Day Out: Roath Park

When the sun decides to shine upon the city of Cardiff, there's no better thing to do than take a little trip down to Roath Park. The park is originally a Victorian creation and was donated to the city by the Marquis of Bute in 1887. It contains many attractions such as the lake, the lighthouse, the Botanic Gardens, the Conservatory, and it's recently expanded Terra Nova Cafe which serves hot and cold meals all year round. 

The picturesque scenery by the lake is particularly stunning in the spring sunshine, and is the perfect place for a gentle stroll and a spot of lunch. The park is full of wildlife and is a brilliant place to bring young children as there's so much to see and do. You can go boating on the lake, play games on the grass, visit the playground, use the tennis/basketball courts, visit the gardens and much more! 

Myself and my housemate, Rae, bought a meal deal from Tesco (we would have eaten at Terra Nova but our student budgets didn't quite allow it unfortunately) and ate lunch on a bench by the lake whilst soaking up the rays. It was a perfectly delightful way to spend a sunny afternoon!

En route home, we stopped off at Joe's Ice Cream Parlour on Wellfield Road for a well deserved treat after our afternoon walk. Joe's Ice Cream originates in Swansea and reminds me so much of my Nanny as we always go for a Joe's at their Mumbles parlour when I visit her. I adore their vanilla ice cream as it's luxuriously creamy and yet not too sweet (vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce and rainbow sprinkles is always my go-to flavour!). They have a range of flavours available, I've sampled a few in my time and they're all delicious, but I'll always be a vanilla girl at heart!

Do you enjoy visiting Roath Park?

Have you tried Joe's Ice Cream before?

Lunch Date: Coffee Barker

Coffee Barker is a New York coffee house/Parisian bistro inspired cafe found in Cardiff's Castle Arcade and is truly one of the city's little gems! The place itself is warm and inviting (as are the wonderfully helpful staff) and it's fabulous range of hot drinks, lunchtime nibbles, cakes and snacks are definitely a reason to get cosy in their comfy armchairs. The building is glass-fronted (perfect for those of you who love to people watch) and there is optional outdoor seating which is lovely as the arcade is covered so you're not open to the elements. 

Barker's offers homemade soup of the day (which changes in flavour regularly), panini's and jacket potatoes as their hot lunchtime menu, as well as a range of freshly made sandwiches which can be found in the chiller to the side of the counter. I've had their homemade tomato and basil soup before and loved it as it was packed full of flavour and was served, rather interestingly, in a metal saucepan with a loaf of crusty bread at its side - a perfect winter warmer! 

This time around, I decided to opt for a jacket potato filled with tuna mayo. It was served in a metal dish, not unlike the ones we used to take camping with us, which gave the dish a rather rustic feel. The tuna was seasoned nicely with salt and pepper adding a little bit of heat. The only slightly negative comment I could make is that I would have much preferred a side salad to a pot of coleslaw, but other than that no complaints whatsoever.

Overall I love Barker's and will definitely be revisiting for a light lunch or a coffee and a homemade cake. It's the perfect meeting place for a catch up with friends and is so cosy you won't want to leave! I one hundred percent recommend a visit here if you're ever looking for a nice little place to have a rest during a busy day in Wales' capitol city.

Have you been to Barker's before?

What were your experience?

Cheap and Cheerful Lunchtime: Revolution

On Mondays, myself and my course mates have the day off University, and seeing as the sun was shining and everyone was in a fabulous mood, me and Aaron decided to head off for a nice lunch together. On deciding where to go we came up with two criteria that we wanted the place to adhere to: cheap and tasty. And boy did Revolution deliver! 

On Mondays they have a Mega Monday 50% Off menu. When I first saw the sign I thought 'yeah, that's all well and good, but I bet there's hardly any choice on the menu' - I was so wrong! The 50% off menu included a huge variety of delicious dishes from fish and chips to stone baked pizza. It basically includes their entire menu, which caused much anxiety for us as we attempted to choose between the variety of delicious-sounding dishes on the menu. In order to buy ourselves some more time to choose our main we ordered a bowl of nachos to share.

The nachos were topped with cheese, jalapeños, sour cream, guacamole and salsa (they aren't included in the 50% off deal, but we couldn't resist!). The nachos were nice, but not as nice as I have had in other restaurants. In all honesty they were quite dry as there was a distinct lack of dip and the cheese:chip ratio wasn't what I'd usually like. If anything I'd have just liked more salsa as I love a soggy tortilla chip! Having said that, we didn't complain and polished off the lot between us within probably about 50 seconds.

After much deliberation, I finally settled on the chicken, chorizo and pesto pappardelle and it was lush! The thick ribbon pasta was tossed in rosemary, chorizo and sun blushed tomatoes, covered in a creamy pesto sauce, and topped with sugar snap peas. From the first bite the flavours were intense and delicious. I loved the creamy pesto and the sugar snap peas gave an added texture which worked incredibly well with the soft pasta. I also liked the fact that the staff served the added parmesan cheese in a container with a spoon and didn't put it on my food themselves, this meaning I could add as much or as little cheese as I'd like (perfecto!). The only complaint that I have is that it was slightly over seasoned - the extra salt in the dish made me quite thirsty but it was totally worth it for the scrumptious flavour!

Aaron decided to try out the blackened chicken burger and quickly announced that it was beautiful. The burger consisted of two pan-fried chicken breasts, coated in a blend of herbs and spices, with salad, mayonnaise, and served with a portion of chips and coleslaw on the side. The chicken itself was succulent and flavoursome, and spiced very well. There was a seeming abundance of chicken and it took him a while to chomp through it all (which is unusual for him as he's pretty much the king of burgers). I have to mention though, that he absolutely fell in love with the chips! He usually dislikes pre-salted chips, but he adored these as they were seasoned to perfection! The chips were perfectly crispy and came with the skin of the potato still on, which added texture. 

In total we ordered 2 mains, a portion of nachos to share and 2 soft drinks and it came to £21.84 - a wonderfully delicious student friendly lunch! I would definitely recommend you visit Revs for food (not just for an intoxicated night of fun and frolics) as it's fabulous quality and such a great price. You can check out the menu here if you'd like to have a little look before trying for yourself.

Have you been to Revolution for lunch before?

What did you think of the food?

Weekend Treat: Bill's Restaurant

To kick start the rugby weekend, me and my bestie Cari, decided to head off for lunch at Bill's Restaurant on Mill Lane in Cardiff City Centre. The food was absolutely delicious and such good value for money! 

Bill's is a chain restaurant which kick-started when Bill's fruit and veg stall was damaged by flooding in 2000. He reopened his stall as a sit-in restaurant that served fresh food from local produce and it swiftly became incredibly popular. And so the chain was born… 

I have to say, however, if Cari wouldn't have told me it was a chain restaurant I never would have guessed. It doesn't have the mass-produced feel of a TGI Fridays or Pizza Express. The atmosphere is cosy, welcoming and almost home-like, and its decor reflects this with its mish-mash of comfy arm chairs, wacky wall decorations and witty blackboards. 

The food is simplistic yet bursting with mouth-watering flavours - the perfect combination in my eyes. I was also surprised (and elated) to discover that Bill's offer large ranging breakfast, afternoon tea, children's and lunch and dinner menus - I would happily spend an entire day there sampling all the different menu options! 

After much deliberation and debate, I finally settled on having the 'Bill's Hamburger' with added cheese (priced at £9.95 with the monterey jack cheese being an additional £1.20). The burger was served in a sesame seed bun with red onion, tomato, lettuce, horseradish mayonnaise and skinny fries and it was blummin' marvellous! The burger itself was succulent and the horseradish mayonnaise added a lovely additional flavour which I've never sampled before. The chips were cooked to perfection (not too crispy, just how I love them!) and were in a perfect portion size. I would definitely recommend! 

Cari ended up having the slow cooked BBQ pork ribs (which I drooled over when they came out of the kitchen!) that were served with classic creamy coleslaw and sweet potato fries. Priced at £13.95, it may seem a bit steep at first, but when you see the portion size it is totally good value for money. I didn't sample the pork myself but from the rate that it was devoured I'd have said it was pretty delicious! The sweet potato fries were gorgeously sweet and so well seasoned that I was tempted to order a portion for myself (greedy I know, but they were just so good!)

Overall we had a lovely meal together and the helpful and approachable staff made us feel completely comfortable and relaxed within the restaurant. A really nice place for a bit of lunch and a catch up with friends and family. Oh, and I have to mention that our meal was made so much better with a sighting of George North who was eating at the Bill's too! Starting off the rugby weekend with a full belly and spotting a hunk of an international rugby player, what more could a girl want?

Have you tried out a Bill's Restaurant before?

What were your experiences?

My 20th Birthday: Dining at the Bosphorus Restaurant

I celebrated my 20th birthday on Tuesday surrounded by those that I love - what better way to see out your teenage years than with those special people who made your teens unforgettable? 

As I'm at University in Cardiff my parents decided to visit on the Saturday to go out for a birthday meal and get me a birthday present (a blog post about the lovely Bobbi Brown make-up products that they bought me will be posted within the week!) As a family we've holidayed in Turkey around 5 times, and absolutely love the cuisine, so naturally, when I heard fantastic things about the Bosphorus Restaurant in Cardiff Bay I couldn't wait to take them there to try it out! 

The location of the restaurant is stunning. It stands apart from the rest of the restaurants down at the bay as it is situated upon a jetty which pokes out into the water of the bay itself (as you can see from the image above). The glass walls provide stunning views across the bay and it was particularly gorgeous in the spring sunshine that we were lucky enough to have on the day! The restaurant itself is nice and spacious with a warm atmosphere - it was the perfect place for a little chin-wag with my parents over lunch. For food, we all opted for the 'healthy meal lunch' as it provided a selection of small dishes that would allow us to try out a range of their delicacies. The set meal is priced at £11.50 per person and I found it to be good value for money as it includes your starter and your main course! 

 

When the food arrived it came on one large plate. In Turkey dishes like this would have been served in multiple small bowls allowing everyone on the table to dip in and out of the foods they wished to sample - this didn't detract from the flavour of the food however. Each of us had humous, taramasalata, mixed nut salad, stuffed vine leaves, saksuka (a traditional middle-eastern tomato and aubergine dish), tzatziki (a yogurt based dish with mint and cucumber), a cheese and herb filled filo pastry, a lamb kebab, a chicken kebab and a Turkish meatball. The flavours of the food were really lovely - nothing in comparison to the food out in Turkey, but as good as you will find in this country. My faves on the plate had to be the cheese and herb filled filo pastry and the Turkish meatballs, they were stunning and had a perfect balance of flavour! One thing I love about Turkish cuisine is their ability to get portion sizes absolutely right. I ate the lot, was suitably full but not overly so - perfect for a pre-shopping meal! Of course we washed our lunch down with a couple of Efes beers (a Turkish-brand beer that my Dad absolutely loves) and a bottle of pink champagne to toast to my birthday.

On the day of my actual birthday I celebrated with my friends at my favourite night of the week (Sync at Revs!) A few free bottles of free champagne and some intoxicated dancing with my besties, what more could a girl want? Of course, being totally spoilt by my housemates with a gorgeous new dress was the cherry on top of the cake!

Have you tried the Bosphorus Restaurant? 

What's your favourite Cardiff night out of the week?

I look forward to reading your comments :) 

My Bucket List: Things To Do Before I Leave University

As the end of my second year of University looms, I've begun to think about all the opportunities Cardiff has to offer which I haven't taken advantage of yet. I took this thought home with me, and whilst sat in the kitchen with my housemates, we decided to write a list of things that we want to do in Cardiff before we leave this bustling city for bigger and better things. Together we wish to complete everything on our list, and in the process, make some invaluable memories with those who made our University careers special. Nothing will help to beat graduation-blues like knowing you've ticked everything off your before-I-leave-uni bucket list! 

I've decided to share our list on my blog (not only to remind my housemates of what we've decided upon) but also because it gives some alternative ideas about what you can do in Cardiff if you decide to visit. So here we go…

1. Dr Who Experience at Cardiff Bay

The Doctor Who Experience takes you on an interactive journey through space and time as you discover the world of the Doctor and his companions. As lovers of the series ourselves, we decided visiting is a must! As Doctor Who is filmed primarily in Wales, this is a little way for the BBC to give something back to the people of Wales. All of my friends who have been loved it and it is definitely on my list of things to try first!

2. Techniquest

Having grown up in Wales myself, I have of course been on the mandatory primary school trip/school holiday trip on multiple occasions before I was of secondary school age. I adored Techniquest when I was younger and would love to return, and seeing as many of my housemates have never been, this seems like the perfect opportunity.

3. Go to a 6 Nations game at the Millennium Stadium

I've been to the Millennium Stadium to watch the rugby on multiple occasions, however, I've never actually been to a 6 Nations game. Dad tends to buy tickets for us each year, but prefers to take us to Autumn international games as we get to see big teams such as Australia and New Zealand. I LOVE my Dad for getting us tickets, don't get me wrong, but I do feel that the atmosphere in Cardiff when the 6 Nations is on is like nothing I've seen before and would love the opportunity to be part of the passionate crowd cheering on the Welsh boys in the stadium!

4. See the Cardiff Devils play

I've never seen an ice hockey match in my life, full stop. Maybe once during the winter Olympics, but that has to be it. My housemate, Rae, is on the Cardiff University hockey team and she's constantly talking about going to see the Devil's and how good they are to watch. We recently discovered that you can go skating on the ice after the match, this sealed the deal for us. Watching ice hockey will be a new experience for me which is perfect for my bucket list as I want it to encourage me to try as many different things as I can during my University career!

5. Go on a boat trip around Cardiff Bay

This is something I've wanted to do since being a fresher at Cardiff University, but unfortunately due to a badly timed exam period last summer, we never made it to the bay to try out a boat trip. Fortunately though, this year I have no summer exams, and so will be able to engage in daytime as well as nighttime activities. This would be particularly lovely in some summer sunshine - fingers crossed we'll get some!

6. Spend a day at Barry

As a household of Gavin and Stacey lovers, Barry Island was one of the first places that sprung to mind when we thought 'summer in Cardiff'. Lounging on the beach, eating chips on the promenade and wasting money on the rides and games at the Pleasure Park sounds like a fabulous summer's day to me!

7. Watch a show at the Millennium Centre

There's nothing quite the same as seeing a live theatre performance! As a household full of musical theatre lovers, I think we'll be keeping an eye out for any musicals that may be coming to Cardiff in the coming year. I've heard from a couple of fellow students that the London production of The Lion King is coming to the Millennium Centre next year for a very reasonable price so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for tickets for that!

8. Play rounders and have a picnic at Bute Park

Nothing says summer quite as much as a good game of rounders. And where better place to do that than in the picturesque setting of Bute Park with its expanse of luscious green grass. The park becomes one of the central hubs of social life during the summer months as people descent upon it to soak up some rays and meet their friends. A game of rounders and homemade picnic in the park sounds like the perfect summer's day to me!

9. Visit Tredegar House

I've already been to Tredegar House, but the house and it's grounds are so big that I didn't have time to look around the whole place and would love to go again! I went with my family last time (that's my Dad looking like an idiot in the picture on the left) and we had a lovely day eating scones in the tea rooms and exploring the house. The house is wonderfully decedent and full of interesting history. The grounds stretch on in a seemingly endless fashion - I'd love to go on a sunny day to be able to explore them fully. The rest of my housemates haven't been so I suggested adding this to our bucket list as I really do think visiting is worth it!

10. Eat at Cafe Citta

Cafe Citta comes out as the top place to eat on a budget on TripAdviser (who am I to argue with them?). I've wanted to try it for a while as my housemate, Vicky, has been there previously with her boyfriend and said it was fantastic! She's quite the little foodie so I trust her judgement wholeheartedly. It's an Italian restaurant - which is my ultimate favourite cuisine - and from the reviews I've seen the food is prepared fresh and is full of hearty Italian flavour. I've been dying to try Cafe Citta and now my bucket list gives me the perfect excuse to splash out on a nice meal out.

11. Try out the flavoured beers, ales and largers at Zero Degrees Microbrewery

I've heard such good things about Zero Degrees from my old flatmates, my brother and from various customers at my local pub who travelled to Cardiff to try out it's unique ales. They also do food there so it would be the perfect destination for a quiet night out with friends when we're fancying something other than Cardiff's notorious clubbing scene.

12. Eat at Wally's Delicatessen 

Wally's is possibly my favourite shop in the whole of cardiff! It's located in Royal Arcade (one of Cardiff's lovely little Victorian arcades) and it's shelves are stacked with all sorts of foods imaginable. The prices aren't exactly student friendly, but to shop there for the odd bit of nice meat or some fabulously tasty olives every now and again will hardly break the bank. Myself and my housemate, Aaron, had a look around there last week and discovered that they have a cafe upstairs. I've never tried it but can only imagine it will be lovely judging by the top quality products and service you receive downstairs in the delicatessen. 

13. Go for tapas and post-dinner cocktails at 10 Feet Tall

10 Feet tall is a restaurant come bar come live music venue. It's tapas is particularly well renowned and as our housemate, Becka, is leaving us in the summer to spend a year in Spain, it seems only fitting for her to have her last meal with us eating some tapas and sipping on some cocktails! They have a 2-4-1 cocktail menu, which I'm sure we'll take full advantage of, which includes some fabulous cocktails such as Margarita's, Cosmopolitan's, and my personal fave, White Russians! Other more intricate cocktails are also available for a higher price.

14. Go boating on Roath Park lake

Roath Park is equally as stunning in scenery as Bute Park. It is centred around a large lake on which you can go boating in the summer. Prices to rent the boats are rather reasonable and would undoubtedly create some hilarious memories as we attempt to row ourselves along the lake... This would be the perfect activity for a summer's day and as Joe's ice cream parlour recently opened by Albany Road we'd be in the best location to pop over to pick up a refreshing scoop of their famous vanilla ice cream!

15. Get ice cream from Cadwaladers

Cadwaladers is located down in Cardiff Bay and would be a lovely way to end our little summer boat trip (number 5 on our list). I've heard great things about their creamy ice cream and their range of interesting flavours and am very interested to try it out. In my home town we're lucky enough to have luxury chocolate shop, Heavenly, who specialise in creating imaginative and delicious flavour of ice cream and I'm looking forward to seeing if Cadwaladers can meet or surpass their high standards.

16. Play hide and seek in Ikea

This idea is something that we've all wanted to do since we arrived. We're all big kids at heart! Of course the lure of Ikea's cheap lunchtime menu (and their delicious Swedish meatballs) are also drawing factors and I'm sure we'll be spending just as much time gorging in the canteen as we will running around the store trying to find each other!

17. Try out a dance class at Wonderland Studios

Our house recently inherited a nintendo wii, and since we've been hosting Just Dance tournaments on a regular basis we've become inspired to take a real life dance class. I've heard great things about Wonderland Studios and they specialise in a variety of specialities of dance and offer weekly classes. We're particularly interested in trying out Latin & Ballroom (fuelled by our love of Strictly Come Dancing) and Ballet. I'll need to work on my flexibility a bit beforehand, but hey, I've got a while for that yet anyway…

18. Eat at The Clink

The Clink is a charity run restaurant. They focus upon the rehabilitation of ex-offenders and help to reduce their chances of re-offending by offering them work in the hospitality industry. All of the staff in the restaurant are ex-offenders, from the chefs to the waiting staff. Those who I know who've been said the standard of the food is exceptional and so is the service. It's such an interesting idea and I totally believe that it's important to support schemes such as these!

19. Go for a bingo night

This sounds like a bit of a granny-esque activity, but we've actually been gagging to go on a bingo night for ages! I can't think of many things better than having food, getting boozy and attempting to win a couple of rounds of bingo with my hilariously entertaining friends. Who knows, we may even win a bit of dosh along the way if we're lucky! 

20. Go to Cardiff International Pool

The International Pool is located in the bay and offers many facilities such as an Olympic sized swimming pool, sauna, steam room, spa and gym. However, what we're interested in is running around the place sliding down the slides like big kids! 

What would you put on your to-do-before-I-finish-uni bucket list?

Have you tried any of the things on my list before? Did you enjoy?

Day Trip: Cardiff Castle

The Castle is situated in Cardiff's City centre with its Roman gateway overlooking the picturesque Bute Park. The Castle is rather unique in that it offers the visitor an interesting glimpse into over 2000 years worth of history as each separate building within the castle grounds was constructed in a different time period. The outer wall of the castle was originally Roman and the Roman remains can still be seen (they are highlighted with red brick - seen below) underneath the newly build brick wall that now surrounds the grounds. The keep is Norman, the main apartment is 14th century and the neo-gothic tower and banqueting hall are 19th century. The castle came under the ownership of many noblemen and each left their distinct mark upon the castle and its grounds. The Fifth Marquess of Bute handed over the keys to the Castle and its parkland to the people of Cardiff in 1947 where it finally became open to the public. 

As a student at Cardiff University, and therefore a resident of the City of Cardiff, I was entitled to a 'key to the castle' upon my arrival. The key allows those who live or work in Cardiff access to the castle free of charge as well as offering 10% discount in the castle shop and cafe and 10% discount on entry for friends/relatives. I visited the castle with my flatmate in the summer and we had a fabulous experience. The staff were all friendly and helpful and willing to answer any questions you may have about the castle and its grounds. It is particularly lovely in the summer sunshine as the green grass of the courtyard is wonderful for picnics, lounging around in the sun and watching the castle's resident peacocks. 

Myself and Olly opted for the audio guides and ambled around the grounds taking in the sights and listening to the historical facts that Huw Edwards was giving us through our headsets. I personally love audio guides as I think they're a nice relaxed way to have a mosey around whilst also learning something about the place. The audio guide lead us around the grounds, up the Norman keep, around the outer wall, through the Roman gate and into the World War Two bunker. We were fortunate enough to visit whilst there was a World War Two exhibition on in the bunker which was extremely interesting to look around. We had such fun discovering the castle together and we even managed to find a door which is build for people of my own height: modern-day dwarves in other words as I'm only a meagre 5ft2 :( 

After completing the audio guided tour we decided to join a formal tour (which was free courtesy of our key to the castle) as you cannot see the interior of the castle without being accompanied by a guide. I would thoroughly recommend this as the inside of the castle is incredibly flamboyant and extravagant - shockingly so if I'm honest. The interior design is indicative of the wealth of the Bute family and I found it strangely similar to the ornate and ostentatious nature of Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo. Each room is glamorously furnished and no part is in any way boring or plain. I particularly loved the staircase which had a marble Lion at its base and the ceiling detail in the Arab Room which is positively mind blowing in its elaborate detailing.

The only down side that I found to my castle experience was that the staff are incredibly strict and you cannot touch anything! I completely understand that they have to protect the building but I find not being able to sit on a chair or touch a book slightly over-the-top. I'm definitely one for the hands-on approach that the National Trust have been implementing in its many properties over the strict policies implemented in Cardiff Castle. Despite this, however, I had a fantastic experience and would definitely recommend a visit. The castle would make a better trip in good weather as you can take full advantage of the wonderful outdoor scenery and of the grass courtyard (which is the perfect adventure ground for young children). All in all I thoroughly enjoyed my day trip to Cardiff Castle and would definitely return to show family and friends the sights. It's a fabulous tourist destination and is definitely up there in my top 10 things to see in Wales. For more information about the castle, its opening times and upcoming events click here.

Have you been to Cardiff Castle before? What were your experiences?