food/drink
THE POTTED PIG ***** 27 High Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 4817 If you’ve ever looked up while walking along St Mary’s Street, you will no doubt have noticed the beautiful, grand and unique architecture that perches above the many nightclubs, shops and restaurants. But what about below street level? Tucked away under Zizzi’s restaurant, The Potted Pig now resides in what used to be an old bank vault. The lovingly renovated space has been transformed into a charming restaurant, packed with character and a delicious and original menu to boot. Elements of the old bank vault have been left in place to enhance the restaurant’s unique and intimate character, and far from pokey, the vaulted ceilings make the Potted Pig a surprisingly open space. The restaurant’s bar specialises in gin, and with 20 excellent varieties to sample, a long lunch or evening meal is certainly recommended. The Potted Pig’s modern British menu offers a little something extra for the more adventurous diner. From the bone marrow and duck heart starter, to the beautiful rabbit main course and whole suckling pig (available for groups of eight), the menu is seasonal, unpretentious in its approach, and singularly unique in its offering of quality but reasonably priced British-inspired food in Cardiff. Braving the duck heart, bone marrow and sweetbread starter, I was surprised by its fantastic flavour. My dining partner also commended his home-cured mackerel with pickled cucumber starter. For the main course, I enjoyed a fantastic rabbit, bacon and pea dish with a liver and kidney sausage. Although I was equally tempted by the 12hr roast pork belly which my dining partner enjoyed with its fantastic crackling and tender meat. A stunning elderflower pannacotta and chocolate tart completed an excellently executed menu. With beautifully presented dishes, a friendly ambience, a uniquely vaulted restaurant, a regularly changing menu and a fantastic selection of gin to sample, The Potted Pig demands a return visit. GARETH LUDKIN
FIG TREE **** The Esplanade, Penarth. 029 2070 2512 Nearly two years on and Mike and Sandie have the Fig Tree firmly planted in the minds of food lovers all over the region. The location is perfect and the building unique – there aren’t many converted Victorian toilets that have been sympathetically restored and turned into a top-class restaurant. Mike and his team work tirelessly to maintain a memorable dining experience by providing the best service possible. All ingredients are fresh and locally sourced; the menu changes are seasonal and currently you can enjoy an excellent choice of seafood: oak smoked salmon with mixed leaves and a wholegrain mustard dressing, and grilled sardines with fennel and lime salad. We dined recently and had homemade tomato soup and calamari to start followed by a beautifully prepared hake and a pork dish which fell apart beautifully in your mouth with mustard mash and vegetables of the day. Other specialities include Pembroke Moules Mariniere Frites – using a traditional recipe – Pembroke mussels cooked simply in white wine, shallots and parsley, and served with fries. And also a wonderful Welsh black beef sirloin steak and herb crusted fish of the day. As well as the interesting menu, The Fig Tree hosts regular dining experience evenings with celebrity chefs and occasional champagne nights. These are worth keeping an eye out for as they do fill up quickly. The upstairs area is accommodating a bbq area, and from July, every Monday will be Meat Free Mondays encouraging a vegetarian option and a healthier diet. The Fig Tree is what an eating out experience should be, and one that you won’t forget. ANTONIA LEVAY
COFFEE BARKER**** 1-5 Castle Arcade, Cardiff. 029 2037 1491 With such a huge number of cafes, eateries, takeaways and coffee shops offering all and sundry in the way of lunchtime bites and afternoon coffee breaks, attracting the attention of Cardiff’s thirsty shoppers can’t be an easy task. It was perhaps a brave move, then, for clothes shop Barker to decide that they’d open their own coffee shop in the already thronging Castle Arcade, which boasts no less than three other independent eateries. Yet blending seamlessly with the shop’s already cool warehouse aesthetic – exposed brickwork, high ceilings and steel girders characterising the coffee shop’s contemporary interior – Coffee Barker offers something distinctly different from the faceless coffee chains that litter the city. A warm and friendly feel is achieved with a great mix of cool and comfy leather seats. Their drinks selection is varied with an eye for quality, and although the food is slightly on the pricey side, the amount of choice and also the standard, goes some way toward making up for it. Doorstep sandwiches, appealing paninis and excellent toasties come in a variety of options. Smoked salmon, brie and gammon, mascarpone chicken and cheese are among the many tantalising choices. The cakes prove equally tempting. Stylish, sleek and comfortable, Barker certainly stands out as one of the better cafes in Cardiff to indulge in a beautiful slice of cake or a hearty lunch time sandwich. Whether you’re stopping in for a morning coffee or an afternoon tea with friends, Coffee Barker is a great place to relax, chat and watch passersby. Its popularity is already evident, with plans to extend the coffee shop further into the adjoining Barker clothes shop. GARETH LUDKIN
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