Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cured ham, lava bread, quail egg, cockles, olives, and oatcakes. Starters include pan-
fried pigeon breast with beetroot risotto, or homemade Glamorgan sausages with
leeks and truffle oil. Among the mains are Welsh sirloin steak with field mushrooms
and red-onion marmalade.
97 Wyeverne Rd.
&
029/2038-2357.
www.armlessdragon.co.uk. Reservations recommended. Main
courses £12-£17. MC, V. Tues-Fri noon-2pm; Tues-Thurs 7-9pm; Fri-Sat 7-9:30pm. Closed Dec 25-26.
Laguna Kitchen & Bar
INTERNATIONAL/WELSH This place has a mod-
ern setting with the choice of a formal dining room or a laid-back bar featuring private
booths. Local ingredients are turned into starters such as ham hock and parsley ter-
rine, or the carpaccio of Welsh beef filet flavored with chili, ginger, and soy sauce.
Grills are good—skate wing or rib-eye steaks. Other main courses include slow-
cooked lamb shank with bubble and squeak.
Park Plaza hotel, Greyfriars Rd.
&
029/2011-1111.
www.parkplaza.com/cardiffuk. Main courses £8.25-
£18. AE, MC, V. Mon-Sat noon-2:30pm and 5-10:30pm; Sun noon-9pm.
Woods Bar & Brasserie
MODERN BRITISH/CONTINENTAL In the old
Pilotage Building down by the dock, this is a glass-fronted haven of modernity. For
starters, try the pressed terrine of pig's brawn, pork jelly, sauce gribiche, and sour-
dough toasts. Main courses include pan-fried gilthead bream, boulanger potatoes
with fennel, lava bread fritter, and cockle and lemon butter.
Pilotage Building, Stuart St., Cardiff Bay.
&
029/2049-2400.
www.woods-brasserie.com. Reserva-
tions required. Main courses £12-£27; fixed-price 2-course lunch £15; fixed-price 2-course pre-opera
dinner £18. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat noon-2pm and 5-10pm; Sun noon-3pm.
INEXPENSIVE
Cadwaladers Ice Cream Café
BRITISH Right on the quay-side at Cardiff Bay,
this is one of a growing number of modern eateries from the family ice-cream com-
pany started in Criccieth, North Wales in 1927. The bright, lively place is where to
come for that Willy Wonka moment, with wild concoctions such as Dragon's Breath
and Chocolate Porridge. But there's plenty more, from coffee and cakes to attractive
grilled bruschetta, brioche-style ham, leek pies (for lunch or a pre-theatre snack), and
even alcoholic ice-cream cocktails.
Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay.
&
029/2049-7598.
www.cadwaladersicecream.co.uk. Ice cream and
dishes from £2-£8. MC, V. Daily from 10am; closing varies from 5pm in winter to 10pm in summer.
Demiro's
ITALIAN/SPANISH/WELSH This looks like a traditional Italian res-
taurant, all deep red with classical statues and big mirrors, but it actually has side-by-
side Italian, Welsh, and Spanish menus. Will it be chicken cooked in the
wood-burning oven or homemade faggots (an offal meatball) with peas and mash? At
a basic level, there are great thin-crust pizzas but you can splash out on local steak
and lamb. And there are nice views on to the Millennium Centre and over the Bay.
Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay.
&
029-2049-1882.
www.demiros.com. Main courses £7-£20. AE, MC, V.
Sun-Thurs noon-10pm; Fri-Sat until 10:30pm.
Shopping
Cardiff offers the joys of mainstream shopping on a grand scale.
Queen Street,
the
main shopping thoroughfare (now car-free) has many major chain stores. A number
of nearby streets are also part of the traffic-free zone, and include everything from
sophisticated arcades to a traditional indoor market.
18
