Review Info: 029 2061 1222 /
sopra73.com
Sitting above the busy Pizzeria Villagio at 73B Merthyr Road – hence the name – Sopra 73 brings Italian-French flair to Whitchurch Village. The kitchen is run by Padrig (Paj) Jones, a Cardiff hospitality legend previously stationed in some of the city’s most fondly remembered restaurants, while front of house is the renowned Francis Dupuy.
Sopra 73 describe themselves as “serving delicious, locally-sourced Welsh/Italian/French produce,” and Francis’ love of wine means the list here is already one of the city’s most renowned, roaming across Europe and beyond with inimitable tasting notes (“I wouldn’t bat an eyelid if you told me this was a Barolo or Barbaresco…”).
promises big, indulgent classics – cassoulet, scallops, rabbit cacciatore – with more eyecatching dishes: bouillabaisse, or lemon sole with cockle and parsley butter, laverbread mash and samphire.
The menu
Brixham scallops are expertly done, a faint crust giving way to a sweet,
translucent heart. The breaded cubes of belly pork are exemplary, crisp yet seductively tender. From the set lunch menu (two courses for £20), liver and onions appeals. It is an easy thing to mess up: for some it stands for everything that was wrong with a generation’s school dinners. In Sopra’s hands it becomes a treat, a thick rasher of ‘proper’ bacon topping three thick slices of liver, cooked tenderly; a silky and indulgent mash reminds you just how good it can be, dressed with a devilled sauce with body and depth that doesn’t overwhelm the rich offal tang. This is cooking that makes you feel right at home.
Sopra 73 is somewhere that understands what people want from their local restaurant and wants to feed them, heartily and with flair. It feels impossible to leave without feeling very well fed and looked after, and you should treat yourself to a visit soon.
JONATHAN SWAIN
Sopra 73 73B Merthyr Rd, Cardiff
3 ways: to fight homelessness this winter
SANTA APPEAL This December, Llamau’s Secret Santa Appeal highlights the needs of young people and women experiencing homelessness. It’s not just the absence of a roof over your head: it’s missing out on so many of the Christmas experiences most of us take for granted, like festive feasting or having our loved ones close. For many in that situation, a gift from Llamau will be the only one they will receive this Christmas. A donation of £10 could buy two young people selection boxes, while £30 could mean a Christmas lunch with all the trimmings. £150 buys presents for ten survivors of domestic abuse, a powerful seasonal reminder that they are not alone.
llamau.org.uk/appeal/secret-santa
LLAMAU’S SECRET
SHELTER CYMRU
As the reality of the cost of living crisis begins to bite, one in four people in Wales fear they will become homeless within a year, so Shelter Cymru have a clear fundraising message: ‘Home Is Everything: Help Us Protect It.’ It’s a stark warning: in the last year, Wales has seen the highest rent rises in the UK outside London, while housing benefits have failed to keep up. Energy costs are spiraling and many rely on food banks, with many in employment also struggling to keep a roof over their heads. There’s never been a more urgent time to fundraise, volunteer for them, or get involved in one of their ongoing campaigns.
sheltercymru.org.uk
THE WALLICH WINTER RAFFLE The Wallich, one of the country’s leading
organisations
homelessness, is running a fundraising Winter Raffle this year. The long list of prizes include a three-course meal and cocktails for two at Marco Pierre White’s London Steakhouse and a trip to the top of The Shard; a £150 Love2Shop voucher; Afternoon Tea for two at Ceredigion’s Plas Nanteos Mansion, and many more. It closes on Mon 16 Jan and tickets start from just £2. One book of tickets (£10) could pay for an emergency winter fuel top up to help people experiencing cold homes, and four books (£40) could provide two weeks’ worth of basic food shopping so individuals and families don’t have to choose between eating or heating this winter.
thewallich.com/raffle
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