The Philharmonic, St Mary St, Cardiff
On April 4, 2018 by The Plate Licked CleanThe usual up-front disclosure, because transparency is essential. I was invited to eat at The Philharmonic; food was complementary, we paid for our drinks after the first round. All opinions tumble from my brain independently. Any Cardiffian worth their salt will have memories of The Philharmonic. Whether it was where you ended up on your
Purple Poppadom ‘tapas’ menu, Canton, Cardiff
On March 15, 2018 by The Plate Licked CleanDisclosure: I was invited to Purple Poppadom to try this new ‘tapas’ menu with a guest . All food and drink was complimentary. No blog post was stipulated or requested: verbal feedback on the menu was asked for, and given, on the night. Ah, the irony. I’m on record as hating the term ‘tapas’ applied
Burger & Beyond, KERB Camden, London
On March 9, 2018 by The Plate Licked CleanI do so love the word smashed’. It’s everywhere, from the roll-my-eyes-whenever-I-hear-it-near ‘avocado’ (is there some edict preventing it being crushed or mashed or bashed or pulverised  just the once?) to the sub-moronic ‘bantz’ of hairy-handed dinosaurs and braying City boys. It’s enough to have your eyes rolling so hard you risk the structural integrity of your bony orbits. But it really is the word
The Admiral St David, The Principal St David’s Hotel, Cardiff Bay
On January 22, 2018 by The Plate Licked CleanFull disclosure: this post reviews a meal to which I was invited. All food and drink was free. In future, any (occasional) ‘by invitation’Â reviews will feature this disclaimer front and centre, in the interest of transparency. Reinvention can be a wonderful thing. Take Kylie Minogue. No, really. Which version is your favourite? Perky little
Milkwood, Pontcanna, Cardiff
On January 10, 2018 by The Plate Licked CleanSome menus just pull you right in, the words swimming sharply into bold type even as they whisper sweet nothings to your appetite. Hush, my sweet. Have no fear. You’re in safe hands. On a damp autumnal evening, there’s a lovely seasonal feel to the menu at Milkwood. French influences are writ large; boudin blanc and terrine are familiar,
Hare and Hounds Ale and Food House, Aberthin, Cowbridge
On January 5, 2018 by The Plate Licked CleanIn a case of untypically happy timing, we visited Hare and Hounds the evening before their brand new Michelin ‘Bib Gourmand’ was announced. I’d love to be able to claim some connection, however spurious, because Hare and Hounds deserves every plaudit it receives- including, just recently, mention in the Sunday Times as a ‘gastro-temple’. Don’t
This blog is a very simple thing.
I won’t try to sell you any hand lotion, exercise programmes, coffee syrups or Patagonian nose flutes. You won’t find tips on dating, ‘wellness’ or yoga mats.
I write because I love it (and food, as indicated by my increasing girth). Greed happens to be my Deadly Sin of choice, but at least it is never shy of providing me with subject matter.Â
A simple thing, then: all you get is me wittering on semi-coherently about places I’ve eaten at; hence a ‘restaurant blog’ rather than a ‘food blog’, although there are a few recipes scattered throughout.Â
From mezze to Michelin ‘fine dining’ and all points in between.Â