Pontcanna, Fish & Seafood 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.

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.