The best restaurants Cardiff has to offer

Opened in 2017, Asador 44 is a relaxed Spanish grill and wine bar found on Quay Street. The restaurant’s dining room is a rustic chic space which juxtaposes exposed brick walls and bare wooden floors with mosaic print light fixtures and cosy chairs wrapped in studded leather.

Along the back wall of the dining room, you’ll find meat hanging in cooling fridges, while daily changing specials are written up on a blackboard. When it comes to the menu at Asador 44, you can expect to find a classic Spanish offering, including various meats and fish which are cooked on a parilla grill over different types of wood. 

Some of Asador 44’s signatures include 70-day dry-aged Rubia Gallega chuletón steaks, Segovian suckling pig, Pyrenean milk-fed lamb, whole turbot and seabass. Before you get there though, kick-start your meal with starting plates such as Basque cider cured salmon with pimentón crème fraîche and seaweed, or chargrilled octopus with chorizo and smoked aioli.

To round off your meal, dig into Asador 44’s tempting selection of desserts, with options to try including chocolate mousse with honeycomb and smoked blackberry, as well as lemon and polenta cake topped with lemon curd and served with a basil and lime flavoured sorbet. 

As well as the a la carte, Asador 44 also offers various other menus which make it a viable destination for diners of all ages and budgets. If you’re looking for a bargain, opt for the express lunch menu, when you can enjoy a three-course meal for £20, with the option of adding a glass of wine for an additional fiver. Children are welcome at this Spanish joint too, with the dedicated kids menu featuring dishes such as fish goujons with fries followed by vanilla ice cream for dessert. 

Both kids and grown-ups will love the Sunday lunch too, which consists of 60 day dry-aged rump of Hereford beef joined by roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables and bone marrow gravy. If you’re vegan you can still join in the fun, thanks to a roasted cauliflower alternative to Sunday lunch, while Asador 44 also offers a dedicated vegan menu throughout the week. 

Open since 1996, Bully’s is one of Cardiff’s longest-standing restaurants. The hodge-podge interiors and shelves stacked with knickknacks add to the charm, while the menu celebrates seasonal Welsh produce. There are hearty Sunday roasts too.

This three-floor fine diner finds its home in a beautifully restored former chapel which dates back to 1877. The menu changes seasonally, but you can expect homely and ingredient-led dishes which champion local Welsh produce.

It’s all about provenance at this pub and restaurant. Steaks are sourced from British and Irish farms, while fish is delivered daily from the coast. Top orders include beer-battered fish & chips and maple-glazed pork belly.

Arguably the most gorgeous restaurant in the city, Michelin-starred Restaurant James Sommerin boasts panoramic views over the Severn Estuary. Enjoy six- or nine-course tasting menus replete with hi-spec dishes such as smoked venison with tarragon.

Considered by many to be the city’s best Chinese, Happy Gathering pulls in the crowds at lunchtime with its heavenly dim sum, while efficient service and fair pricing ensure it’s also packed come the evening.

This colourful restaurant serves classic and contemporary Indian cuisine – think the traditional likes of lamb rogan josh paired with less conventional takes, such as a venison naan. The Sunday set menu is also a steal.

Indian cuisine naturally lends itself to vegetarianism and Vegetarian Food Studio capitalises on this, offering up the tempting likes of veggie samosas, aloo paratha and a range of dosas (a crispy rice and lentil pancake).

Housed in a Grade-I listed building, Park House is a fine-dining restaurant which oozes elegance. Enjoy the modern European menu as part of a five- or eight-course tasting menu while taking in the chic surrounds.

This cosy pub (complete with beer garden) is all plush furnishings and roaring fires. The menu matches up too, featuring the comforting likes of steaks and pies, while hearty Sunday roasts are a further draw.

Pier64 is a bar and restaurant boasting views across the Marina. The menu stretches from lunch to dinner via afternoon tea and Sunday roasts, while those views make the perfect backdrop for al fresco dining.

Serving upmarket dishes which are cooked by prison inmates working towards hospitality qualifications, The Clink is a Cardiff restaurant with a conscience. Extra special touches include poetry on the menus that’s written by serving prisoners.

Occupying a seductive basement space that formerly acted as bank vaults, the Potted Pig entices diners with its menu of well-executed Welsh produce, including chargrilled steaks, game and classic desserts such as sticky toffee pudding.

With the intriguing tagline of ‘redefining Indian cuisine’, Mint & Mustard serves an extensive menu of contemporary Indian fare – think a vegetable mango curry or a five-spiced paneer masala, while fair prices are a further draw.

A tapas joint that means business, Bar 44 serves up an array of small plates, including hand-carved jamon and patatas bravas. Wash it all down with fun cocktails or try a glass of Spanish brandy.

Tiny Rebel is a casual brewery and kitchen which houses a great range of beers. Drinks are served alongside a moreish selection of US-style snacks, including a mac ‘n’ cheese burger and decadent dirty fries.

It is well-known that the experience of enjoying Italian food is all about spending time with family and loved ones, so it makes sense that Casanova was opened by three Italian friends; Antonio Cersosimo, Luca Montuori and Angelo Montuori. Having been in operation for more than a decade, the trio aim to bring authentic Italian dishes to Cardiff, using the best of seasonal, local produce.

Inside, Casanova is split across two floors, with both the downstairs and upstairs dining rooms featuring dark wood furnishings, pendant lighting and artwork on the walls. When it comes to Casanova’s menu, you can expect a seasonally evolving selection of dishes, which is kept relatively short to ensure that only the best produce is being used.

Begin your meal with starters such as sweet and sour sardines on toasted focaccia (a traditional Venetian dish), or beef carpaccio which is topped with mixed leaves, mustard dressing and Parmesan shavings which have been aged for 36 months. Moving on to main courses, you might find traditional pasta dishes such as slow-cooked goat ragu in a red wine sauce or pasta with king prawns and cuttlefish.

If you are not in the mood for pasta, you can instead choose from Casanova’s list of meat and fish based dishes. Order the likes of roasted rump of Welsh lamb with cauliflower purée and new potatoes, or the fish of the day. There is not a lot of choice for vegetarians, but wild mushroom risotto with porcini butter and truffle oil is a tempting option.

Prices are mid-range here, but set menus at lunch time mean you can enjoy a three-course meal for under £20. When it comes to drinks, there is an array of Italian wines to choose from, while all of the usual beers, spirits and cocktails are also available.

Spice Quarter offers a taste of India via curries, sharing platters and dishes from a Tandoor grill. The décor transports you to India too, thanks to a seductive mix of dark wood and burnt orange.

Serving up comedy, cabaret and live music alongside its menu, Ffresh delivers with its small plates. The café area is a great spot for remote working, while the bar is the place to sip cocktails.

We might have reached peak burger in the UK, but Grazing Shed sets itself apart with the quality of its ingredients. Pick from a range of stacked burgers, or try the veggie and vegan varieties.