Hanson at the Chelsea
Swansea
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Andrew Hanson has been plying his trade at this welcoming restaurant since 2007, but his cooking never gets old – thanks to a solid classical grounding, excellent local ingredients and a focus on unfettered indulgence. It’s a convivial setting, small, homely and comfortable, with banquette seating and coordinated blond-wood furniture. Typical starters play to the gallery with the likes of chicken liver parfait, goat’s cheese and beetroot cheesecake with poached pear, fresh figs and beetroot crisps, or a rich ragù of Brecon venison with homemade pappardelle and vintage Parmesan. The classics come out in full force for main courses, perhaps eight-hour slow-cooked crispy pork belly – tender, melting and 'just as it should be' – with bourguignon garnish and Madeira jus, or oven-crisped confit duck with gratin dauphinoise, port sauce and glazed orange. Cornish seafood is the star of other dishes ranging from a timeless lobster thermidor to hake Kyiv with garlic, Parmesan and pine-nut butter, sauce vierge, aïoli and hand-cut chips. There are also simple but very good grilled steaks and decent meat-free options – a porcini risotto, say, with crispy avocado, wild mushrooms and crispy roots. Desserts are a strength: look out for lemon tart with crème patissière or crisp-topped Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée. Wines favour the classics too, with plenty of affordable options plus a few reliably good luxuries.
