Swansea's landmark Grand Hotel entered a new era in the Autumn of 2007, with new owners and a refurbishment that brought everything bang up to date, including the restaurant, which had previously been closed for months whilst it underwent its revamp.

Now Mat Hole, formerly of the Chelsea Café restaurant, has opened Le Petit Mat on the first floor. A multi-award winning Swansea-born Chef, Mat achieved a top 50 place in the 'Dining Out in Wales' approved top restaurants, and his success at the Chelsea Café also saw him achieve a listing in the prestigious Time Out 'Best Place to Dine in Great Britain'.

Mat, aged 31, says: "We serve modern French and European cuisine using almost exclusively local produce, with everything homemade from the bread to the ice cream." His menu includes starters like laverbread, cockle and smoked salmon croquettes with saffron yoghurt, or confit of duck with creamed Savoy cabbage and a cinnamon and Rioja reduction. Mains might include medallions of Welsh fillet steak with a burgundy, stilton and wild mushroom sauce, or herb crêpe with a ratatouille of vegetables, soft welsh cheese crust and a vegetable and chive cream. Don't make the mistake of skipping dessert either – a glimpse of dishes like dark chocolate marquise, with white chocolate bavarois and chocolate praline ice cream will make you swiftly change your mind.

A large and well-stocked wine cellar ensures that all tastes are catered for, or diners can enjoy a cocktail or two in the Cove Bar.