THE MEATING PLACE ****
St Mary Street, Cardiff. 029 2022 4757
By the not enormously radical standards of Cardiff dining, The Meating Place started life with a few locally unique attributes. When the restaurant opened a few months ago, its two main hooks – pun, if you’ll be patient, intended – were serving weekend breakfast between midnight and 5am, and hanging various kinds of grilled animal on skewers over your table. Both these things are still the case when Buzz attends its menu relaunch, but the menu is now less explicitly pitched at, well, the sort of people who’d go along to a restaurant called ‘The Meating Place’.
Usefully, there’s enough of us to collectively have a crack at nearly everything. Two rock oysters (assigned to this reviewer) are big lads tasting full of marine life. Other people speak fondly of their barbecued mackerel, salt and pepper squid, and lamb ribs with quinoa; Anglesey eggs are reportedly a bit epic for a starter. Regarding main courses, editor Gareth gets to tackle a signature hanging skewer – lamb leg in this case – and speaks warmly of its flame-licked quality. My roast cod with chorizo and clams is bold and innovative, for a cod dish at least. Salmon fillet with peas and bacon seems to be enjoyed, likewise rolled pork belly. Oh, and I stole one (one) chip from a sirloin steak plate which was, seriously, the best chip I’ve ever had.
Starters come in between £4.50 and £5.75; our mains were around the £11-£13 mark, with the steak and skewer a few quid above. Desserts, deemed decent but overly expensive by all in attendance – £7 for a toffee pudding – appear to have since dropped in price (£5.25 for the aforementioned). Either way, The Meating Place has a lot more going for it than a date with dead stuff. NOEL GARDNER
I hear there's a decetn selection of real ale there as well, unusuall for a restaurant. I fancy a visit, but my wife's a veggie – will she be terrified?
I wouldn't have said so – they have one veggie starter / main course to five or six mains with meat or fish in, I think, which is a fairly standard restaurant ratio. The name probably overstates its case if anything.
My partner and I enjoyed a lovely meal this evening. This was my second visit and we intend to go again and eventually work our way through the menu which is very versatile. Here's to an expanding waist!! Well worth a visit believe me.
Sorry to disappoint , went last night for a special meal , haven't been since it was Portos . 4 of us ordered but my husbands steak was colder than the wine. When it returned the rest of us had finished . However the attitude seemed to be that the other 3 meals were fine so didn't see the issue. When paying £150+ for a meal you expect the whole party to eat .
Had a fab meal there last night service was very good will definately be returning to try other meals on there menu.
However the attitude seemed to be that the other 3 meals were fine so didn't see the issue. When paying £150+