Sosban & The Old Butchers

Occupying an old butcher’s shop (clue’s in the name), Stephen Stevens’ idiosyncratic little restaurant creates a cool impression with its original slate slabs and ceramic tiles, offset by heritage colours and contemporary design features. The set-up couldn’t be simpler: there are no menus and opening hours are limited. Nevertheless, Stephen’s food is “thrillingly different” – the kind that wins Michelin stars in unlikely places. Meals are off-the-cuff affairs dictated by the chef’s whims, the market and the seasons, with Anglesey producers making a serious contribution. To start, you might be offered ‘chicken 1,2,3’, a surreal arrangement of curly bread straws speckled with bacon, spiced chicken ‘oysters’, crispy kale leaves and Parmesan, all presented on a log. Other standouts could include celeriac risotto topped with apple and coffee, to venison from Snowdonia with pear purée, charred Brussels sprout ‘petals’, parsnips and smoked yoghurt. All ideas that “explode in the mouth with flavour”. To finish, sweet lollipops might just steal the show.

If you travel to Menai Bridge on the Isle of Anglesey, in the heart of the city you will find an 'old butcher shop'. But once you step through the door, you will find yourself in a Michelin-starred restaurant. Sosban & The Old Butchers create seasonal dishes based on what's available in the local area. As such, there is no menu. Instead, you simply book for lunch or dinner and the expert kitchen team do the rest. The motto here is 'work hard in silence, let the success make the noise'. And the success of Sosban & The Old Butchers certainly has made noise, with accolades including a Michelin star, four AA rosettes and a place in the Good Food Guide Top 50, to name a few. 

Given the ever-changing roster of dishes on offer here, it's hard to predict what to expect. That being said, there are themes and concepts that seem to be staples. Fermenting, for example, pops up regularly, and you can expect unusual combinations like fish and banana or sweetcorn in a dessert. Head chef Steven Stephens creates dishes that are unique, so much so that it draws people to Anglesey just for a taste. Previous dishes include smoked brioche with pea soup and anchovy butter, pressed lamb with aubergine and harissa, beetroot with roast apple puree, muesli and horseradish snow or roasted salt cod with beurre noisette, ox tongue, cauliflower and mushroom. 

Dessert is usually spread across multiple courses, with a pre-dessert such as gooseberry fool lolly dipped in crumble, followed by the full dessert which might be a strawberry cheesecake. Wine pairings are available, as are gin and tonics and the like. This family-run restaurant tucked away in Anglesey pushes culinary boundaries every day, so it's certainly worth the trip. To book a table at Sosbans, simply call the number on the right.