Hotpot Spot is a restaurant in Cardiff where you make your own meal. Hotpot dining is an interactive experience. You come together around a simmering pot with various raw ingredients, sliced thinly for quick cooking. Here’s what happened during my first social dining experience.
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Chinese Hot Pot Restaurant
When I mentioned to the boyfriend that I was going out for food with a friend and explained how Hotpot Spot worked, he was baffled. He wanted to know, “Why are you paying to make your own dinner? You can do that at home.” But there’s no way I could make the selection before me without a more considerable expense.
Hotpot Spot is found just off Albany Road and Wellfield Road – depending on which way you approach it – in The Globe Centre. Following the handy signs, I climbed up the stairs and found the Chinese restaurant in Cardiff tucked away in the corner. It was much bigger than I expected. Light and airy, with their turquoise brand colour throughout the restaurant.
It was reasonably quiet for a Tuesday evening. The hostess greeted us on arrival and took us to a table. We were asked if we had been before and explained how the experience would work. She asked about our likes and allergies and gave some recommendations.
Hotpot Spot Menu
How it works. You choose the broths. We choose Sichuan, a spicy broth and chicken. The Sichuan was excellent. I could taste garlic, soy, ginger and sesame, and of course, the chillies. Because this had such a strong flavour, the chicken was a bit bland in comparison. When I go again, I’ll choose another with a powerful punch, such as the mee-shay, described as having hot and sour notes.
You then choose your meat, seafood, tofu, rice and noodles. These can be purchased individually or, what we went for, a set tray. There’s a halal meat selection and even an extensive vegan selection. We choose the Mongolian meat feast and the veggie delight.
All the ordering is done on the QR code on the table. This is the only aspect that misses the personal touch, but I’m sure you could ask for a guiding hand if you needed it.
When the food arrived, the hostess turned on the hot plate and explained that the sliced meat would need about a minute and the meatballs about 3. The vegetables also needed a few minutes to cook. Incidentally, it’s also recommended to get a dipping sauce, which we missed when ordering. She brought us one complimentary. This was an absolute flavour bomb, with soy, ginger, garlic, spring onions and chilli oil. If I had a spoon, I’d have drunk that like soup!
Will I visit again?
It’s a leisurely meal. It might not be the right restaurant for you if you’re in a rush or short on time. I had fun trying different combinations and making my own hotpot recipe. The bill came to £60 just for the food, no drinks, for two people. It was completely worth it! I really enjoyed the dining experience, fresh ingredients and tasty food.
When we left, we were even given a little bag of treats! Biscuits and sweet treats. What a lovely gesture! I felt comfortable and welcome in the restaurant, the customer service was brilliant, and the thank you gift on the way out cemented this.
Thanks, Hotpot Spot! You have a fan!
Hotspot Pot Opening Times
They are closed on Monday. Bookings can be made online between 5pm and 9pm Tuesday to Friday and from 12pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Hotspot Pot Address
Unit 19, The Globe Centre, Wellfield Road, Roath, Cardiff, CF24 3PE
How to get to Hotpot Spot Cardiff
There is free on-street parking in the area. Some of the surrounding streets are residents only, so double-check before you park up. Wellfield Road and Albany Road are also on various bus routes.
The nearest train station is Cathays, about a 20-minute walk to and from the restaurant. Transport for Wales now offers Multiflex, which gives you 12 journeys for the same price as 5 returns. With stops in Taffs Well, Radyr, Whitchurch, Llandaff North, Cathays, Cardiff Bay, plus two in the city centre. Queen Street Station is also a 25-minute walk to the restaurant. Plus, who doesn’t want to save money to spend on Hotpot?
Restaurants Cardiff
Cardiff is a foodie’s delight. From the quality of the produce to the level of cooking, at both the casual and cheap eats, Cardiff is staking a serious claim to being one of the most exciting places to eat in the UK.
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- Welsh food in Cardiff
Entertainment Bars in Cardiff
Whether looking for an after-work drink with colleagues, a boy’s or girls’ night out surrounded by cocktails, or a date night spot, you’re always close to the best bars in Cardiff city centre.
- Golf Fang Cardiff
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Stay the night
If you know when you’d like to travel, try to book in advance and as soon as possible. Prices tend to rise the closer you get to the travel date. However, there is a vast array to accommodate all budgets.
easyHotel Cardiff
The easyHotel Cardiff has double rooms (with or without a window), accessible bedrooms and twin rooms. Found a short walk behind Cardiff Queen Street train station, the budget hotel has en-suite bathrooms, heated rooms in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. WiFi is free; pay and display and multi-storey car parks are nearby.
Radisson Cardiff
The Radisson Blue Hotel Cardiff is in the city centre. The 4-star hotel has smart TVs in the bedrooms, private bathrooms with complimentary toiletries, laptop-compatible safes, and limited onsite parking.
Radisson Hotel Discount Code
Get 15% off 3 or 4-night stays, 20% off 5 or 6-night stays, or 25% off for 7 or more nights in luxury rooms and suites. When you use the Radisson Hotel Promo Code LONGER, you’ll also receive complimentary high-speed WiFi on unlimited devices. More information
Dog friendly hotels in Cardiff
Your perfect dog-friendly escape in Cardiff awaits! Before I had my rescue dog, Ivan, I didn’t think Cardiff was very dog friendly. How wrong was I? The dog friendly hotels in Cardiff include national chain hotels, budget brands, pubs and country houses.
The Copthorne
The Copthorne, part of Millennium Hotels and Resorts, is a traditional 4-star hotel in Cardiff that is ideally located between the city centre and the coast of Barry Island. Ideal for business travellers, couples or families, it is a perfect base. You can expect free Wi-Fi, an indoor pool and modern in-room amenities. Book early and save up to 20% off:
The surrounding areas
Don’t be afraid of staying out of central Cardiff either. Penarth, Barry, Caerphilly, Pontypridd, and Merthyr Tydfil are the surrounding areas connected by regular buses and trains. You can also plan with LastMinute.com. Stay at great hotels at a fraction of the price.
Cottages and Houses
The award-winning business, Sykes Cottages, has properties across the UK, and the ones near Cardiff are beautiful. From cosy lodges with traditional woodburning stoves to contemporary accommodation with a hot tub. With all the amenities you could need, including parking, WiFi and many dog-friendly places, check out Sykes Holiday Cottages.
Pre-book your parking and save!
NCP Park Pass is an easy way to save money on parking. Not only do you access special parking deals, but you also don’t need to remember where you put the ticket collected at the barrier – mine always gets lost in the handbag. As payment is contact-free and cashless, you do it on your phone.
You can always pre-book your parking online and save money if that’s not your thing. Find a car park, choose your date and time, enter your details and make your payment. Once you’ve booked your parking online, you will receive a booking confirmation email detailing your booking and how to enter and exit the car park.
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