Bread and Salt, Canton, Cardiff Polish restaurant review

Fall apart tender slow-cooked beef and gravy on a crisp autumn night.

Aromatic Vietnamese summer rolls on a baking hot summer’s day.

Some types of food really are better suited to different seasons.

Polish food’s rib-sticking qualities put it very much in the cuisines of winter.

So, it was appropriate that we visited Cowbridge Road East’s Bread & Salt on an bitterly cold January evening.

Having relocated from Adamsdown’s Clifton Street at the end of last year, Bread & Salt’s hearty menu of Polish food includes dishes such as stuffed cabbage rolls, polish sausage and chicken devolay (it sounds chicken kiev-esque). 

 
A large bottle of Zywiec lager (£4.70) got us off to an authentic start. 

Pierogi (£7.90), aka dumplings, were the standout of the starters. We went for a selection and the best were an intense mushroom and cabbage type and a light cheesy mashed potato variety. A mild flavoured minced “meat” filling was tasty but a little non-descript. 

A soft blood sausage (£6.90) was closer to a haggis in texture. Flecked with barley and sweet onions it was very nice dolloped onto a hot crusty roll with a smear of warming mustard. But, I found the spicing a little unusual - I think this perhaps may have been a result of bayleaf. 

 
A frisbee-sized potato pancake (£13.90) was the winner of the two mains. Mega crisp with a soft interior, it was topped with a tender chicken and beef goulash in a light tomato sauce with a good hit of spice. An ooze of melted cheese brought the whole plate together. 

A big ol’ ham hock (£12.90) served with dill topped potatoes was fall apart tender yet pleasingly crisp in places. Dollops of mustard and sweet grated horseradish provided welcome punch as the spicing on the pork was fairly subtle. 

The accompaniments to both our hefty mains were vital in providing balance. Cucumber coated in tangy yoghurt, sour cream, sweet shredded beetroot salad and creamy carrot salad were all delicious. 

Stuffed by this point, a bought-in slice of moist apple cake (£2.50) was a totally unnecessary but nice end to the meal. 

We had a very tasty meal at Bread & Salt. Their huge portions of hearty food make it a lovely place to visit on a cold winter’s night. Some dishes stood out far more than others and I've also heard good things about their breaded bits of meat. 

 The Details:

Address - Bread and Salt, 155 Cowbridge Rd East, Cardiff CF11 9DW
Web - https://www.facebook.com/breadandsalt.ltd/

Telephone - 07990 583988