Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in Cardiff
Hardens guides have spent 30 years compiling reviews of the best Cardiff restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 124 restaurants in Cardiff and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Cardiff restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Cardiff Restaurants
1. Bar 44 Penarth
Spanish restaurant in Penarth
Windsor Road - CF64
2018 Review: “Authentic tapas y copas” win praise for this second outlet of a local small indie group (with branches in Cardiff and Cowbridge), which has now been a feature of this seaside town for over five years.
2. Asador 44
Spanish restaurant in Cardiff
14-15 Quay Street - CF10
An “almost entirely Spanish drinks list” deconstructed by an “excellent sommelier” sets the tone at Tom & Owen Morgan’s – of ‘44’ group fame – three-year-old flagship, with its own dedicated wine cave. “A wonderful experience from beginning to end”, the food is consistently highly rated, with Spanish and Welsh produce singed on the parilla grill over different sorts of wood (think 70-day dry-aged Rubia Gallega chuletón steaks).
3. Casanova
Italian restaurant in Cardiff
13 Quay St - CF10
Opened in 2005 by three Italian amici, this “very friendly” outfit features a seasonal, purposefully not extensive menu that “uses a lot of authentic Italian produce” (though arguably “it’s actually more Sicilian” in result); while “not cheap”, the victuals are “really good” by all accounts.
4. Bar 44 Cardiff
Spanish restaurant in Cardiff
15-23 Westgate Street - CF10
“Very popular (but consequently sometimes very noisy)” city-centre Spaniard, part of a local chain (which now extends to Bristol), that wins praise for its “top tapas” and wide selection of wines and sherries. On the downside, some reporters “prefer the Cowbridge original”.
5. Heaney's
British, Modern restaurant in Cardiff
6-10 Romilly Crescent - CF11
Chef Tommy Heaney, from Great British Menu, moved from the Great House hotel in Bridgend in October 2018 to open his own project in Pontcanna, on a well-known site that’s hosted Arbennig and Le Gallois in their day (both now RIP). Serving a variety of small plates, plus various other menus (including vegan and vegetarian options) , fans have immediately hailed it as “Cardiff’s best” – it would have scored even higher were it not for the odd ‘off’ report.
6. Deck
Sandwiches, cakes, etc restaurant in Cardiff
20 Harrowby St - CF10
2018 Review: Away from the main Cardiff Bay sprawl, this charismatic indie café and bakery is worth seeking out for its “great hearty food in a really friendly atmosphere”; cooked breakfasts and moreish cakes are a particular forte.
7. Caesars Arms
Fish & seafood restaurant in Creigiau
Cardiff Rd - CF15
2017 Review: “Still a lovely place to go to”, a jovial countryside pub-restaurant and farm shop where “the à la carte is a bit on the expensive side, but the specials are worth it”; “service is extremely good and you get the feeling that diners are regulars”.
8. Mint and Mustard
Indian restaurant in Cardiff
134 Whitchurch Road - CF14
“South Indian heaven” awaits in the unlikely setting of Cardiff at this, the original of a regional mini-chain – “full of a lively crowd reflecting the academic community around the nearby university”; its “interesting and unusual menu” focuses on seafood, and “pleases the entire family – rare!”
9. Arbennig
British, Modern restaurant in Cardiff
6-10 Romilly Cr - CF11
2018 Review: John & Ceri Cook’s buzzy contemporary bistro in Pontcanna garners praise for its “excellent food and service” and “lovely atmosphere” too; however, perhaps owing to the site’s pedigree – it was for many years Le Gallois (RIP) – the odd reporter was “expecting a more interesting menu”.
10. Wallys
Sandwiches, cakes, etc restaurant in Cardiff
38-46 Royal Arcade - CF10
2019 Review: Royal Arcade icon with a bursting deli on the ground floor and a first-floor Viennese café turning out an “amazing selection of coffees, open sandwiches and cakes”.
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