The Jackdaw, Conwy, North Wales restaurant review

As a keen twitcher, any restaurant that has a bird for its name is already predisposed to be my kind of place.

Such is the Jackdaw in Conwy, or Jac-do in Welsh, which takes its name from the smallest of crows that nest in the town’s walls and the nickname for someone born in the local area.

It's owned by Nick Rudge, who originally hails from Llandudno, and was a former junior sous chef at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck. The Jackdaw has been high on my list of places to visit ever since it opened back in 2021.

Hidden away above a derelict bingo hall and signposted by just a low-key brass plaque on its door frame, the Jackdaw’s narrow staircase opens into a modern and classy dining room. Several design features are familiar from other contemporary fine-dining restaurants, including fur-lined seats, jars of pickles and dried flower hanging wall decorations.

But the Jackdaw still feels distinctly Welsh, with local influences scattered across the menu and distances from Conwy denoted on the drinks list. Unlike some chefs that take pride in flying in the most expensive ingredients from across the world, Nick tries to use as much Welsh produce as possible.

I started off with a Wild Horse Nokota pale ale (£6.50) from just down the road in Llandudno – it’s always a juicy easy drinker at 3.8% ABV. Mrs G sipped a distinctive yet comforting meadowsweet scented gimlet (£13.50). We also had belting glasses of Ancre Hill pinot noir (£9) from Monmouthshire before finishing up with a slightly further flung Chateau Guiraud 1er cru Sauternes (£15) and Patricius Tokaji (£17 - we both agreed the Tokaji was much better).

But, onto the food and I've rarely come across such confident cooking that shows Wales (and the chef's personality) on a plate instead of the usual fine dining by numbers. During evenings there’s a single ten course tasting menu on offer (£125) whilst on Friday and Saturday lunches, six courses are available for £60.

First up, there was a pretty trio of snacks.

Lady Llannover's salt duck was based on a historic recipe from a classic Welsh cookery book that dates back to the 19th century. Kind of like a duck jamon, its fat melted in the mouth and the flesh glistened.

A delicate AF tart case was filled with clean tasting cured gilthead bream and slices of raw asparagus.

Lastly, a crempog Gwanwyn (Spring pancake) had Welsh taco vibes. The soft and airy pancake was filled with the sweetest of langoustines draped with smoky cured pork belly, as well as vibrant leek and intense langoustine emulsions.

Next up was one hell of a good Welsh rarebit. Crisp, fat rich fried bread, a potent Hafod cheese sauce and tangy Conwy brown sauce all made for a killer mouthful.

After all those decadent snacks it was time for a green juice cleanse. A vivid green nettle and apple marigold broth was garnished with slivers of Wye valley asparagus, creamy goat curd and the funk of Welsh truffle.

The Welsh classics were coming thick and fast at this point and I was fully invested. Especially when the Jackdaw's cawl is the best I've ever eaten by some distance. Amongst the depths of an intensely meaty and rosemary scented broth bobbed sweet and tender salt baked swede, carrot and leek and a cuboid of ridiculously tender lamb.

On the side, more fried bread, this time caraway scented, was topped with a fat rich lamb head mince and slices of zippy pickled onion.

Mrs G had an Anton Ego moment with the next course and was transported back to her days at the Welsh seaside as a kid. A gorgeously flavoured-packed sea lettuce dashi was the essence of seaweed in a bowl. In it nestled the meatiest of caramelised scallops and a variety of briny sea vegetables.

Melt in the mouth, buttery confit trout was paired with a creamy smoke-twanged sauce that was split  with dill oil. A variety of richness balancing accompaniments all played their part - sharp salted rhubarb, pickled mustard seeds, and salty trout roe pearls.

Lastly, a guinea fowl dish was the ultimate chicken dinner. The crisp-skinned juicy slice of bird was served with a glossy truffle fragranced gravy, silky wild garlic puree and earthy morels.

The sweet stuff was just as good as the savoury. Finely diced sweet Anglesey rhubarb jelly was accompanied by smooth and sharp rhubarb ice cream. Nostalgic yet modern, it was a belter of a pre-dessert.

Legend has it that the original recipe for Guinness was inspired by a Welsh tavern in nearby Llanfairfechan and our main dessert took inspiration from this folk story. 

A deeply toasty barley and chocolate ganache, yeast caramel, crunchy barley and malted ice cream all gave the effect of a distinctly Guinness-esque dessert. It was superb.

Finally thick, sticky, liquorice twanged treacle toffee with a scattering of sea salt was a dreamy last mouthful.

The Jackdaw’s combination of epic Welsh cooking without a single misstep, warm and friendly service, and a charming, relaxed setting made it one of the best meals we've ever eaten in Wales. I would say it’s surprising that it doesn’t have a Michelin star but then nothing surprises me about the tyre people anymore.

Book a trip to North Wales on holiday, walk the coast path, spot some seals and mountain goats, drink local beer, visit a few castles and most importantly eat dinner at the Jackdaw. You won't be disappointed.

The Details:

Address - The Jackdaw, High Street, Conwy, LL32 8DB

Web - https://www.thejackdawconwy.co.uk/

Telephone - 01492 596922

Joon Persian supper club, Insole Court, Llandaff review

Whilst Leyli Homayoonfar is best known for the epic Mexican barbecue that she serves at her Bab Haus Mex street food stalls across south Wales, my first encounter with her cooking was something entirely different. Back in 2019, at a supper club in Cardiff’s Tramshed, I devoured a vibrant Joon and Co Persian feast inspired by her family’s Iranian heritage.

Earlier this year, in response to the devastating humanitarian crisis in Iran, Leyli decided to revive her Joon supper club as a way to celebrate Persian cuisine and culture as well as to raise money for humanitarian and medical aid.

Hosted over the last few months at Insole Court’s Potting Shed café on Friday and Saturday nights, it’s been one of the hottest tickets going. We finally made it to the last of the currently scheduled dates at the end of March.

The Potting Shed is a cosy and intimate venue which is ideally suited for a supper club. Its homely feel gives off the vibe that you could be sat in Leyli’s dining room. The fact that Leyli’s family also runs the front of house only adds to the intimate atmosphere.

Whilst you’re sat at long communal tables, the food is served for couples to share. So, there’s no bickering with strangers (just with Mrs G) over who gets the last spoonful of each dish.

£65 buys you three very generous courses of Persian cooking. There’s no way you’re going home any way other than stuffed.

To drink there’s a small selection of four wines available. We shared a bottle of fresh and fruity L’Artiste pinot noir (£27) and followed it up with delicious glasses of stone fruit soaked Alvi’s Drift viognier (£7.50).

Whilst we waited for our starters to arrive, we picked at vibrant green olives coated in nutty walnut paste and dotted with cleansing pomegranate pearls.

Mazeh, the first course of the night, was the ultimate selection of picky bits.

Salty and creamy cubes of feta and crunchy walnuts were drizzled in sweet honey and were guzzled down with leaves of fresh parsley and dill. Lightly pickled cucumbers, radishes and baby carrots brought crunch and acidity to the table.

Warm barbari bread had a crackly crust and chewy crumb and was dotted with sesame and nigella seeds. It was essential for scooping up the colourful selection of dips, which were up there with the best I’ve eaten. Each packed in so many layers of flavour and texture.

Warming spiced smoked aubergine was elevated by the sweetness of charred tomato and topped with toasty fried shallots.

The thickest of creamy labneh was fragranced with preserved lemon, mint and za’tar and flecked with fresh cucumber.

Silky black garlic hummus was crowned with a stupidly good Baharat spiced, sweet and fiery date chilli crunch.

Finally, earthy and zingy beetroot borani was pooled with burnt butter and toasted hazelnuts.

Mains were delicious but I think the starters edged it for both of us.

Bronzed skinned bone-in chicken pieces were bathed in a whopper of a sauce with saffron, the sweetness and fragrance of citrus peel, plenty of butter and the tartness of barbery seeds, which were vital in balancing all that richness.

Long cooked hunks of seriously tender Welsh lamb shoulder were hidden in the depths of a big flavoured meaty broth that was seasoned with distinctively fragrant fenugreek, Persian dried lime, and fistfuls of vibrant fresh green herb.

On the side, gorgeously fluffy and buttery saffron rice was topped with compellingly crisp and caramelised rice nuggets.

Thick and tangy wild garlic yoghurt and a finely diced salad of cucumber, tomato and onion brought further balance to all that decadence.

Dessert was a collection sweet and sharp delicious things, the centrepiece of which was a gorgeously thick and smooth slab of white chocolate cremeux. It was hidden beneath piles of candied pistachios, a tangle of Persian candy floss, and thin shards of white chocolate. Crucially, a hefty hit of fresh citrus brought balance to it all – there were slices of blood orange, a cleansing sorbet, and a tart grapefruit gel.

Absolutely stuffed, Leyli had thankfully already boxed up the last bonus course of the night for people to take home. A Persian love cake, heady with rose water, cardamom and citrus, was delightful with a cup of tea the next day.

Generous and homely, massively flavoured yet deftly balanced, I love Leyli Homayoonfar’s cooking and her Joon supper clubs have fully delivered on the aim of celebrating her Iranian heritage. Whilst this is the last date in the series for now, I’ve heard talk that there may be more dates in the offing. Keep an eye out as it’s a supper club that’s not to be missed.

The Details:

Address - The Potting Shed Cafe, Insole Court, Cardiff CF5 2LN

Web - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/joonsupperclub/2040928