Y Sospan, Queen's Square, Dolgellau, UK

Very lovely to be able to sit outside on a hot evening - you could be in Europe! The food was really good, everyone at the table was happy with their meal although we did all agree it was *slightly* on the pricy side. My steak was cooked exactly how it to be (not always guaranteed in some places) and the sauce was delicious - very savoury and moreish. Chips were crispy and salty. The service was on the slower side because they were so busy but the waitress who served us was very nice and helpful. The wine selection Was very good too. Those of us who had dessert really enjoyed. I’d definitely come back here again.

My partner and I came here for dinner and it was such a lovely spot. From the ambience, to the history of the building and of course, the delicious food! The staff were so friendly and welcoming from the second we stepped foot through the door. The meat from the lamb shank just fell off the bone and melted in your mouth and the chocolate fondant was baked to perfection! Would highly recommend this place to anyone in the Dolgellau area!

This place makes it worth the 16min drive from Barmouth ! I have never had a lamb shank like it … when in Wales …..Just come here ! You won’t be disappointed. Service was fantastic too . Price looks tad expensive but for the meal you receive and service it’s really not at all . Will be visiting again ! Doggy friendly too but must say it’s got to be torcher if ya senses are 2000x humans lol woof woof over n out )

The thing about vegetarians is we absolutely love, well - vegetables. The clue is in the name. I immediately liked the vibe of this place and the service and atmosphere were great. My friends all had excellent, meaty dishes complemented with broccoli, carrot and potatoes. After three days eating pub grub I had a hankering for some pasta; looking forward to some delicately flavoured dish accompanied by vegetables and/or salad - however, it came with chips and garlic bread! I dutifully carb loaded and ruminated on my decision many, many years ago to be vegetarian for the good of my health. Anyway - nice place, highly recommended.

Excellent wine menu and all local gins and beers clearly marked, as well as vegan options which were not extensive but were very good and clearly prepared with care. The lamb shank was a particular hit. Side salad was very small but the lettuce and tomato were very tasty. Very friendly, welcoming and efficient service. Dog friendly and a warm vibe for all.

Lovely selection of food, staff very welcoming, and downstairs area had a lovely atmosphere. We all enjoyed our choice of meal. We're impressed with how dog friendly it was too- a big plus when on a family holiday with our dog.

Went out for a meal and a natter. We were given a warm welcome, the service and food was excellent and reasonably priced. Well worth a visit if you are in town

Visited this morning. Warm welcome and brilliant service but this was the least I could say. Me and my girlfriend both opted for the Full Welsh Breakfast and enjoyed every bit of it. Would defiantly go substantially out of our way to visit again

What a beautiful little restaurant. The best steak ive had in ages. The most incredible bread and olives starter and a lovely creme brulee. Topped with an extensive wine list and great service. The buildings history is a fab surprise....do not miss this lovely little restaurant

A came in as a solo traveller seeking a lovely welsh breakfast. This was delivered. Full Welsh Breakfast £10. Very generous portion size but clearly all fresh with proper locally sourced ingredients. The staff were very friendly and nice. This coupled with the clientel created a really wonderful homely vibe. This place is clearly more than a cafe. Its a meeting place for the people of Dolgellau. And it was lovely to be a part of that for a morning. Cant wait to come back one day

Called in as I liked the look of the place from outside. I wasn't disappointed! Had the Full Welsh. The empty plates says it all! I would recommend this place.

Yes 5 stars, I booked our table we arrived at 6.30, the staff and the owner were very pleasant, friendly, the waitress came to take our order but I couldn't hear her properly so I mentioned that the music was a bit loud and she offered to turn it down perfect thank you, there is a very good selection of wines (see picture) the setting was fantastic the building dates back to 1606, and the history of the place is carved into the wooden freeze ( see picture) the picture of the door is the original prison door note the nails, the food is realistically priced and far better than the business opposite which we tried and reviewed earlier this week, THE FOOD arrived do not be put off by the food picture, it was really nice and a cheese board for dessert, trust me when I say it was great food sourced locally, my son had the most delicious sausages and potato wedges not the frozen rubbish that other restaurants turn out this is fresh food, my son demolished his food 3 large sausages, nice garden peas, and the big potato wedges, and the vegan ice cream, it's difficult to put into words what a lovely meal, in great surroundings it was but try this place before any other then you will have a bench mark for every other place that you eat at and I guarantee that you will not be dissapointed with your first choice.

Great food, portion sizes were good. Great, friendly service. Lovely old building. Reasonably priced.

Visited here this evening with my newborn and 2 dogs. The service was amazing, so accommodating. Such a rarity these days. The food was amazing! Even though we were full we still had room for the creme brulee! It did not disappoint!! Highly recommend!!

I have had a Full Welsh Breakfast in here a few times visiting Dolgellau and its really good. Real sausages, lovely thick bacon(which i usually dont like) and well presented. You can add whatever extras you want. Seems reasonable for the quality too. They doxnice looking cakes and lots of other stuff too. I believe its some kind noce of bistro/bar later on too. Very lovely traditional interior/ low celing. Upstairs too

We ordered the lamb shank and lamb burger, food was delicious and the staff super friendly. Highly recommended! Prices reasonable.

Managed to get a table outside and it was lovely. One of the best Lamb Shanks I've ever had. Followed by Creme Brulee. Staff were extremely friendly but exceedingly busy

Popped in early for a breakfast as we were passing through. What a fantastic place with huge history. The place is worth a visit on its own and it's easy to forget that the food was great too.

Brilliant service, lamb shank is a must but other foods are great. The staff are lovely. See you next year.

Fast, efficient and friendly service. Food and drinks excellent. Good sized portions at a very reasonable price.

A very cosy little restaurant in the middle of Dolgellau. The food was delicious and the building has loads of history and character. Well worth a visit if you're staying in the area. I had the dirty fries and my partner had tea and cake; both were great!

Really cute and cosy cafe. We got coffee and a couple of dessert slices which were both delicious. Service was warm and friendly. Two things to note: Min 10£ purchase for card payment. There's a toilet available. The building has an interesting history. It used to be a jail downstairs and a court house upstairs. They have a sign about this just inside the door. There is gorgeous wooden beams spanning the roof and the whole place just had an old but new & cosy atmosphere. My favourite thing was there's a table near the newspapers that is right next to a radiator so I was toasty warm. It appeared that the upstairs area can be rented out for private events as it had its own bar. Looked really cool.

We had beef lasagnas, both delicious and reasonable portion/price. Decent service and seating. We were asked to pay upfront, which in all honesty we weren’t sure if that was just us being labelled, or if that was their process. If our tab was left open we might have been encouraged to order cake/coffees after our meal. Otherwise was much needed, enjoyable post-walk grub.

Not my usual style of dining... but I was highly impressed. We came here before a ride... and it was a fantastic idea. We had the Welsh breakfast which was fantastic and very fair priced. The bacon is not overly salty and very thick. Food was cooked perfectly. Mushrooms were deliciously cooked in butter. Everything was well seasoned and the quality of all items was truly great. I Noticed there was a very large wine collection and a ver de vin... which was a great spot. Another words, your wine will be GOOD. I didn't get to see a wine list but I was very impressed by this for such a little restaurant. There is some great history and a beautiful flagstone floor. I'd have loved to have felt more comfortable on the table as it was slightly uncomfortable. But this is me being picky... The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Lovely little place for breakfast. Situated in this beautiful town.

Had 2 full breakfasts. One was gluten free. Both were very good. The only slight change I would do is the tomato 🍅 was not cooked at all . But that's probably just me I like my tomato to be cooked. Everything else was perfect. And doing gluten free breakfast was great for wife. It was a busy Saturday morning when we went . Didn't have to wait long for the coffee to come and about 5 mins for the food. The two ladies serving were excellent looking after us . The atmosphere was fab. Music in the background of local language. For my shame I don't understand the words but made for pleasant place to be. You know your in the right place when it's full of locals. Would I go again . That's a yes.

Great that the food is locally sourced and fresh - would have loved to have felt they had put more thought into it, presentation and flavour wise. None the less, it was fine. The history of the building is super interesting and the cafe is cosy. Coffee was lovely!

A beautiful cafe and the food was very reasonably priced but it was not the best breakfast. The bacon was hard and chewy and the sausage was not very tasty. The service was decent and they had vegan and gluten free options.

Lovely food, my lamb was superb. 1 star knocked off for the kids sausages which were industry standard cheapest option with little meat, shame that happens.

So interesting to have lunch in this small town, it seems like people prefer small things in their living, for instance, small tables, chairs and small dining space! But the food is fine, good taste of tea and peaceful atmosphere.

Starter was excellent and the mains were good. Service was not very tentative and we had to call the waiter for requests. There was no check on how our food was but all in all it was ok.

Good food and great service but the meat was a bit rough for the price and given the proximity of a great butcher was a bit of a surprise as well as a disappointment. Would definitely go back as we had a lovely evening but would be more careful with menu choices.

We booked a table for 3 at Y Sospan following a day out at Snowdon. Y Sospan was busy on the evening we visited, but we managed to book online. It wasn't until we got to the restaurant that we realised that downstairs was dog friendly and that upstairs was dog free. My wife and I hadn't appreciated that we would be seated downstairs, despite not adding a furry friend during the booking process. In hindsight, we felt we should have been given the option of 'upstairs only'. We hadn't brought any furry friends, but we were still seated downstairs. I'm certain this wouldn't have been an issue under normal circumstances, but Y Sospan is quaint and bijou. We love dogs and have pets ourselves. However - the table adjacent ours were happily feeding their dog the food that was being served - the last of the Hake - and with inevitable consequences. The dog vomited under the table behind them, at the feet of dining customers. This was then hastily cleared up with paper napkins by the pet owner, and then placed onto the table they were sitting at, vomit and all. Both sets of customers were hugely embarrassed by this and left very shortly afterwards. We discreetly pointed out to the staff what had happened and that the vomit-soiled napkins had been left on the table. After several minutes, the staff cleared the table, placing the vomit-soiled napkins onto the plates. This was wholly unacceptable and marred our visit to be honest. The food we ordered was good and tasty. Service was good, although at busy times you are reminded that food is prepared to order. The atmosphere had been good up until the incident. I'm not convinced that the floor was adequately sanitised whilst we were there and staff frequently had to walk through the area. We were conflicted about leaving a review for Y Sospan, as the circumstances were largely out of their control. However, on balance, paying customers visiting this restaurant deserve to know that if they are unhappy to eat amongst furry friends, they need to book an upstairs table.

Very rustic and cozy place. Waited for some time to be seated whilst the place didn't seem so busy and there was 3 members of staff available. Once seated it didn't take long to be served. Ordered vegan breakfast which was nice, however mushroom portion consisted of two mushrooms 😆 it could be more.. Clean facilities and reasonable pricing.

Rustic and cosy inside the restaurant. Food was okay. Sticky toffee pudding was good as it was not overly sweet. Staff were all very friendly and prompt in their service (but it was not crowded that day).

We have eaten here before and l9ved it. Byt the coffee s today were tasteless. As for rhe guy serving us he was unwelcomeing and not a smile out of him. Such a change

The service from the man working this afternoon let's this place down. No customer service skills, places food down without saying anything, abrupt, no smiles. When ordering i was told the meals would be ready at different times due to one coming from upstairs with the chef and the other downstairs from the server. When asked if they could bring them out together it was not possible, perhaps this system should be looked at as customers want to eat together at the same time. When the meal came it was nice, however a piece of plastic was in there. Had cakes to takeaway and still service was poor and unfriendly again.

I ate at lunch time with family that were visiting. The menu offered a wide variety of food that looked tasty but the food that arrived was pretty basic and lacked anything special. A shame as cute little place that always seems busy.I won't be visiting again.

Wouldn't really recommend it, to be honest. Pricey, which we don't mind if the food's good, but sadly it wasn't. One customer was complaining about her food as we waited to order. She'd been served a baked potato that was mouldy in the middle. Should've walked away then. Ordered a bacon brie & chutney sandwich with fries, which took ages. The fries were cold and the sandwich was a mushy mess. £13.50 with a cup of tea. Felt sorry for the waitress who looked embarrassed by the customer complaints. The toilet was grubby, no soap or towel, so dunno how the staff wash their hands? Wouldn't go back.

My partner's chicken curry was cold in the middle so clearly hadn't been reheated very safely - he didn't eat it. It was supposed to come with rice but came with chips and a cold pitta bread because they'd run out of rice. My fish finger sandwich was fine until we found some blue kitchen roll in the middle of it. The waitress was kind and gave us a full refund - wouldn't go back

I was disappointed with the quality of the food, so I stuck to just the chips. The dish with peas was dirty and marked. The service left much to be desired, and I wouldn't recommend this place to others. The only redeeming factor was the ambiance.