The Waterloo Hotel, Newport

The Waterloo Hotel is a brilliantly renovated Victorian hotel and an atmospheric place to eat. It also boasts top-notch service and friendly, knowledgable staff. The drinks menu is excellent, the prices are reasonable, and the place was surprisingly (and pleasingly) full for a wet Thursday evening.

The down side, sadly, is the food. It's not awful, it's just...okay. Out of the two starters and two mains that my partner and I shared, only one dish was really good - a roast chicken. Otherwise I'm afraid it was a case of out-of-season, medicore-quality ingredients having been messed about with far too much.

The Waterloo has very little competition in Newport, and I hope it continues to thrive, but if it is to fulfil its potential I think they may need to raise their game on the food side of things. I'd recommend they halve the size of their pretty extensive menu and concentrate on seasonal, local produce from some of the very good suppliers in the area.

The Waterloo Hotel is a hidden jewel in Newport, I have been lucky to eat in some very good restaurants and this food value for money takes some beating.

Excellent wines, excellent hosts and food top quality .......................... if you get chance to stay the rooms are also very good.

Warm welcome from the moment we ran in to The Waterloo Hotel from the rain soaked car park. Excellent Sangiovese by the glass. Excellent Gwynt Y Ddraig Welsh ciders, too. My partner almost licked his plate clean of his main meal. The red cabbage and other veg was also super. My Plaice was superb. I fussily asked for the accompanying salad not to have any raw onion or tomatoes and it was totally delicious and perfect.

Patronise this place, lest it disappear!!!! I gather, and fervently hope that they are busy at weekends, so book now.