Best restaurants in Swansea Published 07 April 2025
Swansea’s restaurant scene is defined by its coastal setting, creative energy, and warm Welsh hospitality. From kitchens drawing inspiration from the nearby Gower Peninsula to those championing seasonal local produce, the city’s best dining spots reflect a strong connection to land and sea.
Whether you’re after a relaxed waterfront lunch or something more refined, Swansea offers thoughtful cooking in welcoming surroundings. Explore our guide to the best restaurants in Swansea and discover where to eat in this lively South Wales city.
‘Simply perfect in every way,’ Hywel Griffith’s restaurant has put this blissful corner of Gower firmly on the map, adding elevated dining to the many pleasures of Oxwich Bay. And, yes, Beach House really is on t… Read more
‘Simply perfect in every way,’ Hywel Griffith’s restaurant has put this blissful corner of Gower firmly on the map, adding elevated dining to the many pleasures of Oxwich Bay. And, yes, Beach House really is on the beach, in a one-storey, old stone building hunkered down against the wind with sand on its doorstep. Sip pre-prandial drinks on the lovely terrace if the weather allows, before repairing to the dining room – a study in suave, artfully understated sophistication: think rustic-chic meets European urban cool and you’ll get the idea.
The gleaming lights and sparkling metal of the pass give a glimpse of the kitchen, where dishes of flawless precision are created. This is multidimensional cooking, excelling both visually and in terms of flavour and texture – and with the confidence to add extra elements, taking the food into sublime territory. Pickled kohlrabi, pomelo, ponzu and ‘salty fingers’ add an extra dimension to a dish of cured sea trout with smoked eel and chive sauce, while Llandeilo fallow deer is embellished with BBQ celeriac, broccoli, pickled pear and monkfish. Salt marsh lamb, lobsters and ‘gorgeous warm bread’ made with laver seaweed tick all the Welsh boxes, and glorious local vegetables also show up strongly.
There are three menus offering various options via three, six or eight courses, running from pig’s cheek with Jerusalem artichoke, crispy shallots, lardo and sherry vinegar to chocolate tart with blackberries and smoked Douglas fir ice cream or the much-lauded bara-brith soufflé accompanied by tea ice cream – a sumptuous take on a timelessly beautiful and comforting combination.
Highly knowledgeable staff are ‘professional, but relaxed,’ when it comes to dealing with customers, while the international wine list offers something at every price point, with the focus on interest and sustainability – a sommelier is on hand to make pairing ‘a breeze’. Welsh spirits and cocktails are also worth a punt.
‘A staple of the Swansea area’ since 2007, Andrew Hanson’s characterful restaurant continues to please, and his cooking never gets old – thanks to a solid classical grounding, excellent local ingredients an… Read more
‘A staple of the Swansea area’ since 2007, Andrew Hanson’s characterful restaurant continues to please, and 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 Swansea smoked salmon with crab and prawn blinis, goat’s cheese Chantilly with an assiette of beetroot or a handmade Gala-style pork pie embedded with a quail’s egg.
The classics come out in full force for main courses, perhaps herb-crusted roast rack of Welsh lamb with a mini shepherd’s pie, tournedos of beef or oven-crisped confit duck with gratin dauphinoise, port sauce and glazed orange. Cornish seafood is the star of other dishes ranging from new season’s lobster with pommes frites to a ‘rendezvous of salmon’ with roast scallop, king prawns and a cockle and clam herb butter sauce. There are also prime steaks and decent meat-free options – a porcini risotto, say, with avocado, wild mushrooms and crispy roots.
Desserts are a strength, whether you fancy a traditional syrup sponge pudding or a chocolate crémeux with a quenelle of white chocolate mousse. The taster menu is a ‘superb treat’ too. Wines favour the classics, with plenty of affordable options plus a few reliably good luxuries; the comprehensive whisky selection also comes highly recommended.
A classy little oasis on the main road along Mumbles seafront that channels a bistro vibe with banquette seating, a touch of exposed brickwork and shades of salmon and teal. It's upmarket, too, without being prissy, and the servic… Read more
A classy little oasis on the main road along Mumbles seafront that channels a bistro vibe with banquette seating, a touch of exposed brickwork and shades of salmon and teal. It's upmarket, too, without being prissy, and the service is impeccable. The menu encourages indulgence: before the main act there are ‘snacks’ such as plump Pembrokeshire oysters, lamb belly skewers brightened with cumin, Szechuan oil and verdant mint sauce, or crunchy, melt-in-the mouth Comté croquettes with a zingy pineapple ketchup. The cooking is largely European, but frequently reaches further afield – as in a meat-free main of barbecued aubergine with coconut and tamarind, lime pickle, pakora and chapati. The attention to detail extends to extras, from springy, crusty bread with miso butter and vivid wild garlic oil to an amuse-bouche involvng a wafer cone filled with roast shallot and smoked cream-cheese custard. Elsewhere, a croûton-topped starter of Pant-Ysgawn ravioli with Wye Valley asparagus, preserved lemon and sauce grenobloise places luscious local ingredients to the fore. The same could be said of a main of Myrddin heritage pork with tare (a foraged vetch), Pwdin Du black pudding sausage roll, spiky piccalilli purée and succulent braised leek. The cooking artfully treads the line between refinement and sheer pleasure: a dessert of banana bread with miso-roast banana and Barti rum cream is a case in point. You won’t leave hungry. The wine list offers broad geographical coverage and a good range of price points, with a decent selection by the glass. Also keep an eye open for Môr's occasional butchery and chef demos (in collaboration with Tuckers Butchers of Mumbles).
Adam Bannister and Chris Harris have hit on a winning formula at their singular venue in Swansea's Sketty district. It's a compact first-floor dining room kitted out with foursquare wood furniture and plain walls, but not lacking … Read more
Adam Bannister and Chris Harris have hit on a winning formula at their singular venue in Swansea's Sketty district. It's a compact first-floor dining room kitted out with foursquare wood furniture and plain walls, but not lacking in a due sense of conviviality. A monthly-changing tasting menu is offered, but there is plenty going on in the standard three-course format too. The aromatic waft of truffle distinguishes a veggie opener of textured cauliflower and goat's cheesem while seafood fans might opt for poached cod in a sauce of potted shrimps with braised celery. After that, choose from one of the tripartite meat main courses – rack, shank and neck of lamb with salsa verde, or loin, shoulder and faggot of Middle White pork with savoy cabbage, celeriac terrine and apple purée. Each dish is marked with a suggested wine pairing to absolve you of the effort of choosing, all the way to a finishing line that could be Australian pink moscato with poached rhubarb and egg custard, or a delightful aged tawny port with chocolate soufflé and peanut-brittle ice cream. Wines on the main list start at around £20 for Sauvignon and Merlot varietals from the Aude Valley in France.
Occupying one end of a former grain store overlooking the steely waters of the Prince of Wales Dock on Swansea’s regenerated waterfront, the Shed emphasises the building's original features including exposed brickwork, … Read more
Occupying one end of a former grain store overlooking the steely waters of the Prince of Wales Dock on Swansea’s regenerated waterfront, the Shed emphasises the building's original features including exposed brickwork, cement, tiles and some serious-looking riveted metal pillars. Inside, it's bright and airy, with a theatrical open kitchen taking up most of one wall, counter seating for anyone keen to watch the show and some cool, well-spaced modernist furniture – all overseen by a meticulous front of house team. Executive chef/co-owner Jonathan Woolway is a Swansea boy who decamped to London for a long stint at Fergus Henderson’s St John before returning to his hometown. What he has created here is 'a real asset to the Swansea food scene,' according to one fan.
The menu is a hymn to Welsh ingredients, from Pembrokeshire crab and lobster to Gower asparagus and new season's lamb. At times, the food is deceptively simple, but beneath the breezy presentation, individual elements are clearly carefully considered and the cooking is precise.
The influence of St John is evident in the stonking Welsh rarebit (glossy, peppery and punchy) and in nose-to-tail ideas such as pig's spleen rolled with pancetta and sage – its 'black puddingy' richness balanced by celeriac rémoulade and the vinegary notes of cornichon and pickled shallot. Elsewhere, comfortably familiar pies and fish and chips appear alongside the less familiar options. Seafood is an undoubted strength – from excellent cockle croquettes to skate wing with a zingy slaw of fennel, sweet pickled chill and capers or grey mullet with juicy braised Welsh leeks and a perky aïoli.
This is generous, big-hearted food, but do leave room for dessert: fruity bara brith with heritage Teifi cheese, perhaps, or a chocolate and hazelnut choux bun with hazelnut ice cream. The wine list isn't exhaustive but its reach is expansive, with bottles for most pockets and tastes.
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