Swallow Cottage at Duffryn Mawr Cottages

Run by the same team as The Hare & Hounds in Aberthin, this large neighbourhood pub is the kind of place that quickly becomes your favourite haunt. Simple and rustic in décor, the focus is on the eminently satisfying cooking, which has a strong nose-to-tail ethos resulting in dishes like confit pork belly with homemade black pudding and crispy ham hock. The menu of great value small plates changes daily, while pre-ordering the tasting option will ensure you sample the full range of the kitchen’s talents.

The Welsh word ‘hiræth’ has no direct translation, but it broadly refers to the pride and longing the Welsh feel for their homeland. That ethos comes through at this likeable little restaurant, thanks to the use of regional produce including locally foraged ingredients and some from their own smallholding. The cooking comes in a tasting menu format, with dishes flying highest when emphasising the quality of their ingredients, like sous-vide skrei cod with a mussel and wild garlic velouté. The team show pride in their work and will ensure you are well looked after.