Cardiff - What to do & Restaurant Suggestions?

lea2012

Hello all,

Off to Cardiff for the weekend in a few weeks for 2 nights for our wedding anniversary.

We've booked an apartment through Airbnb that overlooks the bay and is about 10-15mins walk from the centre and Mermaid Quay.

We should arrive at about 1ish on Friday and leave at 12 noon on Sunday. We do have a concert booked on the saturday night but looking for ideas of what to do Fri aft and Saturday during the day?

We like to do a bit of sightseeing (historical, natural, architecture etc) but not necessarily musuems, shopping, and just walking around really.

We're hoping to get there and drop our bags off Friday aft and if the weather is nice go for a bit of a walk along the river either into the city centre or to Mermaid Quay. Can anyone suggest anywhere for a nice lunch or dinner? We'd like somewhere laidback where we can spend a couple of hours eating and enjoying a bottle of wine without feeling rushed. We don't want wetherspoons type places but not looking for shirt and tie places either. We like italian, indian, tapas, mexican, thai anything really! If we were to head to mermaid quay are there any decent waterfront bars where we could sit out with a drink or two? (weather permitting!)

Saturday we have no plans at all as yet so we're open to suggestions as to what to do or go? We'd need to be eating around 5ish as we have a gig that starts at 7.30ish at Cardiff City Stadium, it doesn't appear that there is much near to the stadium so will probably stick to somewhere in the city centre.

Thanks in advance.

pinkmami

Bill's Restaurant.

Blooming lovely! Booking is a must.

PasturesNew

Weather depending (!!!!!! if it's windy or wet), look at the water taxi boat trips round the bay. Might as well ... you can see towns/concrete any day of the week! Water's special.

There's even a service that takes you from the waterside of the bay into the town, drops you at the bridge by the Millenium Stadium / Castle. http://www.aquabus.co.uk/#!public/csac
£4/adult.

Mummytotwogirls

viva Brazil is amazing- it's a all you eat Brazilian restaurant that serves 15 different types of meat straight to your table. From chicken to the best cuts of beef, ribs to pork. Check out their website! It's in Cardiff centre located very close to the train station and under the clayton hotel. Very relaxed place (You can book online for table) and no rushing with very helpful waiters.

Fosterdog

Salt bar has a sit out area, ground floor and balcony if the weather is nice enough and a brand new place opened right opposite it a couple of weeks ago, don't remember the name but looks really nice inside and not sure if they have outdoor seating.

mollymunchkin

Apparently there's a restaurant in the prison http://theclinkcharity.org/the-clink-restaurants/cardiff-wales/ which is a bit unusual.

There's a Radio 4 Food Programme about eating in Cardiff. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06y9798

lea2012

Thanks everyone.

I've seen bill's mentioned elsewhere so will take a look and the Brazilian sounds good too.
I did look at the clink but I believe it's only opened Week days until 5ish so not sure if we could get in there in time on the Friday aft.

Aquabus sounds good. The apartment we're staying has a water taxi stop almost on the door stop that goes to penarth or mermaid quay so I suppose we could always mooch about on those for the day to see the sights and head up to the castle on it too. Could be quite relaxing if we have a drink stop in each 'port'

gettingtheresometime

The clink, the restuarant by the prison entrance is absolutely superb; it knocks spots of some 5* restaurants in Cardiff but you do need to book.....its reputation precedes it. It's opened in the weekend - we went there for Sunday lunch and it was wonderful.

I also enjoy the Maderia restuarant which is Portuguese. It does look like a 'spit & sawdust' sort of place but it isn't (honest) and the food is wonderful.

slinga

Bit late now but the Cardiff Castle tour is very good.
Also can see falconry in the castle grounds.
Top of the castle keep gives good views over Cardiff.

The Riverside Chinese restaurant s good and there is a good Malaysian restaurant, just google.

sarah_diamond

Moksh is a fantastic Indian down the Bay, you could go there on the Friday (but probably need to book) then Salt for a few drinks.


On the Saturday there are plenty of places in town to eat, Bill's and Madeira and Viva Brazil are all great suggestions but again, probably best to book. Trip Advisor is definitely worth a look for reviews too as there'll be more recent suggestions - seems there's always somewhere new opening!

lea2012

Thanks again everyone. We don't go for another couple of weeks yet so those suggestions are still valid!
We've booked bills in the bay for Fri night and plan to go to Salt or Dockyard after for a drink or two. We're going to take the aquabus up to the castle on Saturday as there is a stop 5mins from where we are staying. I think we'll try to have a wander around the castle or the park then get some lunch/dinner in town before the concert.