Beef short rib. Slow-cooked carrot. Lamb kebab.
If you’d asked me before our visit to Parallel which of these three dishes I’d enjoy most, I never would have guessed it would be the same choice as Bugs Bunny.
Located next door to Pasture on Cardiff’s High Street, Parallel is the acclaimed steakhouse’s younger sibling. Whilst it’s a perennial challenge to secure a table at Pasture, it’s a lot easier to bag a reservation at Parallel. In fact, on the Thursday night we visited, I booked our 6pm table on the same day.
Unlike Pasture’s crowd-pleasing menu of steak and sides, Parallel’s regularly changing selection of small plates doesn’t quite have such broad appeal; dishes on offer include scallop ceviche with blood orange and pork and octopus croquette with crispy chilli mayo. However, it most certainly provides an opportunity for the team to flex their creative muscles and in a nice nod towards sustainability, many of Parallel’s dishes make use of the surplus produce from Pasture.
Whilst Pasture is known for its vast industrial dining space, Parallel is more of an intimate affair. In fact, there’s very much a couples vibe as only two of the tables sit four people or more. We sat on comfy stools at the bar and had a front row view of the chefs cooking with charcoal in the compact open kitchen. I’m always a massive fan of countertop dining and wish it was more of a thing in the UK.
On the drinks front, Parallel offers a big range of wine by the glass as well as interesting cocktails like a beetroot negroni and a truffle espresso martini. Keeping it pedestrian, I knocked back a few schooners of Lost & Grounded’s excellent Helles Lager (£5) whilst the baller Mrs G sank glasses of Laurent-Perrier champagne (£12).
I tend to be apathetic when it comes to hummus but Mrs G insisted that we order Parallel’s and it turned out to be one of the best plates of the stuff I’ve ever eaten. Thick black bean hummus (£5) was topped with crispy nuggets of jerk-spiced bacon, crunchy chickpeas and tangy pomegranate molasses. It was a riot of flavour and texture.
Charred flatbreads (£4) seem to be appearing on menus all over the place with notable iterations including Brat’s and Mangal 2’s. Parallel’s can most certainly hold its own alongside London’s big names. Crisp and squidgy, it was drenched with beef dripping, shallots and a tingle of chilli to make the ultimate garlic pizza bread.
Excellent lobster toast (£12) saw a slab of charred brioche topped with sweet and earthy lobster mayo, bathing in a bowl of decadent lobster bisque. Fronds of fresh green herb and a vibrant herb oil provided much needed levity.
Continuing the theme of carbs topped with tasty things was a crisp and squidgy crumpet (£8) piled high with a tangle of crispy sweet hoisin dressed mushrooms, pickled cucumber and a dusting of peanut oil. It was a good riff on the popular bao flavour combination.
Another standout of the night was a tightly packed tender potato spiral (£7), the edges of which had been beautifully crisped up and dotted with the big allium hit of wild garlic puree. 
Surprisingly, the two meat dishes were the least memorable of our meal – they were tasty but everything else was excellent.
A tender shortrib (£14) didn’t quite deliver on the intense beefiness I associate with this cut. And its gochujang seasoning was rather lost behind a potent char.
A koobideh kebab (£12) was nicely seasoned with fragrant za’atar and served with pink pickled onions, an excellent yoghurt dip and vibrant green sauce. But the minced meat itself lacked the juiciness of my City Road kebab house favourites.
In contrast, a carrot (£7) was the type of vegetarian dish which could convert even committed carnivores. Slow cooked for 12 hours to produce a beautifully meaty texture before being charred on the barbecue, it was dressed with an addictively sweet, smoky and spicy smoked maple dressing. Nutty cashew puree and crispy chickpeas provided further punch and crunch.
Desserts were both excellent end notes to the meal.
A hyper crisp tart (£6) was filled with white chocolate mousse and a trio of strawberry styles (fragrant ripe berries, tangy underripe berries, and compote) and served alongside a scoop of tangy goji berry ice cream. It wasn’t too sweet and sang with strawberry fragrance.
Baked Alaska (£6) was definitely one for people with a sweet tooth. Yuzu sponge and lemon ice cream were coated in light meringue which had been given an extra twang of toasty char from the coals of the barbecue. A good drizzle of that gorgeous smoked maple syrup provided extra complexity and sweetness.
Unlike Pasture’s crowd-pleasing menu of steak and sides, Parallel’s regularly changing selection of small plates doesn’t quite have such broad appeal; dishes on offer include scallop ceviche with blood orange and pork and octopus croquette with crispy chilli mayo. However, it most certainly provides an opportunity for the team to flex their creative muscles and in a nice nod towards sustainability, many of Parallel’s dishes make use of the surplus produce from Pasture.
Whilst Pasture is known for its vast industrial dining space, Parallel is more of an intimate affair. In fact, there’s very much a couples vibe as only two of the tables sit four people or more. We sat on comfy stools at the bar and had a front row view of the chefs cooking with charcoal in the compact open kitchen. I’m always a massive fan of countertop dining and wish it was more of a thing in the UK.
On the drinks front, Parallel offers a big range of wine by the glass as well as interesting cocktails like a beetroot negroni and a truffle espresso martini. Keeping it pedestrian, I knocked back a few schooners of Lost & Grounded’s excellent Helles Lager (£5) whilst the baller Mrs G sank glasses of Laurent-Perrier champagne (£12).
Dishes arrived at a good pace, loosely in the order they appeared on the menu with snacks arriving first followed by the “crispy” dishes and then the vegetable and meat dishes. It’s a real bugbear when you visit a small plates restaurant and all of the dishes are plonked in front of you simultaneously with no consideration as to whether they go with each other or not.
The crispy skin (£4) is always one of my favourite parts of a roast chicken dinner so I was never going to pass up on a bowlful. Dusted with salt and malt powder it had a lovely lip tingling hit of seasoning.
The crispy skin (£4) is always one of my favourite parts of a roast chicken dinner so I was never going to pass up on a bowlful. Dusted with salt and malt powder it had a lovely lip tingling hit of seasoning.
I tend to be apathetic when it comes to hummus but Mrs G insisted that we order Parallel’s and it turned out to be one of the best plates of the stuff I’ve ever eaten. Thick black bean hummus (£5) was topped with crispy nuggets of jerk-spiced bacon, crunchy chickpeas and tangy pomegranate molasses. It was a riot of flavour and texture.
Charred flatbreads (£4) seem to be appearing on menus all over the place with notable iterations including Brat’s and Mangal 2’s. Parallel’s can most certainly hold its own alongside London’s big names. Crisp and squidgy, it was drenched with beef dripping, shallots and a tingle of chilli to make the ultimate garlic pizza bread.
Excellent lobster toast (£12) saw a slab of charred brioche topped with sweet and earthy lobster mayo, bathing in a bowl of decadent lobster bisque. Fronds of fresh green herb and a vibrant herb oil provided much needed levity.
Continuing the theme of carbs topped with tasty things was a crisp and squidgy crumpet (£8) piled high with a tangle of crispy sweet hoisin dressed mushrooms, pickled cucumber and a dusting of peanut oil. It was a good riff on the popular bao flavour combination.
Another standout of the night was a tightly packed tender potato spiral (£7), the edges of which had been beautifully crisped up and dotted with the big allium hit of wild garlic puree.
A tender shortrib (£14) didn’t quite deliver on the intense beefiness I associate with this cut. And its gochujang seasoning was rather lost behind a potent char.
A koobideh kebab (£12) was nicely seasoned with fragrant za’atar and served with pink pickled onions, an excellent yoghurt dip and vibrant green sauce. But the minced meat itself lacked the juiciness of my City Road kebab house favourites.
In contrast, a carrot (£7) was the type of vegetarian dish which could convert even committed carnivores. Slow cooked for 12 hours to produce a beautifully meaty texture before being charred on the barbecue, it was dressed with an addictively sweet, smoky and spicy smoked maple dressing. Nutty cashew puree and crispy chickpeas provided further punch and crunch.
Desserts were both excellent end notes to the meal.
A hyper crisp tart (£6) was filled with white chocolate mousse and a trio of strawberry styles (fragrant ripe berries, tangy underripe berries, and compote) and served alongside a scoop of tangy goji berry ice cream. It wasn’t too sweet and sang with strawberry fragrance.
Baked Alaska (£6) was definitely one for people with a sweet tooth. Yuzu sponge and lemon ice cream were coated in light meringue which had been given an extra twang of toasty char from the coals of the barbecue. A good drizzle of that gorgeous smoked maple syrup provided extra complexity and sweetness.
We had a delicious meal at Parallel. Their bold-flavoured small plates are a very strong addition to Cardiff’s restaurant scene and it’s another big success for the team behind Pasture.
The Details:
Address - Parallel, 11 High St, Cardiff CF10 1AW
Telephone - 07742 885440
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