TY MADEIRA
32 St Mary St, Cardiff. www.tymadeira.co.uk
Food ***** Atmosphere ****
It’s not clear what exactly will become of Guildford Crescent as I write this, so consider this review both a celebration of new beginnings and an elegy for things lost, as Madeira, the popular Portuguese restaurant on the Crescent, recently opened up a new restaurant on St Mary St – well before the news broke about the planned demolition. The two restaurants are almost identical menu-wise, and the quality has not dropped a smidgen.
Our (sizeable) party on the night in question ordered a variety of meals – from steaks to stuffed peppers. Madeira’s trademark espetadas (long skewers of meat fixed to hooks from the ceiling) have remained intact, and as superb as ever. This writer had a mix of lamb, chicken and pork on the espetada, and each cut was rich, succulent and perfectly cooked. The house wine too was an excellent compliment to the meal, a Portuguese red with the fruitiness and complex aftertaste that you want with strong red meats. Finally, the décor hasn’t changed much either – they’ve gone for the same bare wooden beams that makes the original Madeira feel like a tucked-away inn in some backstreet.
Price-wise, Ty Madeira is a little bit dear at times – most mains come in at £15 or more, so you are talking about easily spending £20 a head here, but it is worth every penny. One only hopes that we somehow get to live in a Cardiff where both Madeiras can remain in existence, with Guildford Crescent still a thriving centre. What will change by the time you read this?
words Fedor Tot