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Food & Drink
Cardiff has a growing reputation for fine dining, with the chefs being lucky enough to have some of the best produce to work with - magnificent Welsh lamb and beef, high-quality vegetables, shellfish and wild salmon. In the city centre’s new Brewery Quarter you can wine and dine al fresco at a wide range of restaurants – from tapas to Thai, and new restaurants are emerging everywhere with a seemingly endless choice of cuisine.
If you’re busy, you need to eat as you go but a leisurely break in Cardiff will also give the opportunity to pick from the vast choice this modern, upbeat, multicultural city has to offer.
Cardiff’s Central Market, which is open from Monday to Saturday, is famous for stocking salt marsh Welsh lamb - its deep, succulent flavour gleaned from coastal grazing is a favourite of top chefs.
For more fresh produce why not try the Riverside Real Food Market and the Roath Real Food Market, both thriving community markets and Cardiff's leading markets for Welsh and organic produce. It provides tasty fresh food at good prices for both local people and visitors. It's a great place to buy, and taste, chutneys, goats cheese, French bread, organic pork, locally grown vegetables and herbs.
Eat your way through the day
Kick off with a full breakfast at Mimosa Kitchen & Bar, a watering hole that prides itself on using Welsh produce wherever possible, before setting off to explore Cardiff Bay. If a stroll around the public art trail, or a trip on the waterbus has left you peckish, then make a beeline for Fabulous Welshcakes in Mermaid Quay, where, as well as cooking up Welshcakes and handmade chocolates, they offer stylish gifts that are locally-sourced and made to the highest of standards. 
In the city centre, Positano will offer an Italian lunch to set you up for an afternoon visit to the castle. Zero degrees in Westgate Street brews its own beer right before your eyes – and offers a fresh, modern and inspiring menu which includes a fine selection of gourmet pizzas and delicious salads. A tea or coffee break could take you to Pipi’s, part coffee shop, part patisserie, with more than a taste of Greece about it. For an evening cocktail why not try Brookes Bar, Lounge & Restaurant. Opposite Cardiff Castle, this restaurant & cocktail lounge is lively, chic and has a distinctly continental ambience.
Want to linger longer? Then make your way to the Armless Dragon in Cathays, just beyond the city centre, where you can get a true flavour of Wales and contemporary Welsh cuisine. Non-meat eaters could opt for the Vegetarian Food Studio on Penarth Road. Serving Gujarati and Asian inspired specialities, it’s billed in the Guardian’s UK Top 10 Veggie Eats. Round things off at Milgi Lounge on City Road. This bohemian hangout even boasts its own yurt - perfect for some serious chilling.
If someone in Cardiff tells you they want Brains, don’t be alarmed, they’re referring to the local brewery, which produce the city’s favourite pint. The lively St Mary Street is the busiest area for bars and clubs at the weekend with Mill Lane and Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay providing popular alternatives.
For a more traditional taste of Welsh cuisine, why not try a Welsh Banquet at Cardiff Castle. Here you'll find a relaxed evening of Welsh food, surroundings and entertainment. Dine in the 15th Century Undercroft, one of the oldest parts of the castle, and enjoy the warmest of Welsh welcomes in an evening of Welsh story and song. Find out more.
Why not stay in Cardiff a little longer and try one of our Foodie breaks? Find out more here.
Foodie Festivals
In Cardiff you'll find celebrations of food and drink throughout the year. Have a taste of the exotic in Cardiff's Indian Food Festival in March or make the world your kitchen with the International Food and Drink Festival in July. The Great British Cheese Festival in September brings all things cheese to Cardiff Castle as well as entertainment.
Cardiff's Indian Food Festival (1 - 31 March 2009) City-wide
Cardiff’s Indian Food Festival returns for a third outing in 2009. Cookery demonstrations, Help a South Wales Child Charity Dinner, food master classes, wine tasting and the unveiling of the 2009 Cardiff Curry are just some of the highlights of Cardiff’s Indian Food Festival 2009. Find out more.
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Cardiff International Food & Drink Festival (10 - 12 July) Cardiff Bay
This year's expanded Cardiff International Food & Drink Festival will titillate your taste buds and quench your thirst with food and culinary skills on display from all over the world. Get ready to food shop your way around Wales, France, Germany, Norway and Italy, picking up a few tips along the way from the professionals as they demonstrate seasonal recipes. Enjoy the walkabout street and bandstand entertainment as you relax with a drink – so don’t forget your shopping list! Find out more.
The Great British Cheese Festival (26 - 27 September) Cardiff Castle
The Great Brisish Cheese Festival returns to Cardiff Castle for its 2nd year, so be ready for 2 days of great food, great company and over 450 amazing British cheese to try, taste and buy. You'll also find award winning artisan produce from Wales and beyond, plenty to wash it down with, and even an insight into the art of cheese making. Find out more.
These international events bring food and drink from all over the UK and the world. For more information on Cardiff events click here.
To see a full listing of restaurants, café's and tea rooms just click Restaurant Listings.
To see a full listing of bars, clubs and pubs just click Bar Listings.
For your information, smoking is banned in enclosed public places in Wales since a new law came into force on the 2nd of April 2007. This means that smoking is not allowed any more in public places such as restaurants, pubs and clubs.
