Best restaurants in Swansea

Another excellent option in Sketty, Gilligan’s is a restaurant that rolls out a menu of much-loved classics - from haddock goujons with lemon garlic mayo, to stuffed mushrooms, duck and pork liver pate with homemade chutney, and fantastic roasts on a Sunday too. Add in the very affordable prices and wonderful service and it’s no wonder that Gilligan’s has been a favourite with Swansea locals for many years.

There are just 16 covers in this tiny little eatery in Sketty, but if you’re lucky enough to nab a table, you’re in for a treat. Chefs Adam Bannister and Chris Harris deliver slick, contemporary cooking that celebrates great Welsh ingredients - we recommend going for the six course tasting menu to try as many dishes as possible.

If this old-school beach-side boozer was any closer to the sea, it would be in it. The West Cross Inn has all the trappings of a good country pub - a range of beers on tap, a solid menu of pub grub, and a beer garden that practically sits on the beach overlooking Swansea Bay.

No discussion about Swansea’s best restaurants is complete without mentioning the exceptional Beach House at Oxwich Bay. Hywel Griffiths’ cooking is proudly, staunchly Welsh - the restaurant sources the best Welsh produce it can and delivers it across a series of seasonal tasting menus, while the tide rolls in and out of the bay just outside.

Chef Andrew Hansom oversees his eponymous restaurant, which you’ll find right in the heart of the city centre, just off busy Wind Street. A daily blackboard menu gets written up inside, with pride of place given to fish and seafood, which comes fresh from Swansea marina via day boats.

Welsh by name, French by nature, Pant-Y-Gwydr combines slick, polished interiors with some wonderful, authentic Gallic cookery. Absolutely everything is made on-site, from a rich soupe de poisson to delicate patisserie treats for dessert. The restaurant also lays on a separate menu of vegan starters, mains and desserts that go further than your regular options, so everyone feels a bit special at Pant-Y-Gwydr.

Not strictly in Swansea (but still within easy reach of the city), Parc-le-Breos is worth knowing about for anyone in and around the Gower. This beautiful old country house is nestled deep within the Gower Peninsula, and makes a base for anyone wanting to explore the area. There’s a restaurant to match the setting too, serving refined a la carte menus with a heavy focus on local produce, as well as locally-shot game and vegetables grown in the kitchen garden.

Swing around the Swansea Bay to Mumbles to visit MÔR - a lovely relaxed restaurant on the Mumbles Road that serves some clever modern European food, with a focus on great Welsh ingredients. There’s an especially good selection of seafood on offer normally, alongside some very good international fare.

This beloved, independent, family-run restaurant in Sandfields has a rep for great food at very reasonable prices. Truffle sticks to tried-and-tested comfort flavours, but what it does it does really well, and staff at this little gem are fantastic too.

This slick, sophisticated tapas bar out in Gowerton dishes up excellent, very reasonable small plates and seasonal specials. Expect some classic Spanish tapas (roast padron peppers, patatas bravas and the like) alongside more international and Welsh fare (the Welsh halloumi with spicy chilli relish is delicious, as are the deep-fried Welsh cockles).

Murton sits right on the edge of the Gower AONB, making The Plough and Harrow a fantastic stop-off for anyone exploring this beautiful part of the world. For our money this is one of the very best gastropubs in the area, serving a variety of menus packed with elevated comfort food, as well as dedicated vegetarian and vegan menus and a cracking Sunday roast.