Bohémien, South Wales, French pop-up review

Having enjoyed Tom Martin’s cooking whilst he was head chef at Llanerch Vineyard, I’ve been keen to visit one of his Bohémien supper clubs, which roam across south Wales on a weekly basis.

A keen Francophile, Tom’s cooking lives by the mantra of “more butter, less bullshit”. It’s the kind of indulgent food that sounds right up my boulevard.

At each event, Tom serves a menu of between four and seven courses of French cooking that ranges in price from £38 and £50. Riffs on classics include paté en croute, braised beef cheek with potato fondant and tarte au citron.

With a Saturday night free and an event conveniently taking place at Snail’s Deli in Rhiwbina, we took along Mrs G’s mum as an early Mother’s Day treat. The seven course dinner (£50 a head) kicked off at 6pm and ended at 9pm - just the kind of timings that suit me and Mrs G who operate on the same meal and bedtime schedule as the average 10-year-old.

Snail’s bright yellow exterior and cosy and eclectic interior give it the ideal vibe for a French pop-up. Squint your eyes and you could almost be in Montmartre.

On the booze front, Snail’s has a well-priced selection of wines by the glass and bottle with nothing costing more than £30. We knocked back a couple of bottles of fruity and easy-drinking Villa Rossi Sangiovese (£22.95).

Each course was delivered in quick succession by the friendly front of house team with Tom providing a brief introduction to each dish.

First up, was a slice of beautifully soft and tender smoked ham terrene with a hint of mustard. It was topped with a good dollop of decadent Russian salad made with tender potatoes, peas, carrots, grated egg and pickles coated in a silky mayonnaise. No one I know appreciates a good Russian salad as much as Mrs G and this one very much passed muster.

The second course was the most underwhelming of the night, partly because it was served lukewarm – an issue which affected a couple of other dishes due to the lack of a heat lamp in the kitchen. I guess that’s one of the challenges of running pop-ups in different venues.

A French onion risotto was made with a base of long-cooked caramelised onions which provided a good sweetness, but it lacked the layers of stock-rich umami intensity that I typically associate with this French classic. Instead, truffle oil provided the dominant note with a decent grating of nutty comté providing a welcome second fiddle.

Next up came my standout dish of the night, an absolute stunner of a slow-cooked piece of rolled lamb breast. Tender, seamed with fat and intensely meaty, it was topped with soft flageolet beans and sweet confit garlic, and brought together with a drizzle of rich cooking juices and the vibrancy of a green herb oil.

Tom introduced the fish course by saying that you don’t see trout on enough restaurant menus and I firmly agree. A beautifully cooked piece of sweet chalk stream trout was garnished with a light almond crumb and served alongside tenderstem broccoli, silky broccoli puree and a decadent beurre blanc with a balancing zing of lemon. However, once again this dish suffered from a lack of heat… nobody wants a tepid broccoli puree.

Things hit their stride again with a refined take on a pot au feu. A meaty rolled chicken thigh was stuffed with a flavour-packed herby chicken mousseline. The skin on the outside was a little flabby, but this was easily removed. Garnishes were all bang on, including an intense chicken consommé, a savoy cabbage leaf stuffed with rich shredded chicken, and hefty chunks of toothsome root vegetable.

The second rice dish of the night was the other weakest link of the meal. A rice pudding bavarois had a lovely creamy and cinnamon scented flavour going on but it was a little too set with gelatine and the rice still a touch chalky. However, I was fully on board with a gorgeous condiment of vibrant macerated pineapple cut with the fragrance of fresh mint.

We rounded off the meal with a scoop of dense and creamy chocolate orange ice cream which very much hit the mark for a Terry’s devotee like me. It was billed as being served alongside spiced French toast but as it wasn’t made with egg and was super crisp instead of squidgy, it was more reminiscent of a caramelised melba toast.

Overall, we had a really fun evening at Bohémien. Whilst there were some real highs and a few disappointments, Tom is clearly a chef that can deliver big flavoured French cooking, something I think we need more of in south Wales. Add the cosy vibes at Snails and their well-priced wine into the mix and it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable night out.

The Details:

Address - Snails Deli, 6-8 Beulah Rd, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6LX

Web - https://bohemien.uk/

Telephone - 07468 427284

Bistro Sable, Islington, London French restaurant review

On a cold winter’s evening, there's nothing I want more than robust rib-sticking French cooking. 

With a dinner out to plan in north London, and a craving for confit de canard to quell, Bistro Sable was our destination of choice. 

Located in the former home of Islington’s Smokehouse, my attention had been drawn towards it thanks to a glowing review in the Evening Standard and a write-up from fellow blogger Professional Lunch. 

Despite being situated in a former pub, they've managed to conjure a remarkably cosy bistro vibe thanks to some moody lighting, the tactical use of empty wine bottles and an eclectic artwork selection. 

All the classics are present and correct on Bistro Sable’s menu, including moules marinière, snails with garlic butter, bouillabaisse, and sole meunière. 

When it comes to booze, Bistro Sable has a decent looking wine list, with house wine kicking off at around 30 quid.  However, they also offer corkage (£30 for still and £35 for sparkling) and as my friends had just come into possession of a few bottles of Domaine de la Taille aux Loups sparkling Chenin Blanc, we kicked off with that and followed it up with a Louis Latour Gamay.

As we popped the cork, complimentary nibbles arrived - an excellent soft crumbed farmhouse loaf served with light whipped butter and a bowl of assorted crudites and slices of saucisson.

Starters very much set the tone for the rest of the meal; they were generous and decadent.

A bowl of French onion soup (£8) was equal parts melted cheese, soft caramelised onions, well-soaked crouton and sweet meaty broth with a balancing touch of bright acidity. I felt like I’d consumed a week’s worth of cheese in one bowlful. 

A cheese souffle (£12) was excellent too - light in texture and golden crusted, it sat in a pool of rich cheese sauce.

Onto mains, and a beef bourguignon (£24) was served in a heavyweight Staub cast iron skillet. I'm not sure what weighed more, the gargantuan piece of meat or its metal serving dish. Nudgingly tender, the meat was coated in a rich glossy red wine sauce and served alongside soft sweet carrots, mushrooms and onions.

A monster portion of silky smooth pomme puree, which was included in the price, was one of those equal parts butter equal parts potato jobbies. Dolloped alongside the beef, it was a corker of an accompaniment. 

Sprightly green beans (£6) in a honkingly potent garlic butter provided some token greenery to go with our meat and potatoes.

Gorgeously juicy rotisserie chicken (£25) with golden skin and a buttery girolle mushroom sauce was equally well received. A generous sized half bird defeated both of my mates and, surprisingly, I struggled to assist.

A generous platter of crisp skin on frites was one of the two included sides. It was the strongest of the pair. Green salad, which was slightly lacking in dressing and flavour, was more average. 

We were all properly stuffed after all that heavyweight cooking so we ordered a plate of madeleines (£9) to share. Warm, light and soft crumbed they were a beautifully comforting end to the meal.

My only dining companion with enough stamina to order their own dessert chose a silky crème caramel (£9).

We had an excellent dinner of French classics at Bistro Sable and if you'd told me this was a highly regarded Parisian bistro then I would have believed you. It just shows how high the high standard of cooking is in London nowadays. 

I also applaud Bistro Sable’s generosity. We all had a massive feed with leftovers to take home, which meant that I got to enjoy some rotisserie chicken for my breakfast the next day. 

The Details:

Address - Bistro Sable, 63-69 Canonbury Road, London N1 2DG
Web - https://bistrosable.co.uk/
Telephone - 020 7354 1144

Georges V - Temple du Welsh, Lille restaurant review

"Welsh is a religion here."

They're perhaps not the words you'd expect to hear from someone in Lille, a city in northern France.

But this friendly stranger wasn't talking about the language, they were referring to Lille's most popular dish, a distinctive take on the Welsh rarebit, known as “Le Welsh” that appears on menus across the city.

Some sources claim that Le Welsh was introduced to France in 1544 by a Welsh guard during Henry VIII’s siege of Boulogne-sur-Mer. However, the fact that Welsh rarebit wasn’t recorded as a recipe until 1747 makes me a little bit sceptical.

Another source suggests that Le Welsh may have been brought to northern France in the 18th and 19th centuries by Welsh miners. In addition, it apparently became more commonplace in restaurants during World War 1 when millions of British troops were stationed in northern France.

If you want to watch an insane 51-minute documentary about the origin of Le Welsh, which fails to really mention anything about Wales, then there’s one right here for you.

Regardless of how Le Welsh arrived in northern France, it’s a very, very big deal.

Georges V, a tabac that was renamed after the King of England following World War 1 in 1920, is Lille’s self-proclaimed "Temple of Welsh".

From hosting the “Concours International du Welsh” a competition to find the best Welsh in the world in 2023 to organising “Welsh Fest” in November 2025, Georges V clearly lives up to its reputation.

Whilst Georges V’s menu features delicious sounding dishes like Flemish stew and Maroilles cheese pie, it’s Welsh which is the focus. They even offer a mini-Welsh as a starter and a Welsh appears on their dessert menu too (just in case!).

Like almost everyone else around us we each ordered the classic Welsh du Georges V (€16.90), and it was a seriously naughty delight.

Earthenware dishes were filled with a beery golden pool of molten cheese. Hidden in its depths sat a piece of crisp toast, slices of ham, and a runny-yolked egg.

It was as if someone decided the cheese to bread ratio in a traditional Welsh rarebit needed tipping significantly in favour of cheese. The result is a fondue meets a Welsh rarebit. 

Rich AF but seriously moreish, it was pepped up nicely with a good dash of Lea & Perrins.

On the side was a well-dressed salad and impeccable rosemary dusted frites.

We also enjoyed a couple of glasses of local beer, both pils and blonde.

So there we have it, who would have thought that the city that's most famous for the Welsh is in France? Certainly not me.

Lille is a lush place that’s most definitely worth a visit and when you do so, guzzling a Welsh should be top of your to do list.

The Details:

Address - Georges V - Temple du Welsh, 104B Boulevard de la Liberté, 59000 Lille, France

Web - https://www.georges-v-lille.com/

Telephone - +33 3 28 04 70 17

Maison de Boeuf, Cardiff city centre restaurant review

There’s a few reasons why this blog includes a menagerie of restaurant reviews from places across the UK and beyond.

It’s not just in case you find yourself craving pork knuckle the next time you’re in Munich or roti canai when you’re waiting for a train at London Euston.

It also hopefully shows that I have a frame of reference when it comes to reviewing places in Cardiff.

There's no better example than when it comes to Maison de Boeuf, a new opening in Cardiff's Castle Arcade, which is unquestionably inspired by one of my favourite restaurants in Paris, Relais de L’entrecote. 

Having first opened in Paris's Porte Maillot in 1959 and gradually spread across the world, Relais de L’entrecote and its sibling restaurants offer a no choice menu of green salad followed by a main course of two portions of steak and chips. The steak is accompanied by a superb signature sauce which is made with a combination of green herbs like tarragon and thyme, chicken livers and butter; it's the kind of thing which would make even an old boot taste great. 

L'entrecote's success all comes down to their singular focus on doing one thing very well indeed. And then serving it to you twice. You could say it's a case of deja moo. 

So, how does Maison de Boeuf compare to the OG?

First up, a tick in Maison de Boeuf’s box is that you can actually reserve a table. In Paris we had to queue up before Relais de L’entrecote even opened to avoid a lengthy wait for a table. So, on a busy night in Cardiff where 60,000 people had descended on the city centre to see Beyonce, we were pleased to be able to waltz straight into the restaurant.

Secondly, the team behind the perennially popular Coffee Barker, Gin & Juice and Rum & Fizz have done a really good job at capturing a romantic Parisian ambiance. With its moody lighting, ornate chandeliers, crisp white tablecloths and red leather banquettes, it oozes French charm. There’s also the option to sit outside in the arcade and watch the world go by; an option which I took up in the name of decent food photography.

Maison de Boeuf’s selection of wine by the glass is the first thing which doesn’t quite hit the mark. Whilst there are a couple of French reds, whites and rosés on offer, their fizz by the glass is only prosecco and there's no champagne. And their dessert wine by the glass is a singular port with no sauternes or monbazillac. Sacré bleu.

We both kicked off with a couple of halves of easy drinking Bière Napoleon (£3.50). And I followed it up with a gluggable glass of Château Laulerie Bergerac merlot (£7.45).

Maison de Boeuf’s set menu offers a choice of one course for £20.95, two for £24.95 or three for £29.95. In the evening it seems reasonable value to me, especially with steak as part of the equation. But at lunchtime, when there's some cracking deals on offer at the city's top restaurants, it's less of a compelling proposition. 

There’s a selection of three starters available and unlike Relais de L’entrecote, none of them are green salad. 

Passing on the option of snails with garlic butter, I ordered a cauldron of French onion soup. With a good balance of savouriness and sweetness, it was chocka with soft caramelised onions and topped with a soup soaked crouton and a generous ooze of melted gruyere.

Mrs G enjoyed a twice baked cheese soufflé with a light texture that was bathed in a rich cheese and mustard sauce. Serviceable pieces of soft baguette acted as a good mop. 

Onto mains, and Maison de Boeuf does a good tribute act to Relais de L’entrectote.

Thin slices of extremely tender rump steak with a good level of beefiness were served an accurate medium pink; unusually there's no option for medium rare, only rare or medium. Hyper crisp golden fries were excellent – in fact these guys could easily open an offshoot called Chateau de Frites. And that secret sauce, whilst thicker and much less plentiful than in Paris, had a lovely herby, savoury, buttery intensity.

A bowl of lightly dressed frisée lettuce hit the mark as a side dish; it was nice to see the greenery still appear on the menu. 

Once we’d cleaned our plates, right on cue, we were offered the rest of our beef and more sauce and fries. Impressively there didn’t seem to be a limit to the amount of chips on offer as the waiter only stopped when Mrs G showed concern for my health.

A small quibble but it felt like the initial portion of steak and sauce was smaller compared to the second – it’s something which could be easily rectified by adjusting the balance between the two servings.

For dessert, there’s a good selection of classics on offer from tarte au citron to choux buns and cheese.

Both the puddings we ordered were underwhelming. However, hats off to the restaurant who were quick to take them off the bill when we shared our feedback.

Tarte tatin wasn’t tarte tatin – it lacked both crisp puff pastry and a layer of golden caramel. Instead, warm cakey pastry was topped with soft sweet apple and a dollop of creamy vanilla ice cream.

A Paris-Brest choux bun was soft and leaden instead of light and crisp and drizzled with an overly sweet chocolate sauce. But I did enjoy the bun’s hazelnut custard filling and fresh raspberries.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Maison du Boeuf, despite the issues with the dessert and wine list, and I think it does a good job at emulating the restaurants which it's inspired by. With its warm and friendly service and charming setting, I think it’s a decent addition to Cardiff city centre’s restaurant line-up.

The details:

Address - Maison de Boeuf, 21 Castle Arcade, Cardiff CF10 1BU

Web - https://www.maisondeboeuf.com/

Telephone - 029 2280 4462

Cafe Du Chat Noir, Roath, Cardiff cafe review

You know how some places are worth the visit for one dish alone?

The Café Du Chat Noir in Wellfield Court in Roath is one such place. This friendly little café, where the serving team have authentic French accents, make an absolutely banging croque monsieur (£4.95) & croque madame (£5.45). 

There’s nothing posh about this classic bit of comfort food but everything about it hits the nail on the head.

Crisp and golden white sliced bread is fried in a ludicrous amount of butter and filled with a generous quantity of tender ham and velvety béchamel twanged with nutmeg. It's then topped with a bubbly layer of stringy melted gruyere (and a runny poached egg if you go for the Madame). 

 
The finished product is gloriously rich and seriously moreish. 

I’ve tried a couple of other things on the menu, some are a hit and others a bit miss.

The French onion soup (£3.95) has a good thwack of caramelised onion and meaty stock. And, it’s served with really good oozy gruyere topped croutons. But, it was let down a bit by a slightly gloopy texture. 

A plate of mixed charcuterie (£6.95) was highly serviceable. 

A friend highly rates the homemade quiches (£5.95) with changing varieties including goats cheese or salmon and broccoli.

However, an apple and caramel pie lacked flavour and a crisp pastry case. Furthermore, the coffee on offer needs a rethink as it’s lacking in flavour. 

In summary, go and eat a toasted sandwich at the Café Du Chat Noir. You won’t be disappointed.

The Details:

Address - Café Du Chat Noir, 28 Wellfield Rd, Cardiff CF24 3PB

Web - https://www.facebook.com/cafeduchatnoir/

Telephone -  029 2048 8993