JRC Global Buffet Cardiff — Restaurant in Butetown

Mixed Bag at JRC Global Buffet Cardiff: Tasty Food, Freezing Night

My wife and I ventured out to JRC Global Buffet Cardiff for her birthday, initially drawn in by the free meal offer and potential variety. While the food itself was decent and offered a good selection, the overall experience was unfortunately let down by several factors.

Positives:

Tasty food: I'd commend the quality and variety of the food. Plenty of dishes across different cuisines were well-prepared and flavorful, offering something for both of our palates. Decent selection: From Asian favorites to Western staples, the buffet spread was extensive enough to keep us interested and exploring different options. Free birthday meal: It was a nice gesture to offer my wife a free meal on her birthday, adding a positive touch to the evening. Negatives:

Broken drinks machine: Unfortunately, the disappointment started early. The unlimited drink top-up we paid for was rendered useless as the machine was out of order the entire night. No apologies or alternative beverage options were offered, leaving us with only water and juice (not ideal for a birthday celebration!). Freezing temperature: The restaurant was uncomfortably cold throughout our meal. We huddled in our coats, trying to enjoy the food while shivering, which significantly impacted the ambiance and comfort level. Lack of alternative solutions: When we raised concerns about the broken drinks machine and the cold temperature, the staff's response was underwhelming. They didn't offer any apologies or proactive solutions, leaving us feeling unheard and slightly frustrated.

Overall:

Our experience at JRC Global Buffet Cardiff was a mixed bag. While the food and selection were decent, the broken drinks machine, freezing temperature, and lack of alternative options from the staff significantly overshadowed the positives. I'd say it's suitable for a quick, budget-friendly meal if you're not expecting a top-notch dining experience or are adaptable to potential hiccups. However, if you're looking for a comfortable and enjoyable birthday celebration, you might want to explore...

I sent this via email and message to receive no response.

Hello,

We visited on the 17th as part of my son’s 16th birthday celebration as we had always wanted to try your restaurant. We travelled more than 45 mins to get to your restaurant and paid city centre parking charges to visit.

We were left absolutely disgusted and so hungry we visited a takeaway on the way home. I don’t want to post this review on social media or review sites in hope you can rectify this situation with a refund.

We were sending full plates of food back to the kitchen as they weren’t edible.

There was limited food available with many areas in the buffet areas being out of use.

We were a party of 4 and not one of us enjoyed a single thing and we tried a range of options.

The curry tasted like it comes from a jar or the microwave. The pizza was soggy. The onion rings were over cooked. The Mac cheese tasted like it had gone off and rubbery. Sweet and sour beef was cold and chewy. The noodles were dry and sticky. The chips were bruised and cold. The dessert choice was awful and the cakes tasted like chemicals. The sweet dishes were solid and stale. The worst was spaghetti and meatballs which tasted like a dish of salty water. These are just some examples I could go on.

The waiters were trying to take the plates from under our noses like they could tell we didn’t like anything.

Then to pay over £100.00 to be served off plastic plates with dirty cutlery was horrendous.

The drinks were served in cans, the water was warm and been sitting on the bar.

Honestly I rated my experience 0/10 and regret our choices. I have attached a couple of images I didn’t take many as it was at this point I had decided I would complain and leave the restaurant when not even the most basic of dishes were just so many levels of wrong.

Then as we were leaving we were pointed towards the back door to be what was to seem like to be let away from arriving guests.

I hope to hear from you...

Edit 17.01.2020 Another nighttime visit for a birthday meal and it was great and even took one of my young children Highly recommend the deserts they are great and I've added new pictures. They even have a chocolate fountain now!!!

Edit 17.01.2019: Went to the evening version of the buffet tonight and my entire outlook of the service changed, First off every piece of food was piping hot and fresh on the spot. Loved the entire atmosphere where the chef cooks fresh things in front of you and how you like it, the deserts where on another level tonight and I think I tripled upon everything. I didn't manage to get pictures of everything I ate but I got a few of my chicken plates. All the chicken was thoroughly cooked throughout and enjoyed every piece. Also they offer a free birthday meal or buffet as long as you book within 24hours in advance and we luckily had that tonight. Overall evening menu and outlook on food is much better and much better of an experience.

Firstly you walk up 2or3 flights of stairs, they make you pay for food the moment you walk through the door which was a little concerning because I had no idea if I liked any of the selection of food that was currently there, 2 adults + unlimited drink was around £25 which was a kick in the teeth especially being presented by nothing as you walked in. The food selections wasn't amazing but it was enough to cater a good amount of people at the time, sadly chicken nuggets, popcorn chicken and rice was very dry and stale but that was down to not refreshing it often. The spicy chicken wings or sauces were actually very nice and I wouldn't complain, the chocolate cake and ice cream was refreshing and the unlimited drinks had a decent selection of about 6-8 things to choose from. Overall if the normal food wasn't dry or hard to chew through I would of given an easy 5 but there also needs to be a menu or some sort of food showcase...