The Ultimate Guide To The Best Restaurants in Cardiff

Cardiff is famous for many things – its castles, its stadium, its beautiful bay – but if you’re a foodie, none of this will overshadow the quality of its cuisine! From Thai food to tapas, steak to seafood, and burgers to buffets, the city of Cardiff boasts almost every type of food you can think of. But with so much choice available, how can you find the best restaurants in Cardiff?

The good news is that you’re in the right place. Whatever tempts your tastebuds, sit down and tuck into our ultimate guide to the best Cardiff restaurants. We’ve researched the top-rated restaurants in the city – so whether you fancy a rare sirloin or a delicious vegan pizza, you’re sure to find your new favourite meal. Bon appétit!

 

 

Best Italian Restaurant Cardiff

Casanova

If your knowledge of Italian food is limited to pizza and pasta, then Casanova is going to open your eyes. Located on Quay Street, this restaurant was opened in 2005 by a trio of Italian chefs: Antonio Cersosimo, Luca Montuori, and Angelo Montuori. Their aim was to combine traditional Italian ingredients – many of which they import directly, including olive oil, nduja sausage and truffles – with modern cooking techniques.

With a seasonal menu that features favourites such as Tuscan pork, cuttlefish, caramelised cauliflower and Neapolitan frittata, you’ll soon see why Casanova is the only Italian restaurant in Cardiff that boasts an entry in both the Good Food Guide and the Michelin Guide.

 

Best Indian Restaurant Cardiff

Purple Poppadom

Masterminded by the multi award-winning chef Anand George, Purple Poppadom is one of the best restaurants in Cardiff city centre – and has a serious claim to being one of the best in the country, too!

When devising the menu, Anand George set out to redefine Indian cuisine. The result, known as ‘Nouvelle Indian’, has landed the Purple Poppadom in the Michelin Guide. Here you’ll find tasty combinations like soft-shell crab dusted in curry leaves, Jerusalem artichoke crisps with tamarind chutney and fried cottage cheese dumplings.

Chai Street

Doctors Ajit and Latheesh founded Chai Street in order to bring fine Indian dining to South Wales. Serving everything from brunch to curry powder pasta and pulled spice lamb burgers, this restaurant promises to help you spice up your life – and it certainly delivers.

Whether you fancy a pizza-naan or chicken tikka wrap, Chai Street provides the perfect blend of street food and sit-down, three-course meals. A special mention has to go to the brunch menu, as crispy bacon in a fresh Tandoor naan might just be the best hangover cure we’ve ever heard of.

 

Best Vegan Restaurant Cardiff

Anna Loka

Cardiff’s first 100% vegan café, Anna Loka prides itself on offering an exciting menu that will change the way you view vegan food. Hummus, chickpea curry, quinoa and sweet potato fries, are just the beginning. Anna Loka’s menu also features show-stopping options such as marinated battered tofu (‘tofish and chips’), almond butter crunch milkshakes and vegan BBQ burgers.

The Brass Beetle

The Brass Beetle is single-handedly prepared to drown out any devoted carnivores who claim that vegan food can’t be delicious! Its menu may be limited to cocktails, wood-fired pizza and salads, but it offers a world of possibility thanks to its flexible ordering options. Fancy a cocktail that’s not on the bar list? Just ask your bartender.

All of the Brass Beetle’s pizzas are made using vegan or gluten-free alternatives, making this one of the best restaurants in Cardiff for people with special dietary requirements. Although you’ll find favourites such as the classic margherita on the menu, you’ll also find a range of mouth-watering creations you’ve almost certainly never tried before. Onion jam, black olives, pomegranate seeds, brie and mozzarella, anyone?

Best Chinese Restaurant Cardiff

Summer Palace

Not only is the Summer Palace one of the best Chinese restaurants in Cardiff – it’s also one of the longest running, and has served food from the High Street in Llanduff for more than 30 years. It’s particularly well-loved for its aromatic crispy duck, deep-fried minced prawns and its Pekinese barbecued spare ribs. Favourite Chinese dish not on the menu? Talk to a friendly member of staff and they’ll do their best to accommodate your request.

 

Best Greek Restaurant Cardiff

The Hellenic Eatery

From its feta-stuffed beef pattie to its ‘tzatzikohoumotyrokafteri’ (that’s tzatziki, houmous and tyrokafteri all on one plate), the Hellenic Eatery offers some of the best Greek food in Cardiff. In fact, everything on the menu has been imported directly from Greece – so this is as authentic as you can get without jumping on a plane.

This restaurant is also famous for its live entertainment. Be prepared for the staff to display their traditional Greek dancing skills up and down the restaurant, and maybe even join in if you’d had enough Ouzo with your main course!

Best Thai Restaurant Cardiff

Bangkok Café

Located in the heart of Cardiff, Bangkok Café combines authentic Thai recipes – all of which are cooked in-house by skilled Thai chefs – with locally-sourced Welsh produce. It offers a complete vegetarian and vegan menu alongside its main menu, which features dishes such as deep-fried trout fillets (bla pat king) and lamb curry with peanuts and potatoes (gang massaman gah on). Everything is served on a selection of colourful plates, creating a fun and friendly dining experience.

Best Steak Restaurant Cardiff

Steak of the Art

Steak of the Art has something to please steak afficionados and beginners alike. If you’ve ever sat in a steak restaurant and felt intimidated by the menu, this is the place for you. With labelled diagrams and detailed descriptions of each cut, it’s the perfect introduction to the world of flat iron, T-bone and chateaubriand!

Not a meat-eater? Never fear. Steak of the Art has also mastered the art of vegetarian dining, offering specialities such as goat’s cheese salads, samphire and roasted fennel, and homemade veggie burgers.

Best Mexican Restaurant Cardiff

Vivo Latino Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

Presenting a blend of Mexican, Brazilian, Cuban and Peruvian cuisine, Vivo Latino aims to bring the authentic taste of Latin America to the city of Cardiff. Empanadas, quesadillas, tacos, nachos, black turtle bean and halloumi burgers – this restaurant serves mouth-watering food, but you’ll definitely want to leave room for cocktails too. Its in-house mixologist has devised a cocktail-based tour of Latin America, so you can drink your way around the coast with pina coladas, pisco sours and caipirinhas.

Best Seafood Restaurant Cardiff

Le Monde

The food at Le Monde would have to be pretty special to live up to this restaurant’s stylish, Art Deco-inspired décor. Luckily, it is! Le Monde started life as an upmarket fish and chips restaurant in 1985 – and today, fish still takes centre stage on its elegant menu. You can choose your catch directly from the in-house fish counter, where you’ll find fresh oysters, North Sea hake, crevettes, tiger prawns, tuna steaks, whole lobsters and langoustines.

 

Best Burger Restaurant Cardiff

Bwydiful

Originally a pop-up stand at Welsh food festivals, Bwydiful has now set up permanent residence in Cardiff and boasts one of the most iconic signature burgers in the city. The best-selling Caws Caws burger is topped with homemade Welsh rarebit cheese and BBQ sauce, making it the perfect fusion of Americana and Cardiff’s finest ingredients! For a more controversial choice, try the Hawaiian. This generous burger is topped with maple bacon and cinnamon-coated pineapple.

Best Buffet Restaurant Cardiff

Spice Route

With an open kitchen and room to seat up to 150 guests, Spice Route is one of the best (and most economical) restaurants in Cardiff Bay. Its buffet-style catering combines the flavours of India, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico and Thailand – and best of all, all of the food on offer is Halal. Its huge range of starters, mains, salads and desserts could feed a small army. We guarantee you’ll never go hungry here!

Best Tapas Restaurant Cardiff

Heaney’s

Located in the exclusive Romilly Crescent in Portcanna, Heaney’s offers a wonderful array of small plates that can be eaten as tapas or sampled as part of a tasting menu. But be sure you arrive hungry – as this option boasts a whopping 10 courses!

Owned by Tommy Heaney, who made a name for himself on the BBC’s Great British Menu, this restaurant boasts an entry in the Michelin Guide and puts a multi-cultural twist on traditional Spanish tapas. From Welsh sirloin steak with kimchi and miso to cider beure noisette, you’ll be pleased you don’t have to stick to just one item when ordering something from their expansive menu.

Whether you’re looking for the best restaurants in Cardiff city centre or Cardiff Bay, we hope this ultimate foodie guide has well and truly whet your appetite. Discover more of what the city has to offer in our Cardiff attractions blog post.