Maes yr Haf – Second time round
Maes yr Haf, the well-known restaurant with rooms in Parkmill, Gower has reopened under new ownership
Unchanged quality
I am pleased to be able to report that it is still a pleasant restaurant in a pleasant setting with quite exceptional food. Not everybody can distinguish between pretentiousness and genuine sophistication –it is a fine line to draw but is easily spotted by your beady-eyed food critic. At Maes yr Haf the focus continues to be on complex dishes confidently and beautifully prepared –food which looked great and tasted very good indeed.
Improved service
The big change is in the customer interface. The new owners/managers of the restaurant evidently lay great store by the quality of the service. Sharp, alert and well-informed waitresses and other front-of-house staff are a sign of a high degree of professionalism and act as an indicator of the standards set for the rest of the dining experience.
From ultra-modern to traditional
The short lunchtime menu offers a choice of hearty traditional items including slow-cooked lamb shoulder with faggots, minted crushed peas and pommes puree or roast chicken dressed up with truffled cauliflower puree and wild mushroom jus. The starters were equally eclectic with a glamorous carpaccio of beetroot, goat’s cheese beignet and toasted walnut dressing competing with the earthy goodness of duck liver parfait, red onion confit, and toasted seed bread.
This is a menu that is youthful in its inventiveness and mature in its conception. I recommend Maes yr Haf unreservedly as a significant contributor to good food in Gower.
The new
If you are seriously interested in the development of quality cuisine in South Wales, you must check out the creative range of the Maes yr Haf chefs.
We all cringe at the old fashioned towers of food on greasy lumps of ‘crushed’ potato garnished with a single silly chive. This boring style will only change if we encourage our young chefs to continue working on dishes that combine the best of the classic with the light touch of youth.