We all know that a good holiday needs several good components, and Pembrokeshire really does have all the ingredients for the perfect break. Good views, awesome activities and great weather (in between the refreshing showers of course…!) Add to that list the incredible foodie scene, and you’re on to a winner for your staycation.
With its surrounding rolling fields, fish-filled seas and a maritime climate to boost both, St Davids is well-known for its fresh produce and coastal cuisine. You can easily feast like kings in this small city, so here’s a foodie guide to St Davids, meal by meal. Bon appetit!
BREAKFAST
We start our Foodie Guide to St Davids with the most important meal of the day: breakfast. By all means, have your first cup of coffee of the day looking at the wondrous views from your beautiful St Davids Escapes cottage. But when it comes to food, step away from the toaster, stick your coat on and head to the first of our foodie guide destinations for the ultimate day starter!
THE MILL
This simple cafe and restaurant offer simple, comforting food to start your day. A friendly welcome and an awesome cooked breakfast (among other options, but why would you?) will set you up for a day of adventures on the coast! They’re also open for lunches, evening meals at weekends and do an incredible Sunday roast.
PILGRIM’S CAFE
Pilgrim’s Cafe serves a hearty English breakfast among other inventive dishes with an Asian influence. Head Chef Sarah has spent time in Thailand and her delicious menu is full of Welsh ingredients given a Thai twist. Stop in the tourist information centre on-site first to check out all your activity options (or check our blog here for more ideas) and pour over ideas with your family as someone else pours the coffee! A great first breakfast stop in St Davids, with plenty to do on-site while you digest!
LUNCH
We continue our mouth-watering foodie guide right into lunchtime, and the offerings available in St Davids do not disappoint. You’ve had your morning walk to St Non’s chapel, you’ve taken a tour of the infamous cathedral, and, quite frankly, you’re feeling peckish. Our foodie guide features two of our favourite lunchtime takeaway spots for the best local flavours!
CAFFI ROCKHOPPERS
Caffi Rockhoppers is a vegetarian cafe in the very heart of the city, serving up fantastic coffee alongside imaginative meat-free meals. Keep an eye out for their events while you’re in St Davids – think board game nights, tapas and cheese and wine!
St Davids Food and Wine
This unassuming deli is packed with all kinds of treats! Whole foods, fresh fruit and veg and some stunning organic wines await you inside St Davids Food and Wine, but the piece de resistance is the fantastic deli counter. This is our favourite place in St Davids for a roll stuffed full of fresh crab, pulled right from the local seas. Stock up on a picnic here and take it down to Caerfai beach for an alfresco feast?
THE BISHOPS
The Bishops is a traditional maritime pub in the centre of St Davids. In the summer months, the diners spill out onto the terrace with a stunning view of St Davids Cathedral. Inside, as well as a great beer selection, their menu is jam-packed full of pub favourites to please everyone.
GRAIN
Open for lunch and dinner, Grain is a fantastic pizza place in the centre of St Davids. With a mixture of indoor, outdoor and canopied seating, this is a great all-weather option. They serve pizzas, craft beers and awesome coffee all day, with delicious paninis at lunchtime. Sides include rustic dough balls and cured meat platters!
DINNER
There are galleries to explore, shops to browse, and perhaps even a swim at Whitesands beach. The sights, sounds and sea air mean it’s time for a glass of wine and some great food for dinner. Here’s what we’ve got in store for you in St Davids.
THE REALLY WILD EMPORIUM
This amazing building on the High Street in St Davids has a rich history. It’s now home to The Really Wild Emporium, made up of a shop upstairs, and a cafe/restaurant downstairs. The restaurant is a must-visit all day, with scrumptious cakes and lunches, but in the evening it is extra special. Whether you book for a six-course tasting menu, an a la carte meal or one of their Cocktail and Canapes evenings, you will be blown away. The talented chefs take foraged and locally sourced ingredients and create taste sensations that you’ll be talking about for months to come!
ST DAVIDS CROSS HOTEL
This restaurant is set right in the heart of St Davids on the Cross Square. It boasts a beautiful garden from which to watch the world go by while sipping on a pre-dinner cocktail. Dinner itself is elevated pub grub, traditional burgers and pasta dishes alongside local seasonal specials. This is a beautiful dinner option.
St Davids Gin & Kitchen
St Davids Gin & Kitchen is the place for both surf and turf – the cows are reared locally, and the lobster (which is another firm favourite) is pulled fresh from the sea! Pair your choice of dish with their locally distilled gin, featuring botanicals from the local coast.
St Davids Gin & Kitchen does its best to source all ingredients from the local vicinity, meaning you’re truly getting a taste of St Davids at this beautiful restaurant.
PUDDING
Well, you are on holiday after all! The sweet treats are just as delicious as the savoury ones on our foodie guide.
The Bench ICE CREAM
The ultimate dessert for any foodie worth their salt(ed caramel) is The Bench‘s locally made ice cream. The milk comes from a farm a mere mile away. Fabulous flavours include Ferrero Rocher, Strawberries and Cream and Pink Grapefruit sorbet. This delicious spot is right in the middle of St Davids…almost too convenient to pass by? We think so! It’s open all day in the summer, so you don’t have to wait until after dinner…
To Take Home
At the end of your holiday, you’ll want to remember the foodie experiences you had here! Here are a couple of places to pay a visit, to pick up some edible souvenirs.
CHAPEL CHOCOLATES
Chapel Chocolates is nestled on Cross Square, just on your way down to the Cathedral. As well as traditional ice cream and artisan chocolate, there are all the sweet souvenirs you could wish for. Welsh Dragons cast in milky smooth chocolate, and sheep dogs cute enough to eat (literally!) Take these home for younger relatives, or to keep for yourself!
CÂR-Y-MÔR
This is a local company doing incredible things ‘For The Love Of The Sea.’ They are starting the first commercial seaweed and shellfish farm in Wales, and sustainability is at the heart of everything they do. Pop in to their base just outside St Davids to pick up local seafood, or funky bits like Seaweed Spaghetti. If you’ve got veg to grow at home, their Seaweed Fertiliser might interest you too! Learn more about them and their plans here.
Cheers! We’re sure that the places in our foodie guide to St Davids will satisfy any food lover. Don’t forget to share your favourite St Davids memory on our social media pages – we’ll bet one of these yummy stops will appear!
[…] We hope that this foodie’s guide to Solva has stuffed you full of meal and snack ideas to keep you fuelled and ready for your adventure during your Solva cottage stay.Looking to eat in St Davids instead? We’ve written a tasty little guide for that, too – check it out here! […]
Need to book a table for Sunday roast on 16th April for 9 adults,and 2 children . Any recommendations would be appreciated. Really struggling. We are there for the weekend and it’s my husband’s birthday
Hi Angela, Have you tried The Cross Hotel in St Davids?. Their food is lovely and they have plenty of space.