Plas Dinas Country House & The Gunroom Restaurant: A Historic Welsh Retreat with a Home-Grown Vineyard
Plas Dinas Country House: A Royal Welsh Retreat Rooted in Wine
Set deep in the Caernarfon countryside between the Menai Straits and the peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia), Plas Dinas Country House is a five-star historic retreat that has been quietly rewriting what a Welsh country house can be. It is the former home of Lord Snowdon and the Armstrong-Jones family, and the only place in North Wales where guests can stay in a Grade II listed seventeenth-century manor, dine in a Michelin-listed restaurant and taste wines from the property's own vineyard, all without leaving the gravel driveway.
What makes Plas Dinas particularly relevant to anyone interested in Welsh wine is the kitchen team's quiet obsession with it. In 2023 the team planted their own vineyard on the estate, and the restaurant now holds what is widely regarded as the largest known collection of Welsh wine in the country. That collection has been recognised by the AA, which awarded the property the overall AA Wine List Award for Wales 2024/25 alongside a Notable Wine List accolade. For visitors, this means the wine list at The Gunroom Restaurant is not an afterthought but a curated journey through the best bottles Wales has to offer, paired with food grown in the kitchen garden and sourced from within a few miles of the front door.
A Historic Home with Royal Connections
Plas Dinas is Grade II listed and dates back to the mid-seventeenth century, with extensive Victorian additions layered on top. The original house was built around a substantial stone arched fireplace that can still be seen in the Gun Room today. The property came into the possession of the Armstrong-Jones family in the nineteenth century through marriage, and in 1899 Sir Robert Jones, who subsequently altered his name to Armstrong-Jones, had a son named Ronald. Ronald's son, Antony Armstrong-Jones, married HRH Princess Margaret in May 1960 in the first televised royal wedding, watched by an estimated 300 million viewers. Antony, who became Lord Snowdon, was a celebrated photographer and was appointed Constable of Caernarfon Castle in 1963. He was largely responsible for organising the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales at the castle.
Princess Margaret regularly spent weekends at Plas Dinas during the early years of their marriage and was highly regarded by the local community, who still recall their memories of Her Royal Highness today. Plas Dinas retains many family portraits, memorabilia and original furniture, and the building has been carefully restored by current owners Daniel and Annie since March 2020 to "preserve the love story" of the Armstrong-Jones family.
Eleven Individually Styled Bedrooms
Each of the eleven bedrooms has been lovingly designed around the person or role in the Armstrong-Jones family that it is named after, with the finest details captured. From the elegant and glamorous Lady Buckley room to the strength and style of the Snowdon room, no two are alike.
The Princess Margaret Suite
The Junior Suite includes original royal memorabilia from the 1960 wedding, a 1200 pocket sprung mattress on a Super-King mahogany four-poster, a two-person freestanding bath, a large walk-in rain head power shower, a bathroom television, a mini bar and a 50" UHD LCD TV. Measuring 43m², it is the largest room in the house and the most popular choice for a special celebration.
Sir Robert Armstrong-Jones and Lady Armstrong-Jones
New for 2024, these two Superior Deluxe rooms each span 34m² and feature antique mahogany or antique white furniture, a Venetian four-poster, a freestanding bath, a walk-in shower and a 50" Smart TV. Sir Robert's room features Morris & Co Snakeshead wallpaper, while Lady Armstrong-Jones's room is dressed in family memorabilia evocative of the garden parties and glamour of the era.
Caroline, Llewelyn, Snowdon, Lady Buckley, Butlers, Peregrine, Judges and Major
The remaining rooms range from Classic (Peregrine, Judges, Major) and Deluxe (Llewelyn, Lady Buckley) to Luxury (Snowdon, Butlers). The Snowdon room has views towards the Snowdonia mountains and contains Lord Snowdon's original signed photographs in the corridor leading to the room. The Judges room, with its 400-year-old sloping floor, still houses Ronald Armstrong-Jones's QC wig and is the only bedroom besides Major that accepts small well-behaved dogs (subject to an additional fee). The Lady Buckley room is on the ground floor and has wide door access, suitable for guests with accessibility requirements.
All rooms include robes and slippers, a sherry tray, Welsh fudge, homemade biscuits, Molton Brown toiletries, Molton Brown travel accessories, a micro radio, a television, a luggage rack, a hospitality tray and complimentary access to the Digi-mags app with more than 7,000 worldwide publications. Champagne, chocolates or flowers can be added for a minimum of 48 hours' notice, subject to additional fees. Children over 12 are welcome; dogs are not permitted in the dining areas or off the lead in public spaces.
The Gunroom Restaurant: Michelin-Listed Fine Dining
The Gunroom Restaurant is located within Plas Dinas Country House and offers a fine dining experience through its hybrid taster menu. The restaurant was added to the MICHELIN Guide in April 2022 and the team have retained their place in the coveted guide every year since. It is currently an AA 2 rosette restaurant with a Notable Wine List. The team was awarded AA Restaurant with Rooms of the Year in Wales 2025/26 and The Good Hotel Guide Best Hotel in Wales 2026. In March 2025 the restaurant was awarded 'Best Place To Eat' in Wales at the Visit Wales National Awards.
The restaurant is headed up by award-winning chef Daniel Ap Geraint, a finalist on Great British Menu on BBC 2 in 2025, the twentieth anniversary year of the iconic programme. Daniel won the Wales week, came second in the starters to Sally Abe and joint third in the mains to Jean Delport. He has been at Plas Dinas since 2018, gradually building the reputation as a popular foodie destination with guests travelling from all over the world to stay and dine. The team is currently working towards their first MICHELIN star and towards their third rosette.
The Current Menu
The current menu (July and August) opens with an Entremet, Canapés and a Velouté before moving to a choice of starters including Damara Môn Lamb with turnip, ewe's milk, caper and mint, or Menai Scallop with tomato ponzu, smoked almond and elderflower. The main course selection features Rhos Isaf Pork loin and belly, Anglesey Sea Bass with Menai oyster, a leek, sorrel gnocchi and girolle Welsh summer truffle, or Welsh Beef treacle-glazed rib. The full nine-course tasting menu is priced at £99.00 per person. A Taste of Welsh Cheese selection (3 cheeses +£12, 5 cheeses +£18) pairs with a sommelier-curated port flight (3 +£14, 5 +£21).
Wine at The Gunroom
Daniel and his team are passionate about the provenance of their ingredients. They climb mountains, source the best locally farmed meats, have developed a kitchen garden to use on their monthly menu and even use Gwinllan Conwy vines and cuttings from the Plas Dinas vineyard to smoke the butter served with their bread. The wine list, which earned the AA overall Wine List Award for Wales 2024/25, is curated to showcase the best of Welsh wine alongside classics from France and the rest of the world.
Evening sittings are available at 6pm and 8pm, Tuesday to Saturday throughout the year. Guests are asked to arrive 30 minutes prior to enjoy pre-dinner drinks and canapés in the Drawing Room or the intimate Gunroom Bar. The minimum age for evening dining is 12. To book, call the reservations team on 01286 830 214 or use the Book A Table page.
Afternoon Tea in the Country House
Afternoon Tea at Plas Dinas Country House offers a relaxed dining experience with unlimited sandwiches, indulgent treats and unlimited tea and coffee, accompanied by relaxing jazz music in a beautiful historic setting. Unlike the evening restaurant, Afternoon Tea is served Wednesday to Saturday between 1:00pm and 3:00pm in either the Drawing Room or the Dining Room.
- Signature Afternoon Tea - £36.95 per person: a selection of sandwiches, Welsh Rarebit & Leek Crumpet, warm homemade fruit scones with Welsh clotted cream and preserves, a Snowdonia Honey Madeleine, a Dark Chocolate Gâteau, a Gooseberry Swiss Roll, an Amalfi Lemon Choux, an Alpine Strawberry Trifle and a selection of freshly brewed tea or coffee.
- Snowdon's Afternoon Tea - £41.95 per person: the full signature menu plus the addition of Spiced Damara Môn Lamb Brioche and a Garden Pea Tart with Anglesey Feta and mint.
A minimum of 24 hours' notice is required for Afternoon Tea bookings. Full payment is required at the time of booking. Vegetarian and other dietary requirements can be catered for on request.
The Vineyard and the Largest Known Collection of Welsh Wine
Plas Dinas planted its own vineyard on the estate in 2023, joining the small but growing band of Welsh vineyards producing wine on home soil. The cuttings and vines from the property are used in the kitchen, including to smoke the butter served with the restaurant's bread, giving guests a true ground-to-glass experience. The restaurant's wine list, which was awarded the overall AA Wine List Award for Wales 2024/25, is anchored by what is widely understood to be the largest known collection of Welsh wine in the country, making Plas Dinas a destination of choice for anyone interested in exploring the wines of Wales alongside classic French and international bottles.
While the vineyard is not open for public tours in the traditional sense, the wine list is the principal way that guests experience the property's home-grown and locally sourced Welsh wines, often paired with courses of the tasting menu by the sommelier team.
Cosy Cottage Hire at Foryd Bay
For guests who would prefer to self-cater, Plas Dinas operates three dog-friendly cottages, all of which welcome well-behaved dogs free of charge.
- Gatekeepers Holiday Cottage: sleeps four, located at the entrance to Plas Dinas on a tree-lined avenue, with a cosy lounge, separate dining room, fully equipped kitchen, two double bedrooms and a bathroom with corner bath. A short drive to Caernarfon and the beach at Dinas Dinlle.
- Foryd Waterside Cottage: a four-bedroom, eight-person fort-shaped cottage on the waterside at Foryd Bay Nature Reserve, with a hot tub, three en-suite bedrooms plus a twin room, open-plan lounge/dining area with sweeping views over the tidal waters, a roof deck and a real log fire.
- Bonc Waterside Cottage: a romantic one-bedroom, two-person cottage on the water's edge at Foryd Bay, with a king-sized bed, open-plan lounge/dining/kitchen and a bathroom with bath and shower. The perfect tech-free escape (Wi-Fi is intentionally not provided; mobile signal is sufficient).
All cottages operate on a Saturday - Saturday, seven-night minimum basis for the main season, with shorter stays released when available. All seven-night stays are provided with a selection of Welsh goodies on arrival. Check-in is between 4pm and 10pm, with key collection from Plas Dinas Country House reception. The postcode for sat-nav is LL54 7YF.
Weddings, Private Events and Helicopter Arrivals
Plas Dinas is a fully licensed wedding venue with a Royal history-filled approved ceremony room and 15 acres of gardens. Civil ceremonies can be held in the Drawing Room for up to 50 guests or outside by the pagoda for up to 100 guests. Celebrant-led weddings can accommodate up to 120 guests in a marquee on the lawn. Marquee weddings, available May to September, can host up to 120 day guests and up to 160 evening guests. The property is also a popular venue for film and TV production, with helicopter landing available on the main front lawn for those wanting to make a memorable arrival. Coordinates (WGS84) are Latitude 53° 06' 31.17"N, Longitude 4° 16' 33.13"W, with refuelling available at Caernarfon Airport 3.8 km west of the property.
Local Attractions Between the Menai and the Mountains
Plas Dinas is perfectly placed for exploring what North Wales has to offer. Within an hour's drive are Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa and the Snowdon Mountain Railway, Zip World, the Welsh Highland Railway, Caernarfon Castle, Portmeirion, Plas Newydd Country House & Gardens, South Stack Lighthouse, the Menai Straits and Rib Ride, and the beaches of Anglesey, the Llyn Peninsula and Abersoch. The world heritage site of Caernarfon Castle is a short drive away, and Chester is just a little further along the A55.
Gift Vouchers and Booking
Plas Dinas Gift Vouchers can be used against any of the property's services and are available as monetary vouchers or for specific experiences. They can be purchased online as digital or physical vouchers via plasdinas.vouchable.co.uk, or in person or by phone from the reception team. Vouchers are valid for 24 months from receipt of payment and are non-refundable.
For bookings, call the reservations team on 01286 830 214, email annie@plasdinas.co.uk, or book online. For media and press enquiries, contact annie@plasdinas.co.uk.
Whether guests arrive for the nine-course tasting menu, the Afternoon Tea, the cellar of Welsh wine, or simply to wander the 15 acres of gardens with views of the Menai, Plas Dinas Country House offers a wholly Welsh experience unlike anywhere else in the country.