After a night at this new self-proclaimed “restaurant with rooms” at the quiet end of Mumbles, not far from the golden sands of the Gower Peninsula, I felt a better description would be “wonderful rooms with a decidedly iffy restaurant”.

To start with the positives - the rooms at Knabrock are first rate. There are seven in the small seafront building, which sits off a narrow, winding road on a row of nondescript guesthouses and old boozers.

The rooms live up to the hype of the local tourist board pamphlet: “truly magnificent, five-star, sleek, stylish, stunning”. Ours certainly was, with an enormous bed, opulent suede sofa, giant flat-screen television, a swirling psychedelic black and gold carpet, trendy large-print wallpaper, gold curtains with a leaf pattern, and a grey bathroom that was as big as some rooms at other hotels I've stayed ay recently.

It felt like a luxurious hideaway - as if no expense had been spared. From the window, while lying on the bed, all we could see was a vast olive-grey stretch of the Bristol Channel. A few small yachts bobbed at moorings and an occasional seagull swooped by.

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BACKGROUND

• Knabrock, Mumbles, Swansea

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Feeling rested and relaxed, we went to the restaurant. It was early and almost all the tables were empty. A preoccupied waitress put us at a table for two right by the door. There were several others available and we asked to be moved to one of those, particularly since the door opened no more than a couple of feet from the back of my chair.

“Sorry, we're very busy tonight,” she replied, offhandedly. Surely we could go to one of the other tables? So many were free, and there was a chilly draft from the door. “Sorry, no,” she said firmly.

In other situations, we would have left, but as a reviewer, I was obliged to stay on.

Our order came... slowly. The door opened... frequently. We ate a warm asparagus and poached egg starter (lacked seasoning), and lobster served with tomato jelly (insubstantial and flavourless). Our main courses were puy lentils and roasted vegetables with halloumi cheese (“tastes of vegetable stock,” said my companion), and an overly oily fish with chorizo and fried potatoes.

Perhaps the chef was having an off-day.

The wait between courses was at least 20 minutes. When I asked if the puddings could come more quickly, I received a sullen look that suggested unprintable things. And a warmer table - we watched it throughout - remained empty all evening. The experience was poor. I later looked on the hotel website and noticed vacancies for a front of house head waitress and another waitress.

Maybe things downstairs will improve. But the room was top notch.

Bottom line Mystery Guest paid £190 for a suite; doubles from £95

Sampling the fare Three-course dinner for two, with one glass of wine each, £79

Best thing The room

Worst thing The restaurant

Need to know Knabrock (01792 361818, www.knabrock.com), 734 Mumbles Road, Mumbles, SA3 4EL

Room 9 out of 10

Food 5.5 out of 10

Service 2 out of 10

Value 6 out of 10

Score 5.63

PUT TO THE TEST: 20 Mystery Guest questions for... Knabrock, Mumbles

1. Do rooms have kettles/coffee makers? And is there fresh milk?

Kettles and cafetieres, with fresh milk.

2. Is there a hairdryer, and is it fixed to a wall?

Hand-held hairdryer provided.

3. Are coathangers metal, wooden, removable?

Wooden, with metal bobbles on the top.

4. Complimentary bottle of water?

Yes, still and sparkling water.

5. Sheets and blankets or duvets?

Duvets.

6. What about a 'pillow menu'?

Feather and anti-allergy pillows.

7. Is lighting good enough for reading?

Yes.

8. Is there a shaving/make up mirror? And is it well lit?

Mirrors have in-built lights and are heated to prevent fogging up.

9. What about the in-room entertainment system?

DVD, Sky TV and flat-screen TVs.

10. Is there a temperature control panel?

No.

11. Do the windows open?

Yes.

12. Is there good sound-proofing?

Reasonable.

13. Is there wi-fi internet access?

Yes, free.

14. Is there a good place to go jogging nearby?

Ten miles of coastline to jog along.

15. What is the vegetarian food selection like?

Reasonable.

16. Is there baby listening/babysitting? And are children welcome at adults’ evening meals?

Babysitting and children are welcome.

17. Is there wheelchair access to all areas?

Only to the ground floor, not to the bedrooms.

18. Do you get a free paper in the morning?

No.

19. Is there a pub round the corner?

Yes, two doors along.

20. Is there free car parking? And is it secure?

Yes, but not secured.

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