PIER 64 ****
Penarth Marina, Cardiff. 029 2000 0064
Pier 64 is a joint collaboration between Francis Dupuy of Le Gallois fame, local scaffolder Paul Smith, and Joanne Nuwar. The premise is simple: steak bar and restaurant open for breakfast and coffee throughout the day. Not quite the fine dining that Le Gallois offered, but Pier 64 is aiming to provide the marina with a good quality restaurant and a great alternative dining experience with its fabulous location overlooking the marina.
We went for lunch the week after opening, and there were a few teething problems such as the air vents weren’t working properly and the staff were slightly rushed, forgetting a forgot a couple of items from our order. Despite this, they were very polite and it didn’t affect the overall experience. The food as expected was very good, and although the choice from a bar, lunch and special menu was a bit baffling, we chose wild Welsh mussels marinieres and minute steak. The menu has the usual suspects such as croquet monsieur, charcuterie platter, oysters, king prawns and a wide selection of locally sourced steaks – all dry aged for at least 35 days and ranging from £9.95 up to £40 and beyond.
Our lunch with a couple of small glasses of wine, a side order of fries and bread came to around £46. If you don’t mind paying quite a bit more for extras, this is the place for you, as the steak literally was just a steak on a plate. There is no doubting the quality of the food, the perfect location and the concept. It will work, and the marina and its residents will benefit from its arrival. ANTONIA LEVAY