A Cardigan restaurant has been recognised by Tripadvisor as being in the top 10 per cent of all worldwide restaurants – and the accolade comes just six months after the restaurant's opening.

Mannucci’s began serving its delicious Italian fare in March of this year, and this week owner Ben Giles learned that his chefs have earned the restaurant a place in the top ten percent of worldwide restaurants for its Travellers’ Choice dining experience.

“We’re blown away,” a delighted Ben said, following Tripadvisors’ announcement.

“My aim from the outset was to create a very special venue here at Mannucci’s, and thanks to the incredible team that we’ve got, we’ve done it.”

Each of the chefs have been made directors of the company as Ben realised that this would give them a much more direct connection with the business’s growth.

“We wanted the chefs to feel part of Mannucci’s financially rather than just prepare the food in the kitchens and subsequently regard it as just a job.  These, after all, are the key people to the business's success and to its subsequent high standards.”

Ben is himself a highly successful businessman after setting up the Ultima Cleaning company in Cardigan in 2,000. The company has gone on to gain recognition throughout the UK in both its general cleaning management and also more extreme biohazard decontaminations.

Ben sold Ultima in April 2023, however he remains its managing director.

“My aim has always been to develop something special in Cardigan that people would hopefully appreciate, so together with my wife Lyndsay, I decided to open Mannucci’s," he explained.

Tivyside Advertiser: Ben and Lyndsay GilesBen and Lyndsay Giles (Image: Mannucci's)

"This move wasn’t for profit, but just another way of putting Cardigan on the map, because the way in which the town centre has evolved over these last few years has been exceptional.

"Cardigan is a real little hub of quality and individuality and this is something that we desperately wanted to support with Mannucci’s.

“Sometimes Lyndsay and I sit in the little public gardens by the castle and look across at Mannucci’s and the atmosphere that everyone is creating there is so lovely.

“And it’s great that the Tripadvsior reviews have felt this too.”

Mannucci’s staff deliberately avoid pressurising customers into leaving positive reviews, but have instead chosen to allow people to comment of their own free will.

“We haven’t asked people to leave reviews and we’ve haven’t followed any driving tactics with QR codes.  We just wanted to get there organically, and thanks to our customers, this is now happening.”

Meanwhile Ben and his team are looking at ways in which Mannucci’s can develop in the months and years ahead.

“We need a plan and this is what we’re now beginning to consider,” he said.

“Do we open another one? Do we franchise it? But whatever we do, the atmosphere and standards of Mannucci’s will continue. At the end of the day, it’s too good to have just the one.”