5 OF THE BEST PLACES TO EAT ON CITY ROAD
Cardiff’s brimming with fantastic foodie areas, none more so than the beautiful multiculturalism of City Road, where you can travel the world in a five-minute walk. Oliver R. Moore Howells takes in the best on offer.
CHILLI BASIL
Putting the bang in Bangkok, Chilli Basil also provides plenty of bang for its customers’ buck. Authentic, unassuming and more café than restaurant, it’s been serving up stunning Thai cuisine at unbeatable prices since October 2014. This underrated gem dishes up all the old favourites including green/red curries, noodle soup dishes, and stir-fry pad thai
232 City Road, Cardiff. Info: 029 2048 2233 / www.chillibasilthaifood.com
MEZZA LUNA
This family-run Moroccan and Lebanese restaurant specialises in mezze dishes, grills and Moroccan tagines. And whilst meat dishes are in abundance, its vegetarian and vegan-friendly too. If your dish isn’t spicy enough and you like it hot, the restaurant’s also famed for its bellydancing spectacles on Friday and Saturday evenings.
159 City Road, Cardiff. Info: 029 2047 2772 / www.mezzalunacardiff.co.uk
Tenkaichi
The award-winning food from Tenkaichi not only tastes great but looks good on the plate. More than the sum of its parts, sushi is a culinary art form, and though some eschew raw fish, you’ll soon be converted! If unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine, then wade in slowly with one of Tenkaichi’s bento boxes – an assorted set meal in a lacquered box with compartments.
236 City Road, Cardiff. Info: 029 2048 1888 / www.tenkaichi.co.uk
SHAAM NIGHTS
Want a culinary experience where you can be darn dapper and epicurean about it? Then Shaam Nights shouldn’t be overlooked. There few places that make you feel like an Arabian prince dining out in a downsized palace but this one boasts of a rare opportunity to taste its authentic Syrian cuisine. Voted one of the best grill houses in the UK by The Sunday Times, their shawarma, kufta and biryani dishes will no doubt please your palate.
116 City Road, Cardiff. Info: 029 2048 2824 / www.shaamnights.com
KBS KEBAB HOUSE
Can’t be bothered with the fuss of a fancy sit-down meal on your return from the pub? Then KBS is a great option for filling that gaping hole. Whilst kebabs don’t usually win awards within the ‘quality produce’ category, this humble takeaway does what it does very well. Furthermore, with other obligatory takeaway foods on offer such as pizzas, burgers, wraps and various ‘meal deals’, the gang’s all here and ready to give your gut that gastronomic pummelling.
242 City Road, Cardiff. Info: 029 2045 6545 / www.kbskebabhouse.com