Stefano’s Restaurant and Pizzeria

According to the South Wales Echo Food and Drink Awards, 2013, Stefano’s is the best Italian restaurant in South Wales. Having eaten there recently, I am inclined to agree with them. There is a big ‘but’ but I’ll deal with that later…

The menu is extensive and very interesting. I had great difficulty deciding on every single course. There are fifteen different starters and doesn't include the pasta dishes also available as starters. There are a couple of dishes that sound particularly interesting such as the Agnello (£9.95) (slow cooked lamb breast seared & served warm with pea & mint purée) and Polpo (£9.25) (octopus carpaccio served cold with rocket and mustard mayo). I opted for the Capesante (£10.95) (fresh seared king scallops, on a bed of crushed cannellini beans, garnished with crispy Parma ham & rocket pesto).

Capesante

The picture does not do it justice but the starter was excellent. The scallops were well seasoned and the combination of salty crisp ham worked perfectly with the sweetness of the scallop. A perfect combination. The cannellini beans offered a bit of substance to the dish but it was more of a purée than crushed. The inclusion of the beans was good but the odd bit of skin detracted from what was otherwise a thoroughly tasty dish. The starter was up there with the best I have eaten in Cardiff this year.

For main course I chose the Tagliatelle Salsicca (£13.95) (spicy Italian sausage in an aubergine & tomato sauce).  You can choose from a range of different pastas and a variety of sauces including Salmone (£14.95) (fresh salmon pieces in a light creamy fennel, pernod & cherry tomato sauce) and Pollo (£13.95) (sautéed sliced chicken & celery with a creamy Gorgonzola sauce).

Tagliatelle Salsicca

The quality of the pasta was head and shoulders above what is served in run of the mill restaurants and pubs in Cardiff. Light as opposed to starchy and stodgy and the heat from the meaty sausage kicking in after every mouthful.

Pizza with Parma ham, green pepper and onions

I also shared a pizza with my girlfriend. A ten inch Margherita pizza will set you back £9.50 and the cost of toppings varies. We went for Parma ham, green pepper and onions (£15.50). Building your own pizza is expensive. Overall it was good but the base could have been crispier. Am I being a bit picky? Maybe I am but for £15.50, I’m expecting perfection.

Lemon Tartufo

I full but after a short break I was persuaded to share a Lemon Tartufo (lemon ice cream with a soft lemon liqueur centre coated with crushed lemon meringue (£4.95). The lemon was refreshing but unfortunately the meringue had softened so didn't provide the crunchy contrast to the ice cream I expected.

Overall the the food and service were great but it was a shame that were only three other tables occupied in the restaurant all night. It was interesting to see that all customers received a 20% discount card off all subsequent bills (Monday to Friday). Combined with their recent Groupon promotion, it suggests to me that they are aware that the price could be putting people off.

As a suggestion it would be great if Stefano’s offered a fixed priced evening menu. Without doubt, they need to look at the prices of their pizzas...I don’t know of anyone who would be happy to pay £20 for a chicken, Parma ham and asparagus pizza.

Stefano’s Restaurant and Pizzeria 

14 Romilly Crescent

Pontcanna

Cardiff

CF11 9NR

029 2037 2768

http://www.stefanos.co.uk/

info@stefanos.co.uk

@stefanoscardiff

Bully’s Restaurant – tough to beat

The Good Food Guide neatly captures my opinion on Bully's restaurant in five words: “Long-running family-owned gem.” And it really is a gem of a place.

I’m struck straight away but two things: the eclectic décor and the excellent service. The owner’s son,  Russell Bullimore, is mainly responsible for this.

Russell is welcoming and knowledgeable about food and discusses the menu with me with passion which makes me think these guys know their stuff.

Russell’s enthusiasm comes as no surprise to me. He works in a reputable restaurant, winning numerous awards and he and his wife spend their holidays – five weeks a year – eating at nice restaurants across Europe. This holidaying helps influence and refine Bully’s food and wine menus, and it also forms part of the décor: the menu from their visit to the Fat Duck was proudly mounted on the wall near my table, and a copy of the El Bulli (2003/4) book by the bar.

There are several options available in terms of menus:

• The most expensive option is the gourmet evenings, seven courses with accompanying wines for £75;
• a la carte, again on the expensive side compared to other restaurants in Cardiff – but worth it in my opinion;
• From 12th of June onwards, there’s an early evening fixed price menu (Wednesdays and Thursdays) – which is a bargain;
• Lunch menu – five courses for £21 (accompanying wines at £14); or
• An exceptionally reasonable lunch menu costing: £9.95 for one course; £14 for two courses and a glass of wine; or £17.50 for three courses and a glass of wine.

For those who don’t want to spend too much money or are a little unsure about French cuisine, opting for one of the last three options is a great way of sampling beautiful French cuisine. The chef, Gareth, worked with Raymond Blanc for four years and classic French influences are clear to see on each of the menus.

I went for lunch on 5th of June. With the sun shining outside I didn’t fancy anything too rich so I opted for the crayfish tail and sun blushed tomato tian, frisee salad, balsamic dressing as a starter. A light and simple dish with every ingredient fulfilling its role: the crayfish tail, meaty and tender and the sun blushed tomato, nice and sweet.

The simplicity of the dish meant there was no place for any ingredient to ‘hide’ on the plate and it demanded the best quality ingredients. The chef obviously respects his ingredients and the plate is a platform for them to shine.

Sesame bread roll with oak smoked salt on butter from Brittany

I fancied something light as my main course and the Scottish salmon and scallop nage, spring greens, and new potatoes hit the spot beautifully. The salmon was beautifully tender and the perfectly cooked scallops sat contently in the flavoursome nage.

With my lunchtime coming to an end and the sun still beaming outside, the raspberry sorbet instantly caught my eye and the fact that is was sat on a warm pear clafoutis was a bonus. The clafoutis was light and simple platform for the sweet warm pear. A perfect end to the meal.

I had an espresso before I headed back to work and the bill came to £43 for two people. An absolute bargain in my opinion. With the launch of the express menu, I’m sure it won’t be too long before I’m back at Bully’s.

5 Cilgant Romilly
Caerdydd
CF11 9NP
029 2022 1905

@bullyscardiff

The Bay is blossoming thanks to Sunflower & I

Opposite a derelict building and sandwiched between a dirty alley way and the pub The Captain Scott is an unassuming doorway which advertises ‘gifts, art, gallery, flowers, tea and coffee.’ The sign gives no indication of the class that lies on the other side of the door.

Four months ago, Sunflower & I opened on Bute Street and it’s predominantly a florist. Lucasz and Sebastian are the people behind the place and Sebastian has crafted more than one unique bouquet for my girlfriend. A few weeks ago my conversation about flowers turned to food and I found out that they also served afternoon tea.

Their offering is a little vague. It isn’t clearly advertised but you can order* an afternoon tea with the usual suspects: sandwiches, cakes and tea, or upgrade and add a glass of Champagne. Sunflower & I is in the process of refining their precise offering and this ambiguity made me take up their alternative offer of bringing your own. When they say BYO, they genuinely mean just that. Sandwiches, tea, cakes, fizz…even a music playlist, you can cater for your own occasion and simply hire the space.

I invited my brothers and ‘WAGs’ to join me for afternoon tea and not wanting to prepare anything myself, I decided to order food platters from M&S for the food and Prosecco from Lidl. I dropped off the supplies before the guests arrived and the food platters were instantly given a grander feel when presented on beautiful vintage plates. Despite this being a food blog, I’m not going to dwell too much on the food here – suffice to say, the finger sandwiches and macaroons were particularly good and the Prosecco was excellent value at just over £7 per bottle.

Sunflower & I’s main competition for afternoon tea is the nearby St Davids Hotel where a celebratory afternoon tea costs £30 per person. More than double the price at Sunflower & I. While St. David’s Hotel has views of the water (if you’re sat next to the window) the interior of Sunflower & I is truly stunning: tastefully decorated and unique. I cannot think of a more atmospheric place to have afternoon tea in Cardiff.

The service was perfect. Lucasz effortlessly struck the balance of making sure that we had everything we needed, without being overbearing. When discussing how much we were enjoying our visit, Sebastian brought over a rose for each WAGs. A lovely touch which further contributed to what was already a successful afternoon in a wonderfully unique environment.

Lon, Elinor, Sian, Jenny a Lisa

*Afternoon tea catered by Sunflower & I must be ordered in advance.

@sunflowerandi

111 – 112 Bute Street
Cardiff Bay
CF10 5AD
029 2048 4211

info@sunflowerandi.co.uk

Pier64: The belly is happier than the bank

On the 16th of June 2013 the family and I went to Pier64, a steakhouse, to celebrate Father’s Day. Pier64 is located in Penarth marina – a lovely setting made better by the lovely weather.

With Francis Dupuy (formerly of Le Gallois) at the helm I had high expectations. My expectations were elevated even further when I saw the prices for some of the dishes!

The menu has a good variety of fish, salads and meats and with us celebrating Father’s Day, I opted for the Chateaubriand, reasonably priced at £49.95 (between 2). The quality of the meat was excellent and cooked to perfection (rare), as were the vegetables, cooked al dente, and the rich dauphinoise potatoes worked well with such a lean meat. The red wine jus was beautifully flavoursome.

The meal was excellent and I enjoyed every element. The price is the only thing that would make me think twice before returning. The Chateaubriand is reasonable enough but with every other component: buttered greens £3; dauphinoise potatoes £3; foie gras £7.95; and red wine jus £2, I was parting with £41 for a main course – not to mention wine, water or dessert!

It’s worth noting that cheaper meals are available and they also offer a set lunch menu which is very reasonable. 2 courses for £12.95 and 3 courses for a mere £15.95.

It wasn’t me paying so I happily ordered the chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream, (£5.95) for dessert. This was perfect. Light sponge yielding under my spoon giving way to velvety chocolate. This, along with the ice cream provided a perfect end to the meal – and without being overly sweet either.

With Côtes du Rhône 100% Grenache Julien Mus (£24.95) and a double espresso for £3.75 it would have been cheaper for me to have eaten at Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester – and they have 3 Michelin stars!

Despite the cost, Pier64 is an excellent steakhouse cooking top notch food. I’m looking forward to going again though I’ll most probably order something cheaper.