The Welsh restaurant tied for the longest-held Michelin star

A Welsh restaurant has maintained its Michelin star for the 12th consecutive year following the release of the 2026 guide in February.

The Whitebrook Restaurant and Rooms in Monmouthshire also held onto its Michelin Green Star for commitment to sustainability, alongside previous five-star wins from Visit Wales and AA Restaurants with Rooms, and four AA Rosettes.

The restaurant’s current run is the joint-longest continuous Michelin star in Welsh history, with the two-starred Ynyshir achieving its first in the same year The Whitebrook regained its star in 2014.

The previous incarnation, the Crown at Whitebrook, was led by James Sommerin and first gained a Michelin star in 2007, holding it until the restaurant closed in March 2013.

Under its current chef-patron, Chris Harrod, the restaurant is known for its hyper-seasonal, foraged-led approach to cooking, and its relationships with local producers and suppliers.

After training at The Lanesborough, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, L’Ortolan and The Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire, Chris’s classical technique has shaped The Whitebrook’s current style.

Chris and the team are “fiercely proud” of the produce they get from the Wye Valley, using only what can be grown, foraged or produced there.

Known for his “integrity and calm leadership”, Chris, who won The Great British Menu in 2018, mentors young chefs at The Whitebrook to think deeply about ingredients, waste and responsibility.

Menu

The restaurant offers four-course and seven-course menus, alongside a dinner tasting menu and full vegetarian alternatives, each with wine pairings as an optional extra.

The Whitebrook kitchen closely follows nature’s rhythm, with each dish inspired by an ingredient at its peak, whether from the kitchen garden, foraged that week, or from trusted local growers.

Menus might centre wild garlic in spring, hedgerow berries in autumn, and root vegetables through winter, reflecting the surrounding landscape at any given time.

Example dishes include kitchen garden heritage raspberries and herb sorbet, violet artichoke with ricotta made from local raw milk, and plaice with foraged hop shoots, brown shrimps, and kitchen garden radish.

The interiors at The Whitebrook were curated to maintain the same “thoughtful sensibility” as the cooking, with artworks by Chris’s wife, Kirsty, and local artists.

Sustainability 

As well as their decade-plus-long run in the Michelin Guide, The Whitebrook has also retained its Green Star, awarded to restaurants with “outstanding eco-friendly commitments”.

The team forage from local hedgerows, woodlands and estuary, with ingredients grown offsite sourced from heritage and organic producers.

The kitchen garden follows no-dig and peat-free principles, with all waste composted, heritage vegetable seeds saved each year, and companion planting to encourage pollinators.

Habitats are left wild over winter, while a meadow and newly planted orchard extend the season for insects and birds.

All meat used in dishes is reared locally and 100% of the menu’s fish comes from day boats, meaning fishermen return to port the same day, ensuring it can be traced to source.

The Whitebrook never uses single-use plastic, filters its own water, sources renewable electricity, and decorates with artisan furniture to remove the need for laundered tablecloths.

Details

The Whitebrook Restaurant and Rooms (NP25 4TX) is closed from Monday to Wednesday to ensure staff maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Dinner and rooms are available Thursday to Sunday, priced at £145 for the tasting menu, with a lunch menu on Fridays and weekends.

For more information on pricing and to book, visit the restaurant’s site here.

Wales currently has seven Michelin-starred restaurants, with the Ynyshir in Ceredigion the only Welsh restaurant to hold two stars.