Cardiff Life
Restaurant Reviews
The Hard Rock Café
The Old Brewery Quarter
Cardiff
Tel: 02920 373 403
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs: midday – 10.30pm; Fri-Sat: midday – 11.30pm
We visited: Sunday lunchtime
Prices: Our ‘Shake it Up’ session cost £30pp including all food and drink (minimum 8 people)
Do they welcome children? Yep
Vegetarian choice: Veggie versions of the legendary burgers and much more
Disabled access: Some steps to the restaurant
Service and atmosphere: Rock’n’roll
"Lovely guys; a fun afternoon. And here’s the thing: quite apart from enjoying the laidback atmosphere and the drinks, we’d been served a considerably better meal, quite frankly, than the luckless Cardiff Life team had endured in one of the city’s posh eateries that week. There’s more to the Hard Rock Café than meets the eye."
Reviewed: Issue 20
Published: November
La Fosse
9-11 The Hayes,
Cardiff
Tel: 02920 237755
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 12-2.30pm, Mon-Weds 6-9pm, Thurs-Sat 6-11pm, Sun 12-4pm
We visited: Thursday 6pm
Prices: Starters: £5-6, Mains: meats and fish are weighed so prices differ, Desserts: £4-5
Do they welcome children? Yes
Vegetarian choice: Very limited – here the focus is on the fresh fish and local meats
Disabled access: Yes, there is a lift down to the basement
Wine list: Long, with a wide price range
Service and atmosphere: Delightful, on both counts
Reviewed: Issue 19
Published: October
"Once down the flight of stairs, things changed. I began to hear the soothing sound of a Spanish guitar; I could smell the gentle charring of fresh meat on a grill and the light offered a gentle, moody glow. The place looked familiar, possibly because several Doctor Who scenes were shot here a couple of years back, when Billie played the companion du jour.
And (if you’ll tolerate the whimsical leap) it felt a little as if I, too, had travelled back in time, thanks to a retro-décor that embraces palm trees, a Copacabana-style bar and impeccably-dressed European waiters.
"I couldn’t decide between my childhood favourite – fruits of the forest cheesecake – and a more adult indulgent, a chocolate and rum torte.
“No problem senorita, you can have a bit of both.” How can you not love this place?"
Las Iguanas
8 Mill Lane,
Cardiff
tel: 02920 226373
Opening hours: Every day midday-11.00pm; bar open Fri-Sat until late
We visited: Monday lunchtime
Prices: Tapas £1.60-£5.50; sharing platters £12.50-£15.50; mains £7.90-£14.50; desserts £3.80-£4.80
Service: Friendly and helpful
Disabled access: Main area is fne
Children: They’ll adore it. Special half portions avaialble and free organic baby food/activities on tap!
What else do I need to know? The place buzzes after dark, with killer cocktails served in the cachacaria
Reviewed: Issue 18
Published: October
armless dragon
Cathays,
Cardiff
tel: 02920 382357
www.armless-dragon.co.uk
Opening hours: Tuesday-Friday: 12-2pm, 7-9.30pm; Saturday 7-9.30pm. Monday evening by prior arrangement only .
We visited: Tuesday lunchtime.
Prices: starters £4.95-£6.25, mains £15-£18; puddings £4.95.
Décor: Tired.
Cuisine: Contemporary Welsh.
Service: Charmless and clueless.
Veggie choice: One starter, one main.
Disabled access: Good.
Reviewed: Issue 17
Published: September
"By this stage we were feeling quite complacent; OK, so the place wasn’t a looker and the service was laughably amateurish, but our food had been tasty and the cooking imaginative; our friends and colleagues had been wrong! Then it all fell apart.
We both went for the hazelnut panacotta, which was OK, if not wildly panacotta-ish, being more like mousse. The crunchiness of the nuts was a welcome addition – which is more than I can say for the black hair that appeared in the second spoonful. We both froze with horror; our appetites instantly evaporated."
Illtud‘s 216
216 Church Street,
Llantwit Major.
“Flickering candlelight that makes the room glow like a jewel and a projected flm of a crackling fre makes you feel as if you’re at a mediaeval feast”
Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday: coffee
from 10am, lunch from midday-2.30 pm,
dinner from 7pm; Sunday lunch midday-2.30 pm, dinner from 7pm
We visited: Saturday evening
Prices: starters £4-£8.95, mains £12.50-£14.75, puds £4.50
Cuisine: “A comfortable menu using predominately Welsh ingredients."
Service: Disarming
Veggie choice: Two starters, two mains.
Disabled access: Good
Reviewed: Issue 16
Published: September
Madame Fromage
18, 21-25 Castle Arcade,
Cardiff
tel: 02920 644888
"a lot of effort goes into this place"
Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 10am- 5.30pm. Saturday: 9am-6pm. Sunday: 11am-5pm
I visited: Tuesday lunchtime
Prices: A flling main course costs around £6/7. Or call in for coffee and a slice of home-made cake.
Service: Delightful
Disabled access: Good
Children: They’ll love it
Reviewed: Issue 15.
Published: August.
Woods Brasserie and Bar
The Pilotage Building
Stuart Street
Cardiff Bay
tel: 02920 492400
Opening hours: Mon-Sat midday-2pm, 5.30-10pm, Sun midday-3pm (also 7-10pm June-September)
We visited: Tuesday lunchtime.
Vegetarian choice: Good
Prices: Great set lunch meals from £10.50-£16.50; pre-theatre £16.95-£19.95; Sunday lunch £14.95-£17.95; dinner à la carte obviously pricier (see website).
Disabled access: OK.
Children: Not really a kid zone.
Reviewed: Issue 14
Published: July
Glo Bar and Restaurant
4 Churchill Way
Cardiff
tel: 02920 237177
OUR VERDICT
If you thought that the Glo Bar was just for nighthawks, think again; the restaurant takes its ingredients as seriously as any haute cuisine diner, and serves them up in generous proportions with the minimum of fuss and pretension.
Opening: The bar is open 10am–3am seven days a week with food served from 12pm to 7pm
Prices: The tapas menu, which is served from 3pm, has dishes from around £3-£5, while main courses range from about £5 to £9
Service style: Chilled out but certainly not neglectful
Vegetarian choice: Veggies should be suitably satisfied
Disabled access: Limited
Children: Welcome, but perhaps not at 3am
Wine: Take your pick, the clue is in the title...
Reviewed: Issue 13 Cardiff Life
Published: June 27
Le Gallois Y Cymro
6-10 Romilly Crescent,
Cardiff CF11
tel: 02920 341264
Effortlessly French in ambience and fusing a Gallic/Welsh cuisine, this friendly restaurant combines fine, imaginative dining with great, relaxed service – equally loved by locals and those seeking a destination diner for a special meal Deri Robins enjoys a faultless Ffrench lunch at a popular Canton restaurant
“Had it been my sole meal of the day, the starter would have been just about the right size. Le Gallois – Y Cymro is about as French as Cardiff gets”
Opening: Tuesday-Thursday, midday-2.30pm, 6.30-9.30pm; Fri and Sat midday-2.30pm, 6.30-10pm; Sunday lunch midday-3pm
Prices: Lunch £12.95 for 2 courses, £15.95 for three. A la carte: starters £3.50-£7.95, mains £13.95-£31.95
Service style: Affable, efficient, Français
Vegetarian choice: Un peu
Disabled access: Très bien
Children: Mais oui! (We felt like Mr Bumble for even asking)
Wine: Good choice, good prices, mainly French
Reviewed: Issue 12 Cardiff Life
Published: June 6
Tempus Fugit
Ogmore-by-Sea,
Bridgend
tel: 01656 880661
Cosy, laid-back Ogmore restaurant with immensely friendly staff, serving Spanish-style tapas along with ‘the best pizzas in Wales’ – a Mediterranean cuisine that ideally complements Tempus Fugit’s sun, sea and sand location . As summer attempts to arrive in South Wales, Deri Robins goes in search of some sunshine cooking at Ogmore’s friendly Mediterranean eatery. “Portions come in sensible sizes rather than as glorified canapés”
Opening hours: Food served Tues-Sat midday-3pm, 6-9pm; Sundays and bank holidays, midday-5pm. Closed Mondays.
We visited: Wednesday lunchtime
Prices: The legendary pizzas are £5.95-£13.95; tapas £3.50-5.95; Anthony’s home-made puddings are £4.95
Service style: Local, relaxed and friendly
Vegetarian choice: Good
Disabled access: Good
Children: Yes, they’ll love it here
Dogs: Permitted to sit outside (this is Ogmore, after all...)
Reviewed: Issue 11 Cardiff Life
Published: May
The Plan
28-29 Morgan Arcade,
St Mary Street
tel: 02920 398764
“People plan things when they come to cafés,” says the owner of The Plan. Mindless consumption of good food is also a valid option, says Deri Robins...
“The emphasis is on comfort food, seasoned with sustainability”
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday 7.30am-5pm; 11am-4pm Sunday
(“though we’re thinking of opening earlier”)
We visited: Tuesday lunchtime
Prices: Salads and main courses £6.20-7.50; filled baguettes £4.70-£5.20; breakfast around £3.50
Vegetarian choice: Veggie dishes predominate; many vegan options
Children: Welcome; they’ll love it
Disabled access: Ground-floor café fine, loos down steep stairs
Service style: Relaxed and charming
What else do I need to know?: The Plan sources locally, seasonally and organically wherever possible. Coffees are Fair Trade; they also do delicious home-made smoothies and organic milkshakes, hot chocolate and soft drinks; beer and wine also available.
Reviewed: Issue 10 Cardiff Life
Published: April 25
The Yard
42-43 St Mary Street,
Cardiff
el: 02920 227577
OUR VERDICT
The city centre’s most stylish bar serves well-priced, filling, super-fresh fare
all day long – for which Deri Robins and team are truly grateful. “It was the kind of evening that positively encouraged the consumption of comfort food”
Typical of the new Brains pub/restaurant hybrid. Drink and eat, or just drink, or just eat; hearty, affordable food, served by friendly staff in contemporary, relaxed surroundings. The clear choice when meeting friends in the city centre.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-1am; Sun, 11am-12.30am; food served Mon-Sun, 10am-10pm
We visited: Monday evening
Prices: All our mains cost £7.95; salads are from £6.95, sandwiches from £4.25, puddings from £3.45; in other words, it’s all very affordable. Most expensive are the steak grills; even they are £11.95 tops
Vegetarian choice: It’s certainly not The Yard’s speciality, but there are a few choices
Disabled access: Good
Children: Up until 7pm
Reviewed: Issue 9 Cardiff Life
Published: April 4
El Puerto
The Old Custom House
Penarth Marina
Tel: 02920 70 5551
OUR VERDICT
Welsh ingredients, European cuisine and staggering views across the
Bay; the Cardiff Life dining team have just added El Puerto to their
favourites list.
The vast experience of head chef Trefor Jones, impressively fresh local ingredients, a laidback, brasserie feel and one of the best locations in the Cardiff area; no wonder you need to book or turn up early to ensure a table at El Puerto
“The pleasant, relaxed atmosphere was rapidly winning us over. It’s precisely the sort of cooking you stumble across in the tavernas of the Med”
Opening hour's: Lunch, midday-2.30pm, dinner 7-11pm; Sunday, midday-4.30pm.
We visited: Tuesday lunchtime.
Prices: The menu’s so varied and extensive that you really need to check the website – but you can eat as cheaply as £5.95 for a main course.
Service: Efficient and charming.
Disabled access: Good
Children: Welcome. The cod and chips should go down a treat.
Reviewed: Issue 8 Cardiff Life
Published: March 14
Mimosa
Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay
tel: 02920 491900
OUR VERDICT: “We liked the fact that you can order a wide range of courses in two sizes, and very much liked the fact that even the smallest of these turned out to be huge”
It’s nice when a place lives up to the hype; Deri Robins joins the chorus of praise for Mimosa, and only wishes she’d had room for the pudding course. Hip, stylish gastro-bar that takes its food seriously, and as such has won a loyal clientèle among locals and visitors-in-the-know.
Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-11pm; Friday-Saturday 10am-midnight; Sunday 10am-10.30pm. Brunch 10am-midday, à la carte from midday until 10pm (Mon-Sat) and 9.30pm (Sunday)
We visited: Wednesday lunchtime
Prices: Starters £3.95-£6.25, many available as mains-size portions. Salads £4.95-£9.50; burgers £6.95-£8.50; mains £8.50-£15.95
Service: Friendly and bilingual
Disabled access: Fine, all one-level
Children: Welcome
What else do I need to know? Mimosa fully supports Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s ‘Chickens Out!’ campaign; oh, and the name comes from the tea clipper Mimosa, which took Welsh families to Patagonia in 1895
Reviewed: Issue 7 Cardiff Life
Published: Feb 22
The Grape & Olive
Wedal Road, Cardiff
tel: 02920 617054
OUR VERDICT: Deri Robins escapes to a popular Heath restaurant on a wet Welsh Wednesday, and finds it to be the ideal port in a storm “Had I had romantic designs on Joe, this would have been an ideal place to pounce...”
Very welcoming and unstuffy Brains eatery, serving an eclectic menu
with a Mediterranean / Italian influence. Evening nibbles are ideal for
sharing with friends
Opening hours: Open from 10am-10pm every day; brunch served 10am-midday, lunch menu from midday; after 5pm you can order from the dinner or ‘nibbles’ (tapas-style) menu
We visited: On a wet Wednesday lunchtime
Prices: Brunch from £5.95 to £41.90 for a champagne breakfast; lunch starters £5.50-£6.95, pasta/pizza £6.95-£8.50; meat and fish £9.95-£12.95, desserts all under £5. Dinner prices identical, though pasta courses rise to £11.95
Service: Pleasant, laid-back yet efficient
Disabled access: Good
Children: Very welcome; they’ll love it
Vegetarians: Plenty of choice
Reviewed: Issue 6 Cardiff Life
Published: Feb 1st
Bayside Brasserie
Mermaid Quay
Cardiff Bay
tel: 02920 358444
OUR VERDICT:The Brasserie combines one of Cardiff’s best dining locations with a well-priced menu that should please just about everybody. Great views. Great décor. Super-fresh ingredients, cooked to order; what’s not to like about this Bayside eatery? Not a lot, as Deri Robins discovers.
What else do I need to know? The location could not be bettered, with panoramic views across the bay. Ordering is on a self-service basis.
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 12-2.30pm; 6-10pm (Fri& Sat open until 11pm); Sun 12-4pm, 6-9.30pm
We visited: Wednesday lunchtime
Cuisine: Classic brasserie fare
Prices: Great-value set meals at £8.95; à la carte meat and fish starters around £6; mains £13-£17; all desserts under £5
Service: Very friendly and efficient
Wine list: Excellent – see website
Vegetarian choice: One choice among mains and starters in set meal (plus soup)
Disabled access: Limited
Children: Well catered for
Reviewed: Issue 5 Cardiff Life
Published: January 11
