Crispy Dosa, Cardiff city centre restaurant review

Why do people read food blogs?

Is it to be entertained with witty anecdotes and clever turns of phrase?

Perhaps it’s to gawp at beautiful food photography or to find out about cuisines that aren't covered by mainstream media?

Or maybe it’s simply to find out from a trustworthy source whether a restaurant is worth visiting or not?

Whilst all of the above play their part, I’d argue that it's the latter which is the most important.

When it comes to trustworthy blogs, they don’t come more highly regarded than Andy Hayler’s Restaurant Guide. With a knowledgeable yet unflowery approach to restaurant writing, Andy has self-funded reviews of over 1,000 restaurants in London and until the pandemic had visited every three Michelin-starred restaurant in the world.

You can be assured that if Andy says a restaurant is worth visiting then it really will be.

Which brings me to Crispy Dosa on Cardiff’s High Street.

With twelve branches across the south of the UK in locations including Watford, Windsor, Croydon and Bristol, Andy reviewed the Hounslow branch in November 2024 and scored it 13/20 (good cooking, showing sound technical skills and using quality ingredients) with a top rating for value for money.

The Cardiff branch of Crispy Dosa opened a few weeks ago, and much like its sibling establishments, focuses on southern Indian vegetarian cooking.

On the menu, dishes include chilli paneer (£8.99), onion chilli uthappam (£9.49), a mini tiffin (£11.99) and a variety of dosas, including cheese masala (£9.99) and ghee paper roast (£10.99).

Whilst Crispy Dosa serves booze, I opted for a mango lassi (£3.99) as it was the middle of the working day. Creamy and tangy with a good hit of tropical fruit, it was served in a whopping milkshake glass. However, it could have done with being a bit colder.

To start, gobi Manchurian (£8.99) was excellent. A mountain of lightly battered and tender cauliflower florets and stir-fried shredded cabbage were coated in a fiery savoury, sweet and tangy sauce. It was as good as an example of the dish that I’ve eaten and would have been a meal in itself alongside a bowl of rice.

With a name like Crispy Dosa, I of course had to order a dosa for main course.

The behemothic masala dosa covered a good proportion of the table. Light, crisp and pliable, it was well-filled in the middle with warming spiced mashed potato flecked with sweet onions, mixed beans and seeds. At £7.99 it was a generous and delicious lunch.

Accompanying chutneys and sauces were good but could arguably have packed a bigger punch. They included fragrant coriander, creamy coconut, and sweet tomato chutneys as well as a thin vegetable studded sambar.

I was very impressed by both dishes I ordered from Crispy Dosa and their dosas are most definitely worth checking out if you’re on the hunt for a good value meal in Cardiff city centre - this is of course no surprise as Andy Hayler said it was worth a visit.

The Details:

Address - Crispy Dosa  30 St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1AB

Web - https://www.crispydosa.com/

Telephone - 029 2297 2849

Ginger & Clove, Whitchurch Road, Cardiff Indian restaurant review

I’ve reviewed so many restaurants on Whitchurch Road lately that I should probably consider renaming my blog Gourmet Gabalfa.

Usually, after a few beers at the excellent Pop ‘n’ Hops, we’re craving a bite to eat and as a result we’ve recently visited Shiraz Grill, Stella Italia and now Ginger & Clove.

Ginger & Clove opened in January 2025 and it occupies the former site of Wildflower Kitchen and the Aegean Greek Taverna. It’s a lovely space with a colourful mural covering one wall and a third of the venue turned over to bar seating to try and encourage people to pop in for a drink.

The restaurant’s menu draws influences from across India but is mostly focused on southern India as that’s where the expertise of the chefs lies. With nine starters, and eight mains, Ginger & Clove’s menu is compact as far as Indian restaurants go. It’s a much more reassuring sight than 100 curries, all of which are made from the same base sauce.

Complimentary poppadum shards, chutneys and glasses of iced water were brought out as soon as we arrived. It’s the little touches like this which always endear a restaurant to me. Both the chutneys hit the mark - a sweet chilli number and a fragrant mint variety that also had a good oomph of chilli.

To start, gobi manchurian (£5.95) saw lightly battered florets of cauliflower coated in a sticky, spicy, sweet and savoury sauce flecked with garlic and onion. This was very good example of this dish, with the sizeable pieces of cauliflower still having plenty of texture.

It was a very good contrast to a Kerala beef fry (£6.95) with its earthy dry spicing and notes of toasted coconut. The impeccably tender nuggets of beef were lifted by a scattering of fragrant curry leaves and the zip of pickled onions.

For mains we showed a bit of restraint, relatively speaking, by ordering a main, side and bread to share.

A nadan chicken curry (£10.95) was billed on the menu as “included by popular demand”. Made to the owner Matthew’s recipe, I of course had to give such a hyped-up dish a go. Super tender bits of boneless chicken thigh were coated in a medium spiced thick and luxurious gravy with layers of spice, coconut and curry leaf. This was an excellent curry.

Its excess sauce was delicious drizzled over a vegetable thoran (£3.95) made with a fine dice of toothsome carrot and radish that was seasoned with mustard, coconut, curry leaf and crispy onion.

A table-topping triangular masala dosa (£7.99) was commendably thin and crisp and filled with comforting spiced potato. A bevy of accompaniments really made it sing. Fresh coconut chutney, a sweet and creamy tomato and onion chutney, and a velvety sambar flecked with carrot and stringy moringa beans, were all excellent.

We had a delicious and cracking value meal from Ginger & Clove with really friendly service. Despite strong competition in the local area, I hope this a restaurant that finds its niche. 

The Details:

Address - Ginger & Clove, 72-74 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3LX

Website - https://www.instagram.com/gingerandclovecardiff/

Telephone - 029 2063 0708

Stella Italia, Cardiff Indo-Italian restaurant review

Back in 2021, when I wrote a review of Whitchurch Road’s Vivo Amigo, an enjoyable yet eyebrow raising Indo-Mexican fusion restaurant, I asserted that some culinary crossovers make a lot more sense than others.

Whilst Indo-Mexican food was just about understandable, I declared that Indo-Italian cooking was a step too far.

Fast forward to 2025, and the people behind Vivo Amigo have only gone and launched Stella Italia…an Indo-Italian restaurant.

Whilst my scepticism for Italian-Indian cuisine was only slightly diminished, my curiosity got the better of me and I of course had to check it out.

Located next door and interconnected to Vivo Amigo, Stella Italia’s name, signage and interior don’t give much away in terms of the fusion cuisine on offer. With its red-checked tablecloths and paintings of Venice, this could be any other Italian restaurant. Perhaps a name like Just like Naana used to make or The Gateway of Italy would provide a more obvious indication.

Stella Italia’s menu doesn’t go all in when it comes to fusion cooking either. Their starters and desserts are solely Italian, with familiar options including calamari fritti, sundried tomato arancini and tiramisu. When it comes to the drinks selection, however, draught Cobra and mango lassi provide a nod towards India.

It’s only with Stella Italia’s main dishes where the Indo-Italian fusion cooking is really unleashed. Whilst there’s a selection of classic pizza and pasta, Indo-Italian options include spaghetti mutter keema, penne butter chicken, and butter chicken curry calzone, which also comes filled with biryani.

To start, a trio of coarsely ground and loosely packed beef polpette (£6.50) were tender, honked nicely of garlic and were sat in a thick and fruity tomato sauce with a good grating of savoury parmesan. On the side, soft crumbed pieces of sourdough garlic bread were a lovely mop for all that sauce. This was a very tasty starter albeit the kind of thing you’d find in many Italian restaurants.

Onto the mains and I can only apologise that I that I didn’t order saag paneer spaghetti. That’s one step too far even for my usually adventurous palate.

However, Stella Italia’s Neapolitan style pizzas really are very good indeed. Made with slow-proofed sourdough, they have a thin base and a soft and airy crust. They’re certainly better than some from places I’ve visited who profess to serve authentic Italian pizzas.

Out of the two pizzas I tried across two visits, the Calicut beef (£12.95) was the definite winner. Plenty of hunks of deep-spiced slow-cooked beef combined well with the melted mozzarella, a dusting of parmesan, and a scattering of fragrant coriander and curry leaf. A drizzle of sriracha mayo added a nice extra hit of tangy spice but it was slightly unusual in the fact that it brought a third national cuisine into the mix.

A chilli paneer pizza (£12.95) was also very tasty but similar in flavour with its use of sriracha mayo, coriander and curry leaf. Arguably, it was less successful because of the cheese-on-cheese action, which meant it was richer yet less complex in flavour. Whilst the cubes of lightly spiced and sweet paneer were very tasty, I think they could have taken a bigger hit of spice. However, they did work very well with crisp mixed peppers and red onion slices that added to the chilli paneer vibe.

Gnoccho fritto (£4.95) were the most interesting sounding of the desserts on offer. However, the mound of dense miniature doughnuts were rather unlike the light and airy examples that I've eaten elsewhere. Still, at least they were crisp and grease free and lightly dusted with cinnamon sugar, drizzled with sweet chocolate sauce and accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

A cup of frothy, sweet, creamy and well-spiced masala chai (£2.95), however, was excellent. It’s worth popping in just for a cuppa if ever you fancy a brew.

I really enjoyed Stella Italia’s pizzas and their front of house team are excellent. Whilst Indo-Italian cuisine will still be eyebrow raising to many (including myself), I think perhaps Stella Italia has missed a trick by not leaning in even further into their fusion cooking. Why not throw the kitchen sink at it and serve starters like biryani arancini or masala spiced panelle with chutneys as well as desserts like chai spiced tiramisu or cardamom panna cotta? After all, I'd imagine a lot visitors are there because they're curious to try Indo-Italian food. 

The Details:

Address - Stella Italia, 136 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3LZ

Telephone - 029 2297 2017

Base Camp, Cardiff, Indian and Nepalese restaurant review

There are a few awkward Cardiff restaurant spaces that I’ve always thought were doomed to failure but have gone on to confound my expectations.

Café Rio, Il Pastificio and Da Mara couldn’t make 2 Penylan Road work before it became the successful Scaramantica.

Jerkit and Munchies (who were infamous for their fried breakfast in a jar) were unable to make a go of 22 Crwys Road before Thai restaurant Tuk Tuk became long term residents.

Arguably though, the trickiest venue of all is 29 Park Place, a whopper of a 110-cover space that has been home to a string of businesses including Bacchus, the eponymous 29 Park Place, Cardiff Arts Institute, Steam Cardiff and Club 29. I’d contend that the handsome building’s size and its neither here nor there location have both counted against it.

Base Camp, a Nepalese and Indian restaurant which opened at the start of December 2024, is 29 Park Place’s latest resident. Could this be the restaurant to finally break the venue’s curse?

There’s an experienced team in place with general manager Ram Sapotka, who originally hails from Kathmandu, a veteran former manager of Whitchurch Road’s Mint & Mustard. In the kitchen, Rahul Chauhan was head chef at Mint and Mustard and Himalayan born Soban Singh Pokhriyal is formerly of London’s Dishoom.

With a menu that draws culinary influences from the Himalayas all the way down to the tip of southern India, I was drawn most towards Base Camp’s Nepalese dishes as there’s not much of this kind of cooking in Cardiff.

Eye catching dishes include lamb jimbu, named after the Himalayan herb used in its preparation, Khumbu noodles and crispy fried Lukla Chicken. However, if Indian cooking is more your vibe, then elevated sounding options include Goan fish curry, Hyderabadi dum biryani, and okra bhel.

We both ordered alcohol free drinks, not because we’re doing dry January, but because we had a big sesh the night before. A Virgin mojito (£6.50) was a good balance of fragrant mint, zingy lime and sugar sweetness whilst a creamy and tangy mango lassi (£3.90) was cleverly spiked with cardamon.

A quintet of steamed Nepalese momo dumplings (£8.50) were well stuffed with fragrantly spiced and juicy chicken mince. They were lovely dredged through a pot of excellent thick sesame and tomato dip seasoned with smoky and palate warming Nepalese timur pepper. A minor criticism, but the dumpling cases were slightly chewy around their sealed edges.

Cubes of gorgeously soft and creamy paneer (£7.95) had a good scent of smoke from the tandoor oven as well as a delicate honey sweetness and earthy funk of truffle.

Onto mains, and lamb Pahadi (£13.50) was rammed full of super tender slow cooked pieces of meat in a thick well-spiced gravy. The cracking curry was pepped up with the addition of batons of fresh ginger and coriander leaves.

Annapurna Himali Dal (£9.95) saw lentils and beans in an earthy gravy that was lightly spiced with turmeric, cumin and garlic. I prefer a slightly thicker dal but Mrs G thought it was bang on.

On the side, bhuteko bhat (£4.95), aka Nepali style egg fried rice, saw beautifully fluffy and savoury rice seasoned with a well-spiced masala and flecked with egg, sweetcorn and spring onion. It was a delicious hybrid of Indian and Chinese influences.

A basket of strikingly dark-coloured Himalayan millet bread (£4.90) was crisp, fat rich and an ideal dipping tool for our pair of curries.

Handily, Base Camp are also open on Monday evenings, and on a second visit, I once again focused on their Nepalese / Himalayan specialties.

For my main, Luckla chicken (£11.95) saw crispy fried pieces of poultry coated in a sticky, spicy and sweet sauce with onions and peppers. It had major Indo-Chinese chilli chicken vibes. 

To start, I had cig oen jimmbu (£8.95), delicious lamb tikka pieces with a really interesting herbal allium fragrance of jimbu, a member of the onion family. It was billed as a slow-cooked dish, but it seemed like a quicker cook to me. 

Meanwhile, Mrs G really enjoyed patta chat (£6.95), crispy spinach leaves with a kaleidoscope of yoghurt, mint and tamarind chutneys.

She also rated an earthy and smoky aubergine masala bliss (£9.95) for main. 

On both of our visits we were impressed by the refined Nepalese and Indian cooking from Base Camp and it’s clear to see the attention to detail and passion in their cooking and service. I really hope they break 29 Park Place’s curse because they bring something a little bit different to Cardiff’s restaurant scene.

The Details:

Address - Base Camp, 29 Park Place Cardiff CF10 3BA
Web - https://www.basecampkitchen.uk/

Telephone - 02921304333

Curry Hut, Cathays, Cardiff Sri Lankan restaurant review

Nothing quite hits the spot like post-booze nosh.

Having had a few too many wines at a Christmas party, getting my chops around some spicy fried stuff was very much on the cards.

However, rather than my dearest doner, I was in the mood for something a bit different and so pitched up at Curry Hut in Cathays for a table for one.

I’ve previously written about this cracking value Sri Lankan and Southern Indian restaurant a couple of times - first, on my blog in its original incarnation as Family Choice and secondly whilst working at WalesOnline when it had recently refurbished and re-branded as Curry Hut.

With a menu comprising of short eats, dosa, fries, curries, idli, and string hoppers, there’s a lot to set Curry Hut apart from the typical curry house. Its informal vibe also means it’s very much the kind of place you can pop in for a quick bite to eat.

I was visiting with a singular purpose in mind, to order a selection of my favourite comfort food dishes in Cardiff.

Crisp crumbed mutton rolls (£2.75) were filled with pieces of tender meat and soft spuds in a fiery spice mix, which I think must have included chilli, clove, cinnamon and fennel seed. A bowl of ketchup was a basic dip but the sweet and tangy sauce balanced all those spices well. 

You’ve probably heard me bang on about egg kothu roti (£6.49) many a time and here, as per usual, a big bowl of crisp and soft pieces of fried flaky bread were stir-fried with carrots, onions, omelette, and plenty of fragrant curry leaf. It was an excellent example of this comforting dish.

Devilled paneer (£8.49) hit the mark too. The sizzling hotplate of crisp slightly chewy pieces of cheese were coated in a sweet and spicy sauce with crisp peppers, fragrant curry leaf, and tiny yet ferocious green chillies.

I had an absolute feast at Curry Hut for less than 20 pounds and it was the ideal post boozing dinner. I also took about half home for lunch the next day. Bargain.

If you’re seeking well-spiced and well-priced Sri Lankan food then Curry Hut is well worth a visit any day of the week, whether sober or tipsy.

The Details:

Address - Curry Hut, 96 Salisbury Road, Cardiff CF24 4AE

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

Telephone - 029 2022 0522

Biryani Kings, Roath, Cardiff restaurant review

Burger King. Don of Doner. Meatball Monarch. Chicken Chairperson.

It’s common for hospitality businesses to anoint themselves the ruler of a foodstuff.

Whilst you could say that a name like Tortilla Titan smacks of bravado. You could also argue that if you’re not trying to be the best at a particular cuisine, you may as well not bother.

Even I quite fancy opening a Belgian-style chip shop called Fry King just so I can use the strapline “So Fry King good” (I’ll get my coat).

All this preamble brings me to City Road’s newly opened Biryani Kings, who opened just a week ago and are the self-crowned rulers of this hugely popular South Asian rice dish.

With a very basic yet bright and modern décor, Biryani Kings is the kind of place for a quick bite to eat rather than a romantic date night. Ordering happens at the counter whilst other diners noisily chat to family and friends on their video phones.

Biryani Kings specialise in Hyderabadi style biryani (according to my old friend Wikipedia it’s the most famous style around) and offer seven different types of the stuff. Three are billed as being cooked “dum” style, where all the ingredients are combined together and slow-cooked over a low heat.

But, there’s a lot more to Biryani Kings’ menu than just rice. Also on offer are tandoori grilled meats and a selection of curries, many of which are on display in a counter by the till.

It's also worth mentioning that Biryani Kings doesn't yet have their Scores on the Doors as they've only just opened... I'll be very interested to see what they get. 

On my first visit, I ordered the lamb dum biryani (£6.99) and it arrived just a few minutes after I sat down.

 

A generously heaped bowl was laden with fluffy, buttery, and fragrant rice that was layered with a pretty decent amount of tender and well-flavoured lamb on the bone coated in a big-flavoured spice paste with cardamom and a decent whack of chilli.

At £6.99 it was a delicious, hearty and cracking value lunch. But, I spent an extra £4 on upgrading to a combo meal, which also bought me a portion of chicken 65 and a soft drink (a lassi wasn’t part of the deal). With hindsight I’m not sure if it was the best deal.

A rather dinky plastic dish of chicken 65 saw tender morsels of boneless meat coated in a sticky, spicy and sweet sauce. However, other versions of this dish I’ve eaten have been deep-fried and crisp, and this wasn’t the case here. Also, it wasn’t piping hot.

On a second visit, I avoided the combo meal and had a better deal. A big bowlful of chicken dum biryani was spooned from a vast metal cauldron and even tastier than the lamb version. 

Every grain of fluffy and buttery rice was beautifully perfumed and there was a decent thrum of chilli too. Nestled in its depths was a drumstick and thigh, which both nudged off the bone with ease as a result of their long and slow cook. At £3.99 it was a bargain.

On the side, a pot of tangy yoghurt sauce dotted with carrot and coriander provided some balance to the biryani’s richness.

I also gave a curry a whirl and whilst it was good, it didn’t hit the same level as the biryani. Palak paneer (£4.99) combined cottage cheese cubes and a thick spinach sauce with earthy notes of cinnamon and cardamom and a medium chilli kick.

An exemplary naan was pillowy and crisp in all the right places and once again cracking value for a quid.

As I was leaving, a friendly member of staff asked me if I’d enjoyed my meal. I said I had, and he asked me if I’d put a review on Google. I said I would, so here it is.

Biryani Kings’ delicious bargain biryani is definitely worth checking out. Do they hold the crown for the best biryani in Cardiff? I'm not sure, but it’s certainly the best value that I’ve come across.

The Details:

Address - Biryani Kings, 130 City Rd, Cardiff CF24 3DR
Web - https://biriyanikings.co.uk/
Telephone - 029 2297 0695