• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Magazine
  • Our Story
  • Buzz Learning
  • Buzz TV
  • Contact Buzz
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Buzz Magazine

Buzz Magazine

What's On in Wales - Your Ultimate Guide

  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Comedy
    • Dance
    • Film
    • Music
    • Sport
    • Theatre
    • TV
  • Life
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Community
    • Environment
  • Regions
    • South Wales
    • Mid Wales
    • West Wales
    • North Wales
  • What’s On
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Comedy
    • Dance
    • Film
    • Music
    • Sport
    • Theatre
    • TV
  • Life
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Community
    • Environment
  • Regions
    • South Wales
    • Mid Wales
    • West Wales
    • North Wales
  • What’s On

  • Magazine
  • Our Story
  • Buzz Learning
  • Buzz TV

  • Contact Buzz
  • Write for Buzz
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • FAQs
  • Privacy Policy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
You are here: Home / Life / Food & Drink / THE DERI INN | FOOD REVIEW

THE DERI INN | FOOD REVIEW

April 13, 2017 Category: Food & Drink, Reviews Region: South Wales

IMG_1764 (002)

Heol-Y-Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff. 02920 626237 / www.emberinns.co.uk

food stars 2-4

 

 

As with other establishments bearing Mitchells & Butlers’ Ember Inns brand, the newly refurbished Deri Inn is carefully – some might say cynically – designed to take on cherished independent locals at their own game: hearty pub grub, real ales aplenty, open fire. While it’s almost inevitably lacking in distinctive character, the décor and lighting are tasteful, the atmosphere is convivial and, for a Tuesday night, it’s impressively busy – clearly a firm favourite with the neighbourhood.

The chain’s commitment to real ale is exemplified in the form of Ember Ale, their own unique beer crafted by the Black Sheep brewery, a pint of which proves to be smooth but otherwise unremarkable.

There’s a pleasing coarseness and crunch to my smoked haddock and spring onion starter, which is accompanied with herby tartare sauce, while sweet chilli sauce further sweetened by the addition of pineapple is a good match for crisply battered chunks of calamari. Mystifyingly, though, the kids’ veggie sticks with hummus features straggly celery in place of the expected carrot batons, and a pot of oily hummus with the mild but unmistakeable and unwelcome tang of curry.

Thankfully, the youngest member of our party is not deterred – and continues in that vein, shovelling in with parent-pleasing haste and enthusiasm a cheese and tomato pizza that has the distinct “off-the-shelf-at-ASDA” look about it. Worse still, though, is the slow-cooked belly pork, which, while admittedly generously proportioned, neither has a decent layer of crackling nor falls apart at the merest hint of a fork, and is swamped in an overpowering “smokey jus” and served with a spoonful of dry, uninspired mixed veg. Significantly better is a medium rare sirloin steak, and especially the three peppercorn sauce, but it’s not enough to salvage a disappointing array of mains.

The trio of desserts offers a good option for anyone prone to indecisiveness or food envy, but again we’re left baffled – this time by the apparent absence of any meringue from the Eton mess. At least the salted caramel profiteroles and chocolate brownie flanking it provide a measure of compensation.

Factor in the cost and you’ve got a pub that, based on our experience, tries but ultimately flatters to deceive.

words BEN WOOLHEAD

  • Tweet
Tag: ben woolhead, Food Reviews

You may also like:

Canadian art rock collective CRACK CLOUD fail to connect in Cardiff

THE BUG CLUB leave Newport hungry for more frenetic, millennial indie rock

Working Mens Club

WORKING MEN’S CLUB’s FEAR FEAR thumpingly echoes today’s troubled times

Carion Wind Quintet

BBC PROMS bring Carion Wind Quintet animated concert to Cardiff

Parador 44

BAR 44 branches into boutique hotels with luxurious Cardiff pad, PARADOR 44

Ceylon Spicy Pot

CEYLON SPICY POT brings crowd-pleasing Sri Lankan food faves to Cardiff


Sidebar

Looking for something to do?

The Ultimate Guide to What’s on in Wales!

See What’s On
Advertisement
Tickets
BTP - Campaign

Buzz archives

Buzz Magazine

12 Gaspard Place
Barry
Vale Of Glamorgan
CF62 6SJ

[email protected]

Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Advertising
  • Editorial
  • Submit an Event
  • Write for Buzz
About Us
  • Our Story
  • Magazine
  • Buzz Learning
  • Media Services
  • FAQs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube


Copyright © 2022   |   All Rights Reserved   |   Buzz Magazine   


We are using cookie tracking to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we track and personalise your preferences in settings.

Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.