Delight for the eyes and a feast for the taste buds, delicious British tapas are wowing customers at the award winning Freckled Angel, adding a heavenly twist to eating out in Menai Bridge.

For its size this charming little Anglesey town has a great collection of eateries - no less than 27 at the last count, ranging from fine dining restaurants, hotels, pubs, cafes and fast food outlets.

However, there is always room for something different and when dynamic young local chef Mike Jones and his partner Debbie Owen opened the Freckled Angel in April last year, they soon found they were on to a winner!

The Freckled Angel in Menai Bridge
The Freckled Angel in Menai Bridge

From the outset customers were sold on the concept of combining Spanish ‘tapas’ with British flavours and techniques using locally sourced ingredients to create a unique menu and dining experience.

Now this pocket sized restaurant whose name is taken from Ren Gills song and album ‘Freckled Angels’, is going from strength to strength with a strong following of regulars, as my husband Hugh and I discovered when we headed across the Strait on a chilly mid week evening to see if it could live up to its glowing reputation.

Tucked away in the centre of the High Street, the grey double fronted restaurant sporting a distinctive white painted sign of angel wings above the front door, was a hive of activity when we arrived, with eager diners of all ages obviously enjoying themselves and doing full justice to the colourful plates of food in front of them.

I had taken the precaution to book in advance, particularly necessary at weekends, and we were quickly shown to a table at the back of the room by Jill, one of two charming servers on duty, who made us feel very welcome, turning up the heating so that we could get warm.

The premises are simply and pleasingly decorated in what I would describe as ‘modern minimalist’ style, with grey painted wooden floors, sturdy wooden tables and chairs, industrial lighting and a large painting of an angel dominating one wall in memory of a close friend who passed away far too soon.

The room is divided into two parts, with seating for up to a maximum of 30 people. The smaller area we were in is ideal for couples who want to dine intimately, the other perfect for parties and celebrations.

The Freckled Angel on Menai Bridge High Street
The Freckled Angel on Menai Bridge High Street

Hugh and I started by studying the drinks list that, like the menu, was carefully chosen and realistically priced, offering a good selection of wines from many countries costing from £16.50 to £30 a bottle, as well as three house wines by the glass. There’s also an array of soft drinks, beers- many local, ciders, spirits and liquors.

Whilst we were deciding what to eat- no easy matter as there was a great choice including vegetarian and gluten free, I had a small glass of white house wine and hubby went for a pint of Estrella lager shandy.

Our server Jill helpfully suggested we should go for two to three dishes each, or three or more for a larger appetite, plus a couple of sides and then have fun sharing as everything is meant to go together. All dishes are cooked to order and served at the same time.

The menu consisted of seven different sides and no less than eleven mains ranging in price from £ 5.50 to £7, so there is something for everyone. Unfortunately for my other half, soup was not available!

After a great deal of deliberation Hugh and I selected five main dishes ie braised shin of beef with bacon and mushroom jus and semi dried tomato; glazed belly of pork with celeriac slaw; grilled lemon sole with crushed peas, crispy potato and caper butter; lamb sirloin and bacon, broad bean, cucumber and Anglesey feta cheese and duck, chicken and mushroom terrine with roast peaches and raspberry vinegar.

We added two sides - dressed tomato, red onion and roquette salad and what for me was the star of the show, baked camembert with garlic and rosemary. This was accompanied by lots of fresh warm bread, perfect for dipping into the runny heart of the cheese.

The Freckled Angel logo at the restaurant in Menai Bridge
The Freckled Angel logo at the restaurant in Menai Bridge

Now that may sound like a large order, but remember that these are ‘tapas’ style dishes, so the portions really are quite small.

Piping hot and beautifully presented in attractive black bowls on a rustic wooden platter, the food was absolutely delicious and earned five star rating from both of us

For once Hugh had no room for afters, a first for him, but I decided to try vanilla panna cotta, textures of strawberries with black pepper meringue which again could not be faulted. It was truly the perfect finish to an outstanding meal.

The Freckled Angel is the brainchild of 27-year-old Bangor born chef patron Mike Jones, an amazing young man with a lifelong passion for cooking who trained at some of North Wales’ leading establishments including the Hotel Portmeirion.

Thanks to determination and creative talent, he worked his way up to head chef by the age of 23 and subsequently launched his own business, successfully catering for private dinner parties and weddings.

This gave him the incentive to open his own restaurant where he could provide top restaurant quality food and service in a relaxed and welcoming setting. That is how in 2016 Freckled Angel tapas came about and the rest, as they say, is history!

Mike is a very hands on chef, always trying out new and exciting dishes, using best quality local produce. He is assisted in the kitchen by Edward and Jake.

The restaurant has featured in the Good Food guide for two years, has gained Trip Advisor recommendation and most recently won first place for food and hospitality in the North Wales Young Business Awards.

Here in North Wales we are lucky to have many outstanding restaurants, Freckled Angel is certainly one of them. I can’t wait to go there again.

The Bill

Glass house wine: £3.75

Estrella lager: £3.25

Lemonade: £1.50

Panna cotta: £6.50

Braised beef: £6

Belly pork: £6

Lemon sole: £6.50

Lamb sirloin: £7

Camembert: £7

Tomato salad: £1.50

Duck terrine: £6.25

Total: £55.25

The Facts

Service: Friendly, attentive and very helpful.

Disabled: Possible to manoeuvre a wheelchair inside.

Parking: In road if you can find a spot; large public car park behind.

Overall: Great food in relaxed atmosphere. Be adventurous.

Opening hours: Tues-Sat 12-2pm and 6.30-8.30pm. Booking advisable.

Special Christmas menu will be available and Secret Diners Club to be reinstated next year.

The Freckled Angel Restaurant, 49 High St, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5EF. Tel: 01248 209952.