Shree Krishna Vada Pav, Cardiff city centre, Indian street food review

Despite the money spent on regenerating Cardiff’s “Canal Quarter”, it’s still one of the dreariest parts of the city centre.

I’m sure that the canal’s passing resemblance to an open sewer instead of a picturesque watercourse might be something to do with it.

At the same time, over the last decade the city’s focal point has increasingly migrated towards the Hayes, leaving the Capital Centre and its surrounding area as a bit of a ghost town.

So, the arrival of the Shree Krishna Vadha Pav (SKVP), a colourful Indian street food chain with over 20 outlets across the UK, has certainly brightened up the area.

Even more exciting than SKVP’s colourful exterior is the fact that its Harrow branch was named in the usually reliable Infatuation’s top 21 Indian restaurants in London. And the always reliable Andy Hayler enjoyed his visit to the Hounslow branch.

SKVP’s interior matches its exterior - it’s bold, bright and colourful with a fun Indian street food vibe.

Shortly after they opened in May 2026, we visited for a takeaway vada pav and only recently managed to visit for a sit-in meal. 

SKVP has a colossal menu of over 90 vegan and vegetarian dishes that includes pavs, frankie rolls, curries, Indo-Chinese dishes, dosas and chaats, with the focus on dishes from the Maharashtra region of India where Mumbai is located. There are some good value weekday deals and multibuys on offer too, including a meal deal that offers any vada pav, a chaat and a drink for £8.95.

Ordering is done at the till and there’s then a reassuring wait for your meal to be prepared. Except for the vada pav, which come out lightning fast. At £2.95, they’re cracking value and really well worth naming a restaurant after.

A super soft and squidgy white roll is home to a chonky soft spiced potato pattice that’s smeared with tangy tamarind chutney, creamy coconut chutney and the crunch of crispy batter bits. If you want a fiery kick of chilli, then there are accompanying deep fried green chillies to nibble on. I’d happily eat two of these for £6 as a well sized lunch.

On the drinks front, a mango lassi is ice cold with plenty of fragrant tropical fruit and a creamy tang of yoghurt. Masala chai has a lovely hit of warming spice combined with a sweet creaminess. They’re both very good examples of their type.

 The other star of the meal is an excellent mutter paneer curry (£8.95), which is billed on the menu as an “all-time favourite dish”. Golden crusted triangles of creamy paneer and sweet tender peas are bathed in a thick tomato-based curry sauce that thrums with spice and the richness of butter. On the side are two whopping soft parathas.

We ordered a couple of chats to share too. Both are good but we agree that Pooja’s versions are better.

Samosa chat (£7.75) combines a crisp crusted samosa filled with soft spuds and sweet peas sat in a thick, well-spiced yellow pea curry topped with tangy tamarind chutney, diced red onion, and the crunch of spiced peanuts. It’s a very tasty bit of comfort food.

Dahi puri (£7.25) are little flavour bombs – the crisp puri shells are filled to the brim with soft potatoes, creamy yoghurt and topped with crunchy sev, spiced peanuts and tamarind chutney.

We both really enjoyed the well-priced vegetarian street food at Sree Krishna Vadha Pav, and their namesake dish is a particular highlight. If you’re looking to try one of “London’s top 20 Indian restaurants” then head down to Cardiff’s Canal Quarter and save yourself a train ticket to the Big Smoke. 

The Details:

Address - Shree Krishna Vada Pav, 111 Queen Street, Cardiff CF10 2BH

Web - https://skvp.co.uk/

Telephone - 07459 938454

Bosco, Cardiff city centre Italian restaurant review

FOMOOF is a very specific type of fear of missing out that I suffer from. It's food, of course.

Whenever someone posts about a delicious looking sandwich / burger / curry / anything edible (delete as appropriate) from somewhere in Cardiff that I haven't tried before, I invariably develop the urge to eat the same thing as soon as possible.

But, I suffer from FOMOOF the most when Mrs G goes out for a meal without me. So, when Mrs G planned an Italian meal at Villaggio with a friend, I decided to take myself out for dinner at Bosco to calm my FOMOOF.

Located on the High Street, Bosco opened in Cardiff city centre at the end of 2025 and is part of a small independent chain of five pizzerias and trattorias spread across the southwest of England and Wales.

The first thing that’s worth saying about Bosco is just how stunning their dining room is. In fact, I can’t think of many nicer spaces in Cardiff. With its dark wood panelling, sweeping bar, atmospheric lighting, and banquette seating, it oozes mid-century Italian style.

Their extensive menu comprises pizza and pasta as well as small and large plates. But between 12pm and 6pm on a weekday, they offer an excellent value three courses for £22. Available is a selection of three starters, mains and dessert, including arancini, ribollita and Swoon gelato.

On the drinks front, a goblet of smooth and chunky Sicilian Il Barroccio Rosso (£6.50) was a lovely house wine. I’d have gladly seen off a couple of glasses.

To start, a naughty take on courgette fritti saw thick batons of the tender squash coated in a light and grease free batter. Whilst they were a little low on seasoning themselves, plenty of flavour came from a drizzle of sticky hot honey and a flurry of savoury grano padano cheese.

Onto my main, and a very generously proportioned margherita pizza was well topped with fruity tomato sauce, fragrant basil and creamy mozzarella. 

Whilst this Neapolitan style pizza had the expected leopard spotted crust and very good aeration, it also had a nice crispness that I think resulted from a dusting of semolina flour.

Finally, a proper slab of tiramisu combined light mascarpone cream, soft sponge fingers that were well soaked with coffee and the boozy nuttiness of amaretto, and dusted with cocoa. It was an excellent example of one of my all-time favourite desserts.

I had a delicious and cracking value early dinner at Bosco and it makes me all the more keen to go back to try their main menu. Most importantly, it assuaged any FOMOOF that I had from Mrs G eating out without me.

The details:

Address - Bosco, 14 High Street, Cardiff CF10 1AX

Web - https://www.boscopizzeria.co.uk/pages/restaurants/cardiff

Telephone - 02921 111 345