Who would've known that such an excellent restaurant was on the top floor of Cardiff and Vale College? My husband and I came here for a meal on a Saturday night, booking in advance and we both really enjoyed ourselves! BACKGROUND: The Classroom is led by a very experienced head chef and they train those studying culinary and hospitality at Cardiff and Vale College to help students get valuable work experience, which I'm happy to support! They also hold occasional cookery classes for the general public that you can book. All in all, the idea behind this restaurant is excellent! ATMOSPHERE: As its on the top floor (floor 5) of the Cardiff and Vale College building, the atmosphere is great. Open kitchen for you to see inside as the chefs prepare along with large glass windows for excellent views. The chairs are comfortable and it really models modern European fine dining! CUSTOMER SERVICE: Great! The waiting staff manager has worked in a Michelin starred restaurant before so he definitely knows his hospitality. We were greeted promptly with our coats taken and never had to flag down anyone for attention. Our meals arrived quickly as well and it was an extremely efficient service! FOOD: The food here at The Classroom is on a seasonal menu, so if you visit you probably won't be having the same stuff as me, but everything I had was delicious! ~ Starter: Smoked Haddock & Shellfish Chowder with Parsley Oil (£6.95) An excellent start to the meal. I love Smoked Haddock and this chowder had excellent flavours and tasted like the sea. There was a generous amount of haddock as well which I was pleased about and the parsley made for a well balanced finish. ~ Main: Glazed Jacobs Ladder, potato terrine, carrot purée, roasted white asparagus and Italian peas, crispy silver skin onions, red wine jus (£19.95) Really good! The beef was cooked perfectly and was extremely tender and fell off the bone. The carrot puree was extremely creamy and delicious and the onions packed a flavourful punch. My only complaint about this dish is I felt it could have done with a tad extra seasoning as the jus was a little bland but there was salt at the table so it was an easy fix. ~ Dessert: Stuffed baked apple, spiced mascarpone mousse (£5.95) The baked apple was stuffed with what I think was minced meat, and baked with a caramelised outside. Very delicious and the spices they used were fantastic! I especially loved the mascarpone mousse as I'm a huge fan of mascarpone. --- Overall, I would definitely recommend The Classroom to anyone. The prices aren't completely out of this world for a special occasion and my husband and I both loved what we had. I will definitely be back in the Summer to see what their Summer menu would bring! read more