Cardiff's Best Vegetarian Restaurants
Veggies in Cardiff are spoilt for choice. Tasty homemade grub is available from the arcades to Woodville road, and its not just rabbit food either. Still, it ain't just veggies who want to eat at vegetarian restaurants, so we decided to hunt out the best veggie eateries for converting a carnivore, finding non-hippy veggie eats, taking a veggie on a date and for getting your recommended five portions of fruit and veg. Here's what we reckon.
Best for converting a carnivore
If your mates'd ordinarily rather chew off their own fingers than go anywhere near lettuce leaves, tofu or Quorn, then Cardiff's best vegetarian restaurant for them is the Vegetarian Food Studio (109 Penarth Road, 029 2023 8222). The delicious selection of Indian/oriental/traditional veggie dishes will be sure to tempt the most stubborn carnivores. After a visit here sampling home-made samosas, chilli noodles and tikka, your mates minds'll be so changed that they'll never be so carni-boring again. High quality nosh, reasonable prices, student discount: what more could you ask for? What's that you say? You want them to cater for special dietary requirements and diabetic needs too? Done.
Best for non-hippy veggie eats
Not a single wind chime or beaded curtain pretending to be a door in sight: Crumbs Salad Restaurant (33 Morgan Arcade, 029 20395007) is not just a delightfully accessible veggie-friendly restaurant, but has to be about the only place that caters for the most extreme vegans without there being the slightest waft of patchouli about it. Tucked away in the arcades, this cosy café sells salads, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and a selection of special hot pots. Somewhat of a local landmark, Cardiff's first veggie café has been attracting locals, students and any Cardiff resident with a modicum of taste for over thirty years. Get there early to avoid the lunchtime rush and shocking queues.
Best for taking a veggie on a date
The Greenhouse Café (38 Woodville Road, 029 2023 5731) isn't the best place to go on a date if you're disorganised, as it's closed more often than not, so you'll need to plan in advance. Oh, and the menu's slightly limited too, so it mightn't be the greatest choice if you're hoping to romance a fussy eater. Still, given the trendy surroundings, polite staff and tasty meals, if your date objects to this joint, then they're probably not worth the effort. Luckily, what with most of the meals being under a tenner, it won't cost you too much to find this out. Oh, and there's an impressive seafood selection too, so if you or your date's a fan of the fruits of the sea, then you're squids in.
Despite the fact that they don't eat meat, given the cheapo tactic of bulking out most dishes with pasta and grains that most veggie restaurants employ, it can be hard to consume a lot of actual veg while eating out as a vegetarian (and don't forget that potatoes don't count...). Luckily, Hunky Dory (17 Charles Street, Newport, 016233 257850) doesn't cram in carbs to make up for the fact that the only veg you're getting is a lettuce leaf and a couple of tomatoes. It may be a bit further afield, but the yummy home-cooked veggie meals at this quaint little establishment are most definitely worth the extra few quid petrol money.
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