Cardiff and South Wales has a diverse restaurant scene, from small independent cafés and bakeries like Pettigrew Bakeries and Alex Gouch, to five star evening meals, family friendly restaurants and chains like Miller & Carter, it has something for everyone. I’ve talked about eating out in Cardiff many times before, but today I want to share my top five restaurants I’d like to visit in Cardiff this Spring. If you’ve already visited one of these restaurants, please let me know how good it was in the comments, I’d love to hear from you! I’m making myself hungry just thinking about it right now.
If you’re looking to eat out at a popular restaurant you should always call and book ahead to avoid disappointment. Using a third party booking website like SquareMeal can make this easier for you than calling around different restaurants. You can also buy restaurant gift vouchers, which would make an amazing gift for any friend or family member, or just to put aside for yourself as a treat!
Here are my top five restaurants I plan to visit this spring and summer in Cardiff.
Purple Poppadum
This Indian restaurant in Canton has long been on my wishlist. They’ve recently had a renovation so this is the perfect time to try them out. A 7 course tasting menu is available, which would make for an amazing celebration, with options like Tandoori King prawns, Kottayum style duck and classics like Chicken Tikka. But if you’re on a budget, there’s still plenty of options and specials. They’re listed in the Michelin Guide and won “Best in Wales” at The British Curry Awards 2021, so you can see why I want to visit them!
Bully’s Restaurant
I’d love to go to Bully’s in Pontcanna. It’s another award winning restaurant, this time offering French cooking, using local Welsh ingredients. Because of this the menu changes based on availability, so you can try something new every time you visit. I’d be feasting on smoked duck, local lamb rump or maybe a pork wellington. Pontcanna will always hold a special place in my heart as I lived there for over ten years and it is home to the amazing Llandaff and Pontcanna fields, perfect places to go for a stroll after eating.
Pasture
In the heart of Cardiff city centre is a restaurant I’ve tried to get a table on for several special occasions, and unfortunately failed – Pasture. Make sure you book ahead with this one as it really is just that popular! This is a steakhouse with some of the best reviews in Cardiff, offering top end cuts such as Chateubriand, Tomahawk and Porterhouse. If everyone in the group isn’t into steak, it’s not a big deal as there are other choices such as chicken, duck, fish and vegetarian options too. But it’s a big juicy steak I’m looking forward to for sure.
Chapel 1877
Chapel 1877 is inside a stunning historical chapel, constructed in 1877 and beautifully restored into a fine dining restaurant. This is on my list for the atmosphere as well as the food. It has a varied menu with food that’s likely to appeal to every taste, from curry to fresh fish, to game meat or steak. Their Sunday roast is pretty infamous and definitely on my wish list, with options for vegetarians too.
The Clink
My fifth choice is The Clink. This is no ordinary website. Run by a charity, it’s a restaurant inside a working prison with food prepared by the prisoners who are trained in the culinary arts. This gives the prisoners an extremely valuable skill and future career and produces fine dining meals that will delight everyone. Even the tables and leather upholstery is made by prisoners training in different crafts. The Clink has consistently been in the top 10 highest reviewed restaurants on TripAdvisor, so has to be a must-visit for anyone who appreciates good food in Cardiff, whilst also supporting such a good cause.
I’m really excited about eating out this spring and summer. The weather is starting to look nicer, the days are getting longer, and touch wood, the lockdowns of the last few years are a thing of the past. This is a great time to support local restaurants and explore new places to eat.
What restaurants would you like to try in Cardiff, have you ever been to the five on my wishlist?
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