EAT OUT TO HELP OUT: CARDIFF’S TOP 10 | FEATURE
From Mondays to Wednesdays until the end of August, the UK government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme offers customers at restaurants, pubs and other food-serving establishments 50% off the bill, to a maximum of £10 per person.
In light of this announcement, chain restaurants have rushed to advertise their deals via billboards and tabloids. However, independent restaurants are more likely to support local farmers and ensure more money stays in the local economy, yet tend to be more vulnerable in a time of financial difficulty.
With this in mind, the Welsh Independent Restaurant Collective has launched its ‘Eat Independent, Support Local’ campaign to encourage diners to look past chain restaurants and choose independent businesses instead. Using the hashtag #EatIndieWales, customers can show their support for local eateries, keeping the high streets vibrant with variety and resilient against large corporations.
If you’re thinking of ditching the chains while benefiting from the discount, many are registered on the government’s postcode checker here, but some of Cardiff’s finest are hereby listed below.
With their roots in an Albany Road creamery back in the 19th century, ancestors of the business reopened in Monmouth in 2015, and have since returned to Albany Road, with a grocery store and deli supplying foods and wines from Wales and Italy. Enjoy gelatos, sorbets, coffees, milkshakes, wines, beers and antipasti alfresco at their Hatch in Roath.
Honorably providing their ‘Restaurant Quality – Dine At Home’ service to households in lockdown unable to live without mouthwatering food from their favourite Sorrento-born chef, I Giardini [pictured] is now open again for you to enjoy its welcoming atmosphere. Italian food, including delicious homemade pasta, with generous enough portions, and a selection of Italian wines – although wine won’t count for your discount.
Persian food, all-day breakfasts, with good portion sizes and a friendly welcome. Their coffee comes from Cardiff-based roasters Manumit, meaning ‘to set slaves free’, which offers training and employment to survivors of modern slavery, so you can support a good cause just by buying an espresso or iced latte.
If you ever longed to know what a luxury, fresh kebab might taste like, here’s your answer. Lamb and chicken are cooked on an authentic ocakbasi grill and partnered with fresh salad and coleslaw. If kebabs aren’t for you, though, they have other Turkish, Kurdish, Greek and Mediterranean dishes including meze, seabass and musakka with locally-sourced ingredients.
Mother Nature Cafe opened at an unfortunate time, right before lockdown, but they’re up and running in High Street Arcade, offering plant-based, sustainably-sourced food – including vegan egg and soldiers!
Another vegan one, and a recent staple for animal-friendly junk-food lovers, or those curious about how good a simple vegan cheeseburger really can be. It’s difficult to choose what to have from the intensely mouthwatering menu, but, honestly, you can’t really go wrong.
Starting off next to Waterloo Gardens, these tea suppliers now also run teahouses in Wyndham Arcade, Stanwell, Penarth Pier, Lakeside and Wellfield Road, all of which are now reopened after feeding the NHS for eight weeks through the #feedtheheath project. Pick from a huge range of white, black, green or fruit teas and more, brewed perfectly and matched with creative food options.
Although plans to open up a restaurant at the Warden’s House in Bute Park have been halted by Covid-19, you can get their fresh pizzas, half price every Wednesday this month, at The BoneYard in Canton. The second Dusty Knuckle home, in Castle Arcade, should be up and running soon for delicious non-pizza dishes.
This place is absolutely stunning, adorned with pink roses and balloons and gold ornaments. As it turns out, family-run cafes can be glamorous and pristine. Enjoy tasty and Instagram-friendly vegetarian lunches, cakes and afternoon teas with a friendly service.
Another family-run one, this time serving up vegan burgers, wings, ice cream, milkshakes and more. Why are so many of the best independent places meat-free? The demand for this sort of thing must be high because the chances of getting a table here on the 50% off days are close to zero, with no bookings taken. If you’re passing Barrack Lane, though, it’s certainly worth taking a look to see if you can enjoy their popular street food at an exclusive price, including a vegan patty and toppings stuffed into a bright pink bun.
words ISABEL THOMAS