Return to our wedding venue.

It was a wet Bank Holiday Monday and the wife had heard good things and suggested we Return to the Mansion House at Llansteffan.

We had not been since our wedding sixteen years ago and I felt we would end up being disappointed in the way you are when you return to somewhere that was once special.

We arrived, being only the second car in the car park and feeling rather anxious.  However, from this point on everything was elevated on every level.

The new refurb has let light flood in and would satisfy any wedding photographer on this assignment.  Yes, they still do weddings every Saturday.

We wanted to try the weekday set lunch and were met by Lucy Joyce who has perfected meet and great and made it her own.  Very smart, professional and oozing enthusiasm.  Any young lady who is confident and  courageous enough to recommend a new beer to me, gets my vote.  This I enjoyed whilst we chose off the wine list and lunch menu.

Choosing beetroot smoked salmon and the pate for starters.  A good house white of french sauvignon blanc and battered red mullett and chips with a momentous rib eye steak for me, marbled and very tender.

The fish was fresh and my steak was cooked beautifully.  Alice Jones took over our service and added a small french merlot for me to go with the steak.

This venue has mesmerizing views of the sandy bay and to add to my pleasure played various piano concertos over the speakers to add ambiance.  For years I have been banging the drum about playing good classical music during dinner only to be ignored.  Mozart finished, Chopin took over and here I admit after seeing the film The Pianist, Chopin has become my favorite.

Alice talked us through the dessert menu selecting the tiramisu and tart a citron.  Choosing the Muscat dessert wine to hold their hands.  Gone are the days restaurant offer a good choice of port, brandy and cigars.  However, anywhere that offers a good choice of dessert wines wins my approval..

I remarked to both Alice and Lucy how good the food was and asked about the team? The head Chef is Oscar Ware, obviously knows about good menu choice and prep and his disciples being Paul Owen and Anwen Morris certainly don't let him down.  They seriously know how to cook.

All in all a very memorable and pleasing experience and left me wanting to return with guests very soon.