A south Wales restaurant that has a "secret menu" has been named among the best in the UK.

One of the UK's top independent restaurant commentators, SquareMeal, has released its annual list showcasing the top 100 restaurants in the country.

The list is based on the restaurant experts' in-house critics as well as thousands of diner votes.

SquareMeal's 'UK's Top 100 Restaurants for 2024' list is a chance for them to "shout about the best-of-the-best" and celebrate the "incredible chefs and hospitality teams out there going above and beyond to give their diners top-class experiences".

SquareMeal said: "We say it every year, but this year truly must have presented the highest calibre of restaurants yet.

"Whittling down the UK’s burgeoning dining scene into just 100 top spots was an excruciating job that took months of planning and deliberation by both our team, and you, our readers.

"Despite incredibly tough economic circumstances, our homegrown hospitality professionals have overcome it all and managed to deliver top-class experiences for diners, with flair, ingenuity and individuality."

It added: "When we say this list is months in the making, we really mean it.

"We take huge care and pride in making sure only the very best in the industry find a place on the list, and have eaten at hundreds of restaurants over the past 12 months to whittle down the winners."

Pine in Northumberland was revealed as the best restaurant in the UK by SquareMeal. 

This 'UK's Top 100 Restaurants for 2024' list included place from all over the country including the likes of Cornwall, Edinburgh and North Yorkshire. 

There were five Welsh restaurants to make the list including Home at Penarth.

You can see the full 'UK's Top 100 Restaurants for 2024' by SquareMeal here.

Home at Penarth named among the best restaurants in the UK

Home at Penarth - located in Penarth, Cardiff - was revealed as the 51st best restaurant in the UK on the list.

Describing the Michelin Star restaurant, SquareMeal said: "Home by James Sommerin is a relaxed fine dining restaurant in Cardiff run by head chef James Sommerin, his wife Lou and their daughters Georgia, Angharad and Elin.

"The interior, like the menu, is kept secret. Diners enter by ringing a bell, and the windows are covered by curtains so you can't see inside.

"Once you are seated, you will notice an envelope on the table - this contains the 'surprise menu'. It's up to you whether you open it and find out what's to come or wait and let it be a true surprise. 

Penarth Times: Have you tried the secret menu at Home at Penarth?Have you tried the secret menu at Home at Penarth? (Image: SquareMeal)

The restaurant experts added: "Many have said this latest opening is the best yet (for James Sommerin), with more special dishes than before.

"Sommerin's daughter, Georgia, started cooking with him when she was just 13, and at 20 she became the youngest ever competitor on the Great British Menu.

"This familial duo has been cooking up a storm.

"Sommerin says she is his right hand, and that they don't even have to talk to know what each other is thinking. 

"Some dishes people have enjoyed at Home so far include halibut with caviar, homemade crab crumpets, beetroot laced with feta and mint, bouillabaisse with white fish and salmon, a single ravioli packed with corn-fed chicken mince, herbs and bacon surrounded by sweet peas and leeks, a mukrat lime pannacotta and some excellent local cheese to finish.

"The restaurant serves an eight-course menu only for dinner, or a four or eight-course menu for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays."

All the restaurants in Wales named among the best in the UK

There were five restaurants in Wales to make the best in the UK list released by SquareMeal. 

Penarth Times: There were five restaurants in Wales named among the top 100 best in the UK.There were five restaurants in Wales named among the top 100 best in the UK. (Image: SquareMeal)

These restaurants (and their ranking) were: 

  • Ynyshir - Machynlleth, Powys (2nd)
  • The Jackdaw - Conwy (24th)
  • Gwen - Machynlleth, Powys (36th)
  • Annwn - Narbeth, Pembrokeshire (40th)
  • Home at Penarth - Penarth, Cardiff (51st)

For more information on Home at Penarth or any of the other restaurants to make the list visit the SquareMeal website. 

Or to book a table at Home visit the restaurant's website.