King’s Yard, Pontcanna, Cardiff. 029 2022 5270 / www.lazyleek.co.uk
Food **** Atmosphere ****
Tucked away in King’s Yard, one of the most pleasant hidey-holes in Cardiff, is vegan burger eatery The Lazy Leek. This little haven for independent businesses is certainly worthwhile seeking out, and the atmosphere is immediately relaxed.
As for The Lazy Leek’s menu, this being a small, street-food-type deal, there isn’t a big range of choice, but there are three very interesting burgers on offer. This writer plumped for The Italian Job – a cheesy risotto patty with vegan mozzarella, garlic mushrooms and a hazelnut-rocket pesto – though the Nacho Libre (spicy bean patty) and The Cow(less)boy (bean patty with beer-battered onion rings and BBQ sauce) all look great. At £7 each they are perhaps a little on the pricy side as far as vegan food is concerned, but perfectly reasonable for a standard burger.
The standard issue I often have with vegan burgers is that they are dry and flat, but this burst with tender creamy flavour, each bite melting succulently into the mouth. Brownies afterwards were also great, with sweet gooey insides. I genuinely couldn’t tell that both chocolate and the mozzarella was vegan, which is a sign that The Lazy Leek are using great ingredients.
All packaging, down to the tissues, is biodegradable and responsibly sourced as well, so nothing goes to waste. Highly recommended – more so when visiting on a Friday or Saturday when Pipes Brewery is open, as their range of beers make an excellent accompaniment. FEDOR TOT