The Beach House Restaurant Oxwich Bay

As the younger sibling of Coast at Saundersfoot, The Beach House echoes its predecessor in almost every way. Overlooking the sands of Oxwich Bay, this standalone building promises terrific views from the terrace or the dining room (all white walls, leather upholstery and maritime-blue fabrics), while the cooking depends on local supplies – especially Welsh meats, game and seafood from the Gower day boats. A starter entitled ‘hafod’ involves tortellini, crispy hen’s egg, black garlic, broad beans and wood sorrel, while scorched mackerel fillet might keep company with avocado, cucumber, apple and oyster mayo. Mains also show a fresh, forward-thinking approach (think tandoori hake with crispy pork shoulder and tomato fondue or pork belly with roasted pineapple, black pudding, crispy skin and pork-pie sauce), while unusual soufflés are the pick of the puds. Kids and veggies have their own menus, and there are plenty of well-priced wines to wash it all down. Also, look out for special events featuring guest chefs.

Headed up by native Welshman Hywel Griffith, Beach House in Oxwich Bay is a waterside restaurant that prides itself on serving the best possible local produce it can source. The menus are creatively prepared by Griffith and his team, while the restaurant itself boasts beautiful views of the surrounding bay - book ahead to bag yourself a window seat. Griffith, a born-and-raised Welshman, speaks Welsh fluently and has experience working at Coleg Menai in Bangor, The Lanesborough in London, The Chester Grovesnor and Ynyshir. With such a strong driving force at its helm, it's not hard to see why Beach House has earned itself a Michelin star.

There are menus of varying lengths to choose from, from three courses up to a full eight-course tasting menu with wine flights. Starters in the three-course menu are a delicate affair, featuring dishes such as tortellini with wild garlic, shallots and morel mushroom or celeriac, lardo, leek, Welsh truffle and tarragon. These are followed up by punchy mains like braised beef cheek with carrot, shallot, parsley, kale and crispy black rice or butternut squash with black cabbage and pickled pear. Finally, the meal is finished off with the likes of toasted meringue with mint ice cream and pomegranate or pistachio with blood orange, ginger and vanilla. 

The eight-course menu, however, is a more adventurous affair, showcasing simple ideas executed with flair. The excellent local produce that takes centre stage includes Llandelio fallow deer and Snowdonia cheese, as well as elements from further afield like Scottish salmon. The souffle at Beach House is famous and certainly not to be missed. Not wanting its meat-free customers to miss out, there are separate vegetarian versions of the three and eight-course menus. The wine list is global, with plenty of options ranging from cheap and cheerful to extravagant. Fortified wines are also available from the bar menu, as well as a shortlist of cocktails and mocktails.