4 days ago
I went to Cardiff's new small plates restaurant and there's one thing I would change
The sun is shining and the city is bustling with excitement as we have the pinnacle of beer garden weather. An impressive line-up of big acts are taking over Cardiff this summer and it can only mean one thing – concert-goers are all looking for some good pre-gig grub and somewhere to have a nice drink before dancing the night away.
Nomad, a new small plates restaurant, has just opened in Cardiff's High Street in place of Terra Mare. They have a menu that changes monthly with a variety of fresh and tasty options.
So we decided to try the new restaurant and see whether or not this could be the summer city hotspot to match the weather. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here.
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As we walked into the chic new restaurant we were impressed with how beautiful the interior was. The room was a gorgeous dark green with hints of gold and an exquisite bar that looks like it's been influenced by the roaring 20s – very Gatsby. They had a drinks menu that even F Scott Fitzgerald would be impressed with and going with the summery vibes I decided to order a Hugo Spritz.
The restaurant itself was quite quiet to begin with as a new location but after we arrived diners started to trickle in. The staff were amazing and extremely accommodating and despite my favourite drink not being on the menu they went ahead and made me one regardless. I can imagine it would be a great venue for weekend drinks and somewhere nice for a dressed-up date we were disappointed to not really have the option of sitting outside during the nice weather. They had a few tables and chairs but they weren't equipped for dining and made a better option for a quick drink. The tables themselves weren't big enough to hold several small plates, which is a shame as other restaurants in the vicinity had the capacity. However if you are keen to stop for a quick drink in the sun then you'll have no problem.
After ordering our drinks we moved on to the food menu. They had small plates, large plates, flatbreads, side options, and also a few desserts.
In total we ordered a selection of the above dishes including the smoked fish pate, pickled mussels roe, and grilled sourdough, which visually looked amazing (see the main picture). The combination of flavours worked really well and contrast of textures worked well together on the sourdough.
Our favourite dish had to be the white and brown crab Caesar salad, spenwood, anchovy and bottarga. It was extremely fresh and a great twist on a classic. On a warm day in Cardiff alongside a refreshing Hugo Spritz it was almost like we were in the Mediterranean. Despite not looking the most appealing the combination of the salty anchovies against the milder crab meat was beautiful.
We also ordered the teriyaki chicken thigh, sesame, spring onion, red chilli, and frisée which was beautifully cooked and instantly fell apart though personally I would have preferred a little more teriyaki sauce as I love super-saucy food. The flavour of the teriyaki against the spring onion and the sesame made a lovely combination.
Next we ordered my second-favourite dish – the chargrilled flatbread, brown butter, sea salt, Severn and Wye smoked salmon, rocket, capers ,and horseradish. Wow – this was so light and perfect for nipping out on your lunch break. The salmon and the horseradish worked really well together in a combination I'd never really tried. This was paired beautifully with the buttery flatbread and made for a fresh but filling option. It was already cut in to slithers meaning it was a perfect sharing dish.
Lastly we ordered some sides in the way of Tenderstem broccoli, pesto, and shallot as well as some truffle and spenwood fries. We enjoyed the fries – while the taste of the truffle was a touch overpowering at times but regardless they were still very tasty. On the other hand we were not a fan of the Tenderstem broccoli as it was charred in such a way that it almost tasted bitter.
Overall the food was very fresh and a great option for warm weather dining. There were some elements to the food that were a little lacking but the stand outs for us were the salad and the flatbread. The quality of the seafood on the menu was amazing and this was definitely a personal highlight – hopefully future menus keep the same standard when it comes to its fishy dishes.
Would I go again? Well I think it depends on the future menus and what kinds of options they include. I'm a big fan of analysing a menu before I go anywhere and with a menu that continues to change you never know what you are going to get.
Will they do thematic or seasonal options? Who knows. But I would be intrigued to see where they go from here – especially as a new restaurant in the heart of the city centre. One thing I will say is I do hope they improve their outdoor dining options for the summer with more people are keen to eat outside. You can read more about Nomad and what they have to offer here.
