Y Castell Deudraeth

Reservations? Not always the right sort…

Castell Deudraeth
Portmeirion Village, Penryndaedreuth, Gwynedd

Castell Deudraeth (pronounced 'Die drath') can be very good indeed – it depends what you are looking for, or expecting… There are a couple of points in this review that might sound a little damning, but do not let this put you off! Perhaps we should just get them out of the way, talk plain and say it how it is, or how it has been on occasion: OK, the scenario is as follows. Booking for a double 40th birthday, a table for two couples and two babies (one for each couple), booking made at reception desk in Y Castell, with babies in plain sight, pointed out that the booking would be for four, plus ‘these two babies, who will probably be asleep the whole time,’ babies displayed to the reservations clerk. Booking made for table, at eight, in two days time. Fine, looking forward to it.

On the night, a rather grumpy Maitre D makes much fuss about the children being so small and unable to use the highchairs and having to reassign the tables to accommodate the infants so they won’t have to be placed on the floor in walk-ways and risk getting trodden on, or having hot stuff spilled on them.

OK, that’s sorted… Now, we order and chat and get excited as the food arrives and then a little dissappointed that the vegitarian in the party has been served the wrong dish, with meat content. This is drawn to the attention of the waiters, who kindly explain that there is no time to prepare the dish that was ordered and suggest a vegeterian pasta dish. Fine. Food good. Tasty. On to dessert and we all go for the icecream. But when the icecream arrives, one of the plates is missing a vital component – the icecream itself. Nice trimmings and presentation, but no actual icecream. This is soon rectified. In general, a good time was had by all, though I would have expected some recompense, such as an offer of complimentary coffee, or not including the substituted pasta dish on the bill, or even a simlpe, ‘Sorry, hope to see you again.’

Oh, well. Perhaps it is the association of Y Castell with Portmeirion and the excellent Hotel that led to certain expectations, like a warm Welsh welcome, or a welcome of some sort…

Having said that, the food is a robust balance of classic and modern with big flavours and good, bold presentation and in general the table service is friendly and relaxed. The menu has a good range of choices and prices, making it a good venue for large, mixed groups. Much of the vegetables are grown on the estate and what is not 'home grown' is locally sourced if possible. The interior is a beautiful modern take on plush 1930s style. The exterior is Victorian Gothick and the restored walled gardens are lovely for an after dinner stroll, with a large lawn area for kids to trot about on. The private terrace is perfect for gin and tonics on a mid-summer’s eve. It’s well worth looking out for the off-peak lunch offers which are great deals such as two courses and wine for £15 - £20… (The pan-fried sea bass was a winner!) The best advice is to approach it as a country bar and grill and not place it in the same mental bracket as the Hotel Portmeirion.

Castell Deudraeth (pronounced 'Die drath') has things right in style, décor and menu… the waiters are friendly and attentive, so when they sort out the attitude of the supervising staff – and learn the skill of hospitality – it will be a wonderful place. Hopefully this is now being addressed under its new (as of 2008) manager, Dylan Thomas, who has transferred from Hotel Portmeirion. Watch this space… or check out their website.