the owner himself. The dipped lighting and ancestral decor draw you into another land, making it perfect for escaping the harsh Welsh climate outdoors and transporting you to Eastern Europe. Another quirk – service is cheaper as you can bring your own bottle of wine.

SOPHIE’S

Best for… mornings

Prepare for a ten-minute wait, but when you sit down to eat it all becomes worth it. The calm Welsh seaside atmosphere quickly turns into a bustle of coffee and vibrancy inside Sophie’s, a little cafe offering the best breakfast menu you could imagine. My most memorable was an all-American fried breakfast with piles of pancakes, with silk-bagged green tea, as thick Welsh accent chatted excitedly around me. They also do great lunches – check out the homemade lamb kofta.

BURRITOS AT NUMBER 25

Best for… quick eats

Also offering some great vegan options, Burritos at Number 25 is a gorgeous little Mexican place, perfect for nipping in for a quick bite. You can sit at the stools that overlook the town, or dash back out with a warm burrito in your hand. Either way, it’s a great place to get snacks.

BELLE VUE HOTEL

Best for… a view

The hotel itself is gorgeous to stay in, but what really stands out is the food. You don’t need to be a guest in order to eat at the Belle Vue, which is just as well as I would happily go back just for the food. Whilst not quite gourmet, the basic meals offer a gorgeous seafront view, overlooking straight out to the ocean. It’s an incredibly convenient place to stop if you plan on spending a day at the beach, as other food places in the immediate area lack either quality or the option to sit so close to the beach which still staying behind glass (a must in the unpredictable cold weather).

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

• The Grail – perfect for first dates! You can cwtch together over a steaming mug of hot coco, sharing a bowl of tomato soup, and just being all-round adorable

• The Marine Hotel – perfect for groups! They offer a wide range of delicious dishes that match ingredients which you wouldn’t expect – think duck paté and sweet cranberry, and desserts made entirely of mashed up cake

• Coffee #1 – perfect for vegans! A stunning little hideaway that replicates an old family home, they offer an abundance of dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan cakes, snacks, and hot beverages

• The Carlton – perfect for study dates! They do the best scones and afternoon tea in the whole of Ceredigion, and have little benches which you can share with a study partner and some notes

• Medina – perfect for tea! They offer a range of delicious teas by ATTIC Teas, with my personal favourites being:

• Silver Needle White Tea. Hand-picked in the beautiful coastal region of Fujian, the young buds are sun-dried to maintain their delicious and soft qualities. The brew is a pale and iridescent Champagne colour, and the taste is subtle, sweet, and delicate.

• Ti Guan Yin is hands down one of my favourite teas on earth. With this tea, the leaves are rolled into tight little balls, so that when how water is added they expand, filling the pot with these big, healthy wads of leaves. The liquid colour is a pale olive, bright and clear. The flavour profile is quite complex, a fine balance between fragrant, creamy, bold, rich, and vegetal. Long story short, it’s delicious!

• Tippy Yunnan black tea looks absolutely beautiful as the leaves have a golden tip which turn the liquid a rich, reddish hue when brewed. Due to the fact that the leaves had been basket-fired over charcoal, the taste is slightly smoky, with hints of black pepper, sweet nectar, and damp earth. The flavour is very bold and a great example of quality black tea.

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Have you guys ever tried any of these places, or want to? Let me know in the comments below!

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