Heaney’s
Romilly Crescent, Cardiff. www.heaneyscardiff.co.uk
Food **** Atmosphere ****
Probably the most keenly anticipated restaurant launch in Cardiff this year, Heaney’s has also taken advantage of pop-up culture to limber up via pre-season friendlies. Having announced, plans to transfer from his kitchen in Laleston’s Great House hotel, Tommy Heaney (he’s been on TV, maybe you watched) shacked up in Pontcanna during summer. Specifically, a side-room of what was most recently Arbennig, and is now a glass-fronted, split-level restaurant proper.
Despite tonight being a soft opening with no walk-ins available, at least four couples try their luck during Buzz’s two-hour visit; could be the sympathetic location, could be the groundwork done in recent months. A 10-course tasting menu is offered tonight, with a fair few reprised or retweaked from the pop-up. It’s modish in conception – courses billed as lists of ingredients, rather than named as such – but unpretentious in spirit and execution. Why, the Marmite butter that accompanies the opening plate of sourdough could have been inspired by any prosaic moment of breakfast-table carelessness – except Caramac-coloured and far more welcome.
Smoked duck ham is delicate machismo with depth; two oysters sway a bivalve sceptic across the table via dill-and-apple zing, perhaps sacrificing their own personality. Thinly sliced bream is cured in curry oil and bolstered by horseradish sorbet. Beef tartar comes with beetroot, spiralised to resemble purple pappardelle. Next up are two consecutive white fish fillets – pollock and cod – whose notional sameyness is nixed by the former’s startlingly rich buttermilk sauce and from-nowhere lime hit, likewise the cauliflower puree cosied up to the cod.
Courses eight and nine are highlight and lowlight respectively: BBQ lamb, an iron fist in a velvet glove and jus which could flavour a gourmet chocolate bar (I’m serious about this idea, buy it off me). After which an apple crumble riff, first of two desserts, feels like something any kitchen could do – unlike a cylinder of biscuity salted caramel, which looks like an uncooked potato croquette but plays a blinder alongside honeycomb and yoghurt.
Competitively priced at £40, with wines starting at £26 a bottle and cocktails all under a tenner, Heaney’s taster menu is likely the joint’s jewel, but there’s regularly-changing lunch and Sunday roast options too. I suspect this establishment is fixed here for the long haul.
words Noel Gardner