A few of our mates who live in Cardiff’s Victoria Park say that it’s an area which has been crying out for somewhere decent to drink.
So, Andy Aston and Lewis Dwyer, the duo behind the excellent Hiraeth, have hopped to the rescue with the recent opening of the Pig and Swill, a modern pub located on the corner of Victoria Park.
They have 11 taps of craft beer on offer and on the day we visited, four of them were from Bristol’s Lost & Grounded as well as single taps from Flowerhorn, Anspach & Hobday and Nirvana Alcohol Free. It’ll be interesting to see how the selection evolves and if Lost & Grounded’s dominance is a permanent fixture.
I knocked back halves of Lost & Grounded's delicious Wanna Go to the Sun juicy pale ale and Saison Dupont-esque Saison D’Avon.
If craft beer isn’t your thing, then there’s a selection of 17 wines by the glass and a handful of cocktails available too. Mrs G particularly enjoyed a bright and summery glass of Las Lilas Vinho Verde.
We visited the Pig & Swill on their second Saturday lunchtime and according to Andy they’d had a very busy first week with a few locals already making multiple visits to show their support.
As expected from the pair behind Hiraeth, the Pig and Swill's menu of nibbles and small plates is much more involved than your typical pub grub. However, if you're concerned that things might be a bit too fancy, I can reassure you that there are plenty of deep-fried things, stuff on toast, and even a bowl of chips on offer to soak up all that booze.
During our visit, an issue with the new till system meant we had to order and pay for drinks at the bar whilst food was ordered and paid for at the table. I've been reassured that this is going to be resolved soon so that if you're eating you'll be able to order a drink at the table as well. More casual drinkers will still be able to prop up the bar.
During our visit, an issue with the new till system meant we had to order and pay for drinks at the bar whilst food was ordered and paid for at the table. I've been reassured that this is going to be resolved soon so that if you're eating you'll be able to order a drink at the table as well. More casual drinkers will still be able to prop up the bar.
Going forward, it’ll also be interesting to see how they manage the balance between people just drinking and those wanting food, as it’s currently walk-ins only in a relatively small space.
There wasn’t a long wait for our food, and when it arrived, everything came out at the same time. This was fine as we’re champion speed-eaters but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re ordering plenty and concerned that your food is going to get cold whilst you’re picking at it.
We focused on one dish at a time and a pair of beautifully meaty and oily mackerel fillets (£10) with nicely torched skin drew our attention first. They were sat on giant couscous-like fregola pasta that were coated in a rich savoury stock imbued with the fiery and porky heat of ‘nduja.
Crab rarebit (£9) was the second dish we got stuck into and coincidentally, it was the second time in just over a month that I’ve eaten this same dish at different restaurants. Here, a thin slice of toasted Pettigrew sourdough was topped with a melted cheese sauce that delivered a wallop of earthy crustacean. It was a very good riff on the classic dish.
We both agreed that a chicken schnitzel (£10) was our favourite plate of the meal. Juicy chicken breast coated in crisp breadcrumbs and a golden yolked fried egg were bang on. But, it was a café de Paris sauce that turbocharged the dish. Rich and buttery with a warming hit of curry and the zip of briny capers, it was one hell of a sauce.
Our other fried treat was slow-cooked beef cromesqui (£8). Crisp panko crumbs cocooned shreds and nuggets of tender beef in a gorgeously thick gravy. Slices of pickled onion, a dusting of parmesan, and bacon frazzle shards brought complexity, crunch and MSG to the party. On the side, a carrot puree added some sweetness to the plate, but it was the one element of the meal which had turned tepid by the time we turned our attention to it.
Tender charred carrots (£7) were sat on a bed of earthy and warming spiced morcilla puree and topped with a good handful of toasted almonds. I’ve come to the realisation that my favourite kind of veg dishes are the ones which are at least 30% meat. This very much fit the mould.
In the absence of any dessert options, I decided to round off the meal with a sausage roll (£8). Golden flaky pastry was wrapped around dense and juicy well-seasoned minced pork. On the side, a blob of fruity and not too sweet homemade ketchup almost had a bloody Mary kind of thing going on.
We really liked the Pig and Swill and their extensive booze selection and well-priced elevated pub grub is sure to be a big asset to Victoria Park. After lunch, I felt as happy as a pig in mud as we strolled back to the other side of Cardiff.
The Details
Address - The Pig and Swill, 1 Victoria Park Road West, Cardiff, CF5 1EZ
No comments:
Post a Comment