If you’re anything like us, you’ll have your favourite restaurants.  Nothing wrong with that, of course, but you’ll probably find that you eat the same dishes every time you go.  Eventually, you might find yourself in a bit of a gastronomic rut.

If you’ve watched Masterchef, you might have found yourself bemused at Torode and Wallace’s rhapsodising over the textures and taste combinations presented in the contestant’s dishes and wondered how a dish could be ‘complex’ or offer layers of taste. We were about to learn.

The Husband and I were recently invited to dine at Park House Restaurant Cardiff and what an experience it was.

Park House, in which the restaurant is situated, is a somewhat gloomy gothic building that was designed by the architect William Burgess.  Completed in 1874, CADW considers the Grade 1 listed building to be “perhaps the most important 19th-century house in Wales”  It is certainly atmospheric and this adds all the more to the dining experience.

You have to ring the doorbell to enter and once inside are greeted by an enormous staircase and the kind of wooden panelled hush that is a blessing to my ears.  The staff are in black and white and are welcoming without being obtrusive.  The tables are clothed in starched and pristine white linen.

Diners are spaced well apart so that you cannot listen in to other people’s conversations (although, shamefully, I usually find this quite entertaining).  There is no pomp and ceremony, no ostentatious decor, just a simple flower ornament and napkins.

There is a taster menu but, the husband having returned from the States that day and fighting jet lag, we didn’t feel we could do it justice.  Instead, we chose from the A la Carte Menu and, as guests of the Park House, we were offered one or two extra treats to demonstrate the range and talent of Head Chef Matt Waldron and his team.

The Park House Restaurant Cardiff also offers taster menus for Vegetarians and Vegans, as well as 5 and 8-course taster menus and afternoon teas.

During his career in Wales and London, Waldron has worked under many influential chefs including Michelin starred Pierre Gagnaire, Helene Darroze at The Connaught and James Sommerin. He aims to present the best in Welsh produce and here in Wales, we are certainly spoilt for choice.

The Park House Restaurant Cardiff boasts an impressive wine list and I chose a 2016 Old Vine Zinfandel from the Bedrock Wine Company in Sonoma, California.  I could, however, have chosen from 100 wines!

As an appetizer, we were presented with pigeon legs and a cone filled with a dill creme fraiche topped with caviar.  I’m afraid I couldn’t bring myself to try the pigeon but the husband assured me that the meat is very tasty.  The dill creme fraiche on the other hand just melted in the mouth.

We were then treated to a cauliflower and oyster jelly topped with caviar.  This was a layered dish a light as air with the cauliflower giving a strong and slightly smoky taste without being overpowering.

We chose the Cardiff Salad for our starter.  A rather unprepossessing name, this was nevertheless my idea of a salad – spring vegetables, buffalo mozzarella and black garlic – lots of different tastes and textures with a dressing that complemented perfectly.  The leaves were grown and freshly picked from nearby Bute Park.

On to the main course and the husband chose the Welsh Truffle Risotto with black truffle oil. On first seeing the dish, I wondered if there would be enough variety in taste but Mat had no such qualms and enjoyed it immensely.

I had the Roasted Cornish Brill with carrot and fennel seed.  The brill is a fish that I rarely have but the dish was delicate and well balanced with the fennel complementing the subtle flavour.

Another treat was whisked onto our table – a yoghurt pannacotta with beer jelly and lime. This was a real delight.  The contrast between the smooth yoghurt and the beer jelly and lime had a real zing and was a great palate cleanser.

Our desserts were equally as memorable.  The husband chose treacle tart which came deconstructed style but with a great depth of taste and a really concentrated treacle taste.

My lemon tart was similarly presented but had a real kick of citrus that I have never found in the many, many (!) lemon tarts I’ve tried over the years, including one particularly memorable one in Amiens.

Coffee was served with home-made petits fours, each one a mini explosion of taste.

During our meal I found myself wondering about the kind of people who would most enjoy the Parkhouse.  It is an ideal place for quiet family celebrations but most of all it is a place for diners who want to enjoy local produce in taste combinations they may never have previously considered.  This is not pretentious dining.  There’s no Heston-style madcap bubbling desserts.  Not a sound was heard from the kitchen.

Instead, we enjoyed a meal in surroundings which allowed us to concentrate on food and talk about what we were actually eating.

And that makes a refreshing change.

For more information visit www.parkhouserestaurant.co.uk or telephone 029 2105 0662. The restaurant is available for private dining & hire and you can also book online here.

*We were invited to dine as guests of Park House Restaurant Cardiff.  All opinions are our own.

We were recently invited to sample the Sunday lunch menu at Oddsocks Bar & Kitchen at Jurys Inn Cardiff.  Hopeful of the prospect of finding a traditional Sunday lunch actually in the city centre, we extracted Ieuan from the Xbox and set off.

The first thing to note is, that Jurys Inn isn’t where I thought it was.  No longer situated outside the Motorpoint Arena it is now in what was the Park Hotel in Park Place – a leafy precinct along which you’ll find the New Theatre and the previous home of my erstwhile employer, Morgan Cole Solicitors, now Blake Morgan.

This is, it has to be said, a much more pleasant location right in the heart of the city, a brief walk from Queen Street Railway Station and a slightly longer stroll to Cardiff Central through the shopping malls – never a hardship.  There are also plenty of multistorey car parks nearby, including Greyfriars Road which is literally a stone’s throw away from the hotel.

Oddsocks Bar & Kitchen appears to be a new venture and there are three – Liverpool, Manchester, Brighton and, happily Cardiff.  Open to non-residents, they claim to cater for all tastes and appetites with plenty of “hearty British fare” such as traditional pork & leek sausages & mash or healthier options such as their Mezze Salad with spinach, feta, olives and roasted red peppers.

We awaited the Sunday lunch menu with interest!

The place has a separate entrance right next to the main hotel entrance and is bright, airy and comfortable with a mixture of plush seating and rather hard benches for those of us whose rears are made of sterner stuff.

The decor is less quirky than I was expecting  (there are no socks and nothing particularly mismatching either) but Caitlin and Ieuan loved the name and promised to behave with the necessary oddness.  No change there then.

Actually, Oddsocks Bar & Kitchen was a bit of a revelation.  Living nearby in Dinas Powys, Sunday is often our day to come ‘into town’ but a decent Sunday lunch has generally eluded us and we have found ourselves lunching in one of the many chains.  This means missing out on a ‘traditional’ Sunday lunch.

Of course, there are many quirky, exciting eateries in and around Cardiff but when you have two sulky tweens you just want good food, fast and with minimal fuss.

And, as an aside – for those of you who hate loud music in restaurants (my fellow tinnitus sufferers for example), the music was just at the right level to add atmosphere but not be intrusive.

The Sunday lunch menu is reasonably priced and offers a select, but creative selection of dishes for starters, mains and desserts.

The Little Socks Kids’ Menu offers a great range of children’s favourites with a decent inclusion of fruit and veg.

The children choose Cheesy Toast Soldiers for their starter and these came piping hot in almost main meal size.  Ieuan,  who would never deign to eat ‘cheese on toast’ at home, was apparently fooled by the name change and wolfed his down.

The change was midday ‘hangry’ to ‘more agreeable boy’ was instant.  I didn’t have too much luck getting either Caitlin or Ieuan to try the free and mustardy watercress garnish.

I chose the marinated tomato and mozzarella salad and was pleased to discover that the mozzarella was a decent temperature (often it is served far too cold) and had a lovely almost crumbly texture.  The rocket pesto drizzled with olive oil which accompanied the salad had an almost garlicky taste which made the dish a far more interesting combination of tastes than a standard tomato salad.

Mat had the pressed ham hock terrine with toasted ciabatta and pea shoots which was accompanied by a decent small chunk chutney.  The terrine was meaty and very tasty and was served in strips.

For our main course, Caitlin chose homemade fish fingers and Ieuan had the 4oz burger.  There’s a choice of mash, skinny fries or chunky chips and baked beans, peas or salad. You can probably guess what Caitlin and Ieuan opted for!

The quality of both dishes was good and the portion size ample for children their size.  The meat in Ieuan’s burger was excellent – no standard, run-of-the-mill burger here.

Mat chose the sirloin of beef for his main course and it came in tender slices on a pile of roast potatoes accompanied by a large Yorkshire pudding, the sight of which made Caitlin’s eyes light up, and a red wine jus.

Not realising how generous the portion would be, Mat also ordered a side of root veg but he really didn’t need it.

All the mains with the exception of the pan-fried cod are served with a selection of vegetables & mashed potato.

I chose the vegetarian option, the goats’ cheese and spinach tart served with a white wine sauce.  The tart had a light pastry base and plenty of crumbled goats cheese on top.

We were served mash, carrots, green beans and broccoli in generous side dishes served on a planchette and there was enough veg for all of us.  Even Ieuan had some carrots.  Well, I say some, approximately 3 pieces but progress is progress.

We managed to find some room for dessert and, with sticky toffee pudding being at the top of the dessert menu, it was a no-brainer for Mat.  It came piping hot and squidgy with a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

I had the Madagascan vanilla cheesecake served with a raspberry purée.  The cheesecake was satisfyingly creamy without being too light.  The base was crumbly and the filling had a definite bite with the raspberry purée adding a nice contrast.

From the Little Socks Kids’ Menu, Caitlin had Eton Mess, a blend of meringue, ice cream and strawberry which wasn’t too sweet and had a nice texture.

Ieuan had an enormous chocolate brownie sundae (the brownie is mixed in with the ice cream) which he made short work of.

The service was great – Nicky and Lukasz looked after us wonderfully and were great with the kids.

We left feeling as if we had had a ‘proper’ Sunday lunch and at a very reasonable price.  It made such a nice change from pizza!  It was great to eat in relative peace and tranquillity compared to the often crammed restaurants in St. Davids 2.

Oddsocks Bar & Kitchen is definitely somewhere we will be visiting again.

Sunday lunch is available from 12 – 3 pm every Sunday.  You can make a Sunday lunch reservation by calling the hotel on 0044 161 774 2983.

It’s National Tea Week from the 14th – 20th August and the sound of cups clinking on saucers and the tinkle of pastry forks is likely to resonate through many a hotel.

Afternoon Tea is one of those posh traditions which was introduced to the country by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford in 1840.  Anna found, quite reasonably in my view, that since dinner in her household wasn’t served until the fashionably late hour of 8 pm, she needed something to keep her going around 4.

Given our hectic lifestyles and the constant struggle to keep up with friends and family, afternoon tea is a great way of spending an hour or so in their company whilst eating beautifully prepared sandwiches and cakes. What’s not to like?

And the afternoon tea has been updated and made even more indulgent by the Park Plaza Hotel in Cardiff by the offering of the Hendrick’s Gin Afternoon Tea.

Gin lovers will know that Hendrick’s is a distilled Scottish gin infused with rose and cucumber, as well as flowers, roots, botanicals and seeds from the world over.  It has a uniquely refreshing taste and the folk at Hendrick’s seem to revel in oddness and the unusual.

It’s totally fitting that a special afternoon tea should have been devised in its honour and one Sunday, the Husband and I went to test it to see if we could be converted to a tea with not a shred of caffeine (save in the gooey, chocolatey, coffee cake).

I always like walking into gleaming Park Plaza reception.  It’s usually calm but today the restaurant was absolutely buzzing.  We were ushered into one of the booths in the Laguna Bar where we were greeted by the very affable and incredibly helpful George.

I should mention at this point that, it being the school summer holiday, Caitlin and Ieuan were with us and on strict instructions to be on their best behaviour.  (No we didn’t give them gin).

George explained that our ‘tea’ would be the Hendrick’s Elderflower Collins, served in an elegant Hendrick’s teapot and cups and saucers.  The cocktail – tea is made from Hendrick’s Gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, Maraschino liqueur, Lemon juice & soda served with sliced cucumber.

The flavour is light and elegant with the delicate perfume of the elderflower which nicely balances the cucumber flavour of Hendrick’s gin.  It didn’t have a strong alcoholic ‘hit’ but it certainly revived us.

You can order the more usual tea beverage is you prefer and there is a selection of teas, both traditional and herbal, and coffee to choose from.

The food is served on a gleaming cake stand topped with two miniature lime jellies.  It’s quite a show stopper – quite enough to stop the kids in their tracks and start demanding a swop for a chicken goujon (no deal!).

There is:

A selection of finger sandwiches (Severn & Wye Smoked Salmon, Cucumber, Dill & Cream Cheese, Free Range Egg Mayonnaise & Cress, Home Roasted Ham.

Freshly Baked Warm Sultana Scones served with Cornish Clotted Cream & Strawberry Preserve

Lime Jelly topped with mint & cucumber Chantilly cream

French macaroons

Chocolate Opéra gâteau

Strawberry tart filled with champagne pastry cream

George gave us his helpful suggestion to follow the sandwiches with the jelly as a palette cleanser and then return to the scones, French Macaroons and Chocolate Opera gateau, ending lastly with the strawberry tarts.

Everything was light and fresh – from the variety of breads used in the sandwiches to the subtle taste of the lime jelly.

The scones, dusted with icing sugar were warmed and light as air without the often present cloying ‘baking soda’ taste which sometimes coats your teeth. (I’ve eaten a fair few scones in my time – it’s my Cornish ancestry).

The Chocolate Opera Gateaux were squares of moist chocolate and coffee topped with a macaroon. The coffee taste was dark and strong which contrasted nicely with the sweetness of the macaroon.

Lastly the strawberry tartlets were light as air with a delicate champagne flavoured cream.

All of the food complimented the Hendrick’s ‘tea’.

I must admit that when I saw the cake stand arrive I wondered if we would be able to eat it all but, as afternoon teas go, the Duchess of Bedford would have been very happy with this one.

The Hendrick’s Gin Afternoon Tea costs £21.95 per person but this National Afternoon Tea Week (14-21 August), Park Plaza Hotel Cardiff is offering a 15% discount of any spa treatment and use of the spa facilities at The Laguna Health & Spa

Personally I fancy a Laguna Hot Stone Back Massage and an Elemis Superfood Pre-Radiance facial.

To book an Hendrick’s Gin Afternoon Tea, you can either book online or telephone 02920 111 103. Afternoon teas are served daily in the Laguna Bar from 1.00 pm until 5:30 pm.

*Mat and I were invited to sample the Hendrick’s Gin Afternoon Tea as guests of Park Plaza Hotel Cardiff

I have to confess I haven’t eaten at Las Iguanas for years and was a bit unsure what to expect.  Back in the 90’s (!) I remember lots of guacamole and refried beans.  Plus, there was now the additional challenge of two decidedly fussy eaters to consider.

It’s July so obviously we have an umbrella & this is Ieuan’s “feed me now” face

Lured by the promise of one of the new limited edition collectibles from Aardman Studios, Iggy & Friends and the fact that kids eat free this summer when the adults choose a main course from the A La Carte Menu, we decided to try something other than pizza for a change.

No that is not a strawberry milkshake Ieuan

Las Iguanas in Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, is set on the corner of a run of restaurants and commands a great view over the bay and the crowds milling to and fro.  It is bright, airy and decorated in a kind of Brazilian feel with lots of wood and warm colours.

The restaurant was already full of lots of families with young children

When we arrived on a Saturday lunchtime, the place was already buzzing and we were given a great table right by one of the floor to ceiling windows.

There is certainly plenty of choice.  In fact there is so much choice, it took us a good while to decide what to have. Luckily our server, Kasia, was friendly and patient, particularly when explaining to Ieuan that the cocktail he’d spotted with fresh watermelon in the glass was alcoholic and not served to 8 year olds.

I always think that kids menus can be a little unimaginative and our two are at the difficult age when, at 9 and 8, their appetites don’t always match the portion size of either the adult portion or the child’s. You are then faced with either ordering an extra side or an adult pudding to compensate.

No such problems at Las Iguanas.  The ‘Ninos Meal’ costs £5.90 and includes a main course, dessert and a drink.

The children’s menu

The kids’ menu has a number of vegetarian and one gluten free option (the Wacky Tacos) and in among the usual children’s favourites there are a fair few ‘different’ choices – for example they can have a ‘Crazy Quesadilla’ which is a tortilla, folded, chargrilled and filled with a choice of cheese and cherry tomatoes, chicken and cheese or garlicky chilli, thyme mayonnaise and melted cheese, served with corn chips.

Although there is a lunch menu served until 6:30 pm each day featuring smaller versions of some of the A La Carte dishes, the Husband and I opted to eat off the main menu to take advantage of the kids eat free offer.

There is LOADS of choice – and at various levels of spiciness.

We had some Peruvian Botija Olives (in a herby marinade) whilst we made our selection.

Whether you want a Taco Plank (tortillas served with various toppings), a selection of Tapas, steak or chicken from the grill, burgers, Mexican classics, Brazilian dishes or salads, there really is something for everyone.

Just some of the wide range of menu options

In fact, I’d say Las Iguanas is not really a restaurant you can fully experience in one sitting.  The Husband is already planning to return to try the Tapas.

I chose Blazing Bird (£13.50), half a succulent spicy chicken kept nicely moist by a tangy barbecue sauce, served with my choice of curly fries and a creamy slaw.

Blazing Bird

The Husband had fajitas with marinated steak strips (£17.50), freshly cooked to order in a mix of spices, onions and peppers.  It came sizzling with guacamole, grated cheese, soured cream, jalapenos, roasted tomato salsa and wheat tortillas.

The steak was lovely and tender and nicely complemented by the selection of spicy accompaniments. The four tortillas made it a very generous portion.

Steak Fajitas

Caitlin chose Cod Bites – battered cod chunks with a creamy mayonnaise dip and fries, whilst Ieuan is going through a ‘cheeseburger phase’ and opted for the beef burger in a toasted buttery brioche bun, topped with melted cheese and served with fries and a ketchup dip. The portion sizes were certainly generous for our two.

t’s safe to say the kids enjoyed themselves

The Husband finished his meal with coffee but I tried the Maracuya Mess (£5.00), layers of passion fruit mousse, berry compote and crushed meringue.  The kids opted for a Strawberry mini milk ice lolly and Raspberry Jelly.   Just enough after all we’d just consumed.

The kids were introduced to Iggy and Friends designed by Aardman Studios. Iggy, is Las Iguanas’ mascot and he and his Latin pals; Tumble the Tapir, Banana the Llama, Mick the Jaguar, Mischief the Monkey and Santiago the Sloth, were all named by diners in a recent competition. They have now come to life as 3D collectibles, each with an unmistakably ‘Aardman’ expression.

Collect Iggy & Friends

There are six toys to collect and younger visitors (suitable for the over 3s) will be able to choose one character each time they enjoy a meal from the Iggy & Friends menu from 22nd July while stocks last.

And don’t forget that kids eat free if the adults choose from the A La Carte Menu.

We really enjoyed our meal and are looking forward to returning.  I’ve never seen Ieuan clear his plate so quickly.

More information:  www.lasiguanas.co.uk.  Book online or for the Mermaid Quay branch

tel: 02920459165.  Email mermaidquay@iguanas.co.uk.

*We were invited to try the new kids menus by Las Iguanas.  All thoughts and experiences are, as usual, uniquely ours.

Now after a certain number of years with your partner (months if you’re a celebrity), the romance may well fade slightly and, come Valentines Day, the onus is on the least romantic partner to pull their socks up and prove that they still know how to show their loved one a good time.

If you are a parent and the number of babysitters in your area is somewhere in the region of zero to one, this rekindling has to be done with the kids in tow.

Ieuan is still firmly in his Harry Potter phase

Luckily for the Husband, we were invited to review our local Beefeater Grill, the Walston Castle in Wenvoe in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Conveniently situated next door to a very reasonably priced Premier Inn, the Walston Castle is just a stone’s throw from Dyffryn Gardens (National Trust) and just a short drive away from Cardiff and Cowbridge with its designer boutiques and shops.

Founded in 1974, Beefeater is one of those brands that has been around for so long that I suspect it may not always be first choice when thinking of somewhere to eat, particularly given the competition from other food chains like Cafe Rouge, Prezzo, Zizzi and the fast food companies.   It had been such a long time since we had eaten at a Beefeater, we weren’t quite sure what to expect.

The large car park is well sign-posted and it is possible to park close to both the hotel and restaurant entrances – always a bonus if you have prams or wheelchairs to think about.

Once inside, we found the restaurant to be spacious, clean and well set out.  There was also some quirky artwork on the walls to give the place a more personal feel.

Don’t worry it’s true.  Ieuan’s checked.

Ieuan’s first question to Jane, our server, was whether it was indeed possible to eat there until the cows came home.  Cue a discussion about what time cows come home.  Nipping a discussion of modern dairy farming methods in the bud (since we stayed at Hollings Hill dairy farm last summer, Ieuan regards himself as an expert), we took a look at the menu.

As you might expect, steak is a speciality of the Beefeater, although there are some vegetarian options such as the Veg-Out Burger (£8.99) or the Baked Veggie Enchiladas (£9.79).  We found the menu to be extensive with something for everyone.  You can check the dietary elements of each dish on the Beefeater website which is very handy.

There are a number of choices that are ideal for sharing with your date.  There’s Sharing Potato Dippers (£7.99) – potato dippers with melted cheese, spring onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, sour cream & chive and red onion. Or how about Freshly Grilled Tear & Share Flatbread (£4.49) in Chimichurri, Garlic or BBQ Pulled Pork varieties and the Ribs & Wings Combo (£14.49) – sticky duck wings, spiced chicken wings, bourbon BBQ ribs, chunky slaw and chilli & lime seasoned mini corn on the cob with piri piri and blue cheese dips.

On the basis that foregoing a starter entitles you to dessert the Husband ordered the 8oz fillet steak with chunky chips (£19.49) and a herby Chimichurri sauce on the side.  There is a good choice of sauces, for an extra 99p.

The husband was in far too much of a hurry to get to his steak to take a decent picture for me!

All Beefeater steaks are served with half a slow roasted tomato, grilled mushroom, lamb’s lettuce, salad and unlimited triple cooked chips or skinny fries.  There is no excuse for not sharing your chips and a very good excuse for your partner to help you clear your plate.

Each steak is hand-cut each and aged for 21 days and Beefeater trains all of their chefs in their very own steak academy.

I ordered Smothered Chicken Melt (£11.29) – chargrilled chicken breast glazed with smoky BBQ sauce and loaded with streaky bacon and Monterey Jack cheese. It came with triple cooked chips, chunky slaw and a side salad.

I was also tempted by the Signature Slow-Cooked Beef Chilli (£9.49) – slow-cooked beef in a mildly spiced chilli sauce served on a bed of basmati rice with spring onions, red chillies, guacamole, sour cream and crisp corn tortilla chips and the Oven-Baked Seabass (£14.49) – seabass fillet steamed in a pouch with courgettes and cherry tomatoes and served on a bed of thinly sliced potatoes with a crunchy Greek salad.

For the children there is an extensive Mr Men inspired menu from £4.49 with plenty of choice. There’s also a 16 page activity booklet to keep them quiet whilst you reminisce about your great romantic highlights.

Caitlin and Ieuan had strawberry and chocolate milkshakes and they both had garlic bread to start.

For their main course, Ieuan chose Mr Perfect’s Popin Chicken with chips and baked beans and Caitlin chose Little Miss Trouble’s Tomato Penne Pasta.  I particularly liked that there is a range of items you can substitute the chips and beans for (although good luck with that) such as an option to have mashed potato or peas.

Having cleared our plates we turned our attention to desserts – and there is a fabulous selection – many just right for sharing. The Husband is always wary of sharing a dessert with me because he claims he only ends up with about 20% of the pudding.  I refute this absolutely.

Anyway,  he chose the Raspberry Bakewell Tart with custard (£5.49) – a slice of bakewell with a light pastry base, raspberry jam, pistachios and almond flavoured sponge, served warm with custard.

I had the Warm Chocolate Brownie (£4.59) – served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Both were delicious and I must confess, not a lot of sharing occurred. There is a large selection of sundaes though which are just right for two spoons.

From the Kids’ Menu, Ieuan chose Mr Jelly’s Wobble Jelly and Ice Cream and Caitlin picked Funny Face ice cream which came with mini smarties and strawberry laces.

Probably not ideal date behaviour

We really enjoyed our meal at the Beefeater Walston Castle.  The food was fresh and was piping hot. The restaurant was clean and the atmosphere nicely relaxing – no blaring disco music to ruin the intimacy.  The staff were friendly, attentive and good with the kids.  (Big thanks to Jane and Eddie).

Our meal came to £75 for 4 which included a sparkling water, a large glass of Malbec wine (I don’t care what the Daily Mail says), two Costa coffees and an extra milkshake each for the kids.

The Husband often visits steak restaurants when working away in London and was favourably impressed with the quality of the steak he received at Beefeater.

Save money on Valentines Cards – get the kids to make them.

We thought the meal was very good value and we would certainly consider going there again. It’s a great date-night venue. Beefeater Grill is certainly back on our list of places to eat out.

Now if only I could find that babysitter …..

Further information about your local Beefeater Grill is at www.beefeater.co.uk.  For the Beefeater Walston Castle, telephone 02920 593896 or you can book a table online.

There is also a reward club where you are entitled to a free meal on your birthday, 5 points for every pound spent and 300 points on activation of the card.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon today so we extracted the Husband from his working quarters (our loft) for a lunch at one of our favourite family eateries, Zizzi Cardiff Bay.

Now, hands up, I did intend to do a more thorough review than this but we were, in all honesty, hungry and anyway, it will be no hardship at all to return to Zizzi’s.

Anyway, this should give you a flavour of the place and because it seems to be a little quieter in the day than neighbouring Pizza Express, it’s well worth having Zizzi’s as what I like to think of as a reserve in your “will put up with your offspring” restaurant arsenal.

Zizzi Cardiff Bay is to be found in Mermaid Quay and is bright and airy with a fabulous view over the Bay.  I love it when the sun sparkles on the sea.  It makes the Bay feel quite continental.

With his usual quest to sit somewhere with the most risk to his personal safety, Ieuan decided we’d sit on the high backed, blue pastel chairs but they were surprisingly comfortable and, happily, he didn’t fall off.

The children’s menu came on a printed sheet with colouring and puzzles to keep them occupied.

I think the barman may be coveting Ieuan’s Power Ranger.

 The kids’ menu is £6.75 for three courses and both our two opted for the mini pizza.

Caitlin’s latest masterpiece.  Ieuan did his customary Incredible Hulk green angry scribble.

The children’s starter, dough sticks, come with carrot and cucumber batons.  Yes.  That really is Ieuan eating carrot.

The Husband chose the bruschetta as his starter and had polished it off before I had a chance to wield the camera!  I can tell you it was light and fresh with sweet baby tomatoes and a generous helping of cheese.

My main course was the Skinny Pizza Pollo Roquito – chicken, roquito chillies, Fior di Latte Mozzarella, sliced asparagus, baby watercress and fresh oregano.  Under 550 calories (still quite high but still…) plus 25p of the cost of the pizza (£10.25) goes to Cancer Research UK.

It came with a lovely fresh side salad with spiralized beetroot and radishes.

One slight oddity about the online menus is that you have to click to bring up the prices and select your local restaurant.  I’m not quite sure why the prices just aren’t displayed next to the dish unless there is considerable regional variation in prices across the country, which I can’t imagine a chain such as this doing.

The Husband chose Strozzapretti Pesto Rosso (£9.95) – spicy piccante chicken, red pesto, creme fraiche and spring onions which were creamy and delicious with just the right amount of ‘bite’.

Caitlin had great fun decorating her mini pizza with her chosen toppings of olives and ham.

 This is where the cunning plan went a bit wrong.  Just as I was about to reach for the dessert menu (and the kids could have chosen ice cream or a Zizzi Bambini Cone), the pair of them vanished out of the door, having spotted the Cardiff Bay Beach with its fairground rides.

This left me to pay the bill whilst the Husband legged it after the miscreants.  We have just invested in a Tastecard which gives 50% off the bill or, here in Zizzi’s 2 for 1 on main courses.  The total bill came to £44.40 which included one large glass of rose wine, a small beer, a glass of milk and a diet coke.

Now you see them,  now they’ve legged it to the fair.

Oh well, never mind.  I will just have to go back to check out the desserts.  All in the name of research of course.

Further information: Zizzi’s in Cardiff Bay is based in Unit 8, Mermaid Quay, CF10 5BZ.  Tel: 02920 462232. You can tweet Zizzi @WeAreZizzi and they are on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wearezizzi.

This is a completely independent review.  You can find more of our restaurant reviews here.

Ed’s Easy Diner in St. David’s Shopping Centre, Cardiff.  A little bit of Americana here in the UK, although Ed’s started in Soho, London over 25 years ago.  Its interior lures you with shiny chrome and a red and white colour scheme.

There are neon lights a plenty, a retro jukebox from which you can select your favourite 50’s classic (and the money goes to charity) and the chance to blow the diet and indulge in comfort food as pleasing to families as I suspect it is to students suffering from the night before.

Leaving aside the risk that listening to “Tell Laura I Love Her” might dampen your enthusiasm for giant portions burgers and steaming hot fries, the atmosphere when we went (a Saturday lunchtime) was buzzing. Incidentally why do so many of the 1950’s classic love songs involve dying horribly in accidents?  Just a thought.

I may be hiding in this picture somewhere

What I love about Ed’s is that is does not pretend to be something it is not.  Aside from a nod to ‘gluten free’ and a small selection of salads,  this is food to expand the waistband and reassure you that ice cream does indeed solve many of life’s little problems.

The staff (clearly unaffected by the more mournful ballads) were cheerful and upbeat.  There was a queue outside and a fast turnover.

Drinks arrived swiftly (diet coke, sparkling water, lemonade and milk) in generous sized glasses, whilst the kids were kept occupied by the obligatory kids menu / puzzle sheet.

The kids menu differs from the others we have tried (for example, Prezzo and Carluccio’s) in that menu choices are priced individually.  A Junior Burger, Puppy Dog (junior hotdog) or Chicken Tenders are £4.45 and come served with a choice of Fries or Salad.  Desserts are Junior Sundaes (two scoops of ice cream with a choice of sauce) at £1.95 or there are junior milkshakes (£2.05) or a choice of soft drink and milk.  This is slightly more expensive in that drinks are not included but the main and dessert comes to a pretty average £6.40.

Caitlin had the Chicken Tenders and Ieuan chose the Puppy Dog.  Both dishes arrived piping hot with generous portions.

Ignoring the fact that Dr. Ranj would probably have palpitations if such a meal were a regular occurrence, the kids dug in.

The Husband chose the monthly special burger – a Cajun Burger (regular at 5oz) at £6.95 with an extra order of classic fries – £2.95, onion rings at £3.45 and coleslaw – £1.

In his usual style, this was made short work of.  The quality of the burger was perfectly acceptable and a step above the standard burgers served by other well known fast food restaurants. The salad garnish was fresh and the cajun mayo was well spiced.

I had the Pulled Pork Sub Plate – £10.95 – BBQ pulled pork in a large sub roll, chunky fries, BBQ sauce and coleslaw.  The roll was smothered in cheese sauce.

This was absolutely delicious.  The pulled pork melted in the mouth and the onion rings are deliciously sweet.  I could have done with marginally less cheese sauce but the BBQ sauce was tangy and the coleslaw fresh.

On to desserts.  Ieuan has a passion for chocolate brownies so he had an adult size portion of Brownie Points (chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and Hershey’s Chocolate Sauce) – £4.65, whilst Caitlin and I had a strawberry Junior Sundae each (£1.95) and the Husband had his favourite, pancakes with maple syrup and ice cream at £4.95.

Obviously I couldn’t leave Ieuan to eat all this unsupervised and I can report that the brownie was moist and gooey and just the right temperature.

The ice cream and strawberry sauce were good quality and did not have a synthetic taste.

The Husband reports that his pancakes were hot, tasty and went down a treat.

We had a great time at Ed’s Easy Diner.  It’s a fun dining experience, ideal to give the kids an occasional treat.  The place was clean and the staff were lovely.  One small comment, there are no toilets (you know me by now!) on the premises, however, a quick scoot back out into the shopping centre and round the corner brings you to the public toilets which were, on this occasion, full of young girls preparing themselves to see One Direction later in the evening.  Ieuan was most impressed by this.  We would certainly visit Ed’s again although I really hope someone has told Laura he loves her by then.

Further information can be found at www.edseasydiner.com.  We visited as guests of Ed but the opinions in this review are our own.