Where to Eat Out in Cardiff

Cardiff is gaining a great reputation for its food scene and has a diverse range of restaurants. With so many decent foodie options, the only problem is deciding where to go!

As a local, I’ll share with you the best places to eat in Cardiff for different budgets, tastes and experiences. I’ll mostly focus on restaurants that are unique to South Wales and also let you in on some eateries favoured by locals!

After you’ve worked up an appetite exploring the best things to do in Cardiff, you’re sure to enjoy eating your way around the city!

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22 Best Restaurants in Cardiff

The Potted Pig

🍽️ Modern British | (£££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 029 2022 4817

View of the cozy interior of The Potted Pig restaurant — *Right: Inside The Potted Pig*

The Potted Pig is a Michelin award-winning restaurant serving British cuisine with a modern twist and Welsh, French, and New York twang. The Potted Pig is in an atmospheric former bank vault in central Cardiff and has been running for over a decade.

You have to try the mouthwatering signature starter of ‘Potted Pig’, served with sourdough.

As the name suggests, The Potted Pig menu is pretty meat-heavy, but there are some vegetarian options.

Daffodil

🍽️ Welsh | (££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 029 2151 0047

A bowl of traditional Welsh soup with bread and shredded cheese on the side — *Welsh Cawl*

Daffodil is my top recommendation for trying authentic Welsh food in Cardiff. Named after the national flower of Wales, Daffodil sources local produce and serves traditional Welsh dishes with a warm welcome.

For a taste of Wales, I recommend their lamb cawl followed by a Welsh cheese board. Cawl is a traditional Welsh stew, and the Daffodil’s is particularly flavoursome and homely.

Daffodil is tucked away off the main streets in the city centre, and quietly boasts a nicely decorated interior and a charming garden.

Tir a Môr

🍽️ Welsh | (£££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 +44 (0) 29 2045 4045

Tir a Môr, meaning ‘land and sea’, celebrates Welsh cuisine and produce. The menu tastefully includes quality ingredients from across Wales and classic Welsh dishes.

You can choose from their restaurant menu, the bar food menu, or pop in for a unique cocktail or afternoon tea. For a true local experience, try out their Sunday roast dinner and opt for the Welsh lamb.

As well as quality food, Tir a Môr has incredible views across Cardiff Bay. It is located at the luxury 5-star Voco St. David’s Hotel, one of my top recommendations for where to stay in Cardiff.

Purple Poppadom

🍽️ Indian | £££ | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 029 2022 0026

The Purple Poppadom has won many awards including Best in Wales at the Asian Restaurant Awards 2023, and is featured in the Michelin Guide. The award-winning Tiffin Seabass dish packs loads of flavour and tastes divine.

The Purple Poppadom offers fine Indian cuisine on an à la Carte menu with a small but mighty selection of dishes. For something truly special, treat yourself to the chef’s tasting menu.

You’ll be taken aback as you enter from the busy street below, up the stairs and into this beautifully decorated foodie heaven!

Gorse

🍽️ Fine Dining | (£££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 02920 372055

Gorse recently became Cardiff’s first Michelin-starred restaurant! The restaurant, now proudly displaying this culinary award, is in the neighbourhood of Pontcanna and has a friendly and laid-back atmosphere.

At Gorse, Chef Tom Waters and team serve up tasting menus which feature and celebrate Welsh produce. Although I’ve not yet eaten here, I’ve heard very good reviews and it is firmly on my Cardiff bucket list!

Hiraeth

🍽️ Modern | (£££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps

A new addition to the Michelin Guide, Hiraeth is a small restaurant serving high-quality food through taster menus. The talented and creative chefs, one of whom has appeared on the BBC’s Great British Menu, conjure up a new menu every month. The running theme throughout each menu is a focus on seasonal, local produce.

It’s worth making the trip to Canton to sample the 8 or 10 course taster menu, or a 3 course set menu for lunch. I really enjoyed my dining experience at Hiraeth and will definitely be going back!

Giovanni’s Restaurant

🍽️ Italian | (££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 029 2022 0077

Giovanni’s is a true Cardiff institution, and the longest-serving Italian restaurant in Wales! The award-winning Giovanni’s serves authentic dishes inspired by Southern Italy, including pizza and pasta.

Giovanni’s has graced Cardiff for 40 years and now has three venues across the city. The original restaurant on The Hayes in the city centre is a cosy place decorated with photos of restaurateur Giovanni Malacrino and famous customers. Maybe you’ll be on there next!

Heaneys

🍽️ Modern British | (£££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 02920 341 264

Heaneys was once crowned the best restaurant in Wales and features in the Michelin Guide.

Head Chef Tommy Heaney cooks up a feast in the seasonal tasting menus and five-course lunch menus. The ingredients are sourced locally, even from their own ‘Chef’s Garden’.

Heaneys has a reputation for being one of the best places for a Sunday Roast, and I look forward to trying it out one day!

The Oyster and wine bar next door, called Uisce, is run by the same team and welcomes walk-ins. Both Heaneys and Uisce ooze modern chic in the trendy Pontcanna neighbourhood.

Mina Restaurant

🍽️ Lebanese | (££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 02920 2023 5212

Mina Lebanese Restaurant feels like a hidden gem despite being rated one of the best restaurants in Cardiff on TripAdvisor. This well-established restaurant has a menu full of fresh dishes and a selection of drinks from Arabic coffee to coffee cocktails.

Mina Restaurant naturally caters for vegans, carnivores, and everyone in between! I recommend getting a platter of mezza, small plates with dishes like Baba Ghanoush and Falafel. Everything is served in a cosy restaurant with friendly service and a warm welcome.

Yakitori1

🍽️ Japanese | (££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 0292 049 5050

A plate with shiitake & tofu rice and a bottle of beer on the wooden table — *Shiitake & tofu rice ‘from the wok’ is a tasty choice!*

Yakitori1 is a modern Japanese restaurant in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay. It is a great choice for lunch or dinner out, and is my favourite spot for a pre-theatre meal before heading to The Millennium Centre. You can sample many traditional Japanese dishes, from nigiri to Ramen, in an inviting space.

After a recent trip to Japan, Yakitori1 brings back many wonderful travel memories with the fine selection of dishes, drinks, and warm hospitality.

Thomas by Tom Simmons

🍽️ British and French | (£££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 02921 167 800

Welsh chef Tom Simmons ran a successful restaurant in London for three years before moving back to his home country. Thomas serves food inspired by British and French cuisine made with the very best seasonal produce from Wales.

You can sample a tasting menu, the à la carte menu or head downstairs to the bar, which serves top-notch snacks and seasonal cocktails. If you book a meal from the à la Carte menu, don’t forgo the famous fish and chips. Expect a sophisticated take on the Great British classic.

The restaurant is in Pontcanna, one of the best neighbourhoods in Cardiff.

Vegetarian Food Studio

🍽️ Indian and Oriental | (££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 029 2023 8222

Closeup look of the Gujarati Thali with various dishes — *Gujarati Thali*

The Vegetarian Food Studio is an award-winning family-run business. You’ll find delicious Indian and Oriental food at competitive prices in a charming restaurant. It is one of the best restaurants for vegetarian food!

I love the Thalis here – it’s a great way to sample some of the many flavourful dishes on offer.

The Vegetarian Food Studio is in the Grangetown neighbourhood. It’s worth the short walk from the city centre to experience the food, relaxed atmosphere, and friendly service.

Bar 44

🍽️ Spanish | ££ | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 0333 344 4049

Bar 44 is in an atmospheric, beautifully decorated former canal warehouse and truly feels like a slice of Spain!

The small plates of tapas are delicious, and portions are generous. The menu changes seasonally and has a good selection of dishes. It can be hard to choose which dish to order, but you can’t really go wrong!

I recommend heading to Bar 44 earlier in the day and taking advantage of their early-bird offer.

For a higher-end meal, check out Asador 44 which is part of the same family of restaurants and features in the Michelin Guide.

Shaam Nights

🍽️ Syrian | (££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 02920 482824

Shaam Nights brings authentic Syrian cuisine to Cardiff in an exquisitely decorated restaurant. Their halal menu features vegetarian, vegan, and meat dishes, with a selection of specials and sharing plates. The meat dishes cooked over the charcoal grill are particularly flavoursome! I love eating out here for the food, decor and fruit smoothies.

Shaam Nights is a popular restaurant on City Road, a diverse street where you can eat your way around the world.

Cardiff Market

🍽️ Market | ££ | Website | 📍 Google Maps

Closeup look of a rice bowl at the Cardiff Market — *Spoilt for choice when choosing where to eat in the market!*

Cardiff Market is in the city centre and is home to a variety of amazing food stalls. From authentic Jamaican street food at The Real Ting to freshly made pierogi, there’s plenty to choose from. Don’t forget to look around upstairs too, before deciding which food to order.

The market isn’t open in the evenings, so I recommend heading here for lunch or a snack. Complete your trip to the market by trying Welsh cakes from the popular Cardiff Bakestones.

Zerodegrees Microbrewery Restaurant

🍽️ European | (££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 +44 29 2022 9494

Zerodegrees is a microbrewery, restaurant and bar. Zerodegrees is one of the best restaurants in the area for a pint of locally brewed beer. After all, you’re sat in the brewery!

Zerodegrees serves delicious stone-baked Neopolitan pizza, pasta, risotto and a variety of sides. I dare you to order the metre-long Neopolitan pizza to share with friends!

Zerodegrees is a popular eatery, especially on rugby match days, as it is opposite the Principality Stadium. So book in advance to avoid disappointment!

Pillars Restaurant

🍽️ British | (£) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 029 2039 5074

Pillars offers affordable, home-cooked food in Cardiff’s city centre. The well-established eatery has a wide buffet selection, including cold and hot meals, and meals can be easily customised. The food and decor aren’t super fancy and the prices reflect the unfussy nature.

Pillars is below street level so look out for the archway and lettering to head downstairs! There is no need to book which can prove handy if you need a last-minute bite to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Tŷ Madeira

🍽️ Portuguese | ££ | Website |📍 Google Maps | 📞 029 2022 4477

Tŷ Madeira, meaning Madeira House and pronounced ‘Tee Madeira’, brings Wales and Portugal together. Tŷ Madeira offers authentic Portuguese food and a warm ambience in the centre of Cardiff. Tŷ Madeira prides itself on high-quality, fresh ingredients, and authentic recipes.

I recommend the Espetadas, long skewers of meat or fish which are dramatically hung from hooks above your table! The melon with Madeira starter is also a great choice. You can enjoy both of these dishes on the set lunch menu.

Signor Valentino

🍽️ Italian | (££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 02920 482007

Signor Valentino serves tasty Italian food in an amazing location. You can sit on the terrace or head inside and look across Cardiff Bay whilst sampling Italian classics. Signor Valentino is one of the few independent restaurants in Mermaid Quay.

The à la Carte menu offers a great selection of pizza, pasta, risotto and main dishes. The highlight for me is their array of antipasti, including the delicious Bruschetta al Pomodoro.

Why not pair your meal with a glass of wine from their carefully curated wine list?

Aura

🍽️ Modern | (£££) | Website | 📍 Google Maps | 📞 02921 991 904

View of the intricate exterior of The Coal Exchange — *The Coal Exchange*

Aura Brasserie and Bar offers a sophisticated dining experience in The Coal Exchange, a historic building in Cardiff Bay, which was at the centre of Welsh coal trading for centuries.

You can dine here for any meal of the day and choose from a number of enticing menus featuring fresh ingredients.Aura shares the beautiful building with one of my top Cardiff hotel recommendations, The Coal Exchange Hotel.

Dorothy’s Cafe and Fish Bar

🍽️ British | (£) | 📍 Google Maps

This is a controversial recommendation but hear me out! Dorothy’s is on Caroline Street, otherwise known locally as ‘Chippy Lane’ or ‘Chippy Alley’. It is lined with eateries serving good food for after a night out, like kebabs, pizza, burgers – and chips. Dorothy’s is regarded as one of the best late-night chippies!

Dorothy’s Cafe and Fish Bar has been a staple on the Cardiff streets since 1953. You can tuck into fish and chips, sausages and chips, and other classics until 4 am!

People flock here after a night out when other restaurants have closed. Trust me, Dorothy’s will feel like the best restaurant ever after experiencing Cardiff nightlife!

Corporation Yard

🍽️ Street Food | (£) | Website | 📍 Google Maps

A hand holding a meal from Three Gizas — *Enjoying a meal from Three Gizas, a cool new addition to Cardiff’s street food scene*

Corporation Yard is a small street food market in Canton, behind Corp Market. The list of street food traders rotates regularly, and there is always a great selection of delicious food. Check online to see which cuisines are on offer when you visit.

I’ve had some amazing Korean dishes and Jamaican jerk chicken here, and I love the lively atmosphere, especially on sunny evenings. It’s a laid-back place to eat and is great for meeting with friends and combining with a trip to the trendy pub.

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I hope you’re not feeling too hungry after reading about Cardiff’s best restaurants! If you’re undecided on when to visit and eat your way around the city, check out my article on the best time to visit Cardiff.

The 22 Restaurants in Cardiff I Recommend Most (As a Local)