Porthcawl’s Cosy Corner Lounge is an independent restaurant and bar that sounds like it should be part of the 250 strong Loungers chain, with its name an uncanny cross between the Cosy Club and Juno/Ocho/Fino Lounge (delete as appropriate).  In fact, during our Saturday lunchtime visit to Cosy Corner, a couple of groups who were clearly expecting something more run of the mill like the above establishments, came in, sat down, looked at the menu, got up and left.  It was very much a case of their loss as Cosy Corner is far better than any chain restaurant or bar that we’ve ever vi ..read more

Whilst its architectural appeal might be questionable, it’s great to see the rejuvenation of the area around Churchill Way, which now forms Cardiff’s Canal Quarter. Wouldn’t it be lovely see food and drink businesses lining the waterside, packed with diners and drinkers enjoying some al fresco hospitality? That is if it ever stops raining. One hospitality business leading the charge is Hench Burger and Café Hench. Hench Burger first briefly popped up at the Royal Oak on Newport Road in 2023 and made a name for themselves with their deliciously crusty and caramelised smash burgers. Sadly ..read more

On our increasingly regular trips to see my family up north, we’ve grown accustomed to breaking up the journey with a pitstop in Manchester. There’s no question that it’s one of my favourite cities in the UK with its peerless craft beer scene, top notch restaurants, and effortlessly cool vibe. This time, there was one restaurant which was erst on my list of places to visit. (Sorry, not sorry). Located in Ancoats, Erst serves natural wine and seasonal small plates. If that sounds like your idea of hell, then you may as well stop reading now. Whilst it might be an increasingly well-worn h ..read more

There's clearly a good reason why the Quality Chop House has its name instead of something else like the Fine Fish Homestead. It's because they really know what they're doing when it comes to cooking meat. And perhaps ordering the fish isn’t the best idea. With over 150 years of history, the Quality Chop House has been under new ownership since 2012 and head chef Shaun Searley’s cooking is consistently lauded as some of the best in London by many people whose opinion I respect. That includes Mrs G, who much to my chagrin, has been a couple of times on her own without me. During the pande ..read more

The best meal we ate in London in 2023 consisted of flame-cooked spice-loaded food from a restaurant located in Borough Market. It looks like 2024 is going to go exactly the same way. Whilst last year it was all about Rambutan's Sri Lankan cooking, this time it's the Thai food from Kolae, which is owned by the same team as the acclaimed Som Saa (who also happened to do an epic home delivery kit during the pandemic). Set in a former coach house, it's a characterful place which exudes history from its well-worn brickwork. Downstairs, there’s an open kitchen with flashes of flame and wafts o ..read more

I rarely start a blog post by talking about the service at a restaurant.  But, the two members of front of house staff at the newly opened Koottaan Curry Club in Cathays were so warm, knowledgeable and enthusiastic that we ordered dishes from the menu that we wouldn't haven considered. And they were glad to big up the authenticity credentials of the food served by their all-Keralan team.  In fact, with front of house staff this passionate, it puts Koottaan in a good place to weather the storm of opening a restaurant in the most challenging of times for the hospitality industry ..read more

  “My Home Sweet Homah” That’s how Dylan Thomas, described Swansea’s Kardomah Café.  I may as well leave it there because Thomas’ four-word summation will be far more eloquent than anything I’m going to blurt out over the next few paragraphs. I think it’s fair to say that the Kardomah had a special place in Dylan Thomas’ heart. As part of the Kardomah Gang, a group of Bohemian artists, musicians, poets and writers, he used to regularly hang out at its previous incarnation on Swansea’s Castle Street in the 1930s.  Whilst it was sadly destroyed in the Blitz, the Kardomah relocate ..read more

Ministry of Sound. Amnesia. Fabric. Space. Pasha. It seems unlikely that I’d write about any of these places on this blog.  Fortunately, I’m not about to branch out into reviewing superclubs. And considering my bedtime is usually 10pm, I don’t think any of them would even be open before my head hits the pillow. No, it turns out that Pasha is a shawarma bar on Cardiff’s City Road.  We’ve previously visited once before when they first opened at the start of 2023 and enjoyed a very tasty lamb shawarma wrap, which currently costs a mere £4.99. This time we were back for a sit-down meal ..read more

I can't tell you the last time I was this excited about a new restaurant opening in Wales. It's because Jonathan Woolway, the former chef director of St John, one of the UK's most iconic restaurants, has just opened his own gaff in Swansea. Repeat, this is not a drill - the former chef director of St John, the Michelin-starred restaurant which pioneered ‘nose to tail’ cooking and was a favourite of Anthony Bourdain, has opened a restaurant just an hour down the road from my house. Woolway, who originally hails from Gorseinon had worked at St John since 2008, becoming their head chef in 20 ..read more

Stepping into the Flora on the night of a Six Nations match was pretty similar to walking into my students’ union around a quarter of a century ago. Standing room only, everyone seemed to be wearing a combination of baggy jumpers, snow pants, flared jeans, puffy jackets and logo t-shirts. And, a poster in the toilet advertised three Jagerbombs for a keenly priced £8.50. Add to that the fact I’ve already reviewed the Flora around seven years ago (by which time my blog was already six years old) and you’ll realise that I’m very much an OAP when it comes to this blogging lark. The reason ..read more