CRÈME ****
186-188 Kings Road, Cardiff. 029 2140 5735
With the growing ubiquity of high street coffee shops and lunchtime eateries, it’s always refreshing to discover a new independent café. Pontcanna has always been a draw for a range of small, independent cafes and shops, and the latest addition to the popular area comes in the form of Crème.
With high teas, fresh sandwiches, light mains, and locally made cakes, Crème’s varied and tempting menu takes advantage of local Welsh ingredients in a range of modest dishes. With light meals not exceeding £6.50 (for two sharing), and a smoked haddock and leek crostini with tomato and basil fondue costing only £4.95, Crème’s prices are certainly very competitive.
Although the light mains proved tempting, my dining partner and I opted for humble sandwiches. Choosing the smoked salmon sandwich with a citrus and chive crème and herb salad, plus smoked chicken sandwich with mango salsa and rocket, we were both pleasantly surprised by the fresh quality and flavour of both sandwiches. On my return visit I’ll be sure to try the tempting camembert with cranberry and orange relish or the Welsh rarebit and pancetta.
After our filling sandwiches, Crème’s abundant locally baked cake selection left us with a dilemma of quite what to choose. After devouring a large slice of chocolate fudge cake and a chocolate and honeycomb tart, we knew we’d made sensible selections.
Looking to the future, Crème plans to offer their traditional high teas along with a glass of champagne. Also, the introduction of a wine selection and tapas menu will no doubt tempt early evening diners. For a light or lazy lunch, Crème is a welcome alternative.