A PENARTH restaurant has been selected in the top 50 of the illustrious Good Food Guide 2015 just three months after opening.

Restaurant James Sommerin, based in the Beachcliff development on the Esplanade, was the highest placed Welsh restaurant to make the list in 30th place as it achieved a mark of seven out of 10.

L’Enclume in Cumbria, The Fat Duck in Berkshire and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London topped the list with 10 out of 10 each, while Ynyshir Hall in Powys was the only other Welsh restaurant to sneak into the top 50 in 40th place with seven out of 10.

Chef James Sommerin said he was “gobsmacked” when he found out that his restaurant had been ranked as 30th in the UK’s longest running and bestselling restaurant guide.

“I saw the top 10 get launched the night before and felt a little bit disappointed that we might not be in this year,” he said.

“Then my wife was looking through the list at 8am the next day and said that I’d reached the top 50 and was in 30th place with seven points.”

He added: “It’s the same score I used to hold years ago, so to think I’ve achieved that within three months of opening is amazing.

“I couldn’t have done it without the team we have got here. It’s a credit to everyone.

“There has been a lot of hard work and effort put in here over the last few months to get the place up and running the best we can.

“This is a massive reward and it shows we are moving in the right direction.”

He added that next year they would be aiming for the top 20, as he edged closer to the prospect of achieving the second Michelin star of his career. The long-awaited restaurant opened as part of the Beachcliff development in May this year and has already gained plaudits from a wide range of food critics.

Chef Sommerin added that the restaurant had also recently hosted the presidents of Real Madrid and Sevilla, Florentino Perez and Jose Castro, First Minister Carwyn Jones, and the UEFA president Michel Platini ahead of the UEFA Super Cup match at the Cardiff City Stadium on August 12.

“They had a private lunch and I felt really privileged that they had chosen to dine here,” he said.

The Waitrose Good Food Guide 2015, now in its 64th year, will be published on September 8.