Chapter Culture Café, Craft In The Bay, Cardiff Bay
Food **** Atmosphere ****
Buzz was invited to sample the new menu for the exciting launch of Caffi Sïo in Cardiff Bay. This is Chapter’s new venture and the driving force of this is Laurentiu Florea, their director of food and beverages. The menu is very Mediterranean in origin: take the huevos divorciados (Spanish for ‘divorced eggs’), fried eggs served with spinach salsa rojo and a fresh herb salsa verde on corn flatbread). A Welsh croque madame, meanwhile, is a three cheese and leek toastie topped with Welsh rarebit and a fried egg.
I tried the chorizo hash – fried potato and chorizo with poached eggs, all appearing on the brunch menu. Lunch options include aubergine souvlaki, chicken taco (spiced chicken, pico de gallo, avocado and charred salsa) and buffalo halloumi taco, (deep fried halloumi in hot sauce). Four to five dishes feature on each menu, with a quick lunch option available and a pick-and-go sandwich area. Dishes start at £5.95, with homemade salads and rolls a bit less; given the quality and the variety, it’s incredibly good value. Breads are sourced from Alex Gooch, artisan rolls from Hay-On-Wye, and coffee from the Welsh Coffee Co, with teas from the renowned Novus range.
Expect that little bit extra at Caffi Sïo: the effort that has gone into launching this venture is obvious from the name, the design, the emphasis on quality produce and the dishes that result. A perfect addition to the bay, it will be open for brunch and lunch with selected evening openings for pre-theatre dinners. Sïo will also stock publications in the arts, present small scale live performances, and its profits will support delivering Chapter Arts Centre’s outstanding contemporary arts and education programme.
words ANTONIA LEVAY