Norbar in Gwynedd

I am disappointed as I was really looking forward to trying the calamari and lobster dishes. Both were bland, the calamari were just the squid tubes, they came with nothing else to give any flavour or texture. The lobster was also tasteless, again with no sauces, but as I had not had these dishes before I had nothing to compare it with, so said nothing. We had our meal outside which was in such a lovely setting, unfortunately dogs on another table were making a lot of noise with their barking....

This review rating is for the food only. We had five meals including starters, mains and puddings. All the meals were excellent and the quality of the food was superb. The service was very good and staff were friendly. The downside came at the end of the meal (9:20pm) when we were issued with the bill without asking and told we had to leave as they were locking up. We were still finishing out drinks and were waiting for our taxi. One star rating for being rushed out.

First time visiting since the Norbar changed to a Seafood restaurant. Friendly staff and a variety of food on the menu. I chose the mackerel pate for my starter, which was delicious and a generous portion. Our mains ranged from ribeye steak, pork chops and sea bass. Huge doorstop of a pork chop in a veal jus, with chorizo chunks and endamane beans. The ribeye was cooked medium rare and melted in the mouth. Deserts were the chocolate truffle and crème brûlée, the perfect ending to a wonderful meal. Highly recommend this restaurant if you are staying in or passing through Barmouth.

What a fantastic place! We came here as family with two young children (2 & 7 years old), and the staff could not have been more accommodating. The children's meals were great! We had the pork and sea bream and they were cooked to perfection - portion sizes very generous. The service we had was amazing - very friendly and helpful staff. The location is beautiful and we cannot wait to visit again.

If you want immense views and incredible sea food this is where it’s at! Top menu with a really impressive range of low/non alcoholic drinks. Already can’t wait to return!

While the Norbar looks great and is in a great location, I think it has strayed far from the casual family-friendly pub it used to be as the Wayside, which is a huge shame. The best part about it was actually the fish & chip business on the side, which has now been replaced with another bar for some reason. You have to book a table as it is now a sea food restaurant instead of just a pub, and also therefore far more expensive. The mini arcade and pool tables that the Wayside used to have were gone on our last visit, so any element of fun that might've appealed to families is gone. The Norbar has doesn't respect it's closing times, closing because there "there no customers" right as we happen to walk through the door. They've also "officially closed" the bar before serving more customers, but not us. Overall, the Norbar is disappointing in comparison to the cosy, family-friendly sea-side pub it used to be as the Wayside.

We ate at Norbar on September 5th around 5 - the sea bass was beyond delicious 😋 hubby had half a chicken and thoroughly enjoyed it. Staff are lovely as well as efficient. We will be back 😍

We had a wonderful evening in the restaurant. From our table we had a great view of the sea. Very friendly service and the food was extremely delicious, fantastic seafood!

Food was nice, staff friendly and knowledgeable. A bit expensive for what we had but it was fresh and nicely done.

Wow, what a lovely place, rib eye steak was delicious and cooked to perfection, service was excellent and no hidden service charges was very welcome bonus, on this occasion we would of been more than happy to pay it if there was Would highly recommend eating here and if you are staying in sunnysands caravan park it was only 30 minute walk in total from site reception Will definitely visit again ☺️

We had the most enjoyable time, great food, service and ambience. Highly recommend.

I love Norbar!!! I hope that I haven’t deleted my previous post but I couldn’t find another way to write another review. Last weekend in August, weather looks great so I messaged a chum at 11.30 last night. Fancy a trip to Norbar? 👍🏼 So a 2.30 outside booking, no shade, as a preference. Oh yeah, Norbar not me! Fabulous food yet again, Escargot, crab salad, scallops and some bread to mop up. Service again impeccable, Dale this time. Only a diluted glass of wine for me as we need to travel 52 more miles. It’s always absolutely worth the effort and such a beautiful journey here.

Always great food and friendly staff, definitely worth a visit.

Amazing place, top notch seafood, well worth the money. First class service. You will not be disappointed.

What a find. This was our first but not last time at the Norbar. The local seafood on offer is exceptional, our group of six adults and two children enjoyed oysters, crab, prawns, calamari, scallops and much more. You could taste the freshness of the seafood. Excellent service, staff were very attentive and full of information about the local area as well as a bit of a history lesson for us which we loved. Be sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment. In short, tasty seafood, fresh food, great views and service with a lovely ambiance.

Amazing food, would highly recommend, the managers Daniel's attention to detail was spot on, checking customers where happy and food was.good and also great music, all staff where friendly food was amazing great restaurant would highly recommend

Brilliant food. The lobster was amazing. The staff were friendly and attentive. We had a perfect afternoon.

Lovely service. Greeted by friendly smiling staff. Awaited to serve customers with information about catches and what's available of the day. Lovely bar and drinks, very good atmosphere with outdoor sitting. Separate bar area means not too crowded for restaurant guests. Good choice of music. Starters were lively with just the right size. Hot deluxe platter was very good, despite as expected you have a few prawns not at its best freshness. Lobster and fish were absolutely bang on.

Amazing food. great friendly staff. Hidden Gem. Have been here before and wasn't disappointed as food was still as amazing. Has been re furbished to a high standard. Daniel the manager is really friendly and it shows that he cares about your experience. Great setting. Nice to sit and watch the Sunset with amazing views.

Had an absolutely delicious dinner here tonight. We are staying in the area on holiday and saw the restaurant nearby. The food was really very good and the service was excellent. We all ate seafood in various different dishes - calamari, garlic prawns, sea bass, moules mariniere. All really well presented and very tasty. Do visit.

I’ve never written a review on a restaurant before, but this experience was so good, I felt compelled to. The standard & quality of the food was very high. It was so delicious & I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I think it was the service & friendliness of the staff that made the experience what it was. Would highly recommend this place!

Absolutely breathtaking view with a chilled ambience overlooking the sea. I just love it.

Two members of our party had the crab and both said it tasted like tinned crab. they didn't finish their meals I had the steak which was nice to be fair.

Probably the best meal and service we had the entire holiday in North Wales

Had the most wonderful experience dining here last night. Beautiful setting, staff were so friendly & attentive. We asked for a slight change to our order & they were more than happy to accommodate it. The food was some of the best I've ever eaten!! Can't recommend this place enough. Will definitely be visiting again.

We visited for our 6th wedding anniversary. The food was outstanding, we were delighted to see that they had a 0% alcohol lager on tap- and Fred, Nefyn and Gareth (Bottom bar) were welcoming and made us feel like we were in capable hands. Unfortunately, the table service did not live up to the above. We had many different servers, none of which introduced themselves, asked us if we wanted drink top ups, water for the table (which was offered to all other tables around us) or asked us how our food was. We asked one server some questions (about menu items etc) and they didn't seem to know much about what was available; or offer to find out for us. We did not tip because of the service- which is unlike us as we have both worked in hospitality and always try to tip well; it's important to us. The restaurant feels relaxed but high end and this is reflected in the decor, cost and the quality of the food... we'd just love the service to catch up too for our next visit!

sea bass lovely, mussels awful ,full of grit not washed first

Popped in for a quick drink. Very friendly staff and water in jugs for furbabies

Excellent food and service with stunning views.

Having read rave reviews, and because we were driving by, we decided to eat lunch here. Dan was a very informative 'waiter', not only in terms of food and drink offerings, but also of sights to see, places to visit and the local history. I hope the Wales Tourist Board pay him well... ...oh, the food was pretty good too. Can highly recommend the locally-caught sea bream.

Was visiting Barmouth today as a half way point on our journey home from Cardigan. Had planned to have lunch at a restaurant in Barmouth town but noticed some recent negative reviews so gave Norbar a call. The lady who answered was lovely and friendly and assured us there would be a table on the terrace available for myself, my partner and our two children. On arrival front of house staff were welcoming and we were given a choice of tables. Wonderful service. Food was gorgeous, my daughter was thrilled to find lobster on the childrens menu and she devoured every morsel. My extremely fussy and hard to please son cleared his plate! Crab and oysters were gorgeous and my other half had chicken that he said was phenomenal. Really pleased we decided to give Norbar a try, we'll be back!

I have received the best customer service from Irina , and the food was amazing, I definitely recomand you guys to all of my friends

Wonderful food, excellent service and the lass Irena who served us couldn't do enough to help. Definitely coming back here again soon.

Norbar Seafood Restaurant offers delicious seafood in a cozy atmosphere. Irina's exceptional service made our visit even more enjoyable. A delightful experience, highly recommended for seafood lovers!

The food was amazing and the staff was the best I ever had , thank you.

We went for a late lunch on 13th July to celebrate our anniversary. We had a couple of starters , Harissa Octopus and scallops followed by the Spider Crab risotto with a half size warm seafood platter. The food was exceptionally good, staff very attentive, knowledgeable and friendly and the Bill was very reasonable. In my opinion this was one of the best seafood meals we've had and we'll definitely be back

Very friendly and personal service. The food tastes amazing especially the octopus. Maybe even the best octopus I have ever eaten. The steak I asked for medium but instead god well done, which was a little sad.

Beautiful restaurant in a great position with stunning views of the Bay. Excellent menu utilising quality,local produce. Food was great and the staff were too! Highly recommended

Lovely food and friendly staff. Good service. Only dog friendly on the partially covered terrace. Not ideal when it's wet or windy. Although to get to the terrace with the dog you need to go through the restaurant? A small dog friendly section indoors would be nice. Other than that it's definitely worth a visit.

We came for dinner the other night and it was superb, we had a seafood platter, the food was unreal and the staff were amazing too. Highly recommend.

We discovered Norbar just a few days ago and absolutely fell in love with it. The setting is amazing and the couple running it were great. Unfortunately the kitchen was closed as it was a Monday but we’ll definitely be heading back when next in the area. Well worth a visit.

They have spoilt the outside area for drinking not like it use to be seems to be heading more for the food just like many others very disappointing been going for years every time we visit Barmouth. Staff ok. Beer prices a bit steep. Food prices a bit steep Can say won’t be busing again. Sorry

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch on our camping trip in this very nice restaurant: warm welcome, excellent food, top service. Just great.

Me and my partner came here for our anniversary. The food is exceptional! We had a seafood platter and a ribeye steak and it all came out presented beautifully and cooked to perfection. Waiting staff were extremely polite and friendly and engaging. We even had a chance to thank the chefs. 10/10 highly recommend ed!

What a fabulous find! Decided to enjoy the last evening of our holiday at Norbar and we weren't disappointed, from the warm welcome to the fabulous seafood we loved every minute of our visit. Of particular note was the mackerel pate starter (no photos because it was so delicious that it was all gone before I could get my phone out!) Followed by the Nip & Cluck sharing platter, a whole roast chicken, a whole roast lobster, frites, roast new potatoes and salad....divine! Beautifully rounded off with a raspberry and white chocolate creme brulee and coffee on the terrace overlooking the sea. Seriously good restaurant with a laid back ambience, great staff, lovely food and a fabulous view...we will be back!

Wonderful food! We’re party of 5 and order oyster, two starter, one large hot platter, and two main. The portion is large, we order just the right amount. The scallop on shell is brilliant! Seafood Spaghetti is just lovely! The ribeye steak is also very tasty. Would definitely revisit

Absolutely amazing food here, lovely staff can’t do enough for you, efficient service…. A MUST to try 😍😍

Visited Sun 23/6, beautiful meal, service was exemplary, will definitely be making it a regular venue. Special thanks to Irina for adding that personal touch.5*

It's a very nice fish restaurant, with a great view over the sea. Definitely recomending.

Great place, great food and friendly staff

Excellent meal, wine and friendly service. So glad we decided to stop en route to Pothmadog. If you like seafood, this restaurant is definitely worth a visit. Great views too.

Nice restaurant with interesting menu of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. Food good, service excellent.

Can highly rate this restaurant, visiting whilst on holiday. The food, service and atmosphere were all very good. Best sea bass I've had, spot on

Wow what an incredible place. The food is amazing and the staff are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. We created the ultimate turf and surf by ordering a meze of dishes from the menu and ate them watching the sun go down. Perfect birthday celebration for my partner. Would highly recommend this place as it’s very special. Big thank you to Jen, Alex, Dan, Costell and Caitlin the amazing chefs and Gareth and Dan front of house.

Was looking for a seafood restaurant while visiting my sister who lives about an hour drive from here. We decided to go here because of the views. This restaurant is outstanding on all aspects, the food was amazing and beautifully cooked. This place is exceptional and the inside dining and also outside when the weather is good you can lounge on the sofas and spend all afternoon. I can thoroughly recommend this place and anyone who enjoys seafood will not be disappointed.

We went today for a family dinner . 4 of us and a dog .so sat outside . We had had the chicken and lobster platter . And others here corn fed chicken and some gordale olives . The food was beautifully presented and extremely tasty with an eye for detail and nicely seasoned .The menu was very clear for gluten free . Making it a treat for celiac family members. I will definitely return . The staff were proud of the food pand told you about the origins of rhe local products. .

We went for a meal their .the food was delicious I had sea Bream and my wife had sea bass and prawn starters 😋. With vegetables. It was worth the money Well done to the staff

The seafood platter was excellent. I don't like lobster but the chef was accommodating.

Came here for a drink and to admire the stunning views from the terrace. Worth coming for the views alone - there is a nice selection of drinks available and although we didn't have food, the food that we saw being brought out looked amazing if seafood is your thing.

A great evening, great food, friendly service. Recommended!

We passed this place when driving to Tallybont . We had a delicious meal beautifully cooked, service superb staff so very friendly .Maitrede charming could not fault it would go there again anytime .My plaice was lovely and my partner had sea bream both delicious.

A superb restaurant. The Sea Bass and Cod loin with Prawns were both superb. Excellent friendly service with fantastic sea views. Will be returning soon.

I'm allergic to prawns but wanted the herb crusted cod loin. They were so happy to sort this out for me. Each and every meal was delicious and tasty. My only criticism would be that the starter came before we had finished our appitiser. Fabulous atmosphere friendly staff... Certainly well worth a visit 😊

Irina was our waitress, she was attentive and friendly. We had two platters, one hot, one cold. Both were excellant. It was dog friendly on the covered terrace. Plenty of parking and disabled access. Staff are all very friendly

We stopped for late lunch. We had olives and bread very bland a bit disappointed.Also lots of traffic noise

First time visit to Norbar but definitely won’t be the last. Just had probably the nicest steak ever - perfectly cooked and extremely tasty

We sat down at 19:50. We ordered our drinks within 5 minutes. We then ordered our food within another 5. We waited until 20:45 to ask where our food was while a table of 3 next to us had the starts and mains served and paid the bill, also surrounded by tables getting their mains even though they sat down after us. We understand the kitchen can be slow but my drink was empty for 30 minutes and all the servers walked past without offering another and even when we asked the time expected on the food they just apologised and said it will be another 20 minutes…. Without offering anything. Overall we would have been waiting 1 hour and 20 minutes for our food.

Sunday lunch I expected to be busy on a wonderful day, relatively quiet

Lovely welcoming staff made to feel very welcome. Good choice of drinks great wine choices The menu is a good choice , no special board but was not needed.. we had the sea bass, the place and clams , one seafood platter on ice the other was served hot as i perfect mine hot. The food did not disappoint it was fresh it was tasty beyond words it all looked amazing We highly recommend Thank you We will definitely be back Mrs & mrs Edwards & Mr & mrs Hopkings 23-05-24

Great place for a meal if your a sea food fan. Highly recommend the sea food platter.

Great restaurant with views across the sea. Warm fruit de mer was lovely. A whole lobster, some crab claws, langoustines, king prawns, clams and calamari. With fries,cans (strangely) a bearnaise sauce. Dessert was a great Welsh cheeseboard, and raspberry and white chocolate creme brulee. All good was great and staff courteous and attentive. We booked 3 days in advance, and they were turning people away at the door

Great steak and fish dishes. The view from the pavilion area outside is stunning and is best viewed at sunset. The service was excellent throughout. Would highly recommend!

We come here every year. This place never disappoints. Service is ace and is great. Airina was amazing (probably wrong spelling)

Absolutely awful the staff when I walked in with my 2 kids the guy said they were fully booked/ the restaurant and outdoor area was completely empty. He then said you can find some “fast food” places nearby- if I wanted fast food I wouldn’t have gone there it wasn’t my first time to go- terrible racist place completely avoid. Never met someone so rude in my life.

Should be called No-bar. We’ve have been here a few times before and was able to just pop in for a drink. We stay in a nearby campsite and fancied sitting outside for a drink. However, we weren’t even allowed to just come and sit outside for a drink as they said they were fully booked, but most of the outside seats were available. We only wanted a quick drink in the sun and found the maitre D quite rude. Having nearby campsites they are going to miss out on a lot of custom of people just wanting a beverage and not to eat.

Well placed for the campsites and locals and has a decent sized carpark, but when you want some food and drink and you haven't booked a table you have no chance. That's what happened to us ,so we got some drinks and relaxed and took in the views on the big outdoor seating area overlooking the sea 🌊. Other than that we would return but make a reservation first.

Both me and my partner had the mussels in white wine sauce, which were gorgeous, followed by dessert, equally as nice. Really lovely restaurant with an amazing view, Service from the staff was excellent

Outstanding place. Food is amazing. Location is amazing. Staff are amazing. Can’t fault it

I had a solo lunch before heading back home. Having driven past several times, I was keen to try this place. Couldn't decide which starter to have, so I went with the grilled scallops and some octopus tentacles, both excellent. My main was the sea bass with a simple green salad. Again, excellent. I wanted to bring something home to share with my wife, so I got a half seafood platter takeaway. We ate it later that evening, and tbh, it was okay but not the same level as my earlier dishes. It was worth a try. Anyway, dining in was great, and definitely will go back. Fair value. Excellent service and very picturesque atmosphere.

Beautiful food and friendly staff scallops beautiful

Lovely food, great service. Appreciated the manager bringing me a glass of fizz to celebrate my birthday.

Review for two separate meals this week at the Norbar. We have been coming to the Norbar for the last few years and we’re quite apprehensive regarding the recent menu change and removal of Pizza from the menu as they were personal favourites of ours however we had two of the best dining experiences we’ve had at the Norbar to date! We had The Halloumi Bruschetta, Calamari starters. Chicken Croquettes (Special), Seabass with Sicilian Cherry Tomato Sauce, Pork Belly with Canellini Beans, Plenty of Koffman Fries and The Seafood Platter (Half). All Dishes were 10/10 and we couldn’t recommend them enough. Special Mention to our server Rodbert for his extremely attentive service though out. See you again guys, Thank You - Jack and Family.

The restaurant is great, the setting is beautiful and the staff were lovely. Unfortunately when we went the quantity of seafood available (which we had gone specifically for the purpose of having) was not really acceptable, with no crab, lobster or oysters available. Noting that we had gone at the end of the Easter long weekend, a call to advise this ahead of arrival would have changed our decision to attend and we would recommend this approach be undertaken in similar future circumstances. The experience otherwise was great, but a seafood restaurant not stocking adequate quantities of seafood unfortunately soured the overall experience for us.

Lovely meal. Great service. Overlooking a fantastic sunset. Would definitely book again

Best seafood platter ever! Extra bonus of the real ale well kept and local. Really well looked after by all the staff. Will be back next time we're in barmouth.

No lobster today but fantastic Hake,

Absolutely fantastic as always. We did have reservations about the new smaller menu but there was no need as everything was perfect. 10 out of 10. We will be back again!

Unbelievablely expensive... £21 for a pizza.. £11 for kids pizza

Have eaten here many times over the last 5 years as we have a caravan nearby. This was our first visit this season. We had the dog with us yesterday about 1 oclock as we had been on a long walk and wanted to pop in for a drink as previously you could sit on the balcony area for a drink without booking. We were surprised that we couldn't go in even for a drink. This is such a shame as I'm sure you will lose custom for those who just want to have drink. It's confusing.

I Walked for 45 minutes to have a drink at the nor bar only to be turned away because I did not book a table. If it was just a restaurant I would understand but it advertised as Restaurant and Bar.

Fantastic food, amazing service. Seafood choices and quality superb.

Excellent meal and service, couldn’t fault a thing, will definitely be back

Superb food and good service, it’s a great location for the sunset Just wish they did a basic fish and chips on their lunch menu (ok I am a peasant) 😀

Been visiting Barmouth for over 10 years now but this was our first visit to the Norbar...and wow , fantastic food & drink , top notch service and a great atmosphere too...all with stunning views across the bay . Highly impressed and would 100% recommended giving Norbar a try. We'll definitely be going again the next time we're in Barmouth. As an aside, I would also recommend advance booking as the place can get very busy at time's.

Barstaff incredibly rude. Not sure the atmosphere or location justify the prices or manner of staff

Very bang average. When I see ‘seafood restaurant’ I have to try but it’s not really a speciality here. We had spaghetti gamberoni and it was completely bland, no sauce, no seasoning. Literally just spaghetti with a few prawns on top Seafood papillote also very bland. Overpriced for what you get. Also £6 a pint is extortionate!!! The best thing about this place was the view and the amazing waiting staff. The waiters were absolutely fantastic and service was second to none. Shame about the food.

Very enjoyable food Nice view overlooking to sea

Brilliant! Loved this place! I really love that there is a decent kids menu with real food for them, not just the usual "kid friendly" rubbish they can learn from. It does help that our child is open minded buy we havnt fed her kids menu stuff ever, so this was a unique time where she could order a meal of her own rather than us dishing her up good wholesome food from our plates of good food. The fish was delicious 😋 portions perfect Desserts incredible! And the staff were really kind and fun and attentive. Thank you for a great night!

Always great to have a beer at the Norbar, even when not eating. Visited on Saturday afternoon, Excellent Erdinger and Prosecco. I almost had a Shipyard, but both the Bar staff and myself after much laughter, thought the Weisse beer was the right choice on this occasion. I will definitely have a Shipyard next time. 🤣🤣👍

Absolutely exquisite seafood. Wish we could come here regularly, the place is perfection. Great atmosphere, superlative dishes and wine, wonderful service and setting. Book ahead!