Sheeps and Leeks
Caernarfon, Gwynedd
'The entrance at street level is – unusually – straight into the kitchen, which looks like a Chinese takeaway,' noted one visitor to this idiosyncratic eatery. The restaurant proper is downstairs in the basement, a brick/wallpapered room adorned with photos from Marco Pierre White's White Heat and Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, which makes the genuinely delicious food 'an almost total surprise'. Paul Hearn is 'capable of serious magic’, and his 10-course, locally driven tasting menu is full of distinctive touches. After quality bread and inventive canapés (the crispy Snowdonia Cheddar doughnuts were an 'absolute standout'), a dish of locally grown red cabbage with heritage beetroot, homemade buttermilk and pumpkin seeds was 'clean, firm and intense'. Moving on, shiitake mushrooms came buried in a silky mushroom espuma topped with croûtons, capers and wild garlic oil, while the menu’s climax – roasted and braised Welsh lamb on lightly cooked leeks with carrot, sheep’s milk, tarragon and pine nuts – did full justice to the restaurant's name above the door. Desserts are no afterthought either, with highlights ranging from a rhubarb sorbet atop torched meringue and rhubarb compote (a 'texturally remarkable' combo) to a giant chocolate macaron garnished with crémeux, fudge and ice cream, all imbued with honey from Bagnor Apiaries. A ‘pub-like’ list of around two dozen reasonably priced wines (including a couple of Anglesey locals) is bolstered by a patriotic brigade of Welsh beers, ciders, spirits and liqueurs. Above all, there is real warmth here. Service is tirelessly enthusiastic and down to earth, ‘even in the face of running over 150 plates from kitchen to basement each night’. Like the castle-dominated town of Caernarfon, Sheeps and Leeks is a little rough around the edges but, once inside, there's a lot to like.
Dining Information:
Pre-payment required
12 East Gate Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 1AG
01286 239118
