Check out the best restaurants in Cardiff to plan a foodie weekend away, from special occasion tasting menus to vineyard day trips and much more
Looking for Cardiff restaurants? From tasting menus showcasing local Welsh ingredients to pizza worth a detour, roving supper clubs and much-loved Indian or Thai hotspots, these are our expert picks of the best restaurants in Cardiff. For more city food guides, discover the best restaurants in Bristol, best restaurants in Bath and best restaurants in Liverpool. For more Welsh restaurant recommendations, check out our guide to the best restaurants in Pembrokeshire. Best places to eat and drink in Cardiff Gorse Opened in spring 2024, Tom Waters’ restaurant quickly established itself as a serious player. A chef with a sparkling CV (The Fat Duck, The Square), Tom has returned to South Wales to create tasting menus which – in dishes of Pembrokeshire seaweed broth; bara brith, Perl Wen cheese and Welsh truffle; or steamed cod with a mussel, lovage oil and spruce vinegar emulsion – make impressive use of the Welsh larder. Smooth, warm service seals the appeal of intimate Gorse. gorserestaurant.co.uk Asador 44 One of the pioneers of auténtico Spanish food in the UK, 44 Group opened its first Cardiff venue, Bar 44, opposite the Principality Stadium, a decade ago. Its Iberian aesthetics dovetail with vaulted brick ceilings to create a delicious tapas spot. Nearby, Asador 44 delves into Spanish live-fire cooking traditions in dishes of charcoal grilled hake with jamón, beans and herbs or sharing steaks of older Spanish ex-dairy cattle beef – much prized in the Basque Country. grupo44.co.uk Dusty's Up in suburban north Cardiff, scene legend Dusty’s is using its wood-fired oven to not just ace pork and fennel or ’nduja pizzas but to roast, smoke and then fry its Kindle potatoes, served with garlic, BBQ or spicy mayo dips. Worth a detour. dustyspizza.co.uk Heaneys Stylish Pontcanna address – which includes the wine bar, Uisce – where chef Tommy Heaney serves well-executed food in several modes, from Sunday lunch to cutting-edge tasting menus. Seasonally driven (and using herbs, edible flowers and vegetables from its on-site garden), Heaneys’ tasting menu dishes might range from beef fat cooked scallop, ginger dashi, brown butter and truffle, to barbecued Welsh lamb with goat’s curd and asparagus. heaneyscardiff.co.uk Purple Poppadom Kerala-born chef Anand George is a Cardiff legend. For almost two decades his food has wowed fans with its deft, confident spicing and vivid flavours. Head to the modish Purple Poppadom for strong takes on the classics (rogan josh, Alleppey prawn curry) or, perhaps, Anand’s signature sea bass served on curry leaf mash in a mango, ginger and coconut sauce. purplepoppadom.com Brother Thai Andrew Chongsathien’s buzzy Brother Thai is much-loved for its Thai fried chicken, crispy mushroom laab and, in particular, its Thai-style rotis, served with various toppings. Try the sticky beef version, in which the beef is wok-fried with a secret combo of zippy sauces. Plenty of meat free dishes, too. brotherthai.co.uk Lahmacun Seasonal supper club where married couple, chef Lucas and Sophie Wootten, combine their connections to the Middle East and Lucas’s restaurant experience (Café Murano, Quality Chophouse) to create modern dishes inspired by that region. Smoke-kissed, live-fire slow roasting of, say, baby aubergines, merguez-stuffed Welsh lamb or Pembrokeshire oysters with zhoug, is prominent. Lahmacun also serves its eponymous topped flatbreads and baking at Cardiff Farmers’ Markets. Other roving pop-ups to look out for include Keralan Karavan, Hench Burger and steak specialist, Fire & Flank. The latter can be found at street food hubs, Tiger Yard and, until March 2025, Sticky Fingers. @lahmacuncardiff Matsudai Ramen Early in 2018, self-taught chef James Chant, then working in the music industry, set off on a journey into the complexities of ramen that would see him emerge as an acclaimed custodian of the dish. His Matsudai restaurant is manna for devotees seeking deeply flavoured, soul-stirring bowls of tonkotsu pork or shoyu (meaning soy sauce flavoured) chicken and seafood broth. matsudai.co.uk Ember at No 5 This Pontcanna collab by chefs Tommy Heaney (see Heaneys) and Dave Killick, previously head chef at acclaimed dining pub, The Heathcock, has Cardiff foodies abuzz. Purposeful simplicity is Ember’s vibe, in the interior’s stylish, neutral tones, its focus on artisan skills (homemade breads, charcuterie, pastas) and across a menu which, broadly, applies an Italian sensibility to British produce in dishes of lemon sole, fennel and sobrasada or Penclawdd cockle linguine, anchovy and chilli. embercardiff.co.uk Cardiff Market There are food businesses within Cardiff’s historic indoor market (E Ashton fishmonger, butcher JT Morgan) that have been trading since the 19th century. Equally, this Grade II listed building platforms exciting new talent, its precincts punctuated by street food kitchens including The Bearded Taco, The Real Ting, Pierogi, Bao Selecta and Tukka Tuk, an Indian street food project by Anand George of Purple Poppadom. @cardiffmarket1891 Foodie experiences in Cardiff Cardiff Farmers’ Markets Across three weekly markets around Cardiff – plus a term-time monthly at Cardiff Met’s Llandaff Campus – over 100 growers, farmers and artisans retail via CFM. Some familiar Cardiff names (Pettigrew Bakeries, British cheese shop Ty Caws) are interspersed with visiting producers of, for example, organic vegetables or rare-breed meats. There is plenty to eat as you browse, from Greek baking at Sofia’s Pastries to Mami Maggie’s West African dishes. riversidemarket.org.uk Vale Food Trail, Vale of Glamorgan Between May 26-June 4, the third annual Vale Food Trail will explore farming and sustainability in events with food producers in the Vale of Glamorgan, a rural and coastal area south-west of Cardiff. But you can get a taste of the Vale at other times, too. For example, Slade Farm offers various bookable tours and experience days, while Lucy George’s Peterston Tea, an estate growing and making fine teas, runs bush-to-cup farm tours and tasting events in spring and summer. Lucy also runs workshops where tea lovers learn how to pick, process and make teas. valefoodtrail.com Glyndwr Vineyard, Llanblethian, Cowbridge For four decades, Glyndwr has been in the vanguard of Welsh wine’s remarkable growth. From March to December, visitors can explore how the Norris family tends its low-intervention vineyard and makes wine (and ciders from its neighbouring orchards) during two-hour tours which take in several glasses of Glyndwr wines and a two-course meal. glyndwrvineyard.co.uk Foodie neighbourhoods in Cardiff Pontanna and Canton A short hop from Cardiff Central Station, handsome inner suburb, Pontcanna, is a distinctive enclave of Victorian villas and splendid parklands which, with neighbouring Canton, is home to an easily navigable cluster of indie boutiques, cultural hubs (most notably, Chapter Arts Centre) and on-point food venues. In Gorse, Heaneys and Thomas, some of Cardiff’s best restaurants share adjacent Pontcanna streets. But options go deeper than fine dining. The excellent bakery-cafés, Ground and Scandi-owned Brød, for example, offer casual victuals in various forms. Café and bar, Milkwood, serves “the best brunch in Cardiff,” enthuses chef Leyli Homayoonfar, owner of the South Walian Mexican street food brand, Bab Haus. Over at Kings Road Yard, you will find the Pipes brewery, The Wardrobe Coffee Shop, Tom’s wood-fired pizza and, among other events, a weekly Saturday produce market. Continue shopping at the discerning Al Ponte Deli or The Bottle Shop, before combining the retail therapy with drinks at Canton’s Corp Market (check wine shop Vin Van Cymru and Khione Sicilian deli) or Crafty Devil Brewing’s Cellar tap bar and shop. Hungry again? Head to Ffwrnes’s NY slice inspired spin-off, West Pizza. More UK travel guides Best restaurants in Deal Best restaurants in Birmingham Best restaurants in Broadstairs Best restaurants in St Albans Best restaurants in Bristol Best restaurants in Edinburgh Best restaurants in York Best restaurants in Whitstable Best restaurants in Oxford Best restaurants in Cambridge
Get your burger fix courtesy of Britain’s finest patty purveyors, from Korean brisket burgers in the North West, to beef short rib cheeseburgers in the capital
Looking for the best burger restaurants across the UK? Want to know where to find the best gourmet burgers? Read on for our restaurant guide, or check out our burger recipes here... Best burger restaurants in London… Buster's, Brixton A stone’s throw from Brixton station is potentially the best new burger in London. You’ll find it at Buster’s, effectively a hole in the wall joint, bar a few small tables, serving up delicious wagyu beef and fried chicken burgers. The London restaurant scene is full of spots trying to claim they do ‘simple things, executed perfectly’ but Buster’s is a spot that is actually nailing it. The wagyu cheeseburger is made up of tender meat, seasoned perfectly and cooked to a juicy medium. The green peppercorn dijonaise adds a welcome acidity, and the potato roll it is all sandwiched between is soft and bouncy. The chicken burger is equally excellent, crispy, juicy and served with plenty of pickles. The IPA cheese sauce is aerated and rich, perfect for dipping lots of hot, crispy fries in. We finished off the meal with a chocolate mousse, which was light but decadent. If you’re looking for a great burger south of the river, Buster’s is where it’s at. busterslondon.co.uk Supra Burger, Queen's Park Housed as a permanent pop-up in the cosy rotisserie restaurant Cocotte, Supra does smashed burgers and it does them well. The burger menu is short and the five burgers on offer are a variation on double stacked smashed cheeseburger, to which you can add bacon or salad, or change up the sauce to make it a Supra, truffle or barbecue burger. The burgers are generously portioned but without being too big to eat. There’s attention to detail in the preparation, along with the use of high-quality ingredients, resulting in burgers that are juicy, flavourful and smashed to perfection. The fries are crisp, golden and fresh from the fryer, and a side of chicken tenders were succulent from what we guessed must have been a wet brine. As well as a choice of six sauces (the burnt chilli was our favourite), there’s a short list of desserts. We tried the Mont Blanc, which was a tall sundae of sweetened chestnut purée, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and almonds. There’s a fair few eateries on this stretch of leafy Queen's Park and Supra is now the go-to for burgers. supra-burger.com MEATLiquor, Clapham November marks 10 years since the first MEATliquor restaurant launched. Their origins from a burger van in Peckham, to a pop-up above an abandoned pub in New Cross, couldn' be further from the latest venture — and biggest yet — in Clapham's Old Town. The huge space has two bars, a heated outdoor dining area with TVs and a large projector and photo booth inside. Everything about MEATliquor is full-on — from the graffiti-led design and the music played, to the flavours on the menu, a mix of American diner specials, all with a MEATliquor twist. Burger aficionados will point to the Dead Hippie: a French's-mustard-fried double patty with onions, cheese, lettuce and pickles all within a soft bun that soaks up the good stuff. Buffalo chicken wings are a match for any of those found in the US and the loaded fries on offer are a meal within themselves. There are a range of vegetarian and vegan options — from the Tempeh Tantrum patty to the Black Bean Chilli Dog. The drinks list is a mix of craft beers and cocktails, and that's before you hit the 'Poke For Jäger' button on your table. meatliquor.com Tucka Burger, Shoreditch Andy Gardener and Lachy Brown met at school in Australia, and both moved to London to pursue careers in accountancy and consulting. Lachy says: “We quickly realised our passion lay elsewhere, and so in July 2018 we turned to our burger truck dream.” The beef is a high-fat blend of chuck, brisket and bone marrow, which has been dry-aged for 35 days. Try the signature Tom Tucka American cheeseburger, or the vegetarian What the Tuck (beef is substituted for grilled halloumi). “Our burgers are incredibly juicy and messy,” says Lachy. tuckaburger.co.uk Hawksmoor, London This upmarket steakhouse chain also serves a mean burger – notably the £17.50 beef short rib cheeseburger with kimchi, which was launched in 2010 when the Seven Dials restaurant opened. Inspired by a trip to Seoul, it features Hawksmoor’s own kimchi, the recipe for which you can find in the Hawksmoor at Home cookbook. thehawksmoor.com Bleecker, London What started as a street-food truck by former corporate lawyer Zan Kaufman now has three sites in Bloomberg, Victoria and Old Spitalfields Market. Bleecker serves six burgers with a range of fries, including the “angry” version with hot sauce and blue cheese sauce. The patties are made with native-breed beef, and brand director Liam O’Keefe says the secret blend they’ve created helps the butcher use the whole animal. “We believe we have the best-tasting beef burger possible,” he says. bleecker.co.uk Black Bear Burger, E1 (Shoreditch) This Box Park Shoreditch operation keeps things simple with three classic burger options. Stew Down, who opened Black Bear alongside his wife Liz, says: “We don’t mess around with gimmicks – everything in our burgers is there for one reason: flavour.” Beef comes from grass-fed South West native breeds (Stew’s family are beef farmers in Devon), and the most popular burger is the Black Bear: dry-aged beef, American cheese, bacon, onion jam and garlic mayo in a super-light seeded bun. It’s the balance of flavours that sets these burgers apart – Stew says that they’re keen to avoid overpowering sauces, incorrect seasoning and unnecessary ingredients. blackbearburger.com The Wigmore, W1 (Oxford Cirus) An upmarket pub just off Regent Street and Oxford Circus, The Wigmore serves a mean cheeseburger with grilled ox tongue. It was created by head chef James Hawley, who says the idea came from enjoying ox tongue and English mustard rolls when he was a kid. The Wigmore burger also features a caramelised onion brioche bun, crispy shallots and the same melted three-cheese mix used in the pub’s signature toasties. the-wigmore.co.uk Best burger restaurants across the UK… Bunsen, Belfast Keeping it simple and using high-quality ingredients (such as Black Aberdeen Angus beef minced on site every morning, and homemade soft Amish dinner rolls) is what sets Belfast’s Bunsen apart from competitors. It’s a straightforward choice between classic hamburger or cheeseburger, the latter of which includes a special blend of comté and monterey jack. bunsen.ie Steak & Honour, Cambridge Steak & Honour (which also has mobile burger vans across Cambridge) serves three types of burger: classic, cheese and a veggie shroom. The meat patties are made with 100% hand-minced chuck beef from cattle that graze East Anglian pastures and water meadows. Nothing is added except Maldon salt as they sizzle, and Dovecote Bakery created the brioche bun recipe for them. Order a side of three-cheese mac ’n’ cheese, too, which comes sliced and grilled. steakandhonour.co.uk Patty & Bun, Brighton Eight Patty & Bun branches have opened in London and Brighton over the past seven years. It’s known for impeccable sourcing – beef from HG Walter, bespoke buns from Bread Ahead, cheese from Neal’s Yard and Kupros Dairy – and bestsellers include the Lambshank Redemption: a lamb patty with coriander and chilli, buttermilk baby courgettes, pickled aubergine, cumin aïoli and feta. pattyandbun.co.uk Hills, Brecon A mile outside the town and overlooking the Brecon Beacons, the glass-fronted Hills restaurant is a destination that attracts thousands of diners every month. Owain and Emily Hill showcase Welsh produce in their burgers, with signature options including a chips and gravy cheeseburger, sweet and sour chicken burger, and pulled pork with hoisin and soy sauce burger. Hills uses aged PGI Welsh beef from local butcher Paddy Sweeney, and cooks its burgers using the ‘smashed’ method, creating an incredible crust and flavour. Each burger comes with two 3.5oz smashed patties and a blend of monterey jack and American cheese as standard. hillsbrecon.co.uk Blas Burgerworks, St Ives, Cornwall “Not fast, just fabulous” is the motto at Blas Burgerworks, the tiny restaurant and takeaway close to St Ives harbour. Now into its 14th year, it has become something of a local institution thanks to an unwavering commitment to provenance and sourcing. Beef comes from nearby Trevaskis Farm, Cornish potatoes are used for the hand-cut chips, and all the sauces are made on the premises. Blas Burgerworks also makes a mean vegetarian organic black bean burger, and occasionally serves a special mackerel burger using fish landed in the bay around the corner. blasburgerworks.co.uk Libertine Burger, Leamington Spa Charles Harris of Libertine Burger says that the main reason his patties stand out is the quality of the meat. It’s a mix of double-ground chuck, brisket and flank from 35-day dry-aged Angus beef, supplied by renowned butcher, Aubrey Allen. Hand-smashing the patties to order on a really hot grill lends a great crust. The Warwickshire punters also love the buttermilk fried chicken burger. libertineburger.com Squeezed, Bristol He might be cooking in a tiny shipping container on Bristol’s harbourside but Squeezed founder Alex Hayes was still crowned burger chef of the year at the National Burger Awards 2019. Signatures include the Beetlejuice (double beef patty, smoked bacon, cheese, black garlic, squid-ink aïoli and gochujang ketchup) and the Reverse Cowgirl (beef patty, smoked bacon, peanut chipotle BBQ and charred scallion soured cream). Alex says: “You can taste every element, as well as the overall flavour profile.” bristolsqueezed.co.uk Fat Hippo, Newcastle, Durham and Sheffield “Get ready to sink your teeth into something juicy,” is one tagline at the Fat Hippo, which started life in Newcastle and has since added Durham, Jesmond and Sheffield branches to its empire. The idea is indulgence, messy fingers and a full belly. The Bubba Gump burger, for example, includes a double patty, cheese, popcorn shrimp, smoked bacon and pickleback slaw. fathippo.co.uk The Beefy Boys, Hereford The Beefy Boys are four childhood friends who have always loved cooking burgers at garden BBQs. They’re regular competitors at worldwide burger championships (their next challenge in October takes them to Dallas, Texas) but, following a series of pop-ups across Hereford, the crew now has a restaurant in the city. Co-founder Murf says: “The Beefy Boys are the definition of a drunken BBQ that’s got seriously out of hand... so much so that we now own a restaurant, a food truck and an events business.” Murf puts their success down to local Hereford beef (100% chuck and brisket), toasting the bun with bacon fat, butter or aged beef fat, and seasoning. “We also steam our burgers, a tip we picked up from American diners. You spray water onto the hot plate, then steam the burgers under a cloche – it heats the bun up and melts the cheese, making the whole thing come together in a cacophony of cheesy, meaty goodness.” thebeefyboys.com Free State Kitchen, Liverpool “We serve straightforward American classics,” says Kate Hughes of Liverpool’s Free State Kitchen, whose bestseller after six years of business is still the cheeseburger (served in a locally baked brioche bun). The core menu may stay the same, but Free State Kitchen likes to use its specials board to mix things up on a regular basis. Expect treats such as the Korean brisket burger, made with locally produced kimchi, bulgogi-style beef and a crispy fried egg. freestatekitchen.co.uk Slap & Pickle, Leeds James Tabor and Zoe Perret run Slap & Pickle at Assembly Underground, a street-food hub located in the basement of a Grade-II building in Leeds city centre. The burgers are made from 100% grass-fed Yorkshire beef, and showcase a signature blend of chuck, short rib and clod. James says: “We can serve every item on our menu in meaty, veggie or vegan incarnations, and we make all of it ourselves. We don’t buy ‘science-lab fake meats’, because they’re all horrible.” slapandpickle.co.uk Big Boys, Folkestone Brothers Gareth Attwell and Guy Meurice launched Big Boys in 2014, and have made it to the finals of the National Burger Awards twice since then. Chef Gareth worked in top-end restaurants for 16 years, including spells with Marcus Wareing. The burgers are made with local rare-breed beef (matured for 28 days) and French brioche buns (or even mac ’n’ cheese ‘buns’, pictured). Big Boys are well known for their specials – try the Fat Elvis for its peanut butter, raspberry jelly and bacon jam. bigboysburgers.co.uk El Perro Negro, Glasgow Nick Watkins started El Perro Negro as a kitchen takeover pop-up, but it became such a hit with Glasgow burger fans that it was a permanent restaurant by 2018 (and winner at the National Burger Awards 2019). Using beef from small local farms, specials include the Top Dog, with bone marrow and roquefort butter, bacon and black truffle mayo, and the Black Dog, which adds black pudding to the mix. Nick says: “We don’t attempt to reinvent the wheel, we just use great beef, great bread and great ingredients. Our short rib and marrow patty gives a super juicy burger, with a really intense bovine flavour. The beef should be the star of the show. Anything that goes on the patty is there to complement the beef, not drown it out.” @ElPerroNegroGLA Magu, Bath Magu founder Leon Dunnett makes his own sauces and serves fantastic smashed beef patties in bespoke buns. But his Bath diner has also gained a formidable reputation for the veggie burger with Somerset-made halloumi, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, pickled red onion and mint yogurt. magudiner.com Meat:Stack, Newcastle Following pop-ups around Newcastle, Meat:Stack found a permanent home in the city’s Grainger Market. Its American cheeseburgers are the stuff of legend, especially the Cease and Desist (made with rare-breed dry-aged beef, smoked bacon, mascarpone and black garlic honey). “We are obsessive about simplicity and clarity of flavour,” says co-founder Tom Westman. The beef is cooked on a searing hot grill, then steamed, and you should order a portion of beef dripping fries on the side. meat-stack.com Honest Burgers, across the UK With more than 30 sites across the UK, Honest Burgers has a point of difference from other chains – it’s heavily invested in its own butchery, with each restaurant making burgers from scratch. Co-founder Tom Barton says: “From day one we’ve made the majority of our menu in-house, starting with chips, relish, pickles and sauces. By having our own butchery, we now know exactly where our beef comes from. We also love working with nearby suppliers, whether it’s for a local burger (every branch of Honest has one) or a local brewery.” honestburgers.co.uk Hoof, Cardiff Sibling business to Cardiff’s Dusty Knuckle Pizza, Hoof has a permanent residency at the city’s Sticky Fingers street-food market in the Brewery Quarter. It serves a 100% Welsh beef featherblade patty with Teifi cheese, pickles, cultured cream and sweet chilli herb sauce. One of the secrets of their success, according to owner Phil Lewis, is the fact award-winning Hay-on-Wye baker Alex Gooch provides the buns. “Alex’s organic challah buns are slightly spongy and a bit crusty. They hold together perfectly and are a great marriage with our beef patties, especially when grilled with dripping.” @hoofcdf Original Patty Men, Birmingham “Our tag line is ‘Purveyors of Filth’ and we do our best to live up to that,” says Thomas Maher, director of Birmingham’s Original Patty Men. Five burgers are on the menu, including the Pineapple Express (aged longhorn beef patty, maple-coated bacon, lettuce, roquito chilli pepper, fresh tomato, cheddar and pineapple hot sauce). Thomas says: “Our suppliers list is something we’re incredibly proud of, and the majority supply Michelin-starred restaurants across the country. Our style of cooking is just a bit different to theirs!” originalpattymen.com Words by Mark Taylor Photographs by Justin D Esouza, David Griffen, Ed Sowerby
Dolaucothi Arms, Carmarthenshire, Wales: pub and hotel review
Read our review of The Dolaucothi Arms, a Welsh gem in the beautiful Cothi Valley. Homely cooking, charming rooms, considerate owners and a commitment to local produce makes it an olive favourite
Remote it may be, but a weekend break at The Dolaucothi Arms is certainly worth the journey. Set in the tiny village of Pumsaint, and part of the National Trust’s Dolaucothi Estate, it’s a 16th Century coaching inn that overlooks two rivers, Cothi and Twrch, both of which the pub has fishing rights to. A red-and-white Georgian exterior and beautiful gardens – including manicured lawn, bee hives and wild flower meadow, a pet project of co-owner David Joy – makes for a welcoming approach from the road to Lampeter. Inside, the bar area stays true to its cosy, traditional roots – Chesterfield sofas, log burners, piles of worn books, polished quarry floor tiles and original sash windows are the highlights. But little touches, like meticulously arranged antique beer bottles on the shelves and modern two-tone walls, make it feel fresh and cared for. David runs the bar and chooses his drinks carefully, sourcing real ale and cider from Welsh breweries including Evan Evans and Wye Valley. Even the apple juice is Welsh – try a bottle of Dr Grandad’s, made with teeth-tingling sweet Lord Derby apples. A separate dining room follows the same subtly updated theme. Chairs may be dark wood antiques, but co-owner Esther Hubert has reupholstered them with mix-and-match fabrics to bring colour into the room. Artwork hangs neatly from picture rails and is set against a terracotta-coloured wall, and a large window gives pretty views of the garden and ‘welcome arch’ outside. Food is renowned, to the point where we shortlisted their chicken, leek, bacon and cider pie in our 2014 ‘Britain’s best pub pie’ competition. It’s still excellent, with clean, precise flavours and impressive depth (David attributes that to both Esther’s cooking and the quality of the cider she uses). There are two menus, bar and seasonal, with the latter being a touch fancier. Try heirloom tomato and sourdough salad, a colourful, juicy plate reminiscent of panzanella, with Welsh goat’s cheese as creamy as burrata. A red pepper and lentil soup was made punchy with plenty of cumin, and pearly white hake for main was strikingly contrasted against a vibrant roast tomato sauce and charred spring onions. Look out for globe artichokes and rhubarb on the menu, too – David grows both in giant tractor tyres at the back of the inn. Pick the cheese board for dessert, with Carmarthenshire Mouldy Mabel blue cheese (smooth and pungent) and homemade damson butter. If you’re driving to The Dolaucothi Arms, do as we did and book a room (arrive by bike and you’ll get 10% off for being an eco-friendly customer). There are three to choose from, all no more than £80 a night and all made charming with thoughtful adornments that match the building’s age. We loved the little dressing table, snug window seat, chunky stone walls and silver hospitality tray (complete with china teapot and sugar bowl), and found the absence of a television refreshing – there is a radio, after all. Breakfast is taken downstairs in the dining room and includes organic fruit, homemade jams and muesli. For something hot, try creamy scrambled eggs, laid by hens in the garden coop, with ribbons of soft, rich smoked salmon from Severn & Wye smokery. Milk and butter come from cows grazing five minutes down the road, and all the bread is organic and homemade. Another example of the kind of considerate, personal owners Esther and David are. Don’t leave without a browse of the little tuck shop near the bar, stacked with Welsh produce including David’s homemade piccalilli, cold-pressed rapeseed oil and coffee. Our favourite was the NomNom Venezuelan chocolate, made with chunky Welsh peanut butter and shards of Anglesey sea salt – creamy, so salty and a delicious end to a Welsh mini break. Reviewed by Charlotte Morgan, August 2016 All images (bar that of the hake) courtesy of Ruth Joy Photography The Dolaucothi Arms Pumsaint Carmarthenshire SA19 8UW You might also like Llangoed Hall, Brecon, Wales: restaurant and hotel review Anglesey, Wales: where to eat & drink, 2016
Cen at The Celtic Manor, Newport: restaurant review
A 2013 MasterChef finalist showcases his gastronomic talent as the head chef and namesake of a five-star hotel’s newest restaurant on the outskirts of Newport. Expect a modern, airy dining room, and a menu focused on contemporary re-workings of Asian takeaway favourites
Tucked away in a large conservatory at the back of the Manor House at Wales’ five-star Celtic Manor hotel, lies Cen (pronounced ‘sen’), a forward-thinking Asian restaurant headed by up-and-coming chef Larkin Cen. Larkin grew up working in his parents’ takeaway in Cardiff and rose to fame, reaching the final three on MasterChef in 2013. Since experimenting with a pop-up at the Celtic Manor last year, Cen has now become a permanent fixture and the first Asian restaurant in the hotel’s impressive portfolio. The space itself is open and airy, with white wooden shutters, billowing fabric blinds on the ceiling and a stripped-back style. As you would expect from a five star hotel, the ambience and level of service at Cen are good, with staff walking the fine-line between attentiveness and intrusiveness with ease. The menu is split in to small and large plates. The former ranges from fashionable, fluffy bao buns hiding slices of hoisin-smothered pork belly; to meaty, juicy scallops served with bonito flakes and bacon dashi. The beautifully presented sea bass ceviche with lime, chilli and jet-black sesame seeds is a welcome lighter addition to the varied offerings. Main courses are divided into plates for one and generous sharing dishes for two. A creamy, spicy seafood laksa arrives in a huge earthenware bowl filled with rice noodles, juicy tiger prawns, fat scallops and coconut milk. Meanwhile Larkin’s twist on traditional beef in black bean sauce pairs Welsh rib eye steak with a wasabi Dijon, crispy triple-cooked chips, spring onion oil and a truly moreish black bean jus, that can (and should) be generously poured over everything – this dish is available as a 20oz sirloin sharer, too. The duck pancakes to share are surprisingly pricey (£68 for this takeaway favourite), but when the brightly glistening slabs of hot, Peking duck arrive at the table next to us, accompanied by a duck consommé, soft pancakes, lettuce wraps, white steamed rice and triple-cooked chips, I make a mental note to try this upgraded version of an old favourite on my next visit. For dessert, ‘chocolate’ is a dish with a minimal name concealing something far more complex; a rich and smooth dark chocolate torte, a chocolate ganache, chocolate ‘aero’, malted ice cream and shiny blobs of sharp mandarin jelly, while the syrupy honey and yuzu cake comes with a dollop of fresh yogurt ice cream and thick crisps of sickly-sweet honeycomb. The coconut ice cream served with an almond dacquoise, coffee gel and Thai basil hit just the right balance of richness and sweetness; the creamy coconutty flavours are a great way to round off a rich and spicy Asian feast. Cen at The Celtic Manor Coldra Woods The Usk Valley Newport South Wales By Jane Cook, written March 2016 hungrycityhippy.co.uk You might also like Arbennig Emporium, Cardiff: Restaurant Review Bar 44, Cardiff: restaurant review Pitch, Cardiff: restaurant review Wales: our pick of the best restaurants Welsh rarebit
Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales: where to eat and drink
Where to eat, drink and stay in Anglesey, Wales in 2016. Find out where to feast on fresh-from-the-creel seafood, Welsh whisky ice cream and deconstructed bara brith
Looking for the best restaurants in Anglesey? Here are the best places to eat and drink on the Welsh island, including Menai Bridge... This pretty, pastel-painted village, linked to the mainland by Thomas Telford’s suspension bridge and the sturdy Britannia Bridge, was for years bypassed by holidaymakers heading for the pier at Beaumaris or the Irish ferries at Holyhead. Today, Beaumaris, a sailing haunt, has a faded elegance, but the high street in Menai Bridge bustles with independent retailers including high-class chocolatier and patissier Benjamin Lee. Dylan's, Menai Bridge This contemporary restaurant down on the waterfront dishes up local seafood straight from the creel beside floor length picture windows onto the strait. Seafood starters include salt and vinegar whitebait, crispy sea bass tacos and homemade crab cakes. Show-stopping fish mains range from roasted local lobster with garlic butter and skinny fries to hearty seafood chowder with Menai mussels. There are plenty of pizzas, too, topped with local ingredients such as Dolmeinir Farm lamb. dylansrestaurant.co.uk Sosban & the Old Butcher's, Menai Bridge An exciting addition to Menai Bridge is Stephen and Bethan Stevans’ rustic restaurant Sosban & the Old Butcher’s, the original slate from the butcher’s shop still cladding one wall. Stephen worked for Marcus Wareing in London before heading back to his native Anglesey. Open from Wednesday to Saturday evenings, this is touted as a dining experience rather than as a traditional restaurant. There’s no menu – the eight to 12 courses are a ‘grouping of ingredients’ – and while dishes sound simple, the result is pure theatre: ‘celeriac, coffee, apple’ is a sort-of risotto, the chopped celeriac resembling rice, served under a cloche filled with smoke. ‘Bitter chocolate, passion fruit, olive oil, peanut’ is a chocolate sphere of passion fruit and peanut dissolved at the table by liquid caramel. sosbanandtheoldbutchers.com Halen Môn Saltcote and Visitor Centre, Menai Strait Granted PDO (protected designation of origin) status, putting it in the same league as champagne and parma ham, Halen Môn is intensely salty. A smooth, long-lasting salty. Try it as part of a guided tour and tasting at the new Saltcote and Visitor Centre (halenmon.com), a £1.25m stunner of a building on the banks of the Menai Strait, Anglesey. Alison and her husband David started a business growing oysters and mussels on Anglesey and then opened a sea zoo before turning their attention to salt. It was the zoo’s fussy seahorses happily breeding in these waters that made them realize how pure the seawater was. They’ve now gone full circle and have started farming mussels once more, on the shore. But it’s salt that has put them, and Anglesey, on the culinary map. Alongside products like smoked water (famously used by Heston Blumenthal and good in a risotto, apparently), Halen Môn salt is now exported to 22 countries and sold by Waitrose, M&S and Harvey Nichols among other stockists, including sixth-generation butcher John Swain-Williams in Menai Bridge. Take part in a salt tasting, ranging from basic table salt to rock salt, European sea salt and then, sparkling like freshly fallen snow in the sun, the brilliant white crystals of Halen Môn, or Anglesey sea salt. Halenmon.com Red Boat Gelato, Beaumaris This ice-cream parlour boasts over 200 flavours (Penderyn whisky knocks spots off rum and raisin). redboatgelato.com Where to stay in Anglesey The Outbuildings, Llangaffo Stay in this restaurant with rooms, in Anglesey’s southwest corner. The four bedrooms and one very pink shepherd’s hut at The Outbuildings are surrounded by farmland. Anglesey was once dubbed the breadbasket of Wales, so fertile was this 276 square-mile island – there are views across to Snowdonia’s mountains and a five-mile beach at Llanddwyn is only minutes away, too. Tucking into scallops seared in Penderyn whisky with owner ‘Bun’ (Judith) Matthews, she told us about her recently-launched gourmet supper hampers (crab lasagna, chicken and lobster pie) and plans to open a crab shack this summer in an old barn in rural Rhoscolyn on the west coast. The aim is to keep it perfectly simple: lobster pots, candlelight, fresh Anglesey crab and sundowners with a sea view. Double rooms at The Outbuildings cost from £75, B&B, with dinner an extra £30-35pp (theoutbuildings.co.uk). For more info on Anglesey, see visitanglesey.co.uk. Menai Seafood Festival Visit in August to tie in with the Menai Seafood Festival. Words Lucy Gillmore Photographs Alamy, Getty, Kieran Ridley
Best gastro pubs with rooms: The Hardwick, Abergavenny
Locally-sourced food and smart but cosy rooms make The Hardwick in Abergavenny a must-visit.
Stephen Terry, owner and chef of Abergavenny’s The Hardwick, and proud adopted Welshman, has worked with the greats – including Michel Roux Jr, Alain Passard and a young Marco Pierre White – and pocketed Michelin stars, but there’s not a shred of show-off in him or his cooking. He and his brigade work with outstanding produce from Wales and the Marches, and turn out highly elevated pub food that never feels pretentious. The food and drink As well as hearty platefuls like Middle White pork belly and black pudding with capers, apple and mustard sauce, or ribeye steak with wild garlic, portobello rarebit and chips, there are vegetable-loving dishes, such as salt-roast beetroot with goat’s curd, cauliflower soup with Welsh cheddar, and seasonal treats of asparagus or puntarelle. Star suppliers Smoked salmon is from Severn & Wye Smokery, and the beef is from TV legend Johnny Morris’s farm, aka HJ Edwards, near Hay-on-Wye. Look out for Welsh charcuterie from Trealy Farm, and lean, organic Black Welsh Mountain lamb raised near Abergavenny. The Greek-style yogurt at brekky is from Neal’s Yard creamery in Dorstone and the sourdough from Hay baker Alex Gooch. The booze It’s got to be a pint of Ty Gwyn cider, Butty Bach or Hereford Pale Ale. What are the rooms like? Stephen and his wife Joanna converted The Hardwick from an old boozer into a smart but cosy place to eat and stay. The eight rooms look neat and modern, with walk-in showers and tables commissioned from a local joinery, and warm touches such as Melin Tregwynt textiles, and furniture and art from the Terrys’ own home. Breakfast The strapping cooked breakfast features smoked bacon, black pudding and bread fried in Middle White pork fat. Alternatives include fried eggy bread, bacon and maple syrup, sausage sandwich, and eggs benedict or royale. thehardwick.co.uk Written October 2015