Sonder, Pontcanna, Cardiff Sunday roast review

One hospitality trend that I’m most definitely on board with is it becoming less formal.

In the early noughties, I remember donning my black trousers, loafers and Firetrap shirt for a big night out at Baja Beach Club on Newcastle’s Quayside. I looked and felt like an absolute plonker. But they were the rules if you wanted to go anywhere nice for the evening.

Twenty years on and dressing up like you’re going for a job interview is no longer a necessity in most places if you're going out for the night.

That includes high-end restaurants too, where the rise of the "luxury bistro" has seen starched white tablecloths, rigid dress codes, dainty portions and formal service ditched in favour of accessible yet technically accomplished cooking that's served in bustling settings where you can feel just at home in jeans and a t-shirt as a jacket and shirt.

In London, the Michelin-starred Dorian, which serves blackened-crusted sharing steaks, loaded tostadas and caviar topped rostis, is the poster-child for the movement. So much so, that it was named "the most influential restaurant in the UK of the last decade" in a recent column in Vittles magazine. 

In Cardiff, Sonder, is arguably the closest thing we have to the archetype. Since opening in April 2025, Jake Lewis’s luxury bistro has become Cardiff’s hottest ticket… and like Dorian he also sometimes serves sharing steaks, tostadas and topped rostis.

On the Sunday lunchtime that we visited at the start of October 2026 there wasn’t a spare seat to be found, with the place packed out with couples, families, and large group celebrations.

Normally, Sundays are more manageable for restaurant kitchens due to a reduced menu of roast dinners made with common components across all dishes. It’s certainly not the case at Sonder where they’ve taken the logistical challenge up a notch by serving both their hefty a la carte menu as well as roast dinners. That is once they’ve finished brunch service.

We kick off our meal with cocktails. A humorously named Pontcante (£12) is a ferociously spicy and zingy mix of guindilla tequila, agave and lime. It’s too much kick for Mrs G but I’m very glad to take it off her hands. A much lighter and subtler El Ritmo (£13) marries ginger infused rum with a fragrant gunpowder tea syrup. We move on to glasses of Ruinart champagne (£14.50) and spice twanged Marques de Caceres Excellens Rioja (£10.50).

From the bamboozling array of 14 snacks and starters, I struggle to choose. We settle on tuna tacos (£9), an appropriately Munchkin-sized snack before a plateful of meat. Three dainty crisp taco shells are loaded with freshly dressed meaty tuna tartare topped with a sliver of green chilli heat.

I’m all in favour of seeing burgers served as a starter. In fact, I’m all in favour of seeing them served as dessert too. Mini beef sliders (£9) combine pairs of pink and juicy, well-crusted patties squished between light toast alongside an ooze of American cheese and the freshness of green herb. They’re lovely little mouthfuls.

But my favourite of the trio is a mix of funky wild mushrooms (£11) bathed in a creamy, earthy and umami-packed chestnut and mushroom velouté. Salty cured egg yolk, iron rich spinach and the crunch of focaccia croutes provide plenty of contrast.

We all order Sunday roasts. Partially because I’m in the mood for a roast dinner and partly because it makes choosing from the stacked menu of 23 main courses less daunting.

Mrs G goes for the 40-day dry aged roast beef (£31). A quartet of dark crusted, gorgeously pink, beautifully tender and well-flavoured slices of meat are joined by sweet roast carrots, perky peas and greens, a light and soft Yorkshire pudding, silky celeriac puree and a fudgy boulder of roast beetroot.

I opt for the enjoyably named “trifecta” (£33), which combines a pair of those excellent beef slices with commendably juicy pork loin and shreds of intensely flavoured lamb shoulder. They’re all excellent but the beef is the star of the show – its cap of fat so tender that I don’t let it go to waste.

Roast potatoes are the standout of the included sides. Shatteringly crisp and fluffy centred, they’ve got a ridiculous beefiness from being cooked in dripping.

Celeriac and cauliflower cheese is excellent too. The soft and charred edged brassica and root vegetable with a bit more bite are coated in a thick cheese sauce that doesn’t hold back in its pokiness. However, the portion is a bit on the meagre side for a group of four and they kindly bring us a top up when we ask for more.

Gravy is a little underpowered and a touch thin, but we don’t go short as there’s an extra jug for the table.

Our meal continues on an upward trajectory all the way to dessert.

A plate of profiteroles (£10) is one of the best versions of one of my favourite desserts that I’ve ever eaten. Everything is on point from the light and crisp edged choux buns to their stuffing of silky smooth and soft textured milk ice cream. But what brings it altogether is a jug of hot dark chocolate sauce with a lovely bitterness and twang of salted caramel. The balance of textures and temperatures is off the charts.

In fact, it’s so good that a friend who wasn’t planning on eating dessert, immediately orders a portion for himself after tasting a spoonful mine.

Burnt basque cheesecake (£8.50) – with its requisite dark crust and silky smooth and tangy centre – sat in a pool of light Pedro Ximenez sauce is excellent too.

As if I hadn’t already indulged enough with dessert, a chocolate orange espresso martini (£12) delivers the right balance of roasty coffee, sweet chocolate and fragrant citrus.

We had a cracker of a Sunday lunch at Sonder and I can see why it’s so popular. Aspirational yet accessible with warm and friendly front of house, they serve the kind of cooking which rewards multiple visits.

The Details:

Address - Sonder, 72 Llandaff Road, Pontcanna, Cardiff
Web - https://sonder.restaurant/

Shree Krishna Vada Pav, Cardiff city centre, Indian street food review

Despite the money spent on regenerating Cardiff’s “Canal Quarter”, it’s still one of the dreariest parts of the city centre.

I’m sure that the canal’s passing resemblance to an open sewer instead of a picturesque watercourse might be something to do with it.

At the same time, over the last decade the city’s focal point has increasingly migrated towards the Hayes, leaving the Capital Centre and its surrounding area as a bit of a ghost town.

So, the arrival of the Shree Krishna Vadha Pav (SKVP), a colourful Indian street food chain with over 20 outlets across the UK, has certainly brightened up the area.

Even more exciting than SKVP’s colourful exterior is the fact that its Harrow branch was named in the usually reliable Infatuation’s top 21 Indian restaurants in London. And the always reliable Andy Hayler enjoyed his visit to the Hounslow branch.

SKVP’s interior matches its exterior - it’s bold, bright and colourful with a fun Indian street food vibe.

Shortly after they opened in May 2026, we visited for a takeaway vada pav and only recently managed to visit for a sit-in meal. 

SKVP has a colossal menu of over 90 vegan and vegetarian dishes that includes pavs, frankie rolls, curries, Indo-Chinese dishes, dosas and chaats, with the focus on dishes from the Maharashtra region of India where Mumbai is located. There are some good value weekday deals and multibuys on offer too, including a meal deal that offers any vada pav, a chaat and a drink for £8.95.

Ordering is done at the till and there’s then a reassuring wait for your meal to be prepared. Except for the vada pav, which come out lightning fast. At £2.95, they’re cracking value and really well worth naming a restaurant after.

A super soft and squidgy white roll is home to a chonky soft spiced potato pattice that’s smeared with tangy tamarind chutney, creamy coconut chutney and the crunch of crispy batter bits. If you want a fiery kick of chilli, then there are accompanying deep fried green chillies to nibble on. I’d happily eat two of these for £6 as a well sized lunch.

On the drinks front, a mango lassi is ice cold with plenty of fragrant tropical fruit and a creamy tang of yoghurt. Masala chai has a lovely hit of warming spice combined with a sweet creaminess. They’re both very good examples of their type.

 The other star of the meal is an excellent mutter paneer curry (£8.95), which is billed on the menu as an “all-time favourite dish”. Golden crusted triangles of creamy paneer and sweet tender peas are bathed in a thick tomato-based curry sauce that thrums with spice and the richness of butter. On the side are two whopping soft parathas.

We ordered a couple of chats to share too. Both are good but we agree that Pooja’s versions are better.

Samosa chat (£7.75) combines a crisp crusted samosa filled with soft spuds and sweet peas sat in a thick, well-spiced yellow pea curry topped with tangy tamarind chutney, diced red onion, and the crunch of spiced peanuts. It’s a very tasty bit of comfort food.

Dahi puri (£7.25) are little flavour bombs – the crisp puri shells are filled to the brim with soft potatoes, creamy yoghurt and topped with crunchy sev, spiced peanuts and tamarind chutney.

We both really enjoyed the well-priced vegetarian street food at Sree Krishna Vadha Pav, and their namesake dish is a particular highlight. If you’re looking to try one of “London’s top 20 Indian restaurants” then head down to Cardiff’s Canal Quarter and save yourself a train ticket to the Big Smoke. 

The Details:

Address - Shree Krishna Vada Pav, 111 Queen Street, Cardiff CF10 2BH

Web - https://skvp.co.uk/

Telephone - 07459 938454

Bosco, Cardiff city centre Italian restaurant review

FOMOOF is a very specific type of fear of missing out that I suffer from. It's food, of course.

Whenever someone posts about a delicious looking sandwich / burger / curry / anything edible (delete as appropriate) from somewhere in Cardiff that I haven't tried before, I invariably develop the urge to eat the same thing as soon as possible.

But, I suffer from FOMOOF the most when Mrs G goes out for a meal without me. So, when Mrs G planned an Italian meal at Villaggio with a friend, I decided to take myself out for dinner at Bosco to calm my FOMOOF.

Located on the High Street, Bosco opened in Cardiff city centre at the end of 2025 and is part of a small independent chain of five pizzerias and trattorias spread across the southwest of England and Wales.

The first thing that’s worth saying about Bosco is just how stunning their dining room is. In fact, I can’t think of many nicer spaces in Cardiff. With its dark wood panelling, sweeping bar, atmospheric lighting, and banquette seating, it oozes mid-century Italian style.

Their extensive menu comprises pizza and pasta as well as small and large plates. But between 12pm and 6pm on a weekday, they offer an excellent value three courses for £22. Available is a selection of three starters, mains and dessert, including arancini, ribollita and Swoon gelato.

On the drinks front, a goblet of smooth and chunky Sicilian Il Barroccio Rosso (£6.50) was a lovely house wine. I’d have gladly seen off a couple of glasses.

To start, a naughty take on courgette fritti saw thick batons of the tender squash coated in a light and grease free batter. Whilst they were a little low on seasoning themselves, plenty of flavour came from a drizzle of sticky hot honey and a flurry of savoury grano padano cheese.

Onto my main, and a very generously proportioned margherita pizza was well topped with fruity tomato sauce, fragrant basil and creamy mozzarella. 

Whilst this Neapolitan style pizza had the expected leopard spotted crust and very good aeration, it also had a nice crispness that I think resulted from a dusting of semolina flour.

Finally, a proper slab of tiramisu combined light mascarpone cream, soft sponge fingers that were well soaked with coffee and the boozy nuttiness of amaretto, and dusted with cocoa. It was an excellent example of one of my all-time favourite desserts.

I had a delicious and cracking value early dinner at Bosco and it makes me all the more keen to go back to try their main menu. Most importantly, it assuaged any FOMOOF that I had from Mrs G eating out without me.

The details:

Address - Bosco, 14 High Street, Cardiff CF10 1AX

Web - https://www.boscopizzeria.co.uk/pages/restaurants/cardiff

Telephone - 02921 111 345

Roos, Cardiff city centre restaurant review

I normally think of chefs and restauranteurs moving from the city to the countryside, rather than the other way around.

In comparison to the grey hustle and bustle of urban life, I can certainly see the appeal of opening somewhere rural with an abundance of local produce, beautiful scenery and a slower pace of life.

Inn at the Sticks, Osip, Coombeshead Farm and Holm are all examples of places that are owned by chefs and restaurateurs who made their name in the city before moving to the sticks (quite literally in the case of Inn at the Sticks).

So, it’s interesting to see that the owners of two Pembrokeshire pubs, The Golden Lion in Newport and The Boars Head in Templeton, have expanded in the opposite direction by opening a restaurant in Cardiff.

Roos, which is located in the warden’s bungalow on the edge of Bute Park, feels about as close to the countryside as you can get whilst still being in the heart of the city.

The team have done a lovely job with the former home of Kindle, which always faced an uphill battle due to its lack of inside dining space. The main building, where the bar and a dining room are located, has an upmarket pub feel and exposed ceilings that give it a distinctly un-bungalowy vibe. They’ve also added a clever construction at the back where there’s a second dining room with verdant views over of the park.

However, it’s arguably the courtyard area at the front of the building that holds the most appeal on a sunny day – I can imagine it’s going to be very popular with match day crowds and Pontcantonites stopping off for a drink on their way home from work.

Considering the owners’ backgrounds, it’s understandable that Roos menu feels like the kind of thing you might find in a country pub. Starters and small plates are where the most excitement lies with dishes like charred leeks and smoked Teifi Caerphilly croquettes. Mains are less exciting, with grilled meat and fish and pasta providing the bulk of the available options.

On the drinks front, beers lean towards to the macro brewing end of the scale. Mrs G enjoyed a fruity pint of Tiny Rebel’s Clwb Tropica (£6.80), the only local offering available, whilst I knocked back an easy drinking pint of Salt’s Alpacalypse pale ale (£5.90).

I followed it up with a small glass of crisp and fruity Royal Tokaji Furmint (£7.50) whilst Mrs G sipped on a glass of sticky Pedro Ximinez sherry (£ no price on menu) in lieu of dessert.

Whilst we waited for our starters, we ordered a couple of breads for the table. However, as it turned out, they arrived at the same time as our first course. Both options were pretty good – warm and soft focaccia (£6) and crisped olive bread (£6) both served with vivid green basil oil and balsamic.

To start, I kicked off with a lovely ’nduja scotch egg (£11) that comprised of a jammy yolked egg surrounded by juicy sausage meat seasoned with the fiery hit of Calabrian sausage. On the side, a pile of creamy mustard seasoned celeriac remoulade would definitely have benefited from more crunch to provide some texture contrast.

Mrs G enjoyed her portion of beef rib croquetas (£9), which were nicely filled with tender slow-cooked beef and creamy bechamel. But they didn’t deliver the same intense bovine hit of the city’s best.

There was also a thumbs up for a portion of grilled celeriac and oyster mushroom skewers (£9) that a were ordered by a friend across the table.

Onto the mains, and three of us ordered the epically portioned mussels (£19). A huge bowlful of plump bivalves were bathed in a thick creamy sauce with heaps of crisp bacon pieces, sweet soft leeks and a cream sauce with a fruity hit of cider and savouriness of mussel liquor. On the side were four crisp slices of toasted bread for mopping. Arguably, a glug more cider would have made the sauce a touch less rich. But, it’s a dish that I’d very gladly order again. 

In fact, I already have because I forgot to take a photo the first time around. It was still very good on my second visit but a few of the mussels were overcooked and starting to lose their plumpness. 

The other two mains were decent but didn’t fully hit the mark.

A pea risotto (£17) was laden with colourful vegetables, and the loose textured rice was well cooked. It lacked a bit of seasoning, however, or perhaps even a handful of parmesan cheese. Fortunately, there was a salt mill on the table that my friend put to good use.

A crab ravioli dish (£20) had pleasingly thin pasta and was drenched with butter and topped with diced tomatoes, green herbs and onions. The one flavour that was lacking was the headline hit of crustacean – neither sweet white flesh nor earthy brown meat really came to the fore.

Both the desserts we ordered were quite tasty but not exactly as expected from their menu descriptions.

A crumble de cassis (£8) wasn’t a comfortingly hot fruit crumble but in fact a cold dish that combined a crunchy crumbly base topped with blackcurrant mousse, a fruity and sharp dark fruit compote, and a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Similarly, my chocolate cremeux (£9) wasn’t the glossy and “luxuriously smooth” dessert that I’d envisaged. Instead, a bar of solid chocolate ganache was sat on a crisp biscuit base and joined by sherberty cherry sorbet and more of that dark fruit compote.

Overall, we had an enjoyable evening at Roos with a couple of standout dishes alongside others that were middling. They’ve certainly succeeded in bringing a countryside vibe to Cardiff and I’d gladly go back again for another bowl of mussels and drink or two in their sunny courtyard.

The Details:

Address - ROOS, The Bungalow, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, CF11 9SZ

Web - https://rooscardiff.co.uk/

Telephone - 07961073512

Burgers on my Brain, Cathays, Cardiff burger review

If you wait long enough then everything comes back in fashion, both the good and the bad.

It’s a travesty to see mullets, super baggy jeans, tie dye t-shirts and ‘dad’ trainers once again surge in popularity.

In contrast, I’m glad to see a lot more people birdwatching, wired earphones, beans (especially in glass jars) and thick patty burgers.

When it comes to burgers, over the last few years it feels like every menu now features a burger with a couple of thinly smashed patties and thicker patties have fallen by the wayside.

But the signs are there that they’re coming back in fashion.

Firstly, the arbiters of style, British Vogue say that thick patties are back in.

And secondly, Cardiff’s newest burger joint, Burgers On My Brain, focuses on thick patty burgers.

Located in Dalton Yard, a cosy covered outdoor event space just off the top of Crwys Road, Burgers On My Brain has only been open for a few weeks. Currently operating on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, it’s run by the former owner of Chronic Fried Chicken.

When it comes to making a good burger, the crucial starting point is buying good ingredients and not messing around with them too much. So, Burgers On My Brain is in a good position as they use dry aged Welsh beef from legendary Cardiff butchers Oriel Jones and potato buns from Newport bakery Nos Da.

On the menu, is a choice of three cheeseburgers, and two different fry options. I can understand why the menu is so compact as it’s all prepared singlehandedly by the chef-owner Tyler, who was working full tilt on the Sunday we visited

On tap, there’s normally local draft beer from Caerphilly’s excellent Dark Element. But, they’d just sold out when we arrived, so Tyler kindly let us bring in a few cans from Cathays Beer House around the corner. We sank a couple of lovely pale ales from Burnt Mill and Left Handed Giant.

When it came to our burgers, the intensely beefy dry aged patties combined the juiciness of a thick patty with the caramelised crust of a smashed patty. It was excellent but I’d have probably liked the option for it to have been cooked medium.

A bacon cheeseburger (£13.50) combined a soft yet sturdy and not too sweet potato roll that well held the thick patty topped with crisp smoked streaky bacon, a good poke of melted cheddar, tangy burger sauce and the balance of a little bit of raw white onion.

A Carolina (£12.50) saw the melted cheddar topped beef patty combined with sweet and punchy honey mustard barbecue sauce, pink pickled onions and a token scattering of lettuce. 

Super crisp skin on loaded fries (£7.50) were dusted with umami chicken salt and topped with heaps of crispy bacon nuggets as well as generous drizzles of burger sauce and honey mustard barbecue sauce. Dirty and delicious, I regret sharing a portion with Mrs G.

We had a belter of a lunch at Burgers On My Brain and it’s up there with the best burger joints in Cardiff. We were told that they're planning on sticking around in Dalton Yard for the long term and this makes me very happy indeed because it’s great to have somewhere like Burgers On My Brain on our side of the city.

The Details:

Address - Burgers On My Brain, Dalton Yard, Dalton Street, Cathays, Cardiff CF24 4HB

Web - https://www.instagram.com/burgersonmy_brain/