Cambrian Quay, Cardigan. 01239 612259
Food ***** Atmosphere *****
Trendy pizza establishments in unusual locations are shooting up all across Wales, but you’d struggle to eat anywhere more tranquil than the edge of The River Teifi in Cardigan. The four Lynch brothers and their band of merry friends run Pizza Tipi; the venue quietly boasts live Saturday night music and local festival vibes across the summer months. It really couldn’t be further from a high street chain, with its relaxed atmosphere and effortless ambiance.
On walking towards the stone archway on Cardigan Quayside, we were greeted by a chalkboard stating “dogs and calm kids welcome” Lucky, as we turned up with seven children and eight adults – no dogs though.
A giant open-sided tepee forms the centerpiece of the riverside courtyard, with an open fire puffing out rustic atmosphere. It’s flanked by a homely ‘proper’ pub – Tafarn Smwglin, selling Fforest’s homebrew, real ale, wine and (to the delight of my eldest daughter) refreshing home-made strawberry lemonade, poured from enamel coffee pots. To me, though, the kitchen is one of the most impressive parts of the whole setup. The-wood fired ovens are housed in a purpose-built open pizza preparation hut, with complete panoramic riverside views. What chef wouldn’t want to work here?
This is also where you order from the small but reasonably priced menu, with pizzas ranging from £7-£10. Between us we ate through classics like ‘summertime’ (chorizo, peppers, onions and olives) and specials featuring sausage, onion chutney, onions, chili flakes and coriander – or my favourite topping, which featured chili prawns, goats cheese and watercress on a salsa verde base. All pizzas had a pleasingly thin and crispy bottom, with those blackened, bubbled edges you only get from a wood fired stove. The ingredients were fresh, likewise the delicious accompanying salads, and where possible picked from their very own Fforest gardens.
Dessert was as simple as the pizza-loving lifestyle created by The Lynch Boys: large, home-baked slabs of chocolate brownies. No other choice, but that just feels right at Pizza Tipi. No need to over complicate things.
BETHAN MORRIS