It’s been a couple of months since my last review on the blog, had a little break from what seemed a series of mediocre dining experiences. I was craving a full ticking of boxes, the kind of meal where you leave with a smile on your face, and a feeling of satisfaction of having been looked after by people that know what they are doing.
Needless to say, I found this at Heaneys.
Heaneys opened in 2018, 5 years of hard work by Tommy Heaney, his partner Nikki, and their team have firmly established the restaurant as one of Cardiff’s premier culinary destinations. Nikki even sporting her new ‘Heaneys’ arm tattoo that day, an acknowledgement to herself (in her own words) of what a big part of their lives the last 5 years have been.
We attended on a Sunday, so were dining from their Sunday Lunch menu served 12pm – 3pm. From the second you walk in you feel relaxed, a welcome that felt more like seeing a friend than a slightly stressed server. Calm and in control.
The dining area is over different levels, open and airy at the front, bags of light coming in from the glass frontage, to more hidden corners towards the back, the seating style changing slightly depending on where you sit. Mostly a mix of blues, greys with some wall art and wood floors and tables, it’s a modern relaxing environment, music is eclectic and at the right volume.
Their use of lighting and the placement of large indoor plants show they have really thought about the restaurants ambience and feel, it really works. Tables are presented with minimal fuss and perfect placement, particularly loved the cutlery holders.
Once you have ordered, you are brought some complimentary warm Sourdough bread and Marmite butter, I was starving at this point so it was a surprise and welcome gift. I’m not a huge fan of Marmite but the beauty of this butter was that it is a scaled down version, less harsh and I couldn’t get enough of it, the bread itself was fresh, soft with a lovely crust.
I had ordered an Italian Pinot Grigio Riserva, Mezzacorona at £6.90 for 125ml, I really enjoyed this, it was light and refreshing and very easy to drink.
Marmite ButterSourdough
From the ‘snack’ section of the menu we chose the Buttermilk Chicken with fermented Chili, the chili leaving a lovely tingle on the lips and the chicken itself cooked perfectly with a wonderfully crips coating. I urge you to squeeze the lime wedge garnish over the chicken before you set about devouring it.
Buttermilk Chicken
My starter was the Fishcake with Red Curry and Lime, beautifully presented, the cake itself comes as a sphere rather than the coaster style shape you may be used to from your local chippy. It’s a good size, breaking through the golden coating you are presented with lovely flaky fish which is well seasoned and not overly ‘fishy’ which works for me. The curry is mild and provides a nice balance and touch of moisture to the dish, lovely.
FishcakeFishcake
For the main event I went with the Dry Aged Beef, served pink on a bed of creamy mash with (I believe) Oxtail Croquettes and a Yorkshire pudding. The veg that followed were cabbage with glazed carrots, roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese, you are warned not to touch the latter as they have come straight from the oven.
Combined, this was a Sunday dinner that looked every bit as good as it tasted, the carrots cooked with star anise, cinnamon and honey were stunning, the roast potatoes how you always wish they are, crispy on the outside, sprinkled with sea salt and fluffy inside. The beef itself was tender and….
don’t say it…….
melted in the mouth! Well it did, and no one wants to be chewing on a tough piece of beef debating whether to spit it in to a napkin. You get plenty of gravy to add at your leisure, it’s rich, flavoursome and perfect consistency.
My partner had the lamb which received equal accolades. I’ll be honest, I was slightly worried a Sunday dinner from a restaurant like Heaneys would leave me hungry, not fulfilling that traditional full up slump that it is obligatory to feel afterwards. I needn’t have worried, the portions are good, contain everything you want to see on your plate, while retaining refinement, every element just screams quality produce and skillful cooking.
To finish I had Dark Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla, Blood Orange, Minus 8 vinegar. Rich, indulgent, smooth, creamy, insert all the buzz words here because it had them, the brittle was a delight and created that balance of texture. The ice cream giving a contrast in temperature and adding palate cleansing freshness. My partner choosing the Yoghurt Parfait, White Chocolate, Mango, Passionfruit, equally as stunning.
Dark Chocolate MousseYoghurt Parfait
At £35 for 3 courses you will struggle to find food of this quality, cooked with this level of skill for less. I mean you’ll pay that at your office Christmas party in a chain pub somewhere.
Heaneys is a restaurant that understands the fundamental principle of hospitality, from the moment you walk in you know they are here to provide the customer with a great experience. The service is perfect, the time between courses is perfect, the ambience they have created is perfect. It’s fine dining that’s relaxed, effortless. Everyone is welcomed straight away, service is attentive but you’re left alone to enjoy it, professionalism runs throughout from top to bottom.
The servers know their job, subtle touches I observed which are seemingly becoming all too rare. Heaneys has propelled itself as one of my top 3 favourite restaurants, everything is done right, which is how it should be after all.
I’ve always held a soft spot for Usk, perhaps because it’s the birthplace of my father, or It’s the nostalgia of trips to see relatives living in the dwelling of a former bakery. Whatever the reason, at just 30 mins drive from Cardiff it’s well worth a visit. A walk around this medieval town will uncover plenty of blue plaques, each giving you a history of the buildings origins, and as well as having it’s own castle, it also has plenty of places to eat and drink.
I visited 5 venues at various times of the week and will state this for each place, each visit was a walk in. I’ll try to be as brief as I can so it’s not a too long, cut out waffle and stick to useful information as always, you’ve got far more important things to be doing I’m sure.
The Castle Inn, Twyn Square.
The Castle inn is one of two pubs in Twyn Square, the other being The Nags Head which you will read about further down the blog. Both have outside seating and offer a lovely aspect of the square. I made my visit on a Saturday lunchtime, it was fairly quiet with only one other table dining at the time, the welcome was friendly, and I was given a table.
Retaining a lot of it’s fabric and character you’ll find a small bar area at the front with a more open dining area at the back with an extended more modern area further towards the rear. Dark beams span the ceiling, there’s a large stone fireplace (not in use) and it’s carpeted throughout, the addition of pitched roof windows provide extra light.
The menu has a lot of choice, there’s ‘pub grub’ and more prestige ‘main courses’ there’s a good selection of starters and desserts, you’ll find something for everyone. I opt for their lightly spiced chicken fillet burger in a homemade toasted brioche bun, and it was really good. A decent portion of chicken, lovely crisp coating, spicing just right and the addition of avocado and dirty mayonnaise combined well and gave even more flavour as well as texture and sweetness. Fries were salted perfectly and hot and crispy, coleslaw was tasty and not over done with the mayo.
I pondered dessert, some excellent upselling from the server persuaded me to try their Lime posset with shortbread and fresh raspberries, a dessert in keeping with the age of the building. This was really nice, the palette cleanser you want after fried chicken, silky smooth and a nice sourness and tang from the lime.
Service here was excellent, you could tell they really cared about making sure you were looked after, personable but hitting all the key notes. A nice relaxed atmosphere, it deserved to be busier, would definitely visit again.
The New Court Inn, Maryport Street
Despite allegedly being early 19th century, this Georgian fronted Inn is one of the newer buildings to visit in Usk. I made my visit here on a Thursday lunchtime, as expected it was fairly quiet, the interior is a mix of the old at the front (dark wood and tiled floor) to a brighter, more open feel towards the rear of the restaurant. It took a while to be acknowledged on entering, the chap next to me at the bar gave up and left, but once I was, the welcome was warm. They have a fairly small menu with 8 mains and also a ‘Grazing Menu’ with 4 choices at a cheaper price for those with a smaller appetite.
I opted for the Madras Style Chicken Curry £14.95, I had to swap my coke for an orange juice while I waited as it was flat as a pancake, this was done without fuss though. The curry itself was nice, had a good heat and was served piping hot, the chicken pieces were quite small as opposed to the usual chunks, so it was difficult to see how much you were actually getting. The rice was fluffy and well cooked, however the poppadoms were quite oily, this happens when straight out of the fryer.
Chicken Madras
It’s always difficult not to compare curry in a pub (unfairly) to your favourite authentic curry house, they’re just never as good, It was a decent pub curry though and I was satisfied, I would like to try something else on my next visit however.
Overall I enjoyed my lunch here but the place lacked a bit of atmosphere, that warmth, service was ok but not great, wasn’t even asked if everything was ok when I went to pay. Deserves another visit.
The Kings Head Hotel, Old Market Street.
I made my visit here on a Sunday evening, dark, lashing with rain, the dimly lit medieval street void of people was quite atmospheric. I was unable to take an outside shot due to it being so dark, so the photo above I took on a different day. The Kings Head dates back to 1588, and it’s cosy bar area with traditional dark wood and log fire gives you that sense of history. A further dining area to the rear is adorned in angling paraphernalia, a nod to the strong link to the nearby River Usk, they are also regulars in the CAMRA good beer guide.
The menu here is your no fuss, starters – mains – sides, with a small veggie section. The menu covers most pub food favourites, and includes locally caught Trout.
Given the weather I wanted something comforting, so opted for the lasagne, it says the Kings Head recipe is ‘hard to beat’ and I don’t think they’re wrong. Deep, full of beef mince, rich, bags of flavour, it was good! The bechamel sauce topped with Golden cheddar, with a slighlty burnt, crisp edge it was everything I look for in a pub lasagne and more. The peas and salad on the side were a bit of a token, the peas looked overly done and unappealing but I didn’t care, the side of chips I had with it (yes I had chips with it, sue me) were chunky, hot and crisp on the outside, lovely.
It was fairly busy in here for a Sunday evening, there was a lovely atmosphere, maybe it was because it was so dark and wet outside, service was pretty good, no real complaints here. I would certainly return.
The Nags Head Inn, Twyn Square.
Across the square opposite The Castle Inn you will find The Nags Head, dating back to the 15th century it’s purpose in providing food, drink and accommodation to travellers hasn’t really changed ever since. The Key family have owned and run this Inn since the 60’s and are in their 3rd generation, a true family run pub.
The welcome from a definite 3rd generation Key couldn’t have been warmer, acknowledged as soon as I came in, and despite not booking, I was sorted out with a table with no fuss. I immediately felt at ease. I made my visit on a Wed lunchtime, the front of The Nags Head has a bar area and seating for dining along with a nice fireplace, it was busy and there was a nice atmosphere. A lovely arrangement of fresh flowers in the centre added a splash of colour to balance the plentiful dark wood beams.
Despite being Billy no mates in the rear restaurant area, it gave me a chance to take in the huge array of equine paraphernalia, a mini museum for those who had a better idea of what they were looking at.
The menu has a great variety of starters and mains, the latter ranging from £13.50 to £23, while I peruse the menu my tealight is lit on the table (if you’ve read my previous blogs you’ll know how happy this makes me) I go for Gloucester Old Spot Sausages and Mash with onion gravy, I am asked if I would like broccoli and swede mash as well, yes please!
What arrives from the kitchen is everything I hoped for, 3 large meaty sausages with a slightly crisped outer skin and that lovely browning all over. Smooth, buttery mash and a rich onion gravy with real depth of flavour. The swede mash is seasoned nicely and the broccoli is cooked perfectly.
RemasterDirector_22abe5b5f
This is proper home cooking at it’s best, good portions, made by someone that wants to feed their guests well. The lady from the kitchen even coming out to see if the fruits of their labor had payed off, it most certainly had. The service here was impeccable and they were really looking after their guests.
Unfortunately I didn’t have room for dessert, maybe next time, I was leaving very satisfied, memorable food and service, even popped a little chocolate on the dish with my bill…..details.
57 Bridge Street.
If you’re still with me, thanks, this is the last one….for now.
57 Bridge Street is a different vibe to the other places I have listed, the building is still historic, however this has a much more modern feel both in it’s interior and it’s message. It’s the vision of couple Claire and Phil Cooke, both having a wealth of experience within the hospitality industry opened this Artisanal Deli, Bar and Kitchen in 2018.
It was another Saturday lunchtime when I made my visit, no booking but again like everywhere I have visited, accommodated with no issue. It’s a relaxed but refined vibe in here, rustic tables and lots of country floral displays. There are deli counters and shelving stocked high with products you can’t help but eye up from your table. As you move towards the rear, sofas with cushions and table lamps give way to a huge function area with a glass roof and a champagne bar in a converted classic van.
It’s a table for 2 on this visit and we’re dining from the lunch menu which is split between small plates and large plates, with a separate daily specials menu. This place seems like you would get a different experience depending on the time you visit, lunch, dinner, and using the bar area. They also hold themed evenings, a good reason to make multiple visits.
We pick 5 small plates, the Glazed Pork Belly £9, cooked beautifully and the Granny Smith Apple Puree was wonderfully sweet. Hummus & Flatbread £7.50, the Hummus with rose harissa and Hazelnut Dukkah is the star of the show here, and you get plenty of everything, no need to ration the hummus here, dig in!
Pork BellyHummus & Flatbread
Tempura Broccoli £8.50 This purple sprouting broccoli tempura with ponzu sauce and sesame seeds will have you wishing this classic vegetable could always be served this way, really good. Smoked Salmon Rillettes £9 (off the daily specials) with the warmed sourdough and pickled vegetables were a delight. The Posh Fries £5, with truffle oil, parmesan and bloody mary ketchup were hot, crisp and seasoned. Not too much parmesan which works for me, posh fries are becoming increasingly more prevalent on menus and some tend to be overloaded with the stuff, which just tastes like you’re eating a bowl of parmesan. The bloody mary ketchup, yum!
Tempura BroccoliSmoked Salmon RillettesPosh Fries
It was pretty much full when I was here, a sign of it’s popularity and that’s deserved. A lovely venue that can pretty much cater and adapt to any event or occasion, beautifully presented, and Usk should welcome a diversity in dining and drinking options available to it.
This list isn’t of course exhaustive and there are a number of other places to eat, including:
Number 49
The Mad Platter
The Dining Room @The Grange
Fantastico
Sprokwobbles Coffee House
I intend on visiting these individually and doing a post on each, you’ve done yourselves proud reading a blog this long.
Go to Usk, it’s full of good independents all delivering good food, have a meal there, walk the streets, take in the history. I just hope my little review has helped point you in the right direction.
I took a quick mid week drive East to try out the highly rated Vittorio’s situated in one of Newport’s more leafier suburbs. Most people eating out in Newport head straight to the Indoor Market, I love the market, but on my recent visit there I was getting a bit disillusioned with the cost of the food for what you received. I don’t mean in quality, just amount, especially when compared to offerings in Cardiff Market. Anyway, I had heard good things about Vittorio’s, and as I am a lover of all things Italian I knew I needed to go, but as you’ll see, it didn’t quite meet my expectations.
On entering I was suprised how busy it was, pretty much full, this must be a good sign, I’m also taken aback by the size of the restaurant, capable of 90 covers. A wood clad ceiling, exposed brickwork, pillars and tiled flooring let you know you’re in the right place, we walk through the restaurant and are seated around the corner at the rear. Here you can see the Pizza chef, and the ever decreasing pile of pizza boxes suggest their takeaway service is a good revenue stream.
It’s a standard Italian menu here, the usual favourites amongst the starters and mains, and as mentioned they have quite an extensive choice of pizza. It also mentions they have a specials board, this was nowhere to be seen from where we were sat, so we asked about them to our server “I haven’t even looked at the board” was the reply and took one of our phones to take a picture of it and brought it back. 10/10 for thinking on your feet I guess but It would have been better if you’d known what the specials were.
Bruschetta
My Bruschetta Classica at £5.50 was really nice, good portion, the tomatoes were fresh and the levels of basil, garlic and oil were spot on. The ciabatta itself was toasted just right with a crispy edge, no issues here.
The Polpette Della Nonna at £13 didn’t carry on in quality where my starter left off, I didn’t find it very visually appealing, the sauce looked like it had split slightly and I found the meatballs a little salty, sorry Nonna! The flavour of the sauce itself was lovely and rich and I finished the meal, it just wasn’t at the level I’ve had from other Italian restaurants.
Polpette Della Nonna
Another service issue came when ordering drinks, now they do 2 beers, both Italian, one of which is Peroni, but when ordering the other beer the server didn’t know what we were referring to and had to fetch a menu for us to point to it. Also the music was so quiet and you could only occasionally hear the odd bass note, and I was sat next to a speaker, all you could hear was chatter.
Tiramisu £6 for dessert, and it was great, the mascarpone, coffee soaked sponge and marsala wine all singing in harmony, quite a small portion but absolutely no complaints with it’s flavour and textures.
Tiramisu
When it came to pay we were given the bill but then left for ages to finally be told to pay at the bar, surely if you had said this when leaving the bill it would have saved us sitting there waiting for absolutely no reason. I think this was the biggest issue for me, the service felt clunky and a bit disjointed, you didn’t feel reassured, looked after or get the sense the servers had much knowledge of the menu.
But look, Vittorios is seemingly not short of business, is highly rated and has been there since 1989, they are doing very well. My experience was just what it was, and I feel with a bit more focus on service they could be even better.
It took a little longer than I would have liked to write this review, always worried things will get a bit hazy if I don’t get it down soon after the event. Thankfully, this was a meal I wasn’t going to forget, and for all the right reasons.
Thomas by Tom Simmons has become quite a regular posting by other reviewers/bloggers we follow on social media, never seemingly criticised, and always held in high regard by those that know. Plenty of times I have gone to book but the time was never right, I wanted to be in the right headspace, I didn’t want to go just for the sake of a review.
Walking in you’re immediately met with the bar area, the layout didn’t seem a million miles away from when it was previously The Cameo Club, however the fixtures and fittings certainly have. 2 tone colour scheme walls that continue throughout the restaurant, the bar is beautifully lit and has a touch of art deco about it. There was nobody at the bar, the 5 empty cushioned stools crying out for someone to join them and relax with a good spirit, or one of their ample wines, another time perhaps.
Bar
After we have been taken to our table, our server kindly takes our coats, this is a first for me, a nice touch which if I’m honest, shouldn’t be a rarity. The menu is well laid out with 6 starters and 7 mains, there’s also a ‘For The Table’ section which you should give your undivided attention…basically I am telling you to order several things from here.
Our choices were the Ground Bakery Bread and house butter (heard good things about this) and the Fried Chicken with Lime Mayo. Now the Ground Bakery is literally next door, other than being baked on the premises it’s not going to get any fresher. Served as a kind of large cob, it’s cut into 4 (so you get equal amounts) and comes with mushroom butter and their house butter, I preferred the latter as I am not a huge lover of mushrooms, I ate both.
Ground Bakery Bread
It’s only bread and butter you might say, but sometimes there really is nothing better than a soft bread with a firm crust and a nicely salted butter smeared across it, or a mushroom butter in fact, and as bread and butter goes this offering is as good as you’ll find.
House Butter
The Fried Chicken is excellent, as good if not better than any I have had before, and who would have thought that Lime Mayo would elevate to a place you didn’t think possible? Tom Simmons did, that’s who, and that’s why he does what he does. If I had to be super picky, some of the pieces had very little chicken and a lot of coating, however when the coating tasted that good I am not even sure if that’s a criticism. I’d eat that fried coating all day long.
Fried Chicken
For main I had the Fillet of Welsh Beef & Mushroom Tartlet at £33, yes more mushroom, I’m trying to convert, I also added a Green Peppercorn sauce. At this point the old adage ‘Taste, don’t eat‘ will serve you well, you can’t rush this, your palette won’t allow it. Every mouthful is divine, your mind making a mental note to remember just how good this is as your knife glides through to cut the next piece. There’s a lovely char to the top of the beef that provides texture and depth of flavour, the permanent grin on your face likening it to an audition for The Joker.
Fillet of Welsh Beef
The Green Peppercorn sauce is everything you want it to be and accompanied the beef perfectly, I took my servers recommendation and she wasn’t wrong.
I’d love to tell you more about the mushroom tart but I would be kind of guessing as to what made up it’s parts (other than mushroom) what I will say is this…it was delicious and the tart itself perfectly crisp and super thin.
Seating is fairly close in the restaurant but this actually works in your favour, everytime a table sits down you purposefully eaves drop as to what they are ordering, whenever a dish comes out you side eye it to see what you are possibly missing, stopping short of asking for a bite. When you hear someone order what you’ve had you feel like a proud expectant parent, and listen in for their approval as they eat…sorry, taste it.
Wine – I had a lovely Chardonnay De L’Ardeche to wash all this down with, so easy to drink and really refreshing, £34 a bottle or you can buy it by the glass. Small isn’t featured on the wine list but you can ask for it.
Welsh Lamb Cannon
My dining partner ordered the Welsh Lamb Cannon with Black Garlic, came out looking like a cover photo for the Michelin Guide, all positioned, dressed and cooked with purpose. Beautifully cooked.
Sides consisted of the infamous Tom’s Chips and Glazed Carrots with spiced seeds. These chips are golden, crispy, and are layer after layer of fluffy goodness, seasoned to perfection.
Tom’s Chips
The Glazed Carrots are cooked just how I would like them, not too hard, just still with that bit of bite without losing their form. Again taste incredible, and the seeds providing a contrast in texture but also adding to the overall flavour of the dish.
Both these sides married perfectly with the beef, 3 individually stunning dishes that can stand out with balanced flavour in their own right, also coming together to make a truly memorable taste experience.
Glazed Carrots
The beauty of this kind of cooking, clean, precise and perfectly portioned is that when it comes to dessert there is no question as to whether you have room for one. I am not saying you are left hungry, far from it, you just don’t feel stuffed, you feel well fed, content, ready to try more. Eating food like this isn’t a chore, and it leaves you wanting more. You don’t come here to wolf something down and disappear in to the night, you savor it, you converse between courses, you just relax and enjoy the experience.
I digress, for dessert we ordered Peanut Butter Parfait with Banana, Chocolate and Peanut Brittle £10 and Petit Fours, Salted Caramel Truffles and Seasonal Pate de Fruits £7
The Peanut Butter Parfait was smooth and creamy as you would expect, the brittle had the perfect amount of ‘crack’ not chewy and didn’t shatter. The peanut butter flavour never becoming ‘too much’ balanced just right, the different textures and temperatures of each part combining to be the best dessert I have had in a long time.
Peanut Butter ParfaitPetit Fours
My experience that evening was one that will certainly linger, it’s not every day you get to eat food this good, this well loved. The service here is good, very good actually, it was busy as they are most nights yet you are never left wanting, check backs are made, more drinks are offered, they are attentive without being over bearing. Glassware and cutlery are super clean, cutlery is replaced and matched to your meal accordingly, time between courses is perfect. The overall ambience is spot on, appropriate music at a good level, lighting is spot on as is the temperature. My only negative (and it’s a small one) I found the chair really uncomfortable, the single wooden back dug in to me everytime I leaned back, resulting in me sitting bolt upright the whole time, hey it’s good for your posture right?
Thomas by Tom Simmons is a restaurant you need to visit at least once, just to see how food can really taste when everything combines, quality local ingredients, a chef with passion to deliver excellence and a skill level higher than most. I will certainly return (when the wallet allows) it’s not a cheap dining experience and nor should it be, but it’s worth every penny, this is special, savor it, and remember…taste, don’t eat.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t aware of The Gaff’s existence until I stumbled upon it on a recent visit to Abergavenny, it looked my kind of place, and a peruse at the menu and a quick Google search affirmed this. I know Abergavenny is a growing culinary destination, partly down to it’s annual food festival, so was suprised I hadn’t heard of it before.
Opened in 2019, it nestles at the back of The Courtyard in 3 converted sheds, owned and run by former staff of the Michelin-starred Walnut Tree, it should be somewhere that demands high standards. Being recognised in The Michelin guide gives provenance to this fact.
On entering you are immediately drawn to how nice the interior is, laminate flooring, neutral and grey colour scheme, indoor plants, it’s airy and calming. A stern faced prolonged stare from one of the chefs in the open kitchen threatened to derail this, but we were soon welcomed in and shown to our table. They even have a lockable umbrella stand.
The tables are well laid out with minimal fuss, a novel cutlery holder holds all your cutlery, chairs are modern and comfortable. Artwork from a Herefordshire based artist Pete Bryden adorn the walls, and music fits with the vibe of the restaurant, think Average White Band – Pick Up the Pieces.
The menu at The Gaff is small plates, you’re advised to order 5-8 dishes between two and they come out when they are ready, the chefs will look to pair dishes as they come out so you’re not left with too much of a bizarre combination. On the current menu prices ranged from £5 to £17 a dish. You are offered water for the table and can choose between tap, still or sparkling, complimentary sourdough bread with olive oil, sea salt and rosemary (I believe) is also brought to your table, this was delicious.
The Cured Sea Bream and Swede & Cheddar fritter came out first. The fritters having a lovely crispy coating with an indulgent soft center, the swede being soft enough to blend nicely with the cheese. The piccalilli was tangy as you would expect, full of flavour and keeping the chunkiness of the ingredients it’s made with, balanced with the fritters perfectly.
The sea bream was clean, fresh and balanced wonderfully with the radish, spring onion and sesame.
Swede & Cheddar frittersCured Sea Bream
Next came the Bang Bang Cauliflower and Korean Fried Chicken. Forget Cauliflower in the traditional sense, this one has bags of flavour, granted it’s all from the Hoisin sauce that envelops the dish but it’s all the better for it. The cauliflower itself is cooked well and is dressed with parsley and spring onion, I’m not too sure what the crispy garnish on top was (answers on a postcard) but it provided a crunchy texture that the dish needed. The Korean Fried Chicken had a lovely crisp coating and the sweetness on there from the Gochujang really elevated from what you are used to, chicken cooked perfectly. The sweet potato again, balancing the dish well.
Bang Bang CauliflowerKorean Fried Chicken
Finally the Hispi Cabbage and Moroccan Spiced Carrots. The sweet hispi cabbage was beautifully cooked with a nice char to it that balanced the sweetness, with the addition of the soft squash and the chorizo, it was a lovely blend of the sweet and salty. The Moroccan Spiced Carrots were delicious, expertly spiced, soft, and that Apricot puree bringing a punch of sweetness that cut through the spice, the hazelnuts from the dukkah bringing texture and crunch to the dish.
Moroccan Spiced CarrotsHispi Cabbage
Desserts were Sticky Ginger Cake, caramelised white chocolate, poached rhubarb with caramac and a rhubarb sorbet £9. The sorbet was a real palette cleanser, had a real zing to it that awakened your senses after so much food, caramac was beautiful, the cake could have perhaps had a bit more ginger but that is a minor quibble.
Crunchy Nut Cornflake Panna cotta, the description fed back from this was “This is the nicest panna cotta I have ever had”, nothing more to say really.
Sticky Ginger CakeCrunchy Nut Cornflake Panna cotta
All of this washed down with Tydy, Sauvignon Blanc Loire Valley, I don’t drink a lot of white wine but if they all tasted like this I would drink a lot more. Exceptionally easy to drink with a real fruity taste. £29 a bottle.
The service is very good here, there were 3 servers on that night and you are served by all of them, normally I prefer to have one server however, it kind of works here. It’s a very organic experience at The Gaff and each server is as attentive and personable as the last, it’s formal without being stuffy, in fact it’s very relaxed, but maintains professionalism. Water is topped up regularly without the need to ask, plates are cleared in good time and there is little wait between each dish being brough out. It’s a perfect venue for couples and small groups that want to eat good food, drink good wine and converse.
I can thoroughly recommend The Gaff, it’s absolutely worth the trip.
As a side note, kudos to whoever decorated the toilet, I am a stickler for a well presented bathroom and The Gaff didn’t disappoint 🙂
December became an accidental Italian dining fest for me, I guess I was unwittingly craving that deep, rich, flavour filled goodness to balance all the ‘Festive Menu’ Christmas parties we all need to attend. Don’t get me wrong, I love a Christmas dinner as much as the next person, but they’re not exactly an attack on the senses, and the less said about The Cricketers dismal effort, the better.
My 2nd Italian visit of the month took me to Cafe Citta, a family owned restaurant which opened in 2009, you will have probably walked past it several times and not noticed it. It’s small, very small, but that is it’s charm. Cosy, rustic and authentic, in fact one of my dining buddies that evening commented on how he felt he was abroad and not in the hub of Cardiff City Centre, I agreed.
Specials Board
They offer the usual Italian fare as well as pizza cooked in their own wood fired oven, they also have specials which are described to you by your server with the help of the blackboard.
I started with Bruschetta at £7, a simple starter but always lives and dies by the freshness of the topping. Happy to report that the tomatoes were ripe and fresh, the levels of olive oil, basil and oregano all balanced, and seasoned just right. You get a good amount of topping on the bread, more than I have had at other restaurants, so you don’t feel short changed from your £7.
Bruschetta
For main I had the Penne Arrabbiata with Italian sausage £14.50, this is a bit of a favourite of mine so will quite often order this to gauge the restaurants flavours. I didn’t need to worry, that rich Napoli sauce holding the peppers, onions, courgette and aubergine in a big hug, smothering the perfectly cooked pasta and providing one big smile on the face with each mouthful. I didn’t really get a sense of any heat so perhaps could up the chilli, however it tasted divine and honestly I wouldn’t have added any had it been offered.
Penne Arrabbiata
I had garlic bread as a side, how else are you going to mop up all that sauce? I’ll admit, I wasn’t fussed on it, yes it’s just bread and garlic but it had a strange after taste that I couldn’t put my finger on. Not a deal breaker, it was all eaten.
Garlic Bread
Dessert was Tiramisu £6.50, it arrived served in a cup and saucer, my initial thoughts were that because of this it was on the small side, but a bit like the restaurant itself what it lacked in size it made up for in it’s flavours. Lovely smooth, sweet Mascarpone, soft coffee soaked lady fingers, and a good topping of cocoa powder, not particularly boozy, but absolutely delicious, and a good end to a fantastic meal.
Tiramisu
If you’re looking for quality, authentic Italian food in a rustic, cosy environment then you can’t go wrong dining at Cafe Citta. The service here is very good, staff are attentive and get the pace just right, you don’t want to feel rushed in a place like this. The kitchen is open, and at the back of the restaurant so you can see the goings on, the kitchen area is remarkably small yet food is delivered with minimal fuss and with good speed. Lighting and music are at a perfect level and the overall ambience is great, there’s no sense of loud chatter, it’s all very civilised.
The restaurant was busy, and many walk ins were unfortunately turned away, good food and limited seating makes this so, to be in a bigger premises I think would lose all that Cafe Citta is about. The authenticity, that escapism, in a street surrounded by ever changing chain restaurants it may just be that Cafe Citta holds the key the more commercial outlets overlook. I have already recommended Cafe Citta to friends looking to eat out, and I too will be back very soon.
It was a wet, miserable Saturday afternoon and we had a reservation 30 minutes before Wales kicked off against New Zealand just a street away. Was this a good idea? Wiping intermittently at the steamed up windows of the bus ride in, this was a journey only made bearable by the thought of returning to Pasture, a year after my last visit.
Since opening 2 years ago, Pasture has firmly established itself as a front runner in Cardiff’s dining scene, if you want to book on a Saturday evening in the 6pm-9pm slot, you’ll be waiting months, and what other restaurant can claim that? They can cater for walk ins but that’s always a risk, so is it’s popularity warranted? Let’s see.
On entering the first thing that struck me was the music, fairly loud beach house style, felt more like a beach bar in Ibiza and although not what I was expecting and slightly distracting it soon began to feel, well right. The restaurant was awash with Welsh Rugby jerseys, a well organised booking for many, no Greggs when we get into town for these fans, each table filtering out at kick off approached.
Pasture is busy (as always) and there is a good buzz within the restaurant, I have never been to a restaurant with so many staff, all busy, all smiling and all working as a team. Pasture blends the formal and informal perfectly, the bar sending out cocktails, Tiny Rebel IPA and £800 bottles of wine all under one roof. Exposed brickwork and pipes although perhaps becoming a little cliche really work here as an aesthetic and the addition of wood paneling in other areas prevents it feeling too urban.
I doubt this is the first review you have read of Pasture, I was treading where many had gone before and therefore had seen that the Short Rib Croquettes £6 were a firm favourite, I didn’t hesitate to order these and I’m glad I did. A lovely crispy coating packed full of that rich, tender short rib beef and the Gochujang aioli providing a hint of sweetness as well as a lingering heat in your throat, long after you’ve eaten them. Fantastic.
Short Rib Croquettes
Just in case you weren’t aware, Pasture is all about Beef, and lots of it. Sourced from farms in Wales and the South West it can definitely be classed as local produce, and each steak is cut fresh by the in house butchers. For the range of cuts, weights and quality it’s far more than just your average steak house.
For our main event we went with a 550g Chateaubriand, at £13 per 100g this came to £71.50, however this price includes two sauces and two sides, so good value in my eyes if dining as a pair. The beef itself was exceptional, unbelievably tender, barely had to chew it, wonderful flavour from the coal and cherry wood method of cooking and the lovely gnarly edge giving it a nice char. The sauces chosen were Peppercorn and Whisky Teriyaki, both excellent.
Chateubriand
The sides we chose were Spinach Gratin with leeks and cheese, and Truffle Chips with Cornish gouda cheese, these would cost you £4.95 each on their own. Additional sides ordered were Seasonal Greens and Dripping Chips at £3.95 each.
The Spinach Gratin was well seasoned, the taste of the leek and cheese really coming through, it was rich, warm comfort food and I ate the lot. The chips were as they should be, hot with a crispy coating and a fluffy centre, again well seasoned.
Spinach GratinSeasonal Greens
To wash all this down I had a 2018 Thorn-Clarke Shiraz from Australia, with flavours of black cherries, plums and mulberries it matched my meal well and was very easy to drink. £8.75 for a 175ml glass.
Thorn-Clarke, Shiraz
To finish was The Spiced Rum Trifle £7.95, whipped coconut, charred pineapple, poached quince, ginger cake, lime, hazlenut and sprinkled with chilli flakes. Absolutely delicious, everything balanced well, the cocunut and hazlenut adding texture to the rum soaked cake, there may have been room for a touch more rum….hic!
Spiced Rum Trifle
It’s not just the food that is exceptional here, the service matches it every step of the way and more. They have really understood the importance of the customer experience and the mission to create a wonderful dining experience, something so many fall short on. Restaurant service is my bread and butter and so far, I have yet to experience better. I need to give a shout to our Italian server Miriam, delivering a faultless service with notable touches such as notifying us she was going on a break and introducing us to who would be taking over our table during that time.
Pasture is the kind of restaurant that will cover any occasion, going on a date? Book it. Going out for drinks and want to eat first? Book it. Catching up with friends? Book it. If you’re willing to eat outside of regular times you will have no trouble getting a table here, you’ll just wish you had done it sooner.
I booked the day off work today, for no other reason than I fancied just mooching about town, bit of shopping and the chance to have a nice lunch. I had a good peruse through my socials the night before to decide on a venue and noticed Bar 44 were doing a lunch offer, £13 for 3 tapas 12pm – 4pm (Thurs and Fri). That was that then, decision made.
Bar 44 is part of the 44 group which also consists of Asador 44, Mercardo 44 and the newly opened boutique hotel Parador 44, all held in high regard. A former canal warehouse, it’s subterranean rooms and arched brick ceilings offer a real sense of atmosphere when you enter the restaurant and definitely adds to the dining experience as a whole.
Restaurant
Bar 44 is also a good venue if you are looking for just a drink, they have an extensive drinks menu, specialising in Sherry, Gin, Rum, Spanish wines and cocktails. I will admit that I have never had a Sherry, I wasn’t about to change that today, but when I do, I’ll make sure it’s here that I pop my Sherry cherry.
From the moment I entered the service was warm, attentive, friendly and professional, it really hit the mark. The place was spotlessly clean and tidy with tables laid out well, lots of wall art and plants create a nice balance, giving a bistro feel while retaining the feeling you’re eating somewhere special.
The lunch offer menu allows you to pick one of seven options as your starter, and two dishes from the eight ’44 classicos’. The choices are varied and each one a temptation, you’ll spend a good few minutes chopping and changing, getting increasingly anxious to settle on something before the server returns.
I opted for Sobrasada tostada with Catalan Rosemary Honey, Jamon Iberico Croquetas and Sticky Sherry Chicken with Toasted Hazlenut, I asked for it to all come out together.
The tostada had a lovely crust, soft bread and perfectly toasted, and the Catalan rosemary honey had all the sticky sweetness you’d hope for.
Sobrasada Tostada, Catalan Rosemary Honey
The Jamon Iberico Croquteas had a lovely golden crispy breadcrumb coating, filled to bursting with hot béchamel sauce and ham. These are packed with rich, creamy indulgence, full of favour and like wrapping a blanket around you with every bite, so comforting.
Jamon Iberico Croquetas
The Sticky Sherry Chicken with toasted Hazlenut, just wow! Perfectly cooked chicken drenched in that sweet sticky sauce, each forkful of chicken being painted around the dish to mop up every last drop. There’s so much flavour in that sauce and it’s incredibly moorish. The hazlenut present in both crumb and whole provides texture and the hit of savoury to balance the sweetness.
Sticky Sherry Chicken, Toasted Hazlenut
There was no standout dish here, they were all excellent, an absolute pleasure to eat, and at £13 I don’t think I have had better for that price range. A wonderful showcase of sweet and savoury, and a real tribute to Spanish Tapas. But I wasn’t done, why end such a good dining experience, I added the Trufas – Dark and White Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles. At £5 for 4 small individual chocolates, well it was worth every penny, each chocolate was indulgent, rich, creamy and a lovely bitterness from that dark chocolate.
Trufas
I can’t recommend the lunch deal at Bar 44 enough, at £13 it is an absolute bargain for the quality of cooking you receive. To the two ladies that sat down, looked at the menu and then asked if they did any sandwiches before leaving…you missed out. Despite being the first one in the restaurant when I sat down it was pretty much full by the time I left, this is great to see.
If you’re in the city centre on a Thursday or Friday lunchtime and fancy something different from your usual haunt, go to Bar 44, you won’t regret it.
Is it in Cardiff? Is it in Caerphilly? You’re never quite sure, perched at the top of Caerphilly mountain it’s within easy access for whichever side you ascend from. It’s picture perfect exterior, thatched roof, small doorways, stone floors and fireplaces certainly make it feel like somewhere you can escape the elements and find refuge.
If you’re a Cardiff or Caerphilly native then you’ve probably been here at least once in your life, I used to come quite regularly but a 7 year gap meant I was keen to try and reaffirm it had become the pub I wanted it to be, unfortunately it hadn’t. My last few new dining experiences haven’t quite hit the mark, and this didn’t change that.
The Travellers Rest is owned by the pub chain Vintage Inns, first impressions when walking in are very cosy, big fireplaces with tables right next to them, however being led further in and seated it’s not quite the same. The bench seating is heavily soiled and the upholstery on one of our chairs was ripped and worn down to the foam.
For me this is something Vintage Inns need to replace/refurb immediately, it doesn’t give you the best first impression when you’re about to part with some of your hard earned. The lights in this area have all had one bulb removed, whether that’s to dim the light or to save energy that’s understandable, but come on, don’t leave the flex hanging down out of the fittings, tidy it away, even if it’s to stop someone sticking their finger in it.
The menu here is fairly small for a ‘pub menu’, which is usually a good thing, consisting of 10 starters and 8 mains as well as a chef’s special and 2 steak options.
I ordered Crispy Camembert Bites with an Apricot and Ginger chutney as a starter, these did have a lovely crispy panko coating and the Camembert was rich and oozed out with the satisfactory flow you would expect. However, at £5.95 for 2 pieces I felt this was pretty expensive, I mean they have literally given you the minimum amount in order to turn bite in to a plural. I think 3 would have been a fair deal and would have extended the 40 seconds it too me to eat them to a full minute.
Crispy Camembert Bites
For mains we ordered Beef Rib with Miso Butter at £16.95 and Vegetable Penang Curry with the option of Chicken added at £15.95.
The Beef Rib came with dauphinoise potatoes, roasted carrots, broccoli and a grilled spring onion, the beef had a lovely crispy edge and flaked away from the rib nicely. The miso butter really adding richness and a saltiness to the dish that complimented the beef. The carrots and broccoli were cooked well with just a slight bite and the grilled spring onion adding a hint of sweetness that the dish needed. My only gripe was the dauphinoise potatoes are served hidden under the beef rib and resemble somewhat of a mess when discovered, saying that they tasted great.
Beef RibDauphinoise Potatoes
The Penang Curry was a bit of a mixed bag, flavourful, a nice hint of heat and a lovely sweetness from the peppers and the red onion, however the addition of chicken consisted of slices of dry, overcooked chicken breast placed on top, it certainly hadn’t been cooked fresh and detracted from the dish.
Penang Curry with Chicken
The service here is good, it did feel like courses took a little longer to come out than you’d expect given how quiet it was but certainly not anything to query. Mains plates were left for a while after finishing and we did eventually get up and go to the bar to pay, thus missing out on being offered desserts. Minor quibbles.
The Travellers Rest hasn’t unfortunately made me feel like rushing back, the price point here is at the higher end for chain pub food and although it was decent, for me it wasn’t great. It’s all about opinion though right? I’m sure many would disagree, however it’s back for a stint with the independants for me.
After spending most of Saturday morning in the rain trying to get small white balls in to holes in the ground, I needed something to cheer myself up. As the skies cleared and the sun revealed itself again with far less aggression than last week, I dropped down the other side of the mountain in to Caerphilly town centre. Casa Mia had been on my radar for years, I have previously eaten at the rated Italian Volare, and the Wetherspoons The Malcolm Uphill so took this opportunity to down my next target.
Casa Mia is described as a Mediterranean restaurant and cocktail bar, found on a first floor premises just across from the statue of the town’s son, Tommy Cooper. Arriving about 12:30pm we were the first in and had the pick of the tables, obviously we took full advantage of the window seats which offer good views of the castle and the locals going about their business below, great place to people watch. The restaurant actually filled up quite a lot in the next hour, and with a lunch menu at £13.55 for 2 courses and £16.55 for 3 courses it’s not difficult to see why. Mon to Fri it’s £1 less for each deal.
Restaurant views
The restaurant area is bright, airy and open plan, floor to ceiling windows letting in bags of light and stunning views, on the ceiling seem to be the kind of things you see in a recording studio to absorb sound and improve acoustics, possibly there for that purpose. Brightly painted walls separate the bar area from the wood paneled restaurant.
Restaurant area
The menu covers most Mediterranean favourites and with a choice of 9 starters and 8 mains (plus 3 Welsh mains) it’s not overly busy, but offers enough variation to meet most palettes. As mentioned they are also a cocktail bar, so have an extensive menu as well as the addition of a Gin menu which has every modern day concoction of flavours you need your gin to contain.
StartersMainsGin menu
Starters – We ordered Deep Fried Calamari with Garlic Mayo, and Crispy Deep Fried Halloumi with Tomato Chutney, yep we both went for deep fried, I’d been in the rain all morning, I was allowed. The Halloumi had a nice Golden colouring to it and hadn’t been fried to the point of becoming hard and stodgy, holding it’s shape like a Greek cheese chip. The dip which although says Tomato I could swear was caramalised onion, I may be wrong but either way it balanced the natural saltiness of the cheese nicely. The salad garnish was fresh and brought colour and texture to the dish.
Deep Fried Halloumi
The Calamari was reported as also being super tasty, being cooked perfectly, not rubbery, with a crispy batter. A dousing of lemon juice along with the garlic mayo again balanced the dish well.
Deep Fried Calamari
For mains, it was Pan Fried Sea Bass in a garlic, lemon and white wine sauce and Penne Meatballs, beef meatballs in a seasoned tomato sauce.
4 good sized, well seasoned meatballs nestled themselves in to perfectly cooked pasta, all of it bathed in the rich tomato sauce which although not described, had a lovely heat running through it, the perfect amount. I was pleasantly suprised by how much I enjoyed this, tasted great, and the ration of pasta, sauce and meatballs was all spot on. The meatballs were perhaps a little dry but I am being picky here. A sprinkling of parmesan cheese and a whack of cracked black pepper forcing a wide smile of contentment across my face.
A good slab of garlic bread ( a side order) enabled me to mop up every last bit of that incredible sauce. The garlic bread itself had just the right amount of garlic, the bread neither soggy or burnt to a crisp, perfect.
Penne Meatballs
The Sea Bass was seasoned well, flaky and cooked well, the garlic, lemon and white wine sauce pairing perfectly with the fish and wasn’t too heavy on the olive oil, a sprinkling of chive adding more flavour. The rice with it was perfectly cooked infused with Mediterranean veg and providing a whack of sunshine to the plate. You can have chips as an alternative but that would be the wrong choice, right?
Pan Fried Sea BassPan Fried Sea Bass
So of course we went with the 3 course option, at these prices you’d be a fool not to, desserts are brought over on a serving slate so you can see them in all their 4D state. I like this, you know exactly what you are ordering, and from a restaurant point of view who is going to say no to dessert when they’re plonked right in front of the customers face? I know I didn’t.
Desserts
Your choices are Tiramisu, Strawberry Cheesecake, Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, Waffle and a Jaffa Cake Sponge. We went with Tiramisu and Strawberry Cheesecake.
The desserts are bought in here, you’ll find that most places you eat, however this is where I encountered the only faux pax. Where I was expecting the usual indulgent layered richness of coffee soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone, rum and cocoa, what I actually got was a frozen dessert so hard I could barely put my spoon through it. I highlighted this to staff who were completely apologetic and replaced it for a Lemon Meringue Cheesecake and took it off the bill! Turns out my dessert had been taken from the tray that had been taken out to defrost for the evening.
The Lemon Meringue cheesecake was great, a lemon syrup topping as well as drizzled on the plate, oozed off every forkful, soft flavourful cream cheese and some lemon sponge and whipped cream on top. Garnished with some lovely vanilla ice cream in it’s own dish as to not spill across the plate as it melts, and some delicious raspberries, strawberry and cherries, positioned with thought and care, it’s the details people.
The Strawberry Cheesecake being served in the same way with the obvious replacement of Strawberry as garnish and syrup topping, and equally delicious.
Strawberry Cheesecake
The service is very good at Casa Mia, attentive without being over the top, friendly, polite and professional, check backs are made, plates are cleared in a timely manner and the food comes out in good time. Crockery, cutlery and glassware all perfectly clean and well presented, music at a good ambient volume, playing easy listening.
Staff can’t do enough for you here and went above and beyond with the dessert mishap, taking it off the bill was a goodwill gesture that they didn’t need to do as it was replaced, but these small gestures will always keep the customer happy and returning again and again.
With the all to depressing reality of the cost of living, rising inflation and everything else, at £15.55 for a 3 course lunch Mon to Fri you have to ask yourself can you afford NOT to eat here? I think you would be hard pressed to find this sort of cooking at this price in Cardiff.
Take a trip up and over the mountain and take advantage of this absolute steal of a lunch menu.
Details: Venue – Casa Mia 1, 4 – 6 The Twyn, Caerphilly CF83 1JL
The Cardiff Menu 