Eating out in Cardiff

We had lunch at Barker's coffee house twice: this one is in Castle Arcade.

Both coffee houses are decorated in the same way: comfortable leather armchairs

vintage lighting

relaxed atmosphere






always very busy

even though there is a lull at times

with good views outside so that we could people watch

flowery wallpaper on some walls, exposed plasterwork on others

The food was delicious - we had a wonderful tomato and basil soup.

For our first evening meal we went to the Potted Pig

which is located in in a former bank vault beneath the city.






It was packed when we arrived but I took these photographs as we were leaving

cosy little rooms

old plaster walls as in the previous place

The cast iron doors still in place.

Good paintings on the walls.

The second day we went to Barker's again for lunch, but the one in the High Street Arcade this time.

Same décor as the one in Castle Arcade

I had the fluffiest scrabbled eggs and my mouth waters just thinking about them.

This one is much smaller than the one in Castle Arcade and I remembered both coffee houses from our previous visit to Cardiff. They are well worth a visit.

The Victorian arcades in Cardiff

The most distinctive aspect of Cardiff is its Victorian and Edwardian arcades which seem to be everywhere. Full of independent shops they offer an alternative to the usual high street shops and it's a pleasure wandering around looking in the shop windows or going in to browse.

There are five of them:

Castle Arcade

Most are generally two storeys high. The ground floor is lined with shops and cafes. Some are lavishly decorated, particularly the Castle and High Street ones.

The High Street Arcade

Some of the arcades have a first floor balcony serving further units which tend to be creative businesses rather than shops

The Morgan Arcade

The Royal Arcade

Apparently the area underneath this arcade is the site of an 1800s cholera pit

They are glazed and therefore filled with natural light.

and the Wyndham Arcade

Some bend and fork giving the impression that they go on forever.


The arcades make Cardiff an independent shop heaven - here are some that we found particularly interesting:

Barker's Coffee shop

joke shop





design for the home





a coffee shop with a huge Toulouse Lautrec mural





cheese

Science Cream,

an ice-cream parlour which uses Heston Blumenthal-inspired chemistry to turn locally supplied ingredients into ice-cream and other frozen deserts. This happens while you wait: you specify what you want, and a few minutes later, your ice-cream is ready

a head shop

tattoos

A dedicated button shop that's been around for 30 years

plants and flowers

homeware

which includes these gorgeous ceramic jugs from Spain

Wally's delicatessen

is huge, full of delicious treats

Dot was my favourite: a dress agency that also sold new clothes





stylish, elegant, quirky clothes - irresistible

bath products

that look as delicious as pastries.