Llanishen Restaurant Guide

Consistently good ratings again this year for Tom Watts-Jones’s modern gastropub on the fringe of Cardiff (part of a small local group). Chef Tom Woodham’s bistro-esque cooking is too ambitious to be termed pub grub; and as well as the à la carte menu there’s a tasting option if you want to push the boat out.

Tom Simmons is moving into his fifth year at his versatile Pontcanna venue, which incorporates elements of bar, brasserie and restaurant, with menus to match. “The menu choice is well thought through”: the main foodie event is a seven-course tasting menu for £85 per person where chef channels the energy of West Wales, where he grew up, into some “consistent and fine cooking”; but, equally, you could dine here from the à la carte on posh fish ’n’ chips or Carmarthenshire lamb’s loin. “Lovely and very professional service” completes the picture.

“Tommy (Heaney, of Great British Menu fame) never fails to deliver”, say fans of the chef’s hip, high-end suburban outpost, launched in 2018 with partner Nikki. The fish-centric seasonal cooking takes in an “excellent and reasonably priced set lunch” as well as more elaborate tasting menus, while a “great atmosphere” (low lighting, guest DJs) adds to its charms. Their no-booking oyster and wine bar, Uisce, is next door and also well worth a look.

The “upmarket and tasty Indian cooking” “never disappoints” at Keralan-born Anand George’s well-known fixture in a first-floor location away from the city centre, which is “worth trekking to” for an experience that’s “a cut above the normal suburban curry house” – “a must whenever we’re in Cardiff, for its attentive service, impeccable cooking and wonderful food”. (All of the good number of fans who comment on it are from different parts of Britain… none are from Wales!)

This “lively spot” in the shadow of the Principality Stadium offers “great service” and a “good choice of tapas and wines” – “a lot of places promise ‘tapas’, but Bar 44 delivers authentic dishes and an excellent sherry list” (including three served directly from the barrel). It’s the flagship of the 44 group of Spanish-inspired venues, founded 22 years ago by siblings Owen, Tom & Natalie Morgan.

Inside swish city-centre boutique hotel Parador 44, this moody, Iberian-themed restaurant featured on Channel 4’s ‘Remarkable Places to Eat’; as per the name, the “brilliant” food revolves around the Argentine-style asador grill, resulting in a veritable “meat feast” (“the slow-cooked lamb was memorable”), though squid and cauliflower also feature on the “very interesting” menu, alongside almost wholly Spanish wines and a tempting ‘del dia’ lunch deal.

Twins Sergio and Pasquale Cinotti (a pastry chef) run this brave venture, which aims to bring the finest sourcing, seasonality and sustainability to a corner of Wales seldom associated with gastronomy. Despite having been the AA’s Welsh Restaurant of the Year in 2022/23 it inspired limited feedback in our annual diners’ poll. There are three-course, six-course and even a ten-course menu, ranging from £65 per person to £160 per person.

“Stunning food in a stunning setting with St Paul’s as a to-die-for backdrop…” (in EC4); “the superb atmosphere of the very colourful room sets the mood…” (in SW3): – Praise isn’t short on the ground for these maximalist pan-Asian venues. They are easy to diss, but most reporters actually feel that, OK, they’re “a bit pricey” for their hotch-potch of pan-Asian “classical dishes”; seem “slightly tasteless”; are “very noisy”; but, for all that, overall are “still a lot of fun”. There is also though, a minority of diners that loathe them for a variety of reasons; and feel that “the prostitution of the Ivy brand continues apace”. (“The western siblings are fine, but this faux-Asian set-up is a travesty – the worst sort of western cultural appropriation and arrogant corruption…”; “opulent surroundings and extravagant presentation cannot disguise overpriced and underwhelming food…”; “it’s all flashing lights and selfies. We will not be going back!”)

Propelled to fame by its lockdown-era DIY ramen kits, James Chant’s cult Cardiff noodle brand (which began life as a pop-up) has had a lot of love from the national press since it launched its first bricks-and-mortar venue – taking over a former NatWest bank in Grangetown – in July 2022. Reporters this year weren’t completely convinced by the hype – if you’re “looking for some Japanese calm”, the Zen factor is undermined by the open kitchen where “everyone is hard at it” and service in particular can feel very “disjointed” – but there was consensus when it came to the “very authentic” victuals (and even sceptics admit that “this place will continue to be busy as it’s good food in an area with not too much variety, and it’s different for Cardiff”, too).