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/

The Flora, Cathays, Cardiff Sunday roast review

An unassuming student pub in the middle of Cathays isn’t perhaps the first place you’d expect to find one of the best roast dinners in Cardiff.

But, it’s a lot less surprising when you consider that the kitchen is run by the former head chef of Heaney’s, one of Cardiff’s most acclaimed restaurants.

Steve Bennett has been head chef at the Flora for over a year now and we were very impressed by his internationally influenced street food menu when we finally checked it out in February.

Arguably, it’s his Sunday roast at the Flora which has generated the biggest buzz and it’s highly advisable to book a table through DM on Instagram a good week or so in advance.

 

The Flora’s booze selection is a bit less exhilarating than the food on offer. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc was the kind of thing which Mrs G drank at The Square when she was 18 years old whilst Beavertown’s Neck Oil is as exciting as the beer selection gets.

The Sunday lunch menu offers a choice of two starters, four roast dinners, and one dessert. With starters and desserts costing around a fiver and the roasts around £18, it’s very good value. Even more so when you consider the quality of the produce which is used.

To start, plump and sweet, lightly battered tempura prawns (£6) were served alongside a fiery sriracha mayo that was balanced by the light zing of pickled cucumbers and onions. It was the ideal light plate before a hefty portion of meat and carbs.

There’s no hiding when it comes to the quality of heritage tomatoes (£6). These were beautifully ripe and flavoursome and served at the correct temperature rather than fridge cold. Accompanied by a creamy as you like dollop of burrata, a vivid green and peppery rocket pesto, and the crunch of seeds, it was a great combination of flavours.

Onto the main event where the was a choice of beef, lamb, a bit of both, or a nut roast. You can probably guess what I ordered…

Mrs G had the roast rump of ex dairy cow (£18) and it was unquestionably the star of the show. Sourced from the brilliant Meat Matters and cooked to a beautiful ruby red, it was an excellent bit of meat with an intensely beefy flavour and light chew. Mrs G thought the seasoning was a touch too high, but I thought it was fine.

The accompaniments on the plate were also spot on - a beautifully sweet and fudgy carrot with a lovely spicing, wafer thin slices of curried courgette, a dollop of silky and buttery mashed potato, and crisp and fluffy roasties (which could perhaps have been even more shatteringly crunchy).

The standout side was a crisp and soft Yorkshire pudding that was stuffed with shreds of tender and glossy brisket. Serve a couple of these alongside a jug of gravy and it would be an instant street food sensation.

I had the best of both (£20) and I don’t need to bang on any more about that beef. Pretty pink slices of lamb leg were very tasty and impressively tender but they were quite delicate in flavour compared to the beef and once again the seasoning was fairly high too. The lamb was complemented incredibly well by a super fragrant fresh mint puree and a naughty crisp fritter of much stronger flavoured shredded lamb shoulder.

Alongside the roasts were generous jugs of thick and meaty gravy. I hate it when all you get is a stingy single pour.

A sharing bowl of cauliflower cheese was both slightly too al dente and watery at the bottom. And the cheese sauce lacked a big honk of cheese and kick of mustard.

We ordered two porky extras, which were totally unnecessary. But, I’m never going to say no to extra meat.

A pair of XL pigs in blanket (£3) were clearly made with very good quality sausages and streaky bacon.

A cuboid of sage fragranced stuffing (£2.50) was the pick of the two. It was a lovely slab of sausage.

Absolutely stuffed, we ordered one dessert to share.

Dainty dollops of super thick and rich chocolate mousse (£5) and a soft and toasty chocolate brownie were balanced by fragrant and juicy charred pineapple pieces. A scattering of sea salt added extra complexity. It was a dessert which looked and tasted like the kind of thing you’d expect from a fine dining restaurant, yet it only cost a fiver.

We had an excellent Sunday lunch at the Flora with just a few minor quibbles. Despite its location in Cardiff’s student heartland, in terms of bang for your buck it's up there among the best in the city.

Address - The Flora, 136 Cathays Terrace, Cardiff CF24 4HY

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

Telephone - 029 2009 0525

Quill & Quote at the Thackeray, Rumney, Cardiff Sunday roast review

When it comes to Sunday roasts there seem to be to common schools of thought.

The first is that they’re usually a mishmash of badly cooked components which have been thrown together on a plate.

The second is that it’s a smorgasbord of restorative protein and carbs. But equally importantly, it’s a way to come together with family and friends at the end of a week over a hearty meal and a few drinks.

I’m very much in the latter camp and it was for this reason I found myself at the Quill and Quote at the Thackeray, an independent gastropub located in Rumney, for Sunday lunch with my Cardiff in-laws.

Now, I don’t pay much heed to T***advisor, but if it floats your boat then Quill & Quote is currently the fourth highest rated restaurant in the city. And it was fully booked on our visit with people advised to book at least two weeks in advance to get a table.

Quill and Quote’s menu offers a well-priced three courses for £23.50. However, if you’re looking for a lighter lunch then two courses will set you back £18.50 and a single course is £13.50.

As the consensus around the table was that we’d give starters a miss (I’m never one to turn down three courses), we passed over some rather tasty sounding dishes like a classic prawn cocktail, salt and pepper squid and pork belly bites with BBQ sauce.

To drink, Mrs G tucked away a couple of very gluggable glasses of Sauvignon Blanc whilst I enjoyed a pretty good pint of Brixton Reliance Pale Ale with a nice hit of citrus hop.

There wasn’t long to wait for our mains to arrive and a tranche of tender pork belly with well-rendered fat and good crackling was my pick of the meats around the table.

Pleasingly all the roasts were served with whopping Yorkshires, which were crisp yet fluffy centred; roast potatoes with good crunch and soft buttery interiors; and individual pots of thick gravy.

Savoy cabbage and green beans had plenty of vibrancy and roast carrots and parsnips nicely soft and sweet. The only thing that was missing in my book was the indulgence of some cauliflower cheese.

Leg of lamb (£5 supplement) was my second pick of the proteins. Served well-done, it was still deliciously juicy and tender with a good flavour.

Thin slices of beef were also served well-done. Whilst it was well-flavoured and tender, it would certainly have been my preference to see some pinkness.

Moving onto dessert, and a brick of sticky toffee pudding was light and squidgy with a good note of toasty dark sugar and a thick toffee sauce. There was the option of either custard, cream or ice cream and Mrs G plumped for the latter.

Rosé wine trifle should probably have been more appropriately named rosé wine jelly and custard with cream, such was its lack of fruit or sponge. It was still a tasty dessert; the booze-licked jelly was a touch overset and topped with Birds-esque custard and whipped cream.

We had a very enjoyable and well-priced Sunday lunch with excellent service at the Quill & Quote. If you’re in the east side of Cardiff and looking for a good roast then it’s well worth a visit.

The Details:

Address - Quill & Quote at the Thackeray, 635 Newport Rd, Rumney, Cardiff CF3 4FB

Web - http://www.quillandquote.co.uk/

Telephone - 029 2000 2499

Heaneys, Pontcanna, Sunday roast review

Some dishes are more suited to different seasons than others.

It's hard to beat chicken souvlaki and Greek salad in the sunshine or a hearty bowl of chorizo and butterbean stew and some crusty bread on a crisp autumn day.

However, if Pillars on Cardiff's Queen Street deems steak and kidney pie and lasagne to be "lighter options", then I'm fully backing my unorthodox decision to visit Heaneys in Pontcanna for a Sunday roast in the middle of a heatwave.

I’d heard great things about their roast dinners for ages and their well-priced Sunday set menu offers three courses for £35 with dishes including BBQ Welsh lamb, salt baked pork belly and whole Cornish place a la Meuniere.

Their newly revamped terrace area is a lovely spot to enjoy a meal and a few glasses of wine in the shade too.

Excellent house sourdough had a dark caramelised crust that was teetering on the right side of charred. With a compelling chew and light crumb, it was served with their unmistakeable whipped marmite butter that packs a big umami punch.

Buttery golden lamb sweetbreads was a robust dish masquerading as a light summery plate. Peeping out from a light and savoury manchego foam were briny cockles, tender coco beans, al dente pieces of fennel and onion, and a sticky meat sauce.

A summery gazpacho was perfect for the heat. Packing a vibrant hit of fresh vegetables, it was zhushed up by the addition of creamy goats curd and the texture of spiralised courgette.

There are few people around who can cook a piece of fish as well as Tommy Heaney and a crisp-skinned and flaky fillet of cod was the perfect exemplar. Accompanied by a vivid green seaweed butter, beurre blanc and crisp gram flour balls that were a clever riff on scraps / scrumps / scranners (delete as regionally appropriate), it was a corker of a dish.

A rose pink slab of dry aged beef had a lovely meaty intensity and a layer of flavoursome fat running around its edge. Slow-cooked shreds of oxtail were packed into a dinky croquette and a behemoth of a Yorkshire pudding was crisp whilst retaining a soft interior.

A selection of side dishes, which covered the entirety of our table, were all on point.

Airy and buttery whipped potato was served with a tender braised carrot with a compelling sugary sweetness.

Duck fat roast potatoes were shatteringly crisp with a fluffy interior.

Buttered cabbage was punctuated by salty shards of crispy bacon.

Thick cauliflower cheese was equal parts brassica and rich burnished cheese.

An extra jug of thick meaty gravy meant that no part of the dish was spared and a pot of creamed horseradish delivered a throat tickling punch.

 

For dessert, a light and crisp choux bun was stuffed to the edges with a silky and rich dark chocolate cremeux. Topped with whipped cream and a blob of cherry puree and served with a scoop of airy ice cream with a whiff of kirsch, it was a cracking pud but I reckon it could have taken a bigger hit of cherry and booze to make it even more Blackforest gateaux-like.

Baked yoghurt had the silky texture of a posset combined with the tanginess of a cheesecake. Accompanied by crunchy honeycomb, macerated peaches, and a thick raspberry sorbet, it was very good indeed.

As if we needed any more to eat, pieces of soft fudge with the savoury twang of miso accompanied the bill.

Technically accomplished yet generous at the same time, this was one of the most memorable meals we’ve had at Heaneys. And at £35 for 3 courses, it's great value for the quality too. It's fair to say that Heaneys Sunday roast more than lived up to expectations; it's easily one of the best in Cardiff.

The Details:

Address - Heaneys, 6-10 Romilly Cres, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9NR

Web - https://www.heaneyscardiff.co.uk/

Telephone - 029 2034 1264