Picton and Co, Cardiff Bay restaurant review

Dinner and a show – it’s a great way to spend an evening.

After all, it’s basically a classier version of what we do every night anyway – guzzle some food and then slob out on the sofa for a few hours before bed.

When it comes to places to see live theatre and comedy, there aren’t many finer venues in the UK than Wales Millennium Centre. And with the new arena set to open in 2028, there’ll be no shortage of places to see a show in Cardiff Bay.

But, the area’s shortage of great independent restaurants makes the dinner part of the night a bit of a challenge. Whilst the Sultan, Yakitori #1, and Tiger Yard are all very good options, I think the Bay has been missing somewhere with a bit of style for pre-theatre dining.

Picton and Co, an all-day deli-café-restaurant, previously looked like it might have fit the bill. But, the last time we saw a show, back in 2024, they didn’t start serving dinner until 6pm. So, it would have been a bit of a rush to get our bums on seats in time for curtain up.

Thankfully, they’ve since got their act together, and now serve dinner from 5pm, meaning there’s plenty of time for a bite to eat. So, we decided to check it out before a Saturday night trip to see James Acaster.

Picton and Co is owned by veteran Cardiff hairdresser Ken Picton, and he clearly knows more about style than just wet perms and mullets. The bright and modern venue, with a big central bar as a focal point, has a great vibe.

Whilst Picton and Co’s daytime menu leans towards brunch dishes, focaccia sandwiches, and Japanese rice bowls, their evening menu offers eclectic small plates with influences drawn from across the globe. Duck leg bao, Moroccan lamb chops and smoked octopus pintxos were a few of the dishes that didn’t make it onto our final order.

Much like our last visit, we kicked off the meal with a couple of cocktails. This time around, they were made by multi award-winning mixologist Jamie Lock, who you may well recognise from Cardiff venues like Penny Royal, Heaneys and Dead Canary.

A Chutney Collins (£11) and Dirty Margarita (£13) were both seriously drinkable yet delivered layers of complexity and palate warming chilli heat. The former combined vodka, manzanilla, mango, pickled chilli and ginger whilst the latter saw a classic margarita zhushed up with olive brine and pickled chilli.

We followed them up with a boozy yet classy Manhattan (£14) and a Pear-shaped Sour (£12), with plenty of fragrant citrus and floral notes.

Picton and Co’s dishes are billed as plates rather than small plates and I can see why. We ordered five dishes between the two of us and were absolutely stuffed.

A mound of meaty AF oyster mushrooms (£14) were coated in the crispest of crumbs and drenched in a savoury and spicy gochujang sauce. Freshness came from a garnish of coriander, heat tempered pickled red chillies and spring onion.

Whilst Cardiff has its fair share of excellent carrot dishes, Picton and Co's carrot ceviche (£10) can hold its own among the best. Sweet and charred edged carrot slices had a nice bite and were lifted by the freshness of lime. The clincher was a pool of intensely umami and nutty hazelnut butter that added a wallop of flavour with every mouthful.

There was tons going on with smoked jeyuk pork belly dish (£20), but it worked. The slab of char crusted meat, which an excellent flesh to fat ratio, was accompanied by sweet and sharp apple puree, charred apple, and a background thrum of spice. Taleggio cheese sauce was perhaps one ingredient too many but I rather enjoyed the creamy and funky note it brought to the plate.

Smoked patatas bravas (£10) were an elite version of the Spanish classic. Colossal, ruggedly crisp and tender bronzed spuds had a beguiling smoky note and were served with pools of honking alioli and sweet pepper ketchup and a drizzle of sticky honey.

Finally, grilled buffalo chicken (£16) was a huge-flavoured hot mess. Despite looking like Jackson Pollock had thrown the ingredients at the plate, they were all natural bedfellows - charred yet tender chicken thighs, poky and sharp buffalo sauce, shards of crisp chicken, funky blue cheese nuggets and sweet yet cleansing charred apricot.

Despite being stuffed there was no way I was going to pass on the s’mores parfait (£9). It very much lived up to its billing. Not too sweet frozen chocolate parfait was coated in squidgy toasted meringue and topped with glossy hot chocolate sauce with a nice bitterness. Piles of buttery biscuit crumb completed the excellent riff on the American campfire classic.

We had an excellent meal at Picton and Co with its whopping flavoured flame-licked food, creative cocktails and friendly service. It’s a classy Cardiff Bay indie and a belter of a venue for a pre-show meal. In fact, we enjoyed it so much that we’d happily make a trip to the Bay just to eat there, even when we’re not seeing a show.

The Details:

Address - Picton and Co, Unit 9 Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay CF10 5BZ

Web - https://www.pictonandco.com/

Telephone - 029 2066 2080

Agora, Borough Market, London Greek restaurant review

Despite Agora and Oma both being Greek restaurants, and one being upstairs from the other on the edge of Borough Market, they're both quite different.

Whilst Oma is light and airy, Agora is dark, moody and intense.

Whilst Oma riffs on its high-end Greek cuisine, Agora more closely follows tradition with its rustic Greek cooking.

Whilst Oma is owned by David Carter (the restaurant supremo behind Manteca and SmokeStak), Agora is also owned by David Carter.

And whilst Oma is great value for a Michelin-starred restaurant in Central London, Agora is ridiculous value for a London restaurant with a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Okay, I guess they’re not really that different, but you catch my drift.

Billed as souvlaki bar, Agora’s menu is divided into spreads, skewers + grill, salata, braises, wood-oven flatbreads, and wood-burning rotisserie.

On a dreary Tuesday lunchtime during the middle of a tube strike, Agora’s industrial dining space still filled up swiftly when they opened at midday. It’s a good indicator that it’s still one of London’s hottest tables even after being open for a couple of years. Most of Agora is given over to walk-ins, and we perched at one of their many counters that surround the bars, windows and kitchen.

As we'd been boozing a lot lately, we stuck to the soft drinks - a fresh and fragrant rhubarb lemonade (£3.50) and an even better sinus tickling ginger soda (£4).

Hummus and crisps (£5) is a picky bit classic and here a silky version of the dip was topped with crunched up paprika spiked crisps. It was a lovely idea and meant the whole thing could be gobbled up with a spoon rather than needing hands.

Oma's take on tirokafteri (£5) saw tangy feta mixed with sweet roasted peppers and the gentle fieriness of pickled chilli. It was another excellent dip.

Freshly baked breads were ideal dipping implements - an airy and slightly elastic Wildfarmed flatbread (£3.50) was the pick of the two.

A sesame seed dotted koulouri pita (£3.50) was in more familiar soft bread roll territory.

Onto the skewers, and a pair of pork souvlaki (£5 each) were beautifully crisped around the edges with blushing pink interiors and well dusted with oregano.

Even better were a pair of gorgeously juicy and crisp-skinned slow cooked chicken thighs (£6 each), scattered with herbs and squeezed with lemon.

The Greek summer holiday vibes kept coming with a salata (£10.50) made with nutty and crisp carob rusks and a big dollop of thick and creamy galomizthra cheese.

Finally soft and tender chickpeas (£9) bobbed in a light vegetable broth which was zhushed up with the addition of verdant green zhoug.

All in, our bill came to £75 with ample food for two, a drink each, and 12.5% service. I’d say this is good value anywhere, let alone the middle of London. We had a delicious lunch of summery Greek flame cooking at Agora. I already had a lot of love for Oma and its more casual sibling downstairs is another big winner of a restaurant.

The Details:

Address - Agora, 4 Bedale Street, Borough Market, London SE1 9AL

Web - https://www.agora.london/

Parallel, Cardiff city centre restaurant review 2026

When Paul Bainbridge, the head chef at Parallel asked if we were happy with how our steak was cooked, I’m pretty sure he already knew the answer. His accompanying smile was the giveaway.

You see, when it comes to meat cookery, there aren’t many safer pairs of hands in Cardiff than Paul’s. Before joining Parallel in September 2025, he spent years as head chef at Asador 44, one of Cardiff’s top restaurants and a temple to chargrilled meat.

Since taking over the reins at Pasture’s smaller sibling, Paul has gradually introduced his own ideas onto their menu of flame-cooked small plates and sharing cuts of meat. Whilst the influences remain eclectic, mammoth flavours are the unifying theme.

On a Saturday night, Parallel is a vibe with its moody lighting, funky beats and engaging front of house team. We sat at the bar where it's great fun to see the kitchen team knock out a whole menu using the smallest of charcoal grills and two deep fat friers.

For booze, we stuck to Parallel’s wine by the glass. Mrs G enjoyed a couple of excellent glasses of Pommery Champagne (£13.50), whilst I overenthusiastically ordered a bucket of Louis Latour Grand Ardeche Chardonnay with a lovely hint of vanilla. Glasses of Saladini Pilastri Sangiovese blend (£10.50) had plenty of bright red fruit and a good balancing acidity.

I've had many flatbreads in my time, but Parallel's (£6) is easily one of the best. With its smoky char lines and marriage of crisp and squidgy textures, the addictive bread is generously slathered with beef fragranced butter, diced white onion and a delicate kick of biber chilli.

Alongside it, we had an excellent thick burnt aubergine dip (£7) jewelled with cleansing pomegranate pearls, leaves of crispy kale, and tangy pomegranate masses. To be honest, it was an unnecessary order as the flatbread was so good on in its own.

Pasture's short rib croquettes (£5) are undoubtedly one of the best mouthfuls in Cardiff, so it’s great to see them on Parallel’s menu too. The crisp crumbed balls of intense shredded meat are seasoned with blobs of poky gochujang mayonnaise and slivers of pink pickled onion.

Parallel's fried chicken (£9) sees impeccably juicy thigh pieces coated in a super crisp crumb. Umami charged fiery hot honey and tangy cranberry sauce both build up the layers of flavour.

Parallel’s crab toast (£11) is a belter of a dish too. A brick of soft crumbed toasted milk bread is topped with sweet white crab meat flecked with green herbs and slices of zingy grapefruit. However, it's the accompanying tom yum bisque that’s the headline act. Rich and creamy yet at the same time light and aerated, it sings with the aromatic flavours of Thailand.

After the initial flavour onslaught, it was time for the main event. A 650g T-bone steak (£48) was a lovely bit of meat with its charred crust, tender flesh with a light chew, and good beefiness. 

Whilst the steak was delicious on its own, a pair of sauces were a hit and a miss. Excellent chimichurri combined bright acidity and a hit of green herb, but a thin and underpowered peppercorn sauce was a bit of a let down.

Smoked mashed potato (£10) with lamb shoulder is listed on Parallel’s menu as a side dish but it could easily be a main by itself. Their riff on a Shepherd's pie sees a layer of comforting slow-cooked shredded lamb topped with an airy and lightly smoked potato espuma as well as rustlingly crisp caramelised potato skin shards and a balancing hit of sour cream and chive.

Parallel's carrot (£7) is a dish that needs no introduction and it had been supersized since our last visit. This whopper of a charred and tender root vegetable is glammed up with an addictively sweet and smoky maple dressing, nutty cashew cream, crunchy chickpeas and a fresh and fiery zhoug. It's as good a carrot as you'll ever eat.

If one carrot wasn't enough, we were recommended the Carrot 2.0 (£9) as the best dessert on the menu. The reworking of the ingredients from the OG carrot makes for a hell of a good combination of sweet and savoury flavours that aren’t too rich. A warm and squidgy slice of glazed and grilled spiced carrot cake is topped with creamy mascarpone, fresh carrot ice cream, and herbal zhoug granita.

We had a brilliant dinner at Parallel. It was already one of Cardiff's best restaurants and it's got even better since Paul Bainbridge has joined the team. With a new menu set to launch imminently, brunches arriving in March, and another exciting announcement on its way, it's set to be a big year for Pasture’s younger sibling.

The Details:

Address - Parallel, 11 High St, Cardiff CF10 1AW
Web - https://parallelrestaurant.com/

Telephone - 07742 885440

Mesen, Rhiwbina, Cardiff Sunday lunch review

I don’t think I’ve ever opened a review by talking about a restaurant’s cocktail selection.

But, then not every restaurant has a mixologist of the calibre of Matthew “Welly” Jones like Rhiwbina’s Mesen. The former general manager of Cardiff’s Lab 22 was part of the team when it was named best in the UK in the Top 50 Cocktail Bars in 2022 and won Best Cocktail Menu in The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2021. Not a bad CV then.

Welly has firmly put his stamp on Mesen’s cocktail menu with understated sounding creations like WKD Spritz, Old Fashioned, and Lowball. But, you can be assured that each one has its own twist, using ingredients like ash baked beetroot juice, pickled peach and toasted honey.

A stellar raspberry daiquiri (£11) was far removed from the saccharine red fruit slushy most places serve up. Combining rum, sweet and creamy cacao blanc, the sharp fragrance of raspberry and the added complexity of white miso, it was so good that Mrs G’s mum had one for starter and one for dessert. 

A fresh and fragrant gimlet (£11) was equally impressive. Combining gin and Lillet Blanc with the clever aroma of apricot and grape, it was extremely well balanced and dangerously gluggable.

But, enough about the cocktails… I should probably talk about Mesen’s food.

Since opening in 2023, Mesen (which means Acorn in Welsh) has built a strong reputation for its globally influenced flame cooking. Sharing dishes on their weekly changing blackboard include sweetbreads with turnip and prosciutto; prawn dumplings with rib broth; and padron peppers with blue cheese and panko crumb.

Their Mariachi band soundtrack, live fire cooking and Palace streetwear inspired merch, certainly brings something hip to the traditional suburb of Rhiwbina.

On a Sunday lunchtime, Mesen serves a compact menu of one starter, four mains and three desserts. When we visited, there was a choice of three meats for main, a T-bone steak for two to share (£70), pork belly (£35) and chicken (£27), all of which included the usual Sunday roast trimmings. 

A minor frustration, but it shouldn’t be impossible to track down a restaurant’s menu in advance of visiting. Whether it’s on the website or social media, it’s one of the main things that prospective customers are looking for… still at least I’m going to get some good blog traffic for people googling “Mesen Sunday lunch menu”.

We passed on starters in anticipation of hefty main course portions.

A T-bone steak was a handsome beast. We weren’t asked how we’d like it cooked but thankfully there was absolutely no need. 

Served a beautiful medium rare with a uniform pinkness throughout and a good salty crust, it was nicely beefy with a good tenderness. This was an excellent piece of meat and thankfully Mrs G and her mum had a few spare slices that I could pilfer. 

Two pieces of pork belly appeared generous, had excellent shatteringly crisp skin and deliciously juicy and tender flesh. But, around half of each piece of meat was comprised of fat, meaning that its value for money was certainly questionable in comparison to the whopping steak.

Sharing sides were very good, with a few real standouts.

Sweet roast carrots had a bang on amount of bite and were topped with a savoury flurry of cheese and sat in a pool of vivid pesto. They were excellent.

 A heaped plateful of roasties were commendably crisp and light and fluffy on the inside.

A large jug of steaming thick and meaty gravy ensured that there was no rationing required.

Cabbage had a nice lick of smoke; it was a good reminder that we were in a flame cookery restaurant.

Yorkshire puddings were crisp and soft, but I must admit that I rather craved their giant sharing version that I’ve seen doing the rounds online.

We washed it all down with glasses of a red fruit and liquorice twanged Negroamaro and Malvasia blend (£11 for 250ml) and coupes of prosecco (£8) before moving onto a pair of honeyed Cerons (£6.50) and Tokaji dessert wines (£9) to accompany dessert.

Oaty, salty and sweet hobnobs (£8) were lovely paired with creamy brie and a drizzle of truffle honey. It was a corking combination that I’ll certainly emulate at home.

Toasty, smooth and creamy Basque cheesecake (£8) was lush too. But it didn't need the accompanying dollop of creamy crème fraiche as it was better on its own.

We had a delicious and generous roast dinner at Mesen with very good service. However, whilst it’s hard to fault the value for money of such an excellent steak with sides for two for £70, I’m really not so sure about the pork.

Judging by the full house on a Sunday lunch, Mesen has clearly been embraced by the local community, and for good reason. I’d be very keen to go back for dinner to work my way through some of their more exciting dishes. Of course, I’ll be going ordering a clutch of their cocktails too.

The Details:

Address - Mesen, Heol-Y-Deri, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6HF

Web - https://www.mesenrestaurant.com/