Drovers Rest - Powys

Firstly, you have to book! This place doesn’t open every night and when it is open tends to have only a few tables. That said it is well worth it! Booking was slightly mixed up , we asked for 7pm, was told they open at 6:45, so we confirmed 7. When we arrived at 7, they said we’re we’re 6:45!! It didn’t seem to matter though as we were led through to the small snug/bar for a pre dinner drink and a chat with the chef and proprietor. Small bar but with a good choice. We chose our wine there too, nice choice of excellently priced wines. The menu was excellent for such a small place. Lovely choice of some more unusual dishes venison for example . I had the black pudding starter and my husband had the mackerel see pictures below . Beautifully presented when they arrived, almost didn’t want to spoil it by eating it! All the courses were delicious and a good portion size to the point we both struggled to finish our dessert! Restaurant itself seemed clean and not smelling of food a pet hate of mine . We didn’t feel rushed and we were offered port with the cheeseboard which was a nice touch or a dessert wine . My only bugbear about the whole experience were the 2 young waitresses. They were very polite when serving, if a little inexperienced maybe, but away from the tables you could hear them giggling constantly in the kitchen and it just felt like they weren’t taking things seriously behind our backs or they were maybe laughing at the customers. It probably wasn’t the case of course but it was slightly off putting. Overall, really would recommend a visit for a meal. Very impressive food.

We ate as a group of six at The Drivers Rest and were blown away by the quality of the food and wine at reasonable cost for this level of cuisine.

We had delicious freshly cooked lunch of sea bass and fresh vegetables followed by equally delicious homemade desserts. Friendly staff added to the experience.

My husband had the Welsh brunch which he thoroughly enjoyed and looked amazing. I had the fish which along with the chips and peas tasted like they came directly from the freezer and were heated in the microwave. For a place that has received recognition and awards, I was very disappointed. But not too disappointed because I made reservations for dinner, hoping that Drovers can redeem itself.

We had a fantastic meal at Drovers Rest while staying at Ardwyn House, just down the road. The chicken and salmon were both lovely, desserts were excellent and the staff were very attentive.