A Valentine’s Surprise: Sunday Lunch at Penmaenuchaf Hall

by Alan Cole · Monday, February 17th, 2025

We don’t usually do much for Valentine’s Day. However, this year, Anna bought me a chocolate banana from M&S! Then, I received an email from Penmaenuchaf Hall saying they had finished some of their renovations and were open again. I took it as a sign, so I decided to reciprocate and asked Anna if she wanted to go out for dinner. Her answer was a definite yes. After checking availability, dinner became Sunday lunch, and we were soon heading the short drive north on a grey, windy Sunday.

We were last at Penmaenuchaf Hall for our anniversary in July. That time, we stayed overnight, but today was just a flying visit for lunch. As far as the renovations were concerned, there wasn’t much to see from outside—everything looked as it did last time. Inside, there wasn’t much difference either, although there was now a very nice-looking bar in the lounge, which was a definite improvement. I think most of the renovations have been to the rooms, which we didn’t get to see.

Sunday Lunch

Despite new owners, lots of renovations, and a new chef, the place still retained its character. We were greeted with a warm welcome before getting comfy on the sofas in front of a roaring log burner. The food was just as good as last time—maybe even better. After some very tasty little snacks to get us started and some delicious bread, I had a venison starter while Anna had the celeriac and truffle soup. We both had a large roast beef dinner for mains, and then I had a passion fruit cheesecake for pudding, while Anna had a sticky apple treacle dessert.

It was all very nice and a great way to spend the afternoon. The staff were all friendly and clearly excited about the renovations happening elsewhere in the building. After lunch, we retired to the sofas for coffee and petits fours.

After chilling and chatting for a while, it was time to drive home—but not before enquiring about their Christmas packages. Following our Christmas break at Portmeirion last year, we’re now looking for something similar (but different) for this year. There are a number of options on the table. with Penmaenuchaf Hall being one of them..