Jo Pinder (Barry) wrote on 30 January 2010

I love this restaurant and we visit as regularly as we can (baby sitter allowing). We have never had a bad meal and love the variety of the menu. I have tried so many things that I have not known of but trust the Canteen that they will be good - they always are! As a vegetarian, married to a vegan and with friends ranging from the omnivorous to the frankly carnivorous we find it meets all our needs. Our last visit was the 22nd January with four meat eating friends. It is a tribute to Wayne and Tony menu and cooking that we all had a vegetarian meal. The mushroom wontons particularly were sublime. We find the staff helpful and friendly, the atmosphere good - particularly the music which can be slightly eclectic and price fantastically good value. What can I say, I rave about this place to friends, family and now strangers!

Ed Booth (Cardiff) wrote on 18 December 2009

I feel compelled to write this as I've just read the previous review of Canteen. People are entitled to an opinion, but there is little opportunity for the restaurant to respond to such comments. This is a little unfair, but it seems to be the way these days that communication is not face to face, but facebook to facebook.
If the meal was so awful, I suggest that a direct complaint is often best. The restaurant then gets feedback, they may offer alternatives, they may even let you off paying if the food is "bland", "unappetising" or "mediocre".
Your comments also appear to be the polar opposite to the many reviews written by Canteen customers over the last couple of years, are you sure it's just not something you ate?

I agree that the area isn't the best Cardiff has to offer, I also agree that the interior isn't typical of our usual high street restaurants. You may have not had a big enough smile from the 'girl' serving you, but it happens to us all sometimes. What I can't agree on is the place was dirty, I have eaten there fairly regularly and it has always been clean. And food-wise, as the Chefs cook for passion, not just for profit, they would be very upset if they'd served such food.

Go and have a chat with Wayne, give him another opportunity, and if you're still disappointed then have a good moan here, or on facebook or twitter.

Ceri Shallard (Cardiff) wrote on 6 November 2009

Went to eat out with 3 friends. I'm vegan, and so is my best friend, and out other two friends are meativores. We decided to go to the Canteen, as it seemed promising and there was food to please everyone (or so it seemed on the menu on their website). We went there, and the problems started straight away. The girl who served us never had a smile or any more than two words to say to us. The service felt rushed and impersonal. Then the food came. My starter was impressive to the eye, but my tongue had a different opinion. I found that the taste was bland and definitely didn't live up to the promise. Then the main course came, a fairly sized portion: which I, like my meat eating friend, did not finish, as I found it rather unappetizing. The only thing to save the day was the desert, which was ok, nothing to write home about and at this point in time we're just wanting to pay the bill and get out of there more than trying to enjoy the food. I must say I cry over the £15+ I spent there on mediocre food and overpriced drinks. The location was also as scummy as you can get and the place inside didn't ooze cleanliness. Needless to say we're gonna have to find elsewhere to eat now, as we refuse to go back. My other 3 friends share of the opinion, so I'm not just imagining it.

dan richards (cardiff) wrote on 21 October 2009

my partner and i are longstanding customers of the canteen but due to personal reasons there has been a substantial gap since our last visit. We rectified this on Thursday the 15th of October. The experience was so impressive that i felt compeled to write. The betroot and walnut salad was the very definition of "starter" - delicate, balaced and refreshing.The butternut gnochi main dish was simply one of the best plates of food that i have eate in a long time - very subtle,getting better with each mouthful until you finally 'get it' and the depths of that course are revealed. The high wire act of walnut and chocolate filled raviolli was pulled off with ease and worked in spades. As always the service was cheerful and what began as an evening with a roomful of strangers quickly evolved into a goup of like minded people chewing thoughtfully and giving each other the odd knowing smile and a wink
Wayne and Tony have always maintained that this venture was a journey into culinary experimentaion that the customer was free and welcome to join them on.....if they dare! I'm glad to say that they have stuck by their ethos and, if anything, their commitment and passion has grown even stronger. That night , my partner and i wandered in to the canteen, looking for something comforting and familiar - Tony and Wayne gave us that - but served it up whilst we were all strapped into a big , exciting fairground ride;
Reader; to overlook this resteraunt if you're anywhere near our beautiful capital, would be a serious culinary faux pas, as it is quite simply a quiet, hidden gem that is just waiting to be discovered. The price? I'm not even going to go there,because it's silly and doesn't make sense(not that I'm complaining!) The cost?.....of never going? A void in your culinary soul!

Daniel-Jon Williams (Cardiff) wrote on 27 November 2008

This restaurant is sublime, the food is beyond your wildest dreams - it's like the Tardis - from the street it's just any other place on Clifton Street. Step inside and you will be transported to an unfussy, simple restaurant serving simply excellent food. I cannot rate this place enough every time I have visited this place the staff are so friendly you feel like you are with good friends, the atmosphere is relaxed and full of conversation and the price - well you will not beat it anywhere else. The Canteen is one of Cardiff's best kept secret's

Lou Johnson (Falmouth) wrote on 10 April 2008

Well, blow me! What a find...
Me and four of my best mates were on my hen weekend, staying further west near Llantwit Major. But as I'm Cardiff-born and bred, we thought a night reaping the delights of Welsh food-fare was required. The Canteen matched our expectations and more.
We were sat right by the kitchen, a let-down in any other restaurant, but here seeing the chefs weave their magic at work (& play) was all part of the culinary delight. The food was fast, fresh, tasty and very inventive. The five of us vowed to return, and that was before we'd even got to the sweet course. The Wild Garlic soup was so good I wanted my bowl to keep refilling. The Chocolate & Stout pudding really was the best desert any of us had ever tasted, and I'm really pleased to see the recipe for it on the Canteens download list (which is another wonderfully innovative idea). Their menu changes on a weekly basis, so I'm sure repeat visits will always maintain my now high expectations. Excellent value for money, we'd have gladly paid twice the price for this quality feast (hope the Canteen's till-meister doesn't read this!).
In one word, this place is SUPERB!!
Looking forward to my return trips to Cardiff where the Canteen's food, music and ambiance will definitely be on the itinerary!!

Robert Slater (Cardiff) wrote on 26 March 2008

Never thought I'd find myself becoming a 'regular' at a restaurant, but why bother with others when you've found a place this this? Friendly responsive staff and enthusiastic chefs. Simple surroundings and sensibly limited imaginative menus that change every two weeks. Fresh ingredients cooked and presented well. Excellent value for money. Gets a bit noisy when busy, but then it deserves to be busy!

Jules (Cardiff) wrote on 21 March 2008

We ate at the 'Canteen on Clifton Street' (canteenoncliftonstreet.com) last night and had a wonderful meal. I'm loathe to tell anyone about this place in case it becomes too popular and getting a table may be impossible, however, it would be a travesty to keep this good cooking and egalitarian (vegan, vegetarian and omnivore) restaurant under wraps. The evening menu is small (three starters, three mains, three desserts) and changes every two weeks or so. The deal is two courses for £10.00 or three courses for £13.50. What a deal!! Each menu includes one main meat choice, and vegan versions are either already on the menu or available upon request. It's great to be able to go out with meat eating friends and find a menu which gives everyone choice. The food is full of variety (not just your typical and supremely boring vegetarian lasagne) with flavours from all over the world. Last night I had a delicious paneer, pea and endamame balti beautifully spiced served with a corriander roti, followed by a mushroom loaf with a tomato/chipotle sauce (delicious) and my dining companion had the wild garlic soup, followed by braised beef and guinness pie; both mains were served with hearty portions of braised red cabbage (slightly too vinegary for my companion) and champ (or colcannon since it was mash with cabbage or kale?). All yummy and good sized portions. The restaurant was busy, with a variety of patrons from older retired people, professional looking couples, families and student types, and there was genial buzz about the place. It's not veggie trippy at all and we really liked this about the place. It calls itself a canteen and the decor is not fancy, but the food is definitely the best Cardiff has to offer for vegetarians and I'd say there is some mighty fine dining available here!

Paul Smith (Cardiff) wrote on 24 November 2007

Canteen is a new restaurant that has been opened by two guys passionate about their food. Both vegetarian and regular food is served, with a very interesting mixed influence menu. The focus is on vegetarian, with vegan also fully catered for. The 3 course Christmas menu is suitable for vegans. It is affordable with a two course evening meal costing £10. Everything is produced fresh on the premises with organic, locally produced ingredients where possible. Oh, and the food is delicious! The atmosphere is quiet to buzzing.