A noted North Wales restaurant in a Victorian manor house has closed suddenly. The Manor Conwy’s website shut down abruptly just days after Christmas menus were unveiled and festive bookings taken.
The restaurant and bar, on the outskirts of Conwy town, is owned by the Gorse Hill Caravan and Lodge Park but it is run by tenants as an arms-length business. Park owner Rob Thomas-Evelyn believes all bookings have since been refunded but he pledged to personally deal with inquiries should anyone feel they have slipped through the net.
He said: “The tenants had been here 18 months but they gave me just three days' notice they were leaving a week last Sunday. I understand the decision was financial.
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“While I believe that all customers have been refunded, it still leaves a bad taste and is very inconvenient for those involved. Although we have no direct responsibility for the restaurant and bar, anyone who feels they have not been refunded for bookings can contact me personally.”
The Manor is an elegant 19th-century building whose original features were largely restored when it underwent renovation as a restaurant. Noted for its fine views, guests could relax by hand-carved oak fireplaces, take in afternoon tea on the terraces or even nip out for a game of crown green bowls.
This year the business won a Travellers’ Choice award from Tripadvisor, with Sunday lunches rated particularly highly by guests. A North Wales Live review found the stunning surroundings were surpassed only by the quality of the food.
Mr Thomas-Evelyn is already interviewing successor tenants and hopes to have the successful candidates in place by March 1. He said the calibre of applicants is high and they will benefit from upgrades currently underway at the manor house.
“We are just two or three weeks away from completing the conversion of two self-contained apartments into seven guest bedrooms,” he said. “It will make the place into something of a boutique hotel.
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“Having these rooms will really make a difference to the restaurant and bar. Having rooms is intrinsic to the viability of such businesses in the holiday market. Food and service remains critically important but good accommodation is vital too, especially as Conwy as a whole is still booming.”
- Restaurant guests with booking queries can contact Mr Thomas-Evelyn on 01492 593465.
