Rafters - Newport

We'd booked a night away for our anniversary, and didn't have the option of our first restaurant choice for dinner. I'm glad we didn't. The meal at Rafters was delicious. I had a butternut squash carpaccio starter, with quince puree, pickled mustard seeds, apple salad with candied walnut, and the flavours and textures were exceptional. My husband had game terrine (he was very impressed with the mushroom and black garlic , followed by chicken Wellington, and I had a duet of lamb (a tiny lamb pie and lamb rump with beetroot and carrot. And then, because I wanted to try the mulled wine trifle but also wanted the Perl Las on the cheeseboard (and the apple and mead chutney because Perl Las is my favourite and it would be rude not to, we shared both, and they did not disappoint. (The trifle was deconstructed and was also very, very good the flavours were beautiful, intense and worked perfectly together! We split a bottle of Shiraz between us, which was an excellent quality, but didn't break the bank. The setting was beautiful, the service was delightful, friendly, attentive but also not intrusive, and we had a lovely conversation with one of our two waiters about the new menu afterwards. The menu is short, but excellent, and caters for vegetarian and vegan, with gluten free options available too.

My wife and I went to Rafters for Sunday lunch. Although I live nearby, I have always found Celtic Manor to be a bit overrated and expensive, especially the Olive Tree. However, Rafters was a pleasant surprise. The food was delicious - offering fine dining taste with generous portion sizes, similar to Harvester. The prices were reasonable and the service was exceptional. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because it was a bit cold, likely due to the door being open downstairs. Additionally, while I enjoyed the roast potatoes, I wished there were more than just two. Despite these minor issues, we had a lovely experience and will definitely be returning. Thank you!

The food was fantastic, and we all really enjoyed it. We would definitely recommend this restaurant. It exceeded our expectations.

Rafters is a restaurant with a Welsh influence, located in the 2010 clubhouse. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and a limited but high-quality menu with excellent presentation.

Where do I begin....? From the relaxing transfer from hotel to restaurant, to the beautiful setting and wonderful food. The quality of the hospitality and welcome in Rafters from all the staff was outstanding. The menu provided a great selection of Welsh flavours and the food presented matched the expectations conjured by the menu. I could not find anything to fault in the restaurant and am looking forward to visiting again!