Barbecues and picnics in the mildly warm Welsh summer sunshine are but a distant memory and all we can think of is how we keep warm as we layer up with two jumpers, thick coats, scarves and gloves to leave our house and brave the outside. And when we do leave our homes, all we want to do during these crisp winter months is cwtch up with your loved one in a cosy pub or restaurant with perhaps a roaring fire to thaw your fingers or romantic candlelight to feel snug.
With this in mind, we've picked out some of the most delightfully snug and homely venues - listed in no particular order, of course - where you can enjoy a bite to eat in Wales in the most gorgeus of settings.
Some of them have romantically intimate nooks and crannies and others are perfect for a relaxed night out with friends or even the whole family - some even provide blankets for when the chill outside gets just a bit too much.
Read more: Family-run restaurant in Welsh town closing after 20 years
So cancel that takeaway - yes, it may be award-winning and utterly delicious but hear us out - and grab your coat because you'll have to leave the house to enjoy this selection of restaurants. It'll be worth it, we promise...
1. Kindle, Cardiff
While this sustainable and delicious restaurant features mainly outdoor seating (yes, we know this does not scream cosiness at first glance), its garden restaurant is adorably decorated with festoon lighting, wooden tables and candles. And they even have blankets for if you're a wee bit chilly. They've also recently constructed a 'Kindle Cabin' area, which is an area of the restaurant that provides: " a snug, cosy and essentially weather proof dining space throughout the colder snaps."
They do small plates - made with ingredients from its garden - cooked over fire and natural wines for a truly indulgent evening.
Where: Sophia Gardens, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9SZ
2. Bacareto, Cardiff
Busy bars tables and cosy booths make this Venetian small plates bar snug and perfect for those colder winter nights. If the business of the downstairs gets too much, make your way upstairs to the more intimate dining area which has a gorgeous little terrace for when the evenings get a tad warmer.
Where: 13 Church St, Cardiff CF10 1BG
3. The Penny Farthing Cafe, Cowbridge
This is about as cwtchy a cafe as you'd want after an afternoon window shopping around Cowbridge. The 'front room' is cosy , lined with stone-walled booths you can spend hours in.
They do champagne breakfasts, brunches, afternoon tea, Sunday lunch, wine menus - it's the kind of place you wish it was autumn or winter all year round, so you can hunker down by the fire.
Where: 54 High Street, Cowbridge, CF717AH
4. Slice, Swansea
You want intimate? You definitely get it with Slice. You'll also get Michelin Guide approved food - and co-owner Adam Bannister won the Welsh title on the Great British Menu.
Think it sounds too fancy? It's not, just great food in an intimate, relaxed setting.
Where: 73-75 Eversley Road, Sketty, Swansea SA2 9DE
5. Arboreal, Cowbridge
From breakfasts to hand-crafted pizza, mussels and steaks, award-winning Arboreal is a modern bistro with a big menu that features food cooked in its open wood oven. They've got coffees, wines from around the world, cocktails, and top notch nosh - being a Michelin Guide eatery. From flatbreads and pizzas (that can be made gluten free) to burgers and chilli, there's something to suit all tastes.
Where : 68 Eastgate Street, Cowbridge CF71 7AB
6. Elgano, Cardiff
This Italian restaurant is perfect for date night or even a meal with mates. Located in one of the stunning Victorian buildings on Cathedral Road, the restaurant feels homely yet sophisticated. That relaxed atmosphere paired with a passion for Italian food is just dreamy.
Sit yourself in a window seat in the depth of winter and snuggle up for a cosy romantic evening.
Where: 58 Cathedral Rd, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9LL
7. La Cocina, Bridgend
Spanish tapas in the heart of Bridgend where you can dine for two or with friends. As well as classic tapas dishes like pan fried chorizo and dates wrapped in bacon, you can also try San Miguel battered hake.
Classic cocktails or a gin Martini go down nicely, too.
Where: 2 Derwen Road, Bridgend, CF31 1LH
8. The Swigg, Swansea
A cosy cafe by day that turns into a sophisticated bar by night has brought a touch of the Mediterranean to the Swansea waterside.
Tuck into a dirty burgers, loaded fries or some street food or pick at some small sharing plates that are available into the evening.
In the evening The Swigg offers an extensive wine menu that includes house wines from Provence and a selection of prosecco, cava and Champagne as well as a delightful cocktail menu.
Where: 1b, National Waterfront Museum, Swansea SA1 3RD
9. The Heathcock
The bar of The Heathcock - sister of the Hare & Hounds - is a cosy place to get some top class pub grub in a relaxed and informal setting.
Having kept locals' thirst and hunger quenched for over 100 years, it's safe to say this establishment oozes charm and cosiness. Give the Welsh rarebit a try or pheasant if you're feeling a bit more fancy.
Inhabit a cosy corner just for two or if there's more there are bigger tables too.
Where: 58-60 Bridge Street, Cardiff CF5 2EN
10. Stefano's, Cardiff
Step into a whitewashed brick-walled Italian grotto with tables hidden on different levels or in nooks and crannies.
The home-cooked traditional Italian menu will make you feel cosy as hell, so cosy, you'll probably not want to move after your dinner - as it should be at an Italian restaurant!
Where: 14 Romilly Crescent, Cardiff CF11 9NR
11. Rhosyn, Penally Abbey, Pembrokeshire
Overlooking the sea near Tenby, this boutique hotel has acres of woodland and gardens and is located just a 10-minute walk from the magical Pembrokeshire Coastal Path.
Its fine-dining restaurant, Rhosyn, is a beautiful candlelit space which serves technically accomplished food - it has two AA rosettes - cooked with local produce, including fresh fish from Tenby Harbour. With long flickering candles, rustic wooden tables and a lovely view, can you think of a more dreamy dinner setting?
Where: Abbey Hotel, Penally, Tenby SA70 7PY
12. Tafarn y Gadar Tapas, Dolgellau
A delicious mix of tapas dishes and paella, Tafarn y Gadar also has some great-looking roasts on the menu. In the summer go there for their barbecued fish on thee outdoor terrace.
Where: Smithfield St, Dolgellau LL40 1AA
13. SY23, Aberystwyth
Run by The Great Birtish Menu's Nathan Davies, SY23 doesn't just serve up incredible food but it has an atmosphere to match. With one Michelin star, it champions local produce - be that via foraging, farming or fishing. And all is cooked over fire. And what's cosier than the sound of a crackling open fire and the smell of good food?
And the reviews for it certainly speak for themselves.
One customer wrote: "The place is informal, cosy and comfortable, making you feel at ease. The food is extremely well prepared, with delicious, quality ingredients, made even tastier by wonderful sauces. The wine list is full of choice for all tastes, you can find the perfect glass for the perfect dish. The waiting staff are friendly. I’m so glad we have such a special place in Aber, a real treat!"
Where: 2 Pier Street, Aberystwyth SY23 2LJ
14. The Warren - Carmarthenshire
Sustainability and wholesome food cooked with local and organic ingredients is the focus at this acclaimed Carmarthen restaurant and cafe. Its homely and cosy atmosphere, complete with warm lighting, also makes it a lovely spot for an intimate meal.
The Warren was named best local restaurant in Wales in the Good Food Guide 2020 and it's the top-rated restaurant in Carmarthen on TripAdvisor, so you'll be sure of a first class meal.
Where: 11 Mansel St, Carmarthen SA31 1PX
15. Milkwood, Cardiff
Opened on the former Cibo Italian site in Cardiff, Milkwood brings inventive dishes to classy, elegant surroundings in Pontcanna.
Offering breakfasts and lunch on weekdays and weekends, on Fridays and Saturday nights they offer up a special treat in a relaxing and ever-changing seasonal menu. Fish tacos, rigatoni, burgers and pizzas are all up for grabs in the night and in the day, it's all about the Milkwood breakfasts, whose menu boasts a celebration of Welshness in Bacon, cockles and laverbread on toast and Whole Severn and Wye Kipper, butter, lemon and Sourdough.
Where : 83 Pontcanna Street, CF11 9HS.
16. Hare and Hounds, Vale of Glamorgan
This cosy Vale of Glamorgan country pub is a brilliant spot for a romantic yet relaxed meal.
Tom Watts-Jones, the chef-owner, trained at two of London's most iconic restaurants St John and Anchor & Hope. It shows in the big-flavoured yet unpretentious cooking with dishes including roast Torgelly Farm lamb with mint sauce and roast partridge.
Where: Maendy Rd, Aberthin, Cowbridge CF71 7LG
17. Nook, Canton
Run by the team behind Kindle, Phill and Debs Lewis, Nook is found overlooking Victoria Park in Canton and is a restaurant that describes itself as a "small vibrant environment where a couple can escape in their thoughts". Fans of the restaurant have described it as "Small, rustic & intimate" and "lovely night in a cute and cosy setting". Offering small plates - whose food is "really amazing" and natural wines, you'll be in for a treat.
Where: 587 Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff CF5 1BE
18. The Stubborn Duckling, Aberaeron
It has been hailed as a 'real gem' by those who visit it and offers one of Wales' best roast dinners - it was even celebrated by the Observer Food Monthly Awards in 2022. This delighful, small and intimate restaurant in the picture-perfect harbour town of Aberaeron is descibed constantly by the punters on platforms like Tripadvisor as 'cosy', 'relaxed' and 'warm'.
If you want good nosh with a cosy and intimate atmosphere, you need to go here.
Where:
19. The Dough Thrower, Cardiff
There's nothing like sitting in a cosy pizza place with the woodfired oven in the corner, that's exactly what The Dough Thrower is like.
Pizzas come out quick and hot and can be topped with serrano, n'duja and homemade meatballs.
Where: 591 Cowbridge Road East, CF5 1BE and
20. Paternoster Farm, Pembroke
Rustic wooden furniture, colourful cushions, blankets, and a hearty meal prepared with only the freshest ingredients = a perfect, cosy and delicious treat. Storm lamps and candles light up this former milking parlour which is decorated with pampas grass and wooden kitchen utensils on the walls.
And if the decor of this restaurant, which was recently included in the Good Food Guide 2022, isn't enough to make you feel fuzzy inside, Michelle Evan's open kitchen provides a truly welcoming feel. Read our review of it here.
One reviewer said: "Fabulous cooking in a relaxed atmosphere". Another wrote: "A truly sensational dining experience!"
Where: Pembroke SA71 5RX
21. The Boat House, Saundersfoot
Either get a comfy seat in the window or one of their indoor beach hut-esque booths to sample their local Pembrokeshire Pirate beef burger, Giuseppe's lasagne and fish and chips. That's proper cosy comfort food right there.
Where: Cambrian Place, Saundersfoot SA69 9ER
22. Felin Fach Griffin, Brecon
Slob out on the settees in front of the roaring fire or dine in the rustic chic of the dining room in this pub/restaurant in the belly of the Brecon Beacons.
The food is sourced from local estates and its simple, quality dishes are always changing to suit the seasons. Its meat comes from the lowland hills, greens from the garden and fish from the Cornish coast. If that doesn't scream comfort food made with love, I don't know what does.
Where: Felin Fach, Brecon, LD3 0UB
23. Cafe Citta, Cardiff
This postage-stamp sized Italian is so popular you're very lucky to get a walk-in table at peak times. Run by the D’Arezzo family, it truly feels like your stepping into the home of your Nonna - even if you don't have one. The smells, the warm welcome and the business make it so special. Read more on its story here.
It's definitely worth booking for a special occasion, though, as their traditional Italian menu is bursting with freshly-made dishes including pizza, gnocchi, fresh fish and pasta, of course.
Where : 4 Church Street, Cardiff, CF10 1BG
24. Maria's Greek Taverna, Cardiff
If you want true, authentic Greek food in a relaxed and friendly setting, Maria's in Cathays is the place to go. The restaurant is only small but, as one reviewer has noted, is all the better for it. With white wash walls and white tables, you could be in Cardiff or in Athens.
One happy customer took to Tripadvisor to admire the experience it offers: "We had fantastic food, were looked after by lovely people and enjoyed the cosy, Greek atmosphere."
Where:68 Crwys Road, Cardiff CF24 4NP
25. Hiraeth, Cowbridge
It only opened in November, but it has already gained a reputation as being a pub with a 'first class ambience'. With a fine dining restaurant on one side that serves up fresh, seasonal food, and a gastro pub with a roaring fire on the other, it's the best of both worlds and provides for the perfect treat. Take a peek inside to see for yourself.
Where: Llysworney, Cowbridge CF71 7NQ
If you know of any cosy and romantic restaurants - or are one yourself - that we have left off this list, please drop us an email at eve.rowlands@walesonline.co.uk
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