This is the upstairs restaurant in the Old Customs House near the Cardiff Bay Barrage, downstairs is El Puerto with a very similar menu.
The formula a display of raw meats and fish from which you select and they are cooked in a variety of simple styles, mainly grilled is the same as The Brasserie/Le monde in the town centre or Caesars in Creigiau, and I suspect they are part of the same group.
And that's the first problem: it feels like a chain run to a formula, albeit a successful and popular one. There is no feeling of individuality or the mark of a chef with any vision running the kitchen
I started with Razor Clams. They were incredibly rubbery and gritty. Grit is simply inadequate attention to washing these shellfish, rubberiness I suspect is overcooking, as recipes for razor clams state no longer than 30 seconds.
I had rack of lamb for the main course and the lamb was extremely tender. However, what looked like a simple herb crust had some other ingredient which gave an extremely pungent taste and overwhelmed the lamb.
The dish of vegetables (an optional extra) was ordinary.
I should report that my friends declared themselves happy with their food, but at the prices charged for my food, I couldn't give more than 3/5 for a meal that I could cook better myself. There are set lunch and dinner menus at a more reasonable cost.
The wine list goes up to £500 and more per bottle. We had a white and a red from the more modest end of the list (at around £23) and both were fine.
Service was friendly and efficient, though they did try and serve another table's order to us. read more
