If you’re a foodie on the hunt for a new dining experience, you’ll want to check out the Michelin restaurants in Cardiff. These (not so) hidden gems are sure to impress and offer a range of dining experiences, from casual eateries to fine dining. Indulge in the city’s best gastronomic delights. From the ambience to the menu, here’s all you need to know before making a reservation.
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A Michelin Star is the most prestigious accolade in the restaurant industry. Achieving the award is the ambition of many chefs. Treat yourself to a splurge-worthy meal at one of Cardiff’s Michelin starred restaurants. It’s a dining experience that will leave you satisfied. Whether it’s a romantic night out or a special occasion with friends, these restaurants are the perfect choice. What are you waiting for?
How do restaurants get a Michelin star?
Every year since 1926, Michelin’s anonymous team of inspectors award the best restaurants across the United Kingdom and the world with Michelin stars. There are five criteria for Michelin Star Restaurants; high-quality produce, chefs with a mastery of culinary techniques, the taste of the food, savoir-faire (know-how) and a consistently excellent dining experience, including service.
A restaurant can be rated from 0-3 stars, and there is also a Bib Gourmand award for restaurants offering quality food at a reasonable price. A Michelin Green Star awards restaurants for their sustainability practices.
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Michelin Star Restaurants Cardiff
Here are the Cardiff Restaurants that are on the Michelin Guide:
Asador 44
In a beautiful red-bricked building opposite the Principality Stadium is Asador 44. It is one of the top independent restaurants in Cardiff City Centre, serving fresh fish and seafood, dry-aged steaks, suckling pig, whole legs of lamb and vegetables cooked over charcoal.
With oak flooring, white tiles, whitewashed brickwork, steel joists, and comfortable leather seats, it’s impossible not to feel cosy here. The Morgan brothers, Tom and Owen, have created an empire which includes Bar 44 and Parador 44.
Sorting Room
The Sorting Room at the Parkgate Hotel entered the Michelin Guide in 2023. It also has 2 AA Rosette Awards and is on its way to being one of the best restaurants in Cardiff City Centre. Set in the former Head Post Office, built in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen Victoria.
The restaurant echoes its rich history’s elegance and glamour with chandeliers and plush leather sofas. The menu showcases the best Welsh food, indulgent afternoon tea in Cardiff, and sumptuous Sunday lunches.
How to Get to the City Centre
Transport for Wales now offers Multiflex, which gives you 12 journeys for the same price as 5 returns. Who doesn’t want to save money? With stops in Taffs Well, Radyr, Whitchurch, Llandaff North, Cathays, Cardiff Bay, plus two in the city centre. Central Cardiff is an 8-minute walk to Asador 44, or a 5-minute walk to The Sorting Room.
Pre-book your parking and save!
There are plenty of NCP car parks in the city centre, including on Westgate Street – the closest to Asador 44 and The Sorting Room. 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.
Purple Poppadom
Purple Poppadom’s refined Indian cooking draws influences from across the country with a leaning towards chef-owner Anand George’s original home of Kerala. You can expect traditional heritage dishes and those with a modern twist. The restaurant is on Cowbridge Road East in the Canton area of the city. The signature dish is sea bass pan-fried on a curry leaf-infused mashed potato bed with a mango, coconut and ginger sauce. Or, if you can’t decide, opt for the tasting menu.
Thomas by Tom Simmons
Refined brasserie food is the focus of Pembrokeshire-born Tom Simmons. He was a MasterChef contestant and talent behind the desirable Tower Bridge restaurant. Thomas, found in the suburb of Pontcanna, is influenced by British and French cuisine. Dishes are delicately plated and often look unassuming but pack a punch when you take a bite.
The fat chips are impressive. The thinly stacked layers, almost dauphinoise-style, and punctuated with salt, parmesan, garlic and thyme before being fried crisp. They are the most time-consuming element of the prep, but it certainly pays off. Thomas is also utterly elegant with dark and mossy greens, cream and natural wood tones and lush velvet chairs; it oozes sophistication.
Heaneys
Great British Menu finalist Tommy Heaney showcases precisely cooked fish and barbecued meat. Modern flavour combinations included poached cod and sourdough broth. There’s a huge emphasis on local produce, which is grown in the chef’s garden.
The set lunch menu delivers good value while, at dinner, the tasting menu takes centre stage. Heaney’s opened in 2018 in the heart of Pontcanna and has been going strong ever since. Next door is Uisce, Heaney’s no reservations small plate restaurant.
Heathcock
Arguably, The Hathcock is one of the most popular places to eat in Llandaff, and it has been a watering hole for over 100 years. The hearty cooking makes the most of local produce from Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. Thursday to Sunday evenings, the Champagne and Oyster Bar is open here too. Sharing dishes is a big part of the joy of eating here, with slow-cooked lamb or Welsh seabass.
🐾 Dog friendly in the garden and bar
Home Cardiff
With blacked-out windows, you’ll want to know what lies inside the moody dark interior. It wasn’t surprising when Home by Chef James Sommerin became a One Michelin Star Restaurant in its opening year. The high-end cooking tasting menu is based around the seasons, so your meal will differ with every visit.
The restaurant in Penarth is a family affair, with James and daughter Georgia in the kitchen, his wife doing all the admin, and his other daughter Angharad in front of house.
Michelin Starred Restaurants near Cardiff
Hiraeth Kitchen
Just outside Cowbridge in Llysworney is Hiraeth. The Welsh translation of the work doesn’t have a distinct one in English but is a blend of homesickness, nostalgia, yearning and longing; it’s a pull on the heart. The pub still has its old feel with low-hanging beams and beautiful inglenook fireplaces. Food comes as a tasting menu or small plates in the bar.
Hiraeth is a gift to its village (a beautiful part of Wales), but more than that: this is a place worth making an effort for. Depending on which part you’re travelling from, it is a 15-30 minute drive from Cardiff.
🐾 Dog friendly
Hare & Hounds
Chef and owner Tom Watts-Jones trained at iconic British restaurants St John and Anchor & Hope in London. Hare and Hounds are all about big-flavours yet unfussy cooking at this 300-year-old gastropub which showcases local meat, game and vegetables.
The produce is from his three-acre allotment, his family farm or brought back from foraging and hunting trips. Everything is made from scratch in their kitchen, from sourdough and cultured butter to fresh pasta.
The restaurant is in Aberthin in the Vale of Glamorgan. Depending on which part of Cardiff you’re travelling from, it’s a 15 to 30-minute drive. It is the sister pub to The Heathcock.
🐾 Dog friendly in the garden and bar only
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
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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.
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FREE Visit Cardiff Checklist & Guide
Get your FREE Visting Cardiff Checklist and Guide with over 25 pages full of travel tips, how to get around, places to visit, food and drink, shopping, parks and green spaces, some Welsh phrases and a travel itinerary.
Hotels to stay the night
If you know when you’d like to travel to eat in one of the Michelin restaurants in Cardiff, 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 is a 15-minute walk to the city centre restaurants. It 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. A 7-10 minute walk to the city centre restaurants. 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. This hotel is closest to the Vale of Glamorgan restaurants. 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 Hilton Cardiff
For a luxurious stay, The Hilton Cardiff, in the heart of the city centre, has beautiful amenities, including a pool and health club. With Hilton Honors, you get exclusive perks when you stay at more than 6,700 hotels around the world. Members receive Points on every stay, which can be turned into free nights.
Plan a Trip with Expedia
Booking a hotel via Expedia is a seamless experience that offers convenience and choice at your fingertips. With just a few clicks, you can browse through a wide array of cosy boutique hotels to luxurious resorts, tailored to your preferences and budget. Compare prices, read reviews from fellow travellers, and explore amenities, ensuring you find the perfect place to stay for your trip.
Create your Itinerary
Using TripAdvisor when booking a hotel allows you to access a wealth of reviews and ratings from fellow travellers, helping you make an informed decision on where to stay, while also providing recommendations and insights on planning things to do during your trip.
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.
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