TIME & BEEF
Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff. 029 2115 8539 / www.timeandbeef.co.uk
Café by day but gourmet burger restaurant and cocktail bar by night, Canton’s Time & Beef has provided Cardiffians with some the city’s best burgers since its opening in March earlier this year. Previously known as the café/bar Time, it was refurbished and has hosted hugely varied pop-up evenings, from gumbo to Indonesian cuisine.
The restaurant allows diners to build their own burgers (with local burgers and buns), which may sound liberating, although perhaps some things are best left to the experts. I nevertheless dive in and start with choosing the bun: demi brioche. Not too hard a decision. Next up, the burger itself. While the veggie option of a bean, feta and beet burger is tempting, I go for classic Welsh lamb. So far so good. Now cheeses. Oh God. Erm, stilton? Feta? Halloumi? I start panicking and add them all. I soon go mad with toppings. Pulled pork, chorizo, mushrooms, and chilli. Can’t go wrong with sweet chilli and garlic mayo sauces either. And I’ll need sweet potato fries with that. I sit in the restaurant thinking to myself that my gluttony and inability to choose is everything wrong with Western society, but then the burger arrives. My God. It’s beautiful. Take that Heston Blumenthal, I’m a culinary genius.
My creation is a success, but I can’t help but wonder what it would be like in the hands of someone who knew what they were doing. With ample veggie options and indulgent meaty favourites, Time & Beef is a great place to go for a relaxed but satisfying meal. The extensive selection of cocktails makes this a must visit for foodies and boozers alike.
words LUKE OWAIN BOULT