Nok and Roni's Kitchen, falafel and Thai cooking, Cardiff review

It feels like it’s been a very long and wet winter.

It must have felt even longer for outdoor-centric businesses like Nok and Roni’s Kitchen in Canton’s Boneyard.

Whilst they’ve got covered seating to take shelter from any inevitable downpours, this is a place where you’re acutely aware of the elements.

So, on the first sunny day in Cardiff in what seemed like months, we decided it was time for a long overdue visit to Nok and Roni’s.

For keen followers of Cardiff restaurant lore, Roni is the former owner of Crwys Road’s Falafel Kitchen, home of the best falafel that I’ve ever eaten in the city.

Having closed in 2018, Roni started a Mediterranean and Thai street food stall with his wife Nok. Hence the name Nok and Roni’s.

After stints at Roath and Riverside Markets, a short-lived cafe on Trade Street, and a spell at McCarthur Glen in Bridgend, Nok and Roni relocated to the Boneyard in early 2025.

I’ve always thought the Boneyard is a bit of a funny location. Hidden away at the end of an industrial estate alongside other shipping container creative companies, it’s the kind of place which has almost no passing trade.

So, unless you’ve planned a visit to Nok and Roni's, it’s very unlikely you’re going to stumble across them. It’s a shame because Nok and Roni’s menu of Mediterranean and Thai street food classics is the type of food that deserves to be stumbled upon.

Having ordered at the counter and following a short wait for everything to be cooked to order, we were in business.

Mrs G ordered the falafel wrap (£8) and its main component was every bit as good as I remembered. At least half a dozen golden falafel were beautifully crisp and grease free with light, soft and herb-flecked centres. They were stuffed into a whopping soft flat bread alongside thick hummus and fresh salad. On the side was a generous pile of skinny, paprika-dusted fries. For £8 this was a hell of a feed.

Despite also wanting to order falafel, I thought it would be churlish to not give Nok’s Thai cooking a go. I was very glad I did.

A tofu pad Thai (£9) was excellent. A generous portion of slippery noodles with just the right amount of bite were coated in a tangy, sweet and savoury sauce that was lifted with a good squeeze of lime. The crunch of smashed peanuts, fresh spring onions, a dusting of chilli flakes, caramelised omelette pieces and a scattering of squishy tofu puffs completed the delicious and well-priced dish.

I was worried about having FFOMO (falafel fear of missing out) so I ordered a side of falafel and hummus. Six of those brilliant chickpea fritters were sat in a bowl of thick and smooth tahini rich hummus. I was very glad I ordered them but at £6.50 I’d question their value compared to the wrap with chips that costs just £1.50 more. Next time I’ll skip breakfast and order a wrap and a pad Thai.

We had a belter of a lunch at Nok and Roni’s Kitchen and it’s great to see Cardiff’s falafel king still reigns supreme.

At the end of our meal, when I asked Roni how things were going in their new home, he told me that they’d struggled with the wet weather and so are potentially looking at relocating once again to a bricks and mortar space. I totally understand their dilemma. Wherever they’re based, Cardiff is very much better off with Nok and Roni’s cooking.

The Details:

Address - Nok and Roni's Kitchen, The Bone Yard, Paper Mill Road, Canton, Cardiff CF11 8DH

Web - https://www.instagram.com/nokandronikitchen/?hl=en

Telephone - 07400 522233

Pizza Pilgrims, Cardiff city centre review

Whilst I’m most definitely not the biggest fan of chains, things are undoubtedly more nuanced than the simplified view point that independent restaurants are good and chain restaurants are bad.

So, despite Pizza Pilgrims now having 26 restaurants across the UK, including a Cardiff city centre branch which opened just over 12 months ago, and having recently sold a majority stake to German Italian restaurant group L’Osteria, it’s worth remembering that they started out as an indie that helped popularise Neapolitan style pizza in the UK.

And unlike so many chains, it’s hard to deny that they’ve maintained their focus on quality ingredients. Caputo flour, Latteria Sorentina fior di latte and Solania San Marzano tomatoes are all name-checked on their menus. Pizza Pilgrims were also recently named the 6th best artisanal pizza chain in the world behind well-respected names like Da Michele and Big Mamma Group.

On a Saturday night in January, it was pretty much a full house in Pizza Pilgrim’s eclectically decorated dining room. Despite the bustle, the jovial front of house team provided swift service.

Pizza Pilgrim’s menu offers fifteen different varieties of Neapolitan pizza as well as eight different sides and salads. A kids meal option was very well received by a junior member of the group with its offer of a half-sized pizza, drink, scoop of ice cream and activities for a cut price £8.

On the booze front, there’s a compact wine selection of just two whites, reds, and fizzes, and one rose. A bottle of Ilauri Bajo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (£32) was a delicious accompaniment to the pizza with its balance of red fruit, light oak and a bit of bright acidity.

Out of the two snacks we ordered, cacio pepe balls (£8) were the clear standout. I mean, what’s not to love about a turbo-charged mac and cheese ball? Stubby spaghetti coated in a runny cheese and pepper packed sauce were encapsulated in a deep-fried crumb.

Tender panko crumbed artichokes were good but a lot less exciting in comparison. However, an accompanying creamy garlic and herb dip was vampire deterring in its potency.

Onto the pizzas, and they all had well-mottled crusts with good aeration and a light chew.

The crusts were tasty on their own, but even better dipped in a trio of crust dippers (3 for £5) – a sweet and fiery hot honey, a fragrant basil aioli, and more of that honking garlic and herb.

The clear standout of the pizzas for me was the You’ve Got Maiale (£15.95), a classy yet filthy combination of potent ‘nduja, course ground Italian sausage, fatty pepperoni, thinly sliced red onion and a sweet yet tangy balsamic drizzle that delivered a similar effect to BBQ sauce.

An Aubergine Parmigiana (£13.95) was also very good with its combination of soft and meaty aubergine, smoked mozzarella and a good dusting of salty pecorino romano. But, I felt the topping was a bit sparse in places.

Finally, a simpler ‘nduja (£14.50) hit the spot, relying on the combination of fiery spreadable sausage with fruity San Marzano tomato sauce and creamy fior di latte.

For dessert they only had takeaway portions left of their enticing sounding Nutella tiramisu (£8). So, they kindly did us a two for one deal. I certainly wasn’t complaining as whilst it was served in a slightly unattractive carboard box, it was a mahoosive portion.

The delicious riff on the Italian classic combined light mascarpone cream and espresso-soaked sponge fingers with a thin layer of addictively sticky Nutella and a crisp biscuit crumb. Arguably it could have taken a bigger hit of bitter coffee to balance the sweetness, but it's a minor quibble.  

I really liked Pizza Pilgrims. It’s a fun and informal spot that serves good quality Neapolitan pizza. Despite its chain credentials, if you’re looking for a pizza in Cardiff city centre, then it’s well worth a visit.

The Details:

Address - Pizza Pilgrims, 1 - 4 High Street, Cardiff, CF10 1PX

Web - https://www.pizzapilgrims.co.uk/pizzerias/cardiff/
Telephone - 029 2002 8660