St Mary Street, Cardiff

Previously, on the Walking Tour of Cardiff, I left you where High Street changes its name to St Mary Street/Heol Eglwys Fair, at the slightly staggered junctions with Quay Street and Church Street.

St Mary Street has been largely pedestrianized in recent years. On your left (easterly side), on the corner with Church Street:

Greggs
1 St Mary Street CF10 1AF (20666 8753)
One of around 15 branches of Greggs around Cardiff: sandwiches, pies, patisserie, hot and cold drinks (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Jan 2013).

Double-breasted suits used to be sold in what is now Greggs. In fact, the take-over of St Mary Street by food outlets and bars is relatively recent. The street used to be more of a commercial centre, dominated by banks, upmarket clothes shop, shoe shops, jewellers (some remain) and department stores; with food largely confined to the Indoor Market.

Bean Freaks (3 St Mary Street) is a “natural health” store.

Bar 411
3-6 St Mary Street CF10 1AT (2066 7996)
Bar 411 is a bar and nightclub, on the first floor. It’s not the street number: ‘What’s the 411?’ apparently means ‘What’s occurin’?’ in American English (Food Hygiene Rating 3: generally satisfactory. Aug 2011).

Pass the entrance to Cardiff Indoor Market (we’ll be entering from Trinity Street).

The Borough Arms
8 St Mary Street CF10 1AF (2022 1343)
Traditional and I think still privately-owned bar that is popular with local traders. The pub dates from 1867, changing its name from The Borough Arms to Bodega in 1897; but wisely reverted to its original name in 1967. Long narrow bar with real ale, though not a food destination.

Cross the road and backtrack to the corner with Quay Street:

Costa Coffee
119 St Mary Street CF10 1DY
Recently opened branch of the ubiquitous coffee shop chain (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Jan 2013).

Charlie Browns
114-116 St Mary Street CF10 1DY (2022 0114)
Opened in 2012 and has found its niche among Cardiff’s plentiful bars and nightclub venues, with CBUK specialising in “alternative clubbing.”

On the corner with Guildhall Place:

Sainsbury’s
114 St Mary Street CF10 1LF
A Sainsbury’s Local in a unit formerly occupied by a Co-operative store and bank (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. April 2013).

Cross the entrance to Guildford Place:

Papa Panda
112 St Mary Street CF10 1DX (2039 8678)
Recently opened, and replacing the China Zone, which was an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. Papa Panda serves Oriental food, mainly Chinese, with menu selections at set-prices. Also does take-away. The building was formerly a Barclays Bank.

On the corner with Golate:

Chicken Cottage
108 St Mary Street CF10 1DX
Take-away: fried chicken and burgers (Food Hygiene Rating 2: improvement necessary. July 2012).

Prezzo
106 St Mary Street CF10 1DX (2022 7785)
Italian chain of restaurants; this one, on the corner with Golate, benefits from large glass windows. Plenty of modern Italian cooking to enjoy, most notably pizzas. There’s a set-price lunch menu and take-away available. There is another Prezzo nearby, in the more neon-lit St David’s Centre (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Nov 2011).

Crossing the road, and continuing where we left off by The Borough Arms:

Howells
14-18 St Mary Street CF10 1TT
A House of Fraser Department Store, Howells has a food hall for food purchases (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Sept 2011), a restaurant on the Second Floor, and a terrace café for coffees, cake and light lunches (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Jan 2013).

Cross Wharton Street:

Café JAZZ
21 St Mary Street CF10 1PL (2038 7026)
Café JAZZ is the downstairs bar and restaurant of The Sandringham Hotel, on the corner of Wharton Street and St Mary Street. The lunch menu ranges from wraps and burgers to chef’s specials (e.g., Moules frites; Grilled salmon; and Rump steak). Evening menu (Tues-Sat from 5.30pm) includes pizza and some interesting starters and mains (e.g., Citrus chicken and chorizo brochettes served with aromatic couscous; Crustade of beef medallions and roasted red peppers glazed with horseradish; and Roasted salmon tornado wrapped in Parma ham, with lemon butter and tarragon). Wine can be bought in when eating from the restaurant menu (£2 corkage). There’s an extensive programme of jazz and blues, with music usually starting around 8.45pm, giving you time to eat beforehand. Something I had not noticed before - the lion on the roof of The Sandringham Hotel (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Dec 2011).

Spirited Wine
23 St Mary Street CF10 1AA (2037 7449)
Spirited Wine of Cardiff stocks wines, spirits and bottled beers, including ales from local microbreweries such as Untapped ( Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Nov 2011).

The Cottage
25 St Mary Street CF10 1AA (2033 7195)
Brains pub that would have been practically next door to their old brewery, but it’s still only “700 yards from brewery to cellar.” I visited recently and drank Dr Rudi, a beer from the Brains Craft Brewery (named after Rudi Roborough: “father of NZ hops”; a golden ale boasting lemongrass and pine needle flavour notes). The Cottage is lighter than you expect inside, thanks to a skylight and opposing mirrors, and the walls are decorated with period photos of Welsh personalities and Cardiff street scenes. I ate a very pleasing Welsh rarebit topped with a poached egg: two slices, plenty of mustard grain in the cheese mix, and beetroot leaf salad garnish. The menu also features jacket potatoes, grills, pub food mains and puddings (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Jan 2013).

Tesco Express
26-27 St Mary Street CF10 1JD
There's a handy cashpoint outside (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Oct 2011).

McDonalds
28-29 St Mary Street CF10 1AB
One of the largest McDonalds in Cardiff (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Jan 2013).

Coffee Heaven
30 St Mary Street CF10 1AB (2064 4839)
A recently-opened coffee shop, serving soups (e.g., wild mushroom, minestrone, or carrot and coriander, on the day I passed), snacks, cakes, along with range of coffees and teas (Food Hygiene Rating 1: major improvement necessary. Jan 2013).

Spar
31 St Mary Street CF10 1AB
Convenience store (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Aug 2011).

The Louis Restaurant
32 St Mary Street CF10 1AB (2022 5722)
An old-fashioned café restaurant, serving traditional English breakfast, home-made pies, grills and curry. Budget food, sister to Pillars on Queen Street (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. June 2011).

Pass the entrance to Morgan Arcade (later on the tour); the Pembrokeshire Pasty Co. previously had an outlet here.

Across the road, and jogging back toward Prezzo; if my eldest is reading, the shop where you sometimes buy running gear on Wood Street (Run and Become) has relocated here (100 St Mary Street).

Flares
96 St Mary Street CF10 1DX
Nightclub, incorporating Rococco (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Aug 2011).

Pass the door to the upstairs Fantasy Lounge (lap dancing), the No 1 Sports Bar (95 St Mary Street), and the Bunk House (94 St Mary Street) offering “beds, bar and boogie.”

Subway
91 St Mary Street CF10 1DX
Flatbreads and tandoori chicken among the latest promotions, alongside all the regular soft-bread subs. Bread-like smells to entice you as you walk past (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Oct 2011).

Wok2Walk
90 St Mary Street 1DW
Chinese restaurant and take-away franchise, of the stir-fried variety. Another outlet opened in Wellfield Road (Roath) earlier this year (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Jan 2013).

Reflex
89 St Mary Street CF10 1FA
Nightclub (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Aug 2011).

The Royal Hotel
88 St Mary Street CF10 1AB
One of Cardiff’s historic city centre hotels. The Fitz Bar on the second floor open to non-residents. A plaque outside records how Captain Scott and his crew dined here before sailing for the Antarctic (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Nov 2011).

Missoula
84-86 St Mary Street CF10 1FA (2037 1315)
“Music, food and cocktails” in a large bar that opens for lunch and closes in the early hours; at weekends food is served until 10pm. Surprising large menu includes fish and chips, pizza, burgers, steak and chips, chicken burritos, macaroni cheese and sticky ribs, sandwiches, small plates and sharing platters. Classic dishes given American-themed names (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Aug 2011).

On the corner with Wood Street:

O’Neill’s
85-87 St Mary Street CF10 1DW (2066 4103)
Irish bar and grill chain with extensive pub food menu, including all-day breakfasts, lunch and dinner. Mains include chargrilled chicken and steaks, salads and fish, burgers and O’Neill’s favourites such as Irish stew, Steak and Guinness, sausages and colcannon, and beer battered fish and chips. There’s live music every night (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. April 2011).

Opposite, on the other side of St Mary Street:

Pass the entrance to Morgan Arcade, and also The Royal Arcade (both later in the tour):

The Meating Place
41 St Mary Street CF10 1AD (2022 4757)
Meat skewers hanging from hooks above the tables are the big feature here. JT Morgan family butchers, in the nearby Indoor Market, are among the meat suppliers. Marinated meat skewers include Chicken breast with lemon, ginger and cardamom, and Lamb leg pieces with cumin, coriander and garlic. Menu also includes Rack of lamb, BBQ ribs and fish dishes. Two-course lunch represents best value: recent menu items have included mussels, cockles, Welsh rarebit and minute steak). The Meating Place is owned by local company The Chameleon Group, who also operate The Potted Pig, The North Star, The Vulcan Lounge, and the Crystal Lounge in Cardiff (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. March 2012).

Crystal Lounge
41 St Mary Street CF10 1AD (2034 5477)
Crystal Boutique Lounge & Club is a late-night bar and nightclub, situated above The Meating Place (also owned by The Chameleon Group). A drinking and dancing, rather than dining, venue (Food Hygiene Rating 3: generally satisfactory. Sept 2011).

At the entrance to The Brewery Quarter:

The Yard
43 St Mary Street CF10 1AD (2022 7577)
The Yard Kitchen and Bar is Brains-owned. Express lunch menu. We will visit again when in The Brewery Quarter (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. April 2012).

Past the entrance to The Brewery Quarter:

Starbucks Coffee
47 St Mary Street CF10 1FA
A branch of the famous tax-avoiding multinational.

Brewhouse Coffee House
49 St Mary Street CF10 1FA
Recently opened coffee shop and take-away, through which you can get to the Brewhouse bar, which we will visit on The Brewery Quarter leg of the tour. You can order the bar menu in the coffee shop.

Bar 50
50 St Mary Street CF10 1FA
This upstairs bar/nightclub is named after its street number.

Kitty Flynn’s is on the corner with Caroline Street, so we will visit on the Caroline Street leg of the tour.

Opposite, where Wood Street joins St Mary Street (which is only pedestrianized below this point on Friday and Saturday evenings; when St Mary Street becomes the capital’s party central):

The Prince of Wales
82 St Mary Street CF10 1FA (2064 4449)
The largest Wetherspoon’s pub in Cardiff; situated in a former theatre (founded 1878), which in its heyday hosted many prestigious theatrical productions and the first performances by Welsh National Opera. It was for many years a cinema (mainly porn during the 1980s, so I’m told), until it was sympathetically redeveloped with bold theatrical flourishes. The full Wetherspoon pub food menu and an impressive range of real ales (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Feb 2013).

The Chippy
80 St Mary Street CF10 1FA
Unreconstructed chip shop, currently under the scaffolding on the Philharmonic and Prince of Wales buildings but open for business, serving fish and chips, Peter’s Pies, burgers and kebabs  (Food Hygiene Rating 1: major improvement necessary. Sept 2012).

Walkabout
65-73 St Mary Street CF10 1FA (2072 7930)
Australian-themed sports bar, boasting over 50 big-screen TVs and 3 large screens – one of them the largest in Cardiff (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Feb 2012).

The Great Western
40 St Mary Street CF10 1FA (2035 3990)
Hotel built around 1879 to offer accommodation to travellers on the Great Western Railway nearby. Now one of two massive Wetherspoon’s pub in this large block of old buildings (it operates as a Lloyds #1 Bar). Full Wetherspoon pub food menu and good range of beers. Previous pub names here, according to cardiffpubs.co.uk, include The Old Monk and The Bush Pig; becoming The Great Western again in 2004 after being acquired by J.D. Wetherspoon (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. May 2012).

Across the side-road the taxis use to get to Cardiff Central railway station:

Viva Brazil
Ground Floor, Maldron Hotel, St Mary St CF10 1GD (2020 0255)
Viva Brazil Churrascaria is a Brazilian steakhouse and bar that opened last year in the Maldron Hotel. You pay a set price for what is billed as a dining experience involving Passadors (carvers) who move from table to table offering up to 15 cuts of beef, lamb, pork, chicken and sausages, all slow-cooked over a barbeque. Choices include Picanha Com alho (rump steak southern Brazil style), Cordeiro (marinated leg of lamb), Costela de boi (beef ribs), Linguica (Brazilian sausages), Coracao (chicken hearts) and Presunto defumado (smoked gammon). There are other traditional Brazilian dishes on offer (e.g., Oxtail stew with cassava), fish and seafood dishes, and salads (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Nov 2012).

Across St Mary Street, backtracking toward Kitty Flynn's and the entrance to Caroline Street:

Kiwis
55 St Mary Street CF10 1FE (2039 8965)
Kiwis is a New Zealand-themed bar and club (previously located in Wyndham Arcade). This attractive building, dating from 1887, was previously the Taurus Steakhouse. Today, you can choose between the North Island and South Island bars. Food served includes pies, sandwiches and pasta dishes (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. March 2012).

The Bunker
60-62 St Mary Street CF10 1FE
Sports bar, part of the Le Monde complex. More TVs than you can shake a remote at, with basic food menu.

Le Monde
60-62 St Mary Street CF10 1FE (2038 7376)
Le Monde Fish Bar & Grill is a stylish French-style restaurant noted for its seafood, fish and steaks, located on the first floor, above The Bunker, in a spacious dining room with stained glass windows. Menu sections include Whole fish (e.g., Black sea bream, brill, Dover sole, sea bass), Shellfish (e.g., Crawfish tails, oysters, Tiger prawns, lobster), Portioned fish (e.g., conger eel, mahi maahi, monkfish, red mullet, halibut, gurnard, swordfish steaks), Meat (steaks, veal, duck, whole leg of Welsh lamb). I had a meal here a few years ago, and remember the fish display counter and a decent meal; though have no first-hand experience of it recently. The Le Monde complex extends around the corner into Mill Lane (Food Hygiene Rating 1: major improvement necessary. May 2012).

We have reached Peppermint Bar and Kitchen on the corner of St Mary Street and Mill Lane (you can’t miss it: the building is painted a bright lime colour). I’ll see you here next time for a walk down Mill Lane.

Previously, on the walking tour:

High Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/high-street-cardiff.html

Castle Arcade and Castle Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/castle-arcade-and-castle-street-cardiff.html

Womanby Street and Quay Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/womanby-street-and-quay-street-cardiff.html

Westgate Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/westgate-street-cardiff.html

Riverside
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/riverside-cardiff.html

Cathedral Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/cathedral-road-cardiff.html

Pontcanna 2
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/pontcanna-2.html

Pontcanna 1
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/pontcanna-1-we-are-leaving-canton.html

North Canton
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/north-canton.html

Cowbridge Road East 3
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-3-llandaff-road-to.html

Cowbridge Road East 2
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-2-wyndham-crescent.html

Cowbridge Road East 1
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-1-cathedral-road-to.html

Bute Park
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/bute-park-cardiff.html

Cathays Park
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cathays-park-cardiff.html

Cathays Terrace
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cathays-terrace-cardiff.html

Salisbury Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/salisbury-road-cardiff.html

Woodville Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/woodville-road-cardiff.html

Crwys Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/crwys-road-cardiff.html

Wellfield Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wellfield-road-cardiff.html

Albany Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/albany-road-cardiff.html

City Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/city-road-cardiff.html

World Environment Day 2013: Vale of Glamorgan

UN World Environment Day (5 June) is marked globally on an ever-increasing scale. Today, the Vale of Glamorgan Council organized its first World Environment Day event at the Civic Offices in Barry. This year’s theme is food waste (“Think Eat Save”).

Councillor Rob Curtis (Cabinet Member for the Environment and Visible Services) welcomed attendees. He set the scene with some stark statistics. Around a third of all food grown is wasted, which is also a massive waste of the energy, water resources and land (especially through deforestation) used in producing food; while 1 in 7 of the world’s population goes hungry. Relatively little food waste occurred 40 years ago, but since then it has become a source of great social injustice and a terrible waste of limited resources. However, a change is now underway, and everyone can play their part in reducing food wastage.

Initiatives taken by the Welsh Assembly Government to address the issue were summarized by Jasper Roberts (Head of Waste and Resources Efficiency, Welsh Government). In recent years, 400,000 tonnes of food have been wasted in Wales annually. A Welsh Government Waste Strategy is now in place to reduce this figure. Instead of it going into costly and environmentally-polluting landfill sites, food waste is increasingly being channelled into recycling, composting and biogas-production schemes. The necessary infrastructure for collecting and processing food waste is being put in place, with the Welsh government favouring anaerobic digestion (AD) as the method to produce energy from food waste.

Clifford Parish (Operations Manager for Waste Management, Vale of Glamorgan Council) noted that all households in the Vale of Glamorgan now have kerbside collections of domestic food waste. This waste is taken to a site in Cowbridge for turning into compost. He noted that meeting high recycling targets was an initial step; reducing the amount of waste actually generated is the next goal. The Council is working with WRAP (Waste action and Resources Action Programme) to identify ways of doing this. WRAP campaigns to reduce waste by focusing on things like smart shopping, good storage, appropriate portion size, reduced packaging, reusable containers and staff training; it can draw upon its long experience of working with the hospitality industry and other food businesses.

John Homfray (Cowbridge Compost) told the story of how a bit of farm diversification led to a major food waste composting operation on the outskirts of Cowbridge. He took in some wood waste for money in 2004, bought a shredder and spread it on his fields. In 2006, the farm was processing the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s green (garden) waste kerbside collections; and by 2011 all the kitchen waste as well. It is planned to process waste with an AD plant by 2015, to produce biogas as well as compost. Green and food waste lorries from around the Vale arrive daily, increasingly joined by lorries from other parts of south Wales. The waste is processed (three tonnes of green waste to one of kitchen waste) by being moved every 4 days along a series of 8 bunkers, and it takes 60 days to mature. Anyone can come to the site and get compost for free (“you’ve already paid for it”), but if you’re collecting in a family car it is advised to keep the windows open!

Rob McGhee (Rural Regeneration Officer for Food) talked about how the Community Foodie initiative is helping communities grow their own food. One of the success stories is Nightingale Community Garden in Dinas Powys, which I have followed from initial planning stage to completion on this blog. One of the aims of Community Foodie is to help reconnect people with food, a big challenge when so much food is processed and too many children do not know how food is grown.

After a lively Q&A session and a break, Elen Jones (Fair Trade Wales) informed us of Fair Trade’s success in getting a fair deal for farmers of crops such as coffee and bananas. The growth in Fair Trade products has been due to consumer pressure. A number of major chocolate and coffee brands now use fair trade ingredients. Fair Trade schemes ensure better working conditions, greater environmental sustainability and a more transparent supply chain. Wales became the first Fair Trade Nation five years ago; around 50 towns and cities, 60% of its schools, and all its universities and colleges have signed up to the scheme. The next challenge is to extend Fair Trade cotton. Elen suggested a big step forward would be for all school uniforms in Wales to be made using Fair Trade cotton.

Anne Sharp (Knowledge and Strategy Manager, Energy Saving Trust) outlined some of the Trust’s behaviour-changing projects in Wales, aimed at reducing energy usage and food waste. The ‘Living Wise Cardiff’ project focussed on 1,000 residences in Rhiwbina, assessing attitudes to energy use before and after an education programme. The results suggested most people had changed their energy use behaviour as a result of the project. A key tool is the Water Energy Calculator, which anyone can use on the Energy Saving Trust’s website.

Craig Mitchell (Welsh Local Government) talked about the Welsh Government-funded Waste Awareness Wales campaign, with its Love Food Hate Waste slogan.  Fresh fruit and vegetables account for 40% by weight of food waste. Other commonly wasted foods are meat, fish, bread, rice and pasta. The campaign raised awareness about wasting perfectly good food, and the economic and environmental benefits of reducing waste.

In addition to the speakers, a number of Information stands proved popular. One stall was devoted to the Change 4 Life campaign. I have cooked all 14 meals in the campaign’s Supermeals recipe book, aiming to get people eating healthily on a low budget. They now have a newer booklet concerning packed lunches for children.

The plastic bag charge introduced by the Welsh Government was acknowledged by several speakers as a very positive step in reducing waste and environmental pollution.  Rob Curtis noted that plastic bags were now much less commonly picked up on Barry Island volunteer beach clean-up days.

Key themes that emerged were communication and education. In particular, campaigns such as those seen at this event should ensure a new generation in Wales do not have the wasteful habits of their parents. Whatever your age, however, it was clear there are many ways for everyone to become involved in changing the scandalous food waste situation.

It is hoped that World Environment Day will become an annual event for the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

Some links:

Nightingale Community Garden
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-community-garden-8.html

Change 4 Life Supermeals Challenge
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/change4life-supermeals-challenge-day-14.html

Cowbridge compost
http://www.cowbridgecompost.com/

High Street, Cardiff

Cardiff’s High Street/Stryd Fawr is not as long as you might think. The street that runs from Cardiff Castle down to Cardiff Central railway station and Callaghan Square is called St Mary Street for most of its length (and sometimes the entire street-length gets referred to as St Mary Street). High Street is one of Cardiff’s oldest streets, linking the Castle to the place where the tidal river used to reach, at what is now the junction with Quay Street.

In recent years, High Street has been pedestrianized. The attractive new street furniture, Welsh flags and new paving have turned the street here into a pleasant open space. Last summer, the High Street was the location of the Castle Quarter Farmers’ Market, a mid-week offshoot of the popular Riverside Farmers’ Market.

At the place I left you, on the corner of Castle Street and High Street, on the previous leg of this walking tour:

Flavour
34 High Street CF10 1PU (2037 3024)
Flavour Coffee Shop is a small take-away sandwich bar (though there are three stools at a window seat). Baguettes are the main thing, with a large selection of cold fillings that include some novel options (e.g., beef and stilton; peanut butter and sweet chilli chicken) and plenty of vegetarian/vegan options. Hot baguettes and paninis (e.g., bacon or sausage), breakfasts, and soup, especially in the winter (Food Hygiene Rating 3: generally satisfactory. Oct 2010).

The Goat Major
33 High Street CF10 1PU (2033 7161)
A friendly Brain’s pub that serves a home-made Pie Only menu (midday-6pm): Welsh steak and ale, Pork and cider, Curried mutton, Bacon and black pudding, Lamb and rosemary, Cheesy leek, Wye Valley Pie, and more unusual pies on the daily specials board. All the usual Brains cask ales on draft, plus Brains craft brews. Their craft beer ‘Beardface’, a 5% milk stout, was launched in The Goat Major this February. The pub is to be found in CAMRA Good Beer Guides. The pub dates from around 1813. Cardiffpubs.co.uk notes that the pub was originally called The Goat, but it must have changed its name to The Blue Bell soon after; becoming The Goat Major in 1995. This name comes from the mascot of the Welch Regiment, in particular the goat that survived the Crimean War and was introduced to Queen Victoria back in London. The pub was refurbished in 2003, but retains a traditional atmosphere, with wood panelling and comfy leather armchairs (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Dec 2011).

Pizza Express
29-30 High Street CF10 1PU (2023 3091)
This is one of three Pizza Express outlets in Cardiff (the others are in the St David’s Centre and on Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay). Go for the pizza. It has a back door in Castle Arcade (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Oct 20110).

Zizzi Restaurant
27 High Street CF10 1PU (2064 5110)
Pizza is also the big thing at Zizzi (an Italian restaurant chain established in 1999). This is the older of two Zizzi in Cardiff (the other one being in Cardiff Bay) and is located in the impressive space of a former Lloyds Bank building. The menu also features calzone, salads, risotto, pasta and gelato. Child-friendly. I think this was the first place I ate in Cardiff, a few years before moving to the area (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Feb 2013).

The Potted Pig
27 High Street CF10 1PU (2022 4817)
The Potted Pig was opened in 2011, in the former Lloyds Bank vault (underneath Zizzi) by The Chameleon Group (who also own The Meating Place, The North Star, and The Vulcan Lounge in Cardiff). There are dark corners and candlelight for intimate dinners, while larger groups can be catered for in the former strong room (suckling pig being a popular choice for parties, such as the entire Championship-winning Cardiff City FC team recently). Meat eating (of the nose to tail variety) is to the fore, but fish and vegetable dishes also feature. Potted Pig is a signature starter (shredded pork shoulder lightly spiced); others incorporate duck hash, smoked trout and potted shrimp. I can recommend the Barnsley Chop (a double lamb chop cut); other mains may include 6-hour slow roast belly pork, Welsh topside of beef, ham hock, Madgetts Farm roast chicken, pan-fried pollock with cockles and fennel, and brown crab. The menu varies seasonally (Food Hygiene Rating 2: improvement necessary. Jan 2013).

High Street continues a short distance to Quay Street on this side. Return to the start of High Street, across from Flavour, and walking down the left hand (eastern) side:

Bella Italia
6 High Street CF10 1AW (2039 9466)
One of three Bella Italia in Cardiff (the others in the Brewery Quarter and Atlantic Wharf), serving pizza, pasta, risotto, salads, meat and fish dishes. Child-friendly. Does take-away (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Oct 2011).

On the far side of the High Street Arcade entrance:

Atlantic Coffee
13 High Street CF10 1AX (2023 2202)
Atlantic Coffee is an independent sandwich bar and coffee shop on the corner of High Street and High Street Arcade. Serves soups, sandwiches, cakes, and is highly rated for its coffee selection (Food Hygiene Rating 2: improvement necessary. Oct 2011).

Kitchens
14 High Street CF10 1AX (22022 9814)
Kitchens opened in 1990; it is one of the UK’s largest specialist cook shops, selling a wide range of kitchen ware and catering utensils. I spend too much money in here.

 

Taste (15 High Street) opened in December 2011, but has recently closed.

A little further along is the junction with Church Street. I’ll see you here next time, when we will carry on down the street, which changes its name to St Mary Street.

See also:

Flavour
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/flavour-cardiff.html

The Potted Pig
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/potted-pig-cardiff.html

Taste
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/taste-cardiff.html

Previously, on the walking tour:

Castle Arcade and Castle Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/castle-arcade-and-castle-street-cardiff.html

Womanby Street and Quay Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/womanby-street-and-quay-street-cardiff.html

Westgate Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/westgate-street-cardiff.html

Riverside
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/riverside-cardiff.html

Cathedral Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/cathedral-road-cardiff.html

Pontcanna 2
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/pontcanna-2.html

Pontcanna 1
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/pontcanna-1-we-are-leaving-canton.html

North Canton
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/north-canton.html

Cowbridge Road East 3
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-3-llandaff-road-to.html

Cowbridge Road East 2
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-2-wyndham-crescent.html

Cowbridge Road East 1
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-1-cathedral-road-to.html

Bute Park
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/bute-park-cardiff.html

Cathays Park
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cathays-park-cardiff.html

Cathays Terrace
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cathays-terrace-cardiff.html

Salisbury Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/salisbury-road-cardiff.html

Woodville Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/woodville-road-cardiff.html

Crwys Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/crwys-road-cardiff.html

Wellfield Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wellfield-road-cardiff.html

Albany Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/albany-road-cardiff.html

City Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/city-road-cardiff.html
 

Castle Arcade and Castle Street, Cardiff

We are in Cardiff’s Castle Quarter. Previously, I left you on the corner of Quay Street and High Street. Turn up High Street toward the castle (past Bryony Theatrical fancy dress and a tattoo parlour) to the entrance of Castle Arcade on your left.

Castle Arcade is the first of Cardiff’s celebrated Victorian and Edwardian arcades to be visited on this walking tour. Its L-shape connects the High Street with Castle Street. It was built in two stages, between 1882 and 1887; three-story for the most part with a two-story section at the Castle Street end. There are small businesses (e.g., violin maker, wig consultant) and offices (e.g., Friends of the Earth) on the balcony level. All the food businesses are on the ground floor.

On your left as you enter the arcade is Barker menswear (1-5 Castle Arcade). They are currently having a closing down sale. I bought a shirt. Along the arcade or through a door at the back of the shop:

Coffee Barker
7-13 Castle Arcade CF10 1BU (2037 1491)
It started out as an independent clothes shop in 1970, but doubled its size back along the arcade to include a café. Will the café soon extend to the High Street? A possibility. Robert Barker founded the original designer clothes store, while Charlotte Barker now manages Coffee Barker. Stylish and a little quirky, Coffee Barker is a popular place for brunch and lunch. Brunch includes combinations of bacon, sausages and duck eggs (e.g., scrambled with mustard seeds), alongside muesli and porridge. Soup of the day is served with rustic bread and the sandwiches are large. There’s an attractive cake selection and, of course, all the usual tea and coffee options. Coffee Barker is one of Cardiff’s notable indie alternatives to costabucks; and a good place to relax and catch up with the papers. I recently had an enjoyable bacon and egg croissant with coffee, while admiring the décor (e.g., old tiling, art deco glass, brickwork). A dalek and Homer Simpson looked in at me through the window: they keep guard outside The Joke Shop across the arcade (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Jan 2012).

On the bend in the arcade:

Madame Fromage
21-25 & 18 Castle Arcade CF10 1BU (2064 4888)
Madame Fromage was founded in 2004 by Karen Cunnington; originally in Duke Street but it soon moved to its current location. It’s a family-run café, specialist cheese shop and deli. The café has extended across the arcade (no. 18) into the opposite corner unit; the cooking has tended to focus on Welsh and Breton cuisine. Around 150 cheeses are typically available, predominantly from Wales, England, France and Italy. If you are of a certain age, reading the cheese labels (e.g., Y Fenni, Teifi with laverbread, Stinking Bishop, Bomber, Gorgonzola dulce, Gruyère, Wensleydale) may put you in mind of the Monty Python Cheese shop sketch, although Madame Fromage probably stocks all the cheeses requested in that sketch; with the probable exception of Venezuelan Beaver Cheese (“Not today Sir, no”), which was the only made-up cheese name (though online cheese shop Venissimo claims to stock it!). We are also partial to Pieminister Pies here on the Food Blog, so it was good to hear that since the start of this year Madame Fromage is now stocking them (I left with Heidi and Hamhock). A catering business also operates from here (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Nov 2012).

Celtic Cakes
37 Castle Arcade CF10 1BW (01633 662684)
Celtic Cakes is on your left as you carry on down the arcade. Here you can order celebratory cakes. The window display is always worth a look: dragons, rugby players and fairytale castles are perennially in fashion.

Opposite are offices of National Theatre of Wales (no. 30), next door to which is Pizza Express (32-34 Castle Arcade). Pizza Express extends through to the High Street, where it has a front door.

Troutmark Books (very good selection of second-hand books) is across the arcade, while on your right toward the exit to Castle Street:

Restaurant Minuet
40-42 Castle Arcade CF10 4BW (2034 1794)
Music lover, chef and former owner Marcello Genesi retired in 2010, after running Café Minuet for 24 years (est. 1986). New owner Nadine Lodwick worked in this Italian restaurant for 20 years, so knows the much-loved recipes and is carrying on the Minuet tradition. Café Minuet recently changed its name to Restaurant Minuet. Classical music informs the décor and the menu descriptions. The menu features pasta, pizza, salads, spinach compositions, meat (mainly chicken) and fish dishes. It’s a small cosy space, with seating extending out into the arcade. Arrive early for lunch, there may be a queue; no table bookings are taken (11am-4.30pm). Certain menu items (e.g., slipper sandwiches, mini pizzas, calzoni) are available to take-away – via the new take-away hatch off the kitchen (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. April 2011).

On your right, as we exit to Castle Street is a newsagent. The unit opposite (formerly Cegin y Ddraig and then a florist) is unoccupied.

Exiting Castle Arcade, turn left and walk along Castle Street:

Revolution Bar
9-11 Castle Street CF10 1BS (2023 6689)
This Havana-themed bar, restaurant, and nightclub is a popular party venue. Rum and cocktails to drink, and with a large food menu that includes burgers, pizza, flatbreads, pasta, steaks, fish and chips, salads and sandwiches (Food Hygiene Rating 2: improvement necessary. Oct 2011).

Dempsey’s
15 Castle Street CF10 1BS (2023 9253)
Irish pub owned by Brains Brewery, with a plaque proclaiming it the oldest pub in Cardiff (former names include The Globe). Meals are served at lunchtimes and early evening; with some Irish-influenced pub food washed down with Guinness. There’s an upstairs function room, and the Four Bars music venue (e.g., jazz every Tuesday and Wednesday) (Food Hygiene Rating 4: good. Oct 2011).

Across the entrance of Womanby Street:

Nisa Local
17-21 Castle Street CF10 1BS
Convenience store (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. March 2012).

Baskin Robbins
21A Castle Street CF10 1BT (2023 2200)
One of two branches of “the world’s largest chain of ice cream stores” in Cardiff; the other being Millie’s Cookies down in Cardiff Bay.

Just past the Castle Convenience Store is an empty unit (no. 25) that used to be La Vita, an independently-owned Italian pizzeria. In March 2013, La Vita opened in its new location on Wellfield Road in Roath. Further along Castle Street are the Angel Hotel and Callaghans (see Westgate Street for entries).

Turn around and retrace your steps, back across the entrance to Womanby Street and the entrance to Castle Arcade:

Torre Coffee
3 Castle Street CF10 1BS (2034 4580)
The Torre Coffee Shop opened last month (April 2013). It is aiming to serve the coffee connoisseur and is notably child-friendly (e.g., play area). Brews being promoted this week include a single origin Copocabana from Bolivia and a filter coffee from Guatemala.

Further along, Castle Welsh Crafts is a good place for souvenir shopping (whether you’re visiting or wanting to send Welsh-themed presents abroad). Don’t miss the display of traditional Welsh lovespoons, including the world’s largest hand-carved wooden lovespoon.

Walk along to the start of High Street. Castle Street changes its name to Duke Street on the other side of the High Street junction. I will see you here next time: opposite Cardiff Castle’s main entrance, at the top of High Street outside Flavour sandwich shop.

Previously, on the walking tour:

Womanby Street and Quay Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/womanby-street-and-quay-street-cardiff.html

Westgate Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/westgate-street-cardiff.html

Riverside
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/riverside-cardiff.html

Cathedral Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/cathedral-road-cardiff.html

Pontcanna 2
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/pontcanna-2.html

Pontcanna 1
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/pontcanna-1-we-are-leaving-canton.html

North Canton
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/north-canton.html

Cowbridge Road East 3
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-3-llandaff-road-to.html

Cowbridge Road East 2
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-2-wyndham-crescent.html

Cowbridge Road East 1
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-1-cathedral-road-to.html

Bute Park
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/bute-park-cardiff.html

Cathays Park
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cathays-park-cardiff.html

Cathays Terrace
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cathays-terrace-cardiff.html

Salisbury Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/salisbury-road-cardiff.html

Woodville Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/woodville-road-cardiff.html

Crwys Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/crwys-road-cardiff.html

Wellfield Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wellfield-road-cardiff.html

Albany Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/albany-road-cardiff.html

City Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/city-road-cardiff.html

 

Womanby Street and Quay Street, Cardiff

Previously, on this walking tour of Cardiff, I left you by the Angel Hotel on Castle Street in the City Centre. Walk in an easterly direction along Castle Street, until you get to the turn into Womanby Street/Stryd Womanby, between the Nisa Local and Dempseys (Castle Street and Castle Arcade are in the next instalment). We are in Cardiff’s Castle Quarter.

Turn right down Womanby Street. This is one of Cardiff’s oldest streets, which used to link the castle with the city’s main quay. The street dates back to at least the 1300s and its name probably had Norse origins (e.g., Hundemanby Street). Inns along here, such as The Horse and Groom, were notorious for the press-ganging of sailors.

The recent restoration and large new paving stones have compromised some of its historical character (and grime; though I guess there are fewer twisted ankles of a Saturday night), but Womanby Street retains enough period detail for it to be a popular film location (e.g., Doctor Who: The Empty Child and other episodes).

On your right, just past Nisa Local:

Cardiff Fashion Quarter
Womanby Street CF10 1BR
Opened in October 2012, CFQ is an emporium of independent businesses (e.g., vintage clothing, crafts, antiques, flea market ware, vinyl) located in a former cinema. There’s impressive street art outside; the striking woman’s face was painted by Diego Zelaya. A stroll down Womanby Street these days may involve negotiating the fashion photographers.

Fuel
5 Womanby Street CF10 1BR
A rock music club opened in 2012.

The Full Moon
Womanby Street CF10 1BR (2037 3022)
Bar and music venue that opened in 2011. Upstairs it’s called The Moon Club. Unlike its immediate predecessor (Y Fuwch Goch), it does not serve food.  This was the site of the former Red Cow Inn, a pub dating from the old quayside days to the early 1900s.

Opposite, after Dempseys:

clwb ifor bach
11 Womanby Street CF10 1BR (2023 2199)
Opened in 1983, Clwb Ifor Bach is also referred to as The Welsh Club because of its promotion of the Welsh-language and Welsh music. This is one of the Cardiff’s most famous music venues. Seminal Welsh music acts such as Super Furry Animals and Catatonia have played here. Among the acts I have seen here in the past couple of years have been Meic Stevens, Colorama, Charlotte Church, Jonathan Powell, Jodi Marie, and British Sea Power. In fact, I saw BSP again last week at The Coal Exchange: what a great band (but, I digress).

Just past clwb ifor bach, we come to gates into the courtyard at the back of Revolution (see Castle Street).

Further along in a courtyard off Womanby Street is Jones Court. These Grade I listed estate workers cottages have been thoroughly modernized and media consultant is now a more typical job description.

On your right/west side of the street, you pass back entrances to The Gatekeeper (a Wetherspoon pub), Pica Pica (tapas and cocktails) and Fire Island (For these three establishments, see Westgate Street).

Opposite Fire Island, on the corner of Womanby Street and Quay Street/Stryd Y Cei:

The City Arms
10-12 Quay Street CF10 1EA (2022 2528)
This traditional Brains pub is one of the best places to drink beer in Cardiff; it’s no surprise CAMRA named it Cardiff Pub of the Year 2012. Exceptional care is taken over the beer and you are guaranteed to find an impressive range of real ales on tap. The City Arms was built in the 1880s (when Brains Brewery was also founded). It was formerly known as The Cattle Market Tavern and then the Dovers Arms, changing its name again in 1905 to The City Arms – the year Cardiff was given City status. A full range of Brains beers is available on draught, along with British microbrewery and guest cask ales, and beers of all styles from around the world. They serve beer in 1/3 pints for those wanting to sample a goodly variety, while there is a City Arms Beer Club (for loyalty card discounts and beer information). There’s no food served, but Brains have opened their flagship food establishment Greenwood & Brown a couple of doors down the street (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. June 2011).

Casanova
13 Quay Street CF10 1EA (2034 4044)
Casanova is without doubt one of Cardiff’s best Italian restaurants (in a city renowned for its Italian restaurants). It was opened in 2005 by three Italian friends and offers authentic Italian food. We had a celebration meal here recently, which lived up to expectations. I had scallops (campesante) for starters, served with black pudding and pumpkin puree; followed by agnello, tender slow-cooked lamb served with mash and sweet and sour peppers; concluding with tiramisu and coffee. My partner also had good things to say about the intense flavours in her duck, leek and wild mushroom bruschetta starter. There is a seasonally changing menu and plenty of local food sourcing (e.g., Riverside Market Garden, Ashton’s fishmonger, and JT Morgan for Welsh salt marsh lamb); while wine and other food ingredients are imported directly from Italy. When my partner searched for ‘Casanova’ on her Internet phone, the site was blocked as adult content (do restaurants really need to consider such things these days?), but we can reassure you that there is nothing dodgy about Cardiff’s Casanova! (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. May 2012).

Greenwood & Brown
14-15 Quay Street CF10 1EA (2022 7972)
This is Brains’ first restaurant venture. It opened in Dec 2011 (see below for a link to my opening night comments). They do the simple things well, especially steaks and seafood. Typical lunchtime specials recently have included deep-fried goat’s cheese, SA Gold-battered hake, and roast monkfish with vegetable and tomato cumin sauce. Features on the fish and shellfish menu include a kilo of Welsh coast mussels, lobster tails, and the fruit de mer platter for two. Puddings are also a feature. Welsh products and local food sourcing are the order of the day (e.g., Welsh beef comes from Celtic Pride, free range eggs from Birchgrove Eggs, seafood from Swansea Fish, and cheese from Caws Cenarth). A pub has been on this site since at least 1600, when it was a waterside location, which was called The Model Inn for many years. Brains bought it in 1956 and it has now been massively refurbished into this smart brasserie.

Across the road:

Bistro One Café
4 Quay Street CF10 1DZ (2038 8888)
Established in 1970, this is more traditional café/diner than bistro, serving breakfast and lunch. Fried food in a booth: Classic. Food is eat-in or to-go.  (Food Hygiene Rating 3: generally satisfactory. Jan 2013).

Across the road, and just past Gill’s newsagent, on your right:

Baguette Xpress
18 Quay Street CF10 1DZ (2034 4900)
This is a friendly take-away for breakfast and sandwiches, and is home of the £1 lunch; soup, various rolls and coffee all at £1. I had the bacon roll from this menu recently: soft bap, rasher of bacon and ketchup; to keep you going rather than fill you up (Food Hygiene Rating 5: very good. Nov 2012).

Across the road, on the corner is Costa, at the junction of Quay Street with High Street/St Mary Street. I’ll see you here next time.

See also:

British Sea Power at clwb ifor bach
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/british-sea-power-merchandise-stall.html

Opening of Greenwood & Brown
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/greenwood-brown-cardiff.html

Previously, on the walking tour:

Westgate Street
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/westgate-street-cardiff.html

Riverside
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/riverside-cardiff.html

Cathedral Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/cathedral-road-cardiff.html

Pontcanna 2
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/pontcanna-2.html

Pontcanna 1
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/pontcanna-1-we-are-leaving-canton.html

North Canton
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/north-canton.html

Cowbridge Road East 3
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-3-llandaff-road-to.html

Cowbridge Road East 2
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-2-wyndham-crescent.html

Cowbridge Road East 1
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cowbridge-road-east-1-cathedral-road-to.html

Bute Park
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/bute-park-cardiff.html

Cathays Park
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cathays-park-cardiff.html

Cathays Terrace
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/cathays-terrace-cardiff.html

Salisbury Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/salisbury-road-cardiff.html

Woodville Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/woodville-road-cardiff.html

Crwys Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/crwys-road-cardiff.html

Wellfield Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wellfield-road-cardiff.html

Albany Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/albany-road-cardiff.html

City Road
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/city-road-cardiff.html