Chapters Restaurant in Powys

Fabulous meal! So much care was taken with every ingredient, it was just delicious. Restaurant and staff were fantastic. If you’re thinking about booking a table, do it - you won’t regret it!

Chapters is a delight. A celebration of flavour, original ideas and truly local food. I've never eaten somewhere with such delicious food and felt so cosy and comfortable. What an amazing place, absolutely loved our dinner here. Thank you!

The savoury dishes, especially the butternut squash main dish alternative were excellent and great eating with lovely pickling notes. Go there if you visit Hay. However rush to Hay for the Tiramisu dessert - not sweet, not heavy but rich and wonderfully textured, a triumph.

Had a fab evening out here for my birthday. Great service and phenomenal food. Can't wait to go back! Thanks so much for having us! 😊

This was a simply superb experience - food, ambience and a friendly, welcoming host. The menu was genuinely local and all of it interesting and delicious. Special mention for the cured trout and Welsh kombu plus the pheasant, sage and perry veloute.

Amazing place. Very intimate digs with a very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Gave my taste buds the wake up they needed. Definitely will be back! UPDATE: since the review above have been a further 5 times and it keeps getting better

Excellent food. Set menu which we thoroughly enjoyed. Vegetarian option available.

A beautiful and intimate dining experience. A small restaurant with warm and friendly service and lovingly-prepared, unusual food. This is possibly the priciest restaurant in town but the price reflects the quality of the dining experience. The interior of this former chapel is modern but cosy. There is only a small number of tables; consequently, in the evening, it is necessary to book. Careful timing of arrivals seems to work to ensure that every table gets perfect food. The restaurant's website explains their policy on the choice and sourcing of ingredients. Again, this seems to work to ensure top quality. This is probably the most heavenly dining experience we've ever had. We were only in Hay for the weekend and live 4½ hours' drive away so, sadly, won't be able to return soon, but we definitely hope to at some time.

Extraordinary food, great service and relaxed vibe.

Really lovely meal here, we went on a Saturday for lunch and tried all of the small plates. The cockles were a revelation! Really special, and not too costly, experience. Great service, great vibes!

Thoroughly enjoyed our gastro experience at Chapters...a unique place with a warm welcome and great service from the hosts, and the food was just fabulous! Thank you!

Without meaning to sound like a prat, I have been to a few 3-star restaurants etc etc and I would gladly go here anytime. We had a fantastic dinner. Bravo!

We had a lovely evening here. The restaurant is an intimate space with only around 20 covers, cooking was faultless, service excellent and the wine list reasonably priced. We loved it.

An absolute gem of a restaurant. We attended for the small plates lunch, and the menu was a fantastic mix of local produce (charred courgette and beetroot salad were both delicious). The rarebit was the stand-out dish. Excellent service in a tastefully decorated room with a small number of tables. Certainly intend to visit again for the evening service!

Food was excellent, affordable and substantial considering the quality. The wines we tried were delicious and from a huge selection. The lady serving us was extremely friendly, helpful, and personable. She had a nice balance of providing a service that made the meal feel special but also treating us like real people. The restaurant is lovely, the music was great, overall we had a great experience and would recommend it to anyone without hesitation. Thank you Chapters.

I would go to this place every month if I could. Lovely food, great ambience and friendly service, the hummus with falafels and the chocolate dessert were standout dishes to me. Will definitely be going back for more!

This is the second time we have been to Chapters over the last couple of years. It's a really lovely restuarant, very intimate and cosy. It's obvious how hard the team are working to make this a great place to go, service was friendly, effecient but we didn't feel rushed at all. I'd love to be able to say we thought the food was fantastic but unfortunately we can't. It was very good in lots of ways but just didn't have the wow factor. We are both vegetarians and I would have to say we enjoyed the starter more than the main, some nice complex flavours and different textures to enjoy. The main, which was roasted carrot with a bhaji and a hash brown, was probably the let down. It was all a bit orange/brown. The bhajis looked burnt but weren't but unfortunately they tasted very bland. We understand how much work goes into the cooking and presentation but we felt that for £45 per person for 2 courses we were left disappointed. Of course the more you pay the higher the expectation and ours wasn't met on this occasion. Just a note that our clothes smelt of fat when we came out of the restaurant, I think the bhaji was a test for the extractor fan and the bhaji won!

An absolutely delightful experience. The room is gorgeous & relaxed , the food incredible , local, & prepared with such care. An extensive wine list but all very reasonably priced - affordable and excellent quality. The evenings menu is set & bought to your table to share. We left feeling incredibly happy (& full) & extremely well looked after , & with a half bottle of our wine tucked under our arm , as we finished the meal with excellent coffee & petit fours & couldn’t fit another sip in. I’ll be recommending to anyone who happens to be this way.

Amazing restaurant. Lovely food, fantastic staff. Highly recommended, you will not be disappointed

Snooty service. And food was not amazing, which you should expect for the price.

This restaurant has a cosy and intimate atmosphere. Every single dish we tried was delicious. The service was friendly and attentive. The dessert was a masterpiece, I am glad I didn't share it with my partner. Worth travelling for a lovely dining experience at this sustainable, green starred restaurant in Hay on Wye.

Staying in Llanthony and looking for a special restaurant. Always wanted to visit Hay on Wye. Loved the vibe of the place and Chapters complemented the scene The fixed menu meant that you got to taste everything. Lovely flavours and presentation down to bean chutney, pickled salads, hake and even welsh fruit cake rarebit With all the grim weather outside and having to drive across a treacherous pass to get there it made for a special evening

Recommend this small but nicely spaced restaurant. The meal is a set menu of. different starters for sharing,followed by set menu of main meals for sharing. The quality of the food is top class and very tasty. Staff are very friendly

Very disappointed with my Tuna and Bread choice for lunch. I received an opened can of tuna and one small slice of bread, nothing else, not even butter. One small slice of bread proved insufficient. When I asked for a second slice of bread, I was provided a ‘portion’ of bread off the menu, without any warning this would be an additional £5 (plus service of course). So in the end I’ve now paid £16 plus service for a tin of tuna (kindly opened for me) and 3 slices of bread. Not what I’d consider great value. Both of the other menu choices we had were delicious, however also on the small side. Staff very friendly and ambience nice. I will not be considering Chapters again for lunch.

Absolutely incredible food and service. Some of the best food and drink I've had in years.

Amazing food, and brilliant service! That elderberry!!

Had a wonderful Birthday meal for our daughter at Chapters last night. As a fussy vegetarian,previous dinners even at Michelin starred restaurants have been “disappointing” or “bland”. She left Chapters in raptures about both the food and the ambience, as did we. Each of the 5 courses on the taster menu was sublime in both flavours and texture of the ingredients. The fish and meat courses were evenly matched by the vegetarian options so no loss of culinary experience. Service was attentive and first-rate and even though we were a late sitting the meal was served at a leisurely pace. The restaurant is compact giving it a charming intimacy. For the standard of the cuisine, I thought both menu and drinks were excellent value and versatile given the ability to add additional courses. My only regret is that I have not found this gem of a restaurant earlier ( it is literally on our doorstep).I have rectified this already and already booked our next visit early in the NewYear.

great taster menu selection, serving staff was lovely and very knowledgable with both food and wine. this is a lovely small intimate restaurant. Food is very good and they have some very nice wines on their selection too.

Fantastic meal last night, every course a pleasure to eat and a feast for the eyes. Highly recommended and would love to return on our next visit to Hay.

Our third visit, if only we lived nearer! As always their tasting menu is amazing, using local ingredients and the service is always very friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes.

What a phenomenal experience! My husband brought me here for dinner on my birthday. Course after course of beautiful and delicious food. The pork was amazing, and the vahlrona chocolate dessert was unbelievable. Usually at fine dine places we notice that the dessert is lack luster, but here it was the star of the show. Also love how sustainably they run the kitchen, and how simple they’ve kept the interiors. Amazing service as well.

We had booked the previous day, the whole experience was amazing. The decor and environment lovey and intimate. Perfectly lit and comfortable. The food (tasting menu) was stunning and perfectly timed and balanced. The front of House was beautiful and chatty and made us feel at home. Such a lovely experience, I’m very happy to look forward to another visit.

Most important tip, MAKE RESERVATIONS!!! The food, service, and atmosphere are fantastic and as expected from a Michelin restaurant! The only issue is really a benefit for customers who have made reservations. There are only 5 two top tables and 2 four tops, so space is exceptionally limited but makes for a very homey feel and experience. If I could only give more than 5 stars!!! Highly recommended!

2 years had passed since we last eaten here !! Is this visit was well long overdue, having really enjoyed travelling to the restaurant with all the great countryside views and having expertly executed dishes. This time we arrived in Hay-on-Wye a few hours earlier, which was a blessing that they had the local farmers market on. Having done some market shopping and a few drinks in the pubs, it was time again to see what Chapters has to offer. Seed Cracker got the party started with dots of Caerphilly & pickle. This some brilliantly banging Malted Wholewheat Flatbread comes out ! That was ever so fluffy, which we used to eat with the roast Carrot Hummus & Dandelion Honey! Eating both at the same time we just right and just flavoursome. Next was Heritage Tomatoes and Lobster 🦞 Tomatoes were so succulent and refreshingly juicy, Lobster works extremely well with the tomatoes. Summer Herb Creme Fraiche with garden lettuce & Broad Beans with peas ! This was as fresh as you could get for a dish ! Main was some dam good Welsh Lamb 👌 roast aubergine, Res-el-Hanout and yoghurt. All 3 lamb elements and delicious and finely cooked! Res-el-Hanout didn't overpower the meat ! This was a worthy Lamb dish. The cheese course was this brilliant cheese called Caws Cenarth Caerffili! So good gotta say it's a favourite now of mine, along side the cheese we had some nettle crackers and a rhubarb Chutney. Then we end the night with Herefordshire Strawberries, which was packed full of strawberry flavour, meadowsweet style cream and a delightful refreshing strawberry Sorbet and a tuile for a bit of texture.. It was yet again worth travelling to Hay-on-Wye for this experience! Excellent food and the views travelling to is excellent as well..

Finding a parking spot is the most stressful part of the evening. When we walked through the door we were promptly greeted and seated. The server explained the menu, and then gave us time to plan the optional parts. We are from America, and there they push you to eat fast so they can turn the table a couple of times an evening. No rush here. We ordered two glasses of the Sparkling Wine from Powys to start. Appreciated the time to taste the courses at a leisurely pace and have time to talk about the experience. To us all the food was excellent! We flew 4000+ miles to come to Wales, and on this night, I had one of best fish dishes I have ever tasted, the monkfish course. Sadly, will probably not be on the menu when you come because of the focus on what is freshest at that time. We routinely get fresh Alaskan Seafood, but this was to die for. Avery enjoyable, slow-paced meal. Enjoyed our dinner very much.

Food was incredible, would highly recommend. We enjoyed every course and opted for one of the extra optional courses. Every dish was presented beautifully and tasted wonderful. Charmaine talked us through each dish and was very personable. A relaxed atmosphere which made for an enjoyable evening. One of us is gluten free, we mentioned when booking and it wasn't a problem at all.

Outstanding meal at this intimate restaurant for our first wedding anniversary. The tasting menu really showcased the local ingredients, many of which are foraged from the local area, our favourites being the carrot crisps, the goats cheese salad and of course the Lamb dish. A warm welcome, friendly service, incredible food and still very good value for money, this is what fine dining should be like. We'll certainly be back (if we can get another table!)

Best eatery in Hay. Fine dining at its best, with a great ambience as well as refined food. Great that now there are further fixes menu options - fish and veggie as well as meat. All dishes superb

Lovely food, beautifully presented. Cosy atmosphere and pace of service was perfect. Can’t wait to visit again, I imagine in winter the atmosphere is very Dickensian. Chef came out to deliver some of the dishes which was a nice touch. All the dishes complemented each other.

Just amazing food. Remarkable flavours. Small but perfectly formed old chapel restaurant.

We had THE most wonderful visit recently to Chapters Restaurant. The food, with its carefully curated menu of ingredients and flavours, was exquisite. Added to the personal service, delivered against the beautifully understated backdrop of the dining space, made the whole experience pure joy! We can't wait to return.

Another delicious meal at the best restaurant for miles around.

Brilliant, thoughtful tasting menu which satisfied both a full-on carnivore and a foodie vegetarian - nice wine list as well. It ain't cheap, but with food of such quality (and absolute no rush) it was worth every penny for a treat.

Delicious food in a cosy little spot. I'm not a massive fan of tasting menus as they tend to be very expensive and I've had a few duds in my time but this was very good. Well worth a visit.

A delicious tasting menu, full of subtle surprises. Gorgeous setting for a wonderful experience. Save room for the chocolate dessert!

A delicious tasting menu, full of subtle surprises. Gorgeous setting for a wonderful experience. Save room for the chocolate dessert!

We had a truly beautiful meal here last night. Food was excellent and the service was so friendly and laid back which is created a great atmosphere

Outstanding and flawless equal to any restaurant we’ve eaten in recently (including Etch in Hove and Ugly Butterfly in St Ives). Fabulous knowledgeable host who guided our choices with ease without overbearing our dinner and food that was astonishing, innovative and immaculate in both concept and delivery. A rare find. Highly, totally recommend you make a trip to Hay-on-Wye for this restaurant alone.

Superb food, every course was excellent. Small but well selected drinks list. Lovely relaxed atmosphere but spot-on, attentive service.

Absolutely incredible meal. One of the best I've ever had. Highly recommended.

Amazing restaurant. Great food and friendly staff. Not to be missed!

Really enjoyed my meal, the atmosphere was relaxed and casual. The service and food were both excellent.

A very special dining experience. Wonderful flavours, locally sourced, beautifully presented. Loved it.

A perfect place, The tasting menu was superb and served in a relaxed, unfussy style, all in a lovely building.

Seriously delicious tasting menu…we paired the dishes with wines from the menu and had a top notch dinner. A great find!

Delicious considered tasting menu with amazing local foraged ingredients.

Brilliant place to dine. Innovative tasting menu,with seasonal foods. Intimate dining in a relaxed setting.

Amazing michelin-esque food, great service and value. If you're visiting Hay, you cannot miss this place. But book in advance as it's a v small, intimate vibe with only a few tables.

I am a self proclaimed fussy vegetarian but have always wanted to experience a restaurant like this. I was so please to see their was a veggie option and that they would share the menu beforehand. My husband (a regular carnivore) and myself had such a good experience. The atmosphere was lovely and relaxed, not at all pretentious, and the food... well I sum it up as sublime. We both had a parsnip veloute to start. Then my husbands fish course was scallops and I had roasted cauliflower with pickled samphire. Next was venison for him and spelt gnocchi for me. Then finally the dessert which was rhubarb and hogweed streusel. All was divine. I don't usually like rhubarb but it was gorgeous. It is hard to describe how amazing it all was because when you describe the ingredients it sounds so accessible and that is the beauty of their food. They take humble ingredients and make them special.

A lovely little find for a special treat when staying in Herefordshire. The taster menu was delightful and we enjoyed each plate, really appreciated the use of local seasonal produce and foraged ingredients. So glad I came across the restaurant and would love to pop back to try the changing menu.

Just gets better. Deserves 5 stars 🌟

OUTSTANDING. Our 2nd visit &, if even possible, better than the last! We love everything about this restaurant. Incredible food, presented beautifully, great drinks list & top class, professional & delightfully humorous service in a gorgeous space. We arranged our trip around Chapters & will do so again in the future for certain!

Beautiful food, great service. 100% will be back again

Fantastic food and fantastic service,

Just superb This restaurant is a hidden gem. There are only 16 covers. The dining room is homely, well appointed and well laid out. We had the 5 course tasting menu. It was out of this world. The combinations were both extraordinary and delicious. Charmaine, our host and co-owner, was charming and had a lovely sense of humor. Lastly, we all thought it was very good value and the wine list was fairly priced

Another sublime meal at Chapters. Subtle, clever, delicate, artful cooking and preparation of sustainable and local foods. Divine.

Great dining experience. Wonderful food cooked especially for us, dairy and gluten free, and time to enjoy it all.

Top marks for the food it was awesome, great service. Will definitely be coming back to chapters in the future :)

A small and friendly restaurant with an unpretentious vibe, but with food that certainly equalled a Michelin starred restaurant I've eaten at last year. Its a tasting menu and my taste buds were dancing. I live on the South coast but will be travelling up again to eat there.

Cosy and intimate setting. This was one of the best meals I have ever had. Original yet delicious dishes. Catered well for vegetarians and gluten-free. Unlike most tasting menus, Chapters’ menu actually filled me up. The front-of-house was extremely friendly. Would recommend to anyone going to Hay.

Fantastic food and service. Made for a delightful evening.

A truly exceptional experience! This place is really a hidden gem. We came from London to stay in Hay for my sisters birthday. She is the most enthusiastic foodie we know and so looked for a 'showstopper' of a dinner to celebrate her belated birthday. Chapters delivered in spades. The unique menu, the creativity in ingredients, the tastebud sensations, the character and look of the dining room. Charmaine was our waiter and ensured all our needs were looked after. Her and Chef Mark even put a candle in the dessert which was the cherry on the cake. Congratulations guys on a remarkable restaurant!

Excellent restaurant - fantastic locally sourced food, great service and a wonderful experience. A MUST visit if you’re in the area !

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. I highly recommend.

A perfect spot. The food was inventive and delicious. The service was super friendly and attentive. The restaurant has reduced capacity significantly as part of its Covid measures - we felt safe. We were very glad to see it open as everyone should taste their food. A highlight of our stay in the area.

We loved the menu at Chapters this evening. Clever, inventive and very appealing. All served with a smile as well. Thanks for a memorable evening. And we’re so happy to support fellow Hay businesses.

Fantastic food, space and service, well worth a visit!

Absolutely amazing food. The best we have eaten in ages. Wow! 😀

A really special place. Each dish was unique and a taste experience. Charmaine the host helped make our night be the best it could be. Thank you.

The delightful host found us a walk in table on Saturday, and we were delighted that she did. The food is all locally and impeccably sourced, seasonal and imaginative. From the homemade bread and whipped yeast butter to the blackcurrant sorbet made with currants from the farm next door to the host's grandparent's, so much thought had been put into the menu. Highlights were the aforementioned items, plus the goats cheese and tomato salad and local lamb three ways. The fish course (scorched mackerel fillet with gooseberry and dashi) didn't really sing as much as these flavours should, and the chocolate delice could have punched harder, but overall, a wonderful wonderful meal. The vegan Merlot by the glass was fabulous for its price, and the local beers were flavorsome and complemented the menu well.

We loved this restaurant. Run by a talented and professional young couple we ate exceptional food in a calm, unpretentious environment. The presentation was superb and flavours subtle and varied. This is a restaurant well worth visiting and this team deserve to do well. We look forward to our next opportunity to visit.

Fantastic new restaurant, lovely friendly service and delicious food. The chicken liver parfait was very tasty and wine was excellent.