TUCKED away down a narrow, winding Flintshire lane there's a restaurant for all seasons.
I must confess my visit to the Plas Hafod Hotel at Gwernymynydd was not my first.
In fact, over the years, I've probably dined there dozens of times whether for a special romantic meal with my wife, as part of a social gathering with friends or a Christmas Eve family get together.
The hotel sits on a mountain side - I'm told Gwernymynydd literally means bog, or wetland, on the mountain - and is set in nine acres of wonderfully manicured gardens overlooking Mold and the surrounding countryside.
The restaurant is mainly situated in a huge conservatory built onto the side of the 18th century house.
Pull up the steep drive to the car park and the hotel looks warm and inviting on a winter's night.
A multitude of flickering candles add a magical effect to the unobtrusive apricot light that spills from the restaurant's conservatory windows.
Yet, visit on a summer's night, following a strenuous walk up nearby Moel Famau perhaps, and the conservatory is full of the aroma of fresh flowers and you can dine while watching swallows swoop and dive over the gardens as the sun goes down.
Of course, however good the setting, a restaurant's reputation is built on the measure of its food.
But the fact tables are generally full and a reservation is recommended to avoid disappointment is testament to the quality of the cuisine on offer.
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