LONGA TURKISH CAFÉ
180 Whitchurch Rd, Cardiff. 029 2063 2082 / longacafe.co.uk
Food ***** Atmosphere ****
The recently opened Longa Café has got a lot of people talking – and on my visit there, I could see why. From the outside, Longa, with its white walls, pine tables, big windows and minimalistic décor doesn’t seem massively different from its competitors along Whitchurch Road. Yet, once you get inside, it is clear that this dining experience is going to be something different.
More than simply a bakery or café, going to Longa is a whole experience – with the food at the centre. This even stretches to decoration: freshly-made bread dresses the window in baskets, and tempting desserts fill the countertop.
Open for breakfast and lunch every day apart from Tuesdays, their menu which integrates lesser-known Turkish delicacies with well-known Western flavours succeeds in combining Turkish and Welsh culture, bringing a modern twist to classic dishes. For breakfasts, which come highly recommended here, we tried their speciality platter. We picked The Anatolian (£17.50 for two), which combined speciality eggs, a variety of salty and soft cheeses, olives and spicy meats. The vegetarian option, The Aegean, which included hummus, nuts and fruit, looked equally appealing.
For us, the highlight of the whole breakfast was the wonderful condiments: rose petal jam and wildflower honey. They were a great accompaniment to the fresh Turkish bread which came with breakfast and had been made in the inhouse bakery. Nearly full, we stretched to try a dessert and were not disappointed. We sampled the Lokma (£4.95), a deep-fried doughnut topped with wildflower honey. Still hot from the oven, it made a perfect end to the meal.
In my experience, very few restaurants do authentic Turkish food, especially breakfasts, well. Though when they do, they get busy, as has definitely been the case for Longa. When we visited, we struggled to find a free table – I would recommend planning your visit ahead.
Overall, the whole Longa experience, from attentive friendly service which gave the café a real wholesome family feel to faultless food, makes Longa feel genuinely different and truly new and is certainly worth a visit – or two.
words ELOUISE HOBBS