Eating Out At Cardiff's 10 Best Restaurants
Cardiff, Wales’ buzzing capital, offers a variety of restaurants and dining experiences within its historic yet contemporary city centre. Showcasing an impressively diverse range of cuisines from traditional British to Syrian, the city caters to foodies of all tastes. Following our earlier look at Cardiff’s best restaurants we delve further into the Cardiff culinary scene to bring you some newcomers as well as some old favourites.
Cardiff Bay | © TR001/Wikicommons
Chapter
Chapter is not solely a diverse restaurant and bar space, but also a multi-artform, independent venue offering live performance, cinema and international art. In between soaking up the cultural atmosphere head to the Caffi-Bar to indulge in their homemade vegan sausages with roast garlic colcannon and onion gravy, or stock up on protein with their harissa-spiced chicken burger, served with fries and homemade red slaw. Caffi-Bar hosts many events, including Oktoberfest and the Cardiff Dance Festival (10 – 22 November), in which will be a rich seam of work by international artists.
Chapter, Market Rd, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Cardiff, Wales, UK, +44 29 2030 4400
1. The Clink
Restaurant, European, British
2. De Courcey’s Manor
Cafe, Cocktail Bar, Diner, Restaurant, Mediterranean, Cocktails, Vegetarian, British, Contemporary
3. Moksh
Moksh
Multi award-winning chef Stephen Gomes has been presented with the prestigious accolade of Best UK Indian Chef annually from 2007-2013. In his innovative venture Moksh, Gomes promises the very highest quality Indian and Goan cuisine served in a modern, contemporary style not dissimilar to the current trend for molecular gastronomy. To begin, enjoy the Treasure of the Sea platter, featuring soft-shelled crab on puffed rice, prawn cocktail with a lemon cloud and salmon tikka with salmon and mango caviar. From here, sample the black pepper chicken kalimiri chettinad with tangy, tamarind pulp or the hot coconut and tamarind fish curry, traditional fare from Goa. Presentation and taste combine in this treat for the senses, with beautiful dishes packing a high flavour punch in the chic, sensitively lit, plush interior.
Moksh, Bute Crescent, Cardiff, South Glamorgan Cardiff, Wales, +44 29 2049 8120
4. Pettigrew Tea Rooms
Pettigrew Tea Rooms
Pettigrew Tea Rooms has everything you would expect from a traditional Welsh tearoom – and so much more. With its collection of assorted knick-knacks and charmingly mismatched crockery, Pettigrew Tea Rooms has a delightfully homespun feel belying the formidable, professional skill of its in-house bakers. The bespoke cakes are popular far and wide and available to order for a number of varying dietary requirements. Choose from delicious, moist carrot cake, classic Victoria sponge and the Welsh Bara Brith, as well as the more unusual flavours intermittently featured such as Early Grey, honey and white chocolate cake; courgette and pineapple cake and the seasonal mincemeat and brandy butter cake. Afternoon tea is the speciality of Pettigrew Tea Rooms: it promises finely cut sandwiches, high-quality tea and fluffy fruit scones, all to be enjoyed in the quaint café space perched on the edge of the castle grounds.
Pettigrew Tea Rooms, Bute Park & Arboretum, Castle St, Cardiff, Wales, UK, +44 29 2023 5486
5. The Pot Cafe
Bistro, Cafe, Market
The Pot Cafe
Parisian cafe culture meets home-grown comfort in The Pot Cafe. Enjoy an unrivalled breakfast selection, from up-market breakfast burritos featuring chorizo, red peppers and free range scrambled egg on flour tortillas with cheddar cheese, sour cream and homemade salsa to really wake you up, or begin your morning in a more traditional, mellower fashion with ribbons of smoked salmon, a grilled flat mushroom and free range scrambled eggs on toast. Lunch is equally tempting, with a range of salads such as grilled goats cheese and candied walnut to a selection of hot choices such as vegan bean and chilli nachos or a flavoursome black eye bean burger. The recent decision to open The Pot as a French style bistro from Wednesday to Saturday evenings has proved immensely popular, with lovingly prepared French classics ranging from French onion soup with a crispy gruyere crouton to boeuf bourguignon with garlic infused roast potatoes and crème brulee to finish.
The Pot Café, 138 Crwys Rd, Cardiff, Wales, UK, +44 29 2025 1246
6. The Potted Pig
The Potted Pig
Sitting pretty in central Cardiff, within a mere 100 metres of Cardiff Castle and the Millennium Stadium, The Potted Pig takes advantage of its historical location to create a unique identity, nestled into a former bank vault underneath the city. Serving a refreshingly ‘concept-free’ menu of predominantly British cuisine – with the occasional incorporation of French and New York influences – the menu at The Potted Pig is constantly evolving in the pursuit of unique flavour and genuinely tasty, carefully crafted dishes. With a lovingly chosen selection of independent wines and an unrivalled bespoke gin collection, why not begin with a tipple before beginning with the titular Potted Pig with toasted sourdough and pickles, followed by a whole seabass with courgette, leek, peas and cockle butter and finishing on a high note with carrot cake and stem ginger ice cream.
The Potted Pig, 27 High St, Cardiff, South Glamorgan Cardiff, Wales, UK, +44 29 2022 4817
7. Purple Poppadom
Restaurant, Indian
The effortlessly stylish Purple Poppadom is a jewel in Cardiff’s culinary crown – both Michelin and Good Food Guide-listed, the multi-award winning restaurant boasts accolades such as ‘Curry House of the Year 2013’ and ‘The Best Indian Restaurant in South Wales Award 2013’ from the South Wales Food and Drinks Awards. With its urban vibe evoking a modern, metropolitan ambiance and handmade treats offering an explosion of flavour, it is perhaps unsurprising that Purple Poppadom became a finalist in the Observer Food Monthly Awards 2014. Enjoy tandoori prawns from the a la carte menus, scented with Bengal kasundi mustard and rolled in aromatic spices, or take part in the Sunday Best Tasting Menu and sample a selection of dishes from delicate lentil dumplings with sweetened yoghurt and tamarind chutney, to succulent minced lamb with spices, onions, tomatoes and a flourish of green peas.
8. Shaam Nights
Restaurant, Halal, Middle Eastern, Lebanese, Mediterranean
Waterloo Tearooms
Founded in 2008, Waterloo Tearooms soon demonstrated its quality and popularity, shooting to fame in 2009 by scooping the ‘Best Cafe in the UK’ accolade in the BSA Awards. Now recognised Europe-wide, Waterloo Tearooms and its extensive collection of carefully selected, beautifully fragrant teas is a Cardiff staple – a place to watch the world go by, nestled comfortably opposite the stunning Edwardian Parks. With an extensive lunch menu – featuring organic salads and generous wedges of homemade cake – and a famous afternoon tea with fluffy scones, sandwiches and handmade truffles, Waterloo Tearooms is a must-visit spot in historic Cardiff.
Waterloo Tearooms, 5 Waterloo Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, UK, +44 29 2045 6073
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