As Christmas approaches you might be looking to book a table at one of Wales' many popular and highly-regarded restaurants. The cost-of-living crisis has had a devastating impact on the industry in recent months, leading to the closure of several favourites, but there are still lots to choose from in the lead up to the festive period.
Equally, the crisis has left many people short of cash, with plenty doing all they can to save money. But how much has this affected take-up in restaurants and how far in advance do you have to book to secure a spot at your favourite venue if you can afford to splash out?
To cut the work out for you, we tried booking a table for two on a Saturday evening at 7pm to find out the diners at which it's hardest to secure a table. We were lucky enough to be seated as early as this weekend at some eateries, but others required us to book several weeks in advance. One restaurant even had limited availability until February, 2023. Here's what we found out at the time we went to press (Wednesday morning, October 19):
