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Review:

IT was a special family night out to remember. Three birthdays rolled into one big reunion, as well as the excuse of celebrating Nia Henllan's 21st. What better place than Gwernan Hotel.This is an old country house, once a gentlemen's hunting lodge and now a nine-bedroomed hotel with its own lake at the foot of Cader Idris.Our hosts were Geraint and Eleri Roberts, proprietors since October 2007 along with daughter Ruth, who has taken over the role of chef and manager.Walking into this remote country hotel, with its wood panelling, stone walls and open log fire, gives you a sense of going back to the wild Wales of the 18th century while at the same time being comforting.We'd arranged for Ken's brother, John, and his wife Kate to join us, along with our nieces and nephews Gemma, Sam and Michael. The atmosphere was helped along by Butty Bach, the popular Welsh Ale.It was turning out to be a great evening with the family as 16 of us congregated in the bar to study a menu which uses locally-sourced ingredients wherever possible.Ushered into the quaint dining room, we arranged the seating with two long parallel tables accommodating the two families: the Joneses and the Markhams.The popular starters among us were garlic mushrooms and bacon, sweet chilli fishcakes with cucumber salad, asparagus soup, and pork liver pate with hot onion relish and oatcakes. My sister Cath, an experienced chef, thought all the dishes were presented effectively, with fresh, crisp salad. The service was prompt and professional, adding to the relaxed and intimate atmosphere.Our friend Helen from Chester proclaimed the fishcakes as amazing, while my brother Huw thought the bacon with the garlic mushrooms were no less than mouthwatering. Hefin said his soup was to his utmost satisfaction.For the main course, Lorraine and Michael opted for a generous portion of succulent minted Welsh lamb steak, praising the excellence of the presentation, flavour and texture. Two very satisfied customers.I chose the chicken curry - a medium hot fruity affair made with tomatoes, onions, coconut and apples. A delight for a curry fan.A popular choice was the traditional Welsh Black sirloin steak garnished with onions, mushroom and onion rings, cooked to perfection as ordered.The sweet and sour chicken and the roasted vegetable lasagne were equally as successful. Menna, my sister-in-law, found the chicken and leek pasta bake interesting and tasty with a creamy cheesy flavour.No 21st birthday would be complete without the cake and candles, much to Nia's surprise and obvious delight. This distracted us all from the sweet menu... well, nearly all, because Wil just could not resist the homemade bread and butter pudding. The puddings menu had all the traditional favourites.We all lingered and socialised over a good cup of coffee, enjoying the company of family and special friends.The warm welcome given in this homely hotel was very special indeed. No wonder it's enjoying such success.