6 Cardiff Food Situations

One of the most common things people say to me after they view my Instagram is ask where my favourite food places are around Cardiff.  What I love about this city is that it has always provided me with a good place to eat for every occasion which I now would love to share with you! Those of you who know me know that much like how a mother can't differentiate her children, the same I feel about my favourite food places in every city, this just comes from the fact that I am more of a loyally returning customer than a experimenter. Hence I would like to say before I start, that my ranking here is solely for the purpose of an order rather than my satisfaction level.

 Locke & Remedy - The place to meet your friends

Situated in the heart of Cardiff and hence a good place to go when you and the girls have hands falling off from all the Christmas shopping, Locke & Remedy is my 2015 newcomer of the year. It's interior design in itself should make you want to come to this place, I mean I swear I am normal and all, but even the bloody toilet has a gorgeous floor that half the bloggers of Cardiff have stored on their phones! Once you have managed to stop looking around and into the menu, I vote for the classic Cheeseburger and MIXED fries. The fries in here are to die for, in fact I hated sweet potato until I had these delights, so that says it all. Whilst waiting for the food to arrive I recommend to get the The Mesmerist for those of you who like red drinks (I am weird like that) or for the gin lover a Blue Moon. 

Overall verdict: Great place to hang with the girls after work however as I am not the only smart person in the society, it does get pretty busy so it might take a wave or 10 to get some waitress attention. Saying that, always worth the wait!

Penylan Pantry - The place to introspect

Its only been half a year since I moved into the Roath/Penylan area and I am not sure if I love the area so much due to it rescuing me from the busy City road lifestyle or because the calmness of the area now makes me feel so at peace with myself. 

Nevertheless Penylan Pantry provides you the Sunday you always wanted. Based close to the Rec and Roath Park, it comes natural that the crowd that come in sometimes make me feel like I should be eating gluten free or be on the Atkins diet...this of course is my fault and not theirs. Those of you who believe in supporting local produce, Penylan Pantry goes an extra mile and even deliver fresh vegetables all the way to your doorstep. 

As a strong independent working woman, grabbing that book you always wanted to read and getting a chance to sit in the corner fairly unnoticed whilst you dig into a nice chorizo and goats cheese slice may not be heaven for you gamers and party animals but it definitely is to us bookworms! 

Overall verdict: I have to say my sunday is never the same without a good healthy Penylan kick...obviously with a slice of fresh cake  (to get the balance). The only fault I could think of is that its fairly small which makes it less crowded hence noisy but it also means that you have to make sure to avoid peak times if you don't want to wait around for a seat!

Stag Coffee - The place to get away from the cold

Oh how it annoys me when I am not properly dressed for the season but more for the fashion season! Crwys road's Stag Coffee however has saved my rain washed self quite a few times recently with it's pretty epic Gingerbread latte and generous portions! Those of you who love to slowly sip on something warm and sit on a comfy chair, make your way here!

Overall Verdict: There are not many places in Cardiff that make great cakes, but Stag never disappoints. On days you are feeling down and need a pick me up, their friendly staff always manage to put a smile on your face and get your food just the way you like it! Now if that isn't some serious competition to that bed linen of yours that you keep your bum on all weekend then I don't know what is!

Juno Lounge - The place to cure your hangovers

Many many months ago living in the land of student accommodations (City Centre) my lovely friend Nina introduced me to Wellfield road and Juno. I remember clearly walking in the winter darkness and being so excited to finally get there and see her face as the walk took forever(I am the laziest) but straightaway I loved the place. The atmosphere is warm and judging from the interactions between staff and the people, it is pretty evident that most here are loyal customers. I liked that straightaway, the feeling of dark lights in the evenings here means you can often see a families and couples on dates, which is nice and cute and gives you that neighbourhood feel that I so lacked living in town.

Personally my favourite time to come here is in the mornings of my weekends, particularly post night outs. Their fabulous all day breakfast menu means that I always need a good 10 minutes to decide what to order even though I have seen the menu a couple hundred times. Saying that, my favourites have to be the Lounge Breakfast and the triple stacked pancakes with a good cup of caramel latte, yum yum yum. 

Overall Verdict: If you live in the Roath area you would know there is no better local hangover spot than Juno Lounge. Prices are reasonable and its nice that on many occasions staff personally come and check that you are doing well. I also feel that these guys generally do start conversations with meaning and not just for the sake of it. Honestly I really can't find a fault in Juno, this must probably be why they are all over the country, having only started out in 2002. Those of you who don't live in the Cardiff area, have a look online, because having done so myself I am surprised on how many locations you can find them including places like Clevedon (yes really)!

Little Man Coffee - The place to get your brain to work

Now the Little Man Coffee and I have only known each other for a couple months but since its debut in my life, it has only gone upwards! Don't be fooled by the below picture this place is always full. However when you come in like I do pre long day at work (circa 8am) its silence suits my morning head just fine! What initially caught my eye here which you can see from the main road is the side table with all the typical morning breakfast supplies that you can personally whisk your own breakfast together with. A toaster, jam, peanut butter, you name it and its there which automatically gives you a sense of ease.

If I could describe this place, I would say its the place of the artists, writers and indie music listeners.  Every single time I come in here I see such unique characters and personalities, from your suit wearing office worker to that English Lit university student, I find this incredibly beautiful. But this is not my favourite reason to come here, that would be the team! The Little Man Coffee team are the friendliest and pay the most attention to detail I have ever seen in a coffeeshop in Cardiff. 

Let me give you an example, when I come in here I like a fresh croissant and I love the fact that every time I reach the door there will be a small Nutella pack waiting for me because they know how much happiness it brings me! Further to this recently I discovered their sugar free caramel latte...I mean come on are you for real! I must say I am all about the small things in life and ohhhh Little Man Coffee exceeds all my expectations, just what you need when you are kick starting your day!

Overall Verdict: Fresh breakfast, great staff and portable Nutella...I literally can't fault a place that can make my coffee so sweet with no sugar!

ASK Italian - The place to meet your work colleagues

It was only last week that I finally managed to make my way to ASK Italian due to my Work Christmas do. I must say moving to Cardiff and away from my cheeky 3 day a week Nandos in Bristol has made me put a lot more effort into finding more local and independent places to eat and as such I was skeptical about this option, however what a surprise it has been! ASK Italian which sits right opposite Wagamamas in town not only is a stone's throw from work but gives me this really professional and sophisticated feel. The work team sat down and staff were speedy to get us everything we needed which included the never ending flow of Processo, really I cannot lie, I loved it! Drawing closer to Christmas also means for me that annually it some how ends up being the time to catch up with friends and so with the likes of Cafe Citta and Pastificio that I have recently visited, I waited skeptically for the food to arrive. The truth is that it was brilliant! Although they didn't officially have spaghetti and meatballs on the menu, they were willing to make that for me even after I said I was allergic to certain ingredients and so made one which fit my dietary needs! I did not expect this, I felt like it was my birthday and Christmas at the same time!  



Overall Verdict: If you are looking for a place to go maybe professionally or in a group then this is your place. Staff are polite and interiors (even the toilet) are well done which does not reflect on the price too much. I also recommend it to those like me who have severe allergies as they are very flexible to your needs. Great central place to go, although shame it is not getting as much attention as it deserves!

Whats lovely about the current winter season is that we all (hopefully) have holidays! Its a brilliant time to catch up with those friends of yours that you haven't seen or to treat your parents for a nice meal. I hope the above places have either wanted you locals to get out of the house or to all you outsiders to catch a train to Cardiff!

Let me know if you find other places for me to hunt if not catch my blog about the upcoming Shake Shack opening soon...

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