Usk has been keeping a secret, or rather the Glen-Yr-Afon Hotel, situated just a few minutes walk from the centre of Usk, has. The secret is the hotel’s restaurant, Clarkes.

Just walking in to the restaurant and you’re already getting that magical feeling. Crisp, white tablecloths, immaculately laid tables with shining cutlery and sparkling glassware – it’s these details that contribute so much to making your dining out experience a real treat. Clarkes Restaurant offers customers a truly wonderful dining experience, combining as it does the luxurious environment of this beautiful Victorian villa with dishes produced from the finest, freshest and, wherever possible, locally-sourced ingredients.

In this respect the restaurant is spoilt for choice, as Monmouthshire and its surrounding counties can boast a plethora of local suppliers providing all manner of delicious foods from unique cheeses and wines, famous Welsh beef and lamb, to fresh fish and seafood.

Sunday lunch and Sunday dinner offer customers a traditional roast, with three main courses to choose from- beef and Yorkshires are a menu staple and then another roast meat and a fish dish, complemented by a choice of starters and then home-made desserts from the sweet trolley, followed by cheese, coffee and mints!

For any vegetarians or vegans panicking right now that you might not be able to experience all this gorgeousness don’t worry – special dietary needs can all be catered for; just mention your requirements on booking.

If all that wasn’t enough then the service too is faultless and just what you want; friendly without being too friendly, courteous and discreet without being stand-offish and intimidating. Nothing is too much trouble and the waiting staff manage to create just the right ambience so that it’s impossible not to relax, savour your meal and really enjoy yourself.

The Clarkes experience is available to all, residents and non-residents alike. There is ample free parking within the hotel’s three acres of picturesque grounds which, on a nice afternoon, also provide the perfect setting for a post-lunch leisurely stroll, or you can retire to one of the comfortable bar areas to relax.

So whatever the occasion – a romantic meal for two, a family celebration, a business lunch or dinner or just to spoil yourself once in a while, Clakes offers a wonderfully elegant and yet comfortable and relaxed setting for an unforgettable fine dining experience.