The people of Twitter were incredibly helpful when it came to recommending the best places for brunch in Cardiff. The most popular suggestions included Cafe Brava, The Pot, Pier 64 and Juno + Fino Lounges.
In spite of this, we plumped for Cote Bistro in the Bay which was recommended by @leybs. The menu read well, I expected the Bay would be quiet during the pre-Christmas shopping maelstrom and I’d been planning a visit to the small chain since it won the Best value restaurant accolade in the Good Food Guide in 2009.
During lunch and evening service, Cote serves well priced French bistro classics. In contrast the brunch menu (served before midday weekdays and 1pm on weekends) consists of a less Franco-centric range of brunch options.
As predicted Cote was very quiet – we were one of only 2 occupied tables - meaning the waiting time on the food was enjoyably brief. In addition I was impressed by the classy design of Cote’s dining room, the complimentary filtered water and the friendly waiting staff.
Most importantly the food was very good.
My Crepe Complete (£6.25) was spanking. A warm, soft crepe was filled with two perfectly cooked fried eggs, thickly cut bacon and shaved gruyere cheese.
Mrs G’s Eggs Benedict (£7.50) was on the nail. The poached eggs were runny and the homemade hollandaise was smooth and buttery. However it could have done with a bigger squeeze of lemon juice.
The full English breakfast (£7.50) was very good too. Free range eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms and toast were all cooked accurately. Tomatoes were excluded by request.
If you’re down the bay and looking for brunch I’d heartily recommend Cote.
The details:
Cote Bistro, 25 Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF10 5BZ
Tel: 029 2045 3780
Tel: 029 2045 3780
A Full English Breakfast with neither black pudding nor baked beans? Are you kidding me? Come on! You can't let an Italian tell you what an English Breakfast should consist of, can you? Jokes apart, I'm on a hunt for a real breakfast and the greasy spoons I've been recommended so far haven't been up to the task, in my foreign opinion. I'll take this suggestion of yours, thank you. The sausage looks particularly appetizing. Could you recommend a place to taste a proper Sunday Roast, too? I'd be very appreciative. Keep up with the good work, though. Cheers ;-)
ReplyDelete@lele - Ha ha! You're right. Black pudding is mandatory for a 10/10 cooked breakfast. However, I'm not much of a baked bean fan on a fry up.
ReplyDeleteI've hardly eaten any Sunday lunches in Cardiff so I can't be much help. Sorry. Laguna at the Park Plaza was fairly good and I've heard North Star's is tasty and good value. Felin Fach Griffin is also definitely worth the drive to Brecon. It's one of the best Sunday Roasts I've ever had.
Been there, eaten that. I can confirm that the English breakfast at Cote Bistro is missing two ingredients, but it is a notch above what you would eat at a greasy spoon. It is more expensive, though, but the price difference does translate to a difference in what you get.
ReplyDeleteThank you for recommending a couple places to have a Sunday Roast. I've been at the North Star, but I have been underwhelmed. I'm not the kind of guy to discount a place after going just once, but there it is. As I'm leaving Cardiff soon, it is unlikely that there will be another visit.
Keep up with the tasty work ;-)
@lele - Thanks letting me know how you got on. I'm glad you enjoyed the brunch at Cote.
DeleteI still haven't visited the North Star for Sunday lunch yet. I'm very much like you - if somewhere disappoints it's unlikely I'd revisit.
Cheers!