Hiraeth — Restaurant in Great Britain

Hiraeth — a Welsh word meaning “home” or “a deep longing for home” — is a fitting name for this welcoming restaurant overlooking Victoria Park. The dining room feels bright and spacious, with large windows looking out onto the park and a casual, modern feel. The menu is written on a black pot by the entrance — a charming touch — and offers a short set menu for £35, two longer tasting menus with optional wine pairings, and à la carte options.

Despite being quiet on a Saturday lunchtime, the restaurant was fully booked for Friday and Saturday evenings. It’s clear that word is spreading: the chef has featured on Great British Menu and the restaurant is listed in the Michelin Guide.

A nice touch was seeing Lewis Dwyer, the chef himself, come out to serve some of the dishes.

The meal began with an amuse-bouche selection of six items: • A mushroom tartlet, deeply savoury and wonderfully intense. • A mussel in batter, served with its shell still inside — a clever, surprising and delicious bite.

Next came a chicken-themed quartet: • A chicken tea with brioche, chicken-skin butter, and a crispy chicken piece — beautifully executed and packed with flavour. • Farm chard, kimchi, and potato — a more experimental dish, topped with foam and chard at the base, which worked surprisingly well.

The game pie followed — a small but excellent course, rich with thick gravy and topped with a blue cheese crumble. The wrapped greens around the base balanced the dish, preventing it from feeling overly heavy or meat-focused.

For dessert, the matcha and white chocolate tart with brown rice ice cream was a highlight: a crisp base, a layer of matcha cream, and the nutty ice cream on top. The toasted rice crispies inside added texture and contrast, making for a sophisticated and satisfying end to the meal.

At £40 for the lunch tasting menu, including coffee and service, Hiraeth offers exceptional value for the quality of cooking. It’s a restaurant that feels both ambitious and grounded — a perfect reflection...

On arrival, we were welcomed by a friendly team and despite being the only ones there so early (soon to change) the atmosphere still felt warm and relaxed.

We opted for the larger of the set taster menu , and although not drinking on this occasion were offered a variety of soft drinks and mocktails to choose from.

I could go into great detail about each dish, but all I can say is that every mouthful from the small ‘snacks’ at the start to the final desert were absolutely delicious. Our personal favourites were the cod and scallop dishes, but it was also clear to see why the chicken dish remains on the menu every month!

The courses were each explained in detail, including the local origin of the ingredients and how they were cooked. Some of the courses were brought out by Lewis himself which was a welcomed addition to the evening. His passion and love for the food was clear and he was genuinely interested in the diners feedback.

As the evening went on, the restaurant filled , but this did not affect the quality of the food or the attentiveness of the staff.

A wonderful addition to the local area. We will definitely...

Popped in earlier this (Saturday) afternoon and unfortunately the place was empty. Some places in Cardiff struggle at lunchtimes and we were on the backend of lunch serving timewise. However, I heard enough about this place when it was in Cowbridge, and have been eager to try it for some time, so we were happy to get a warm welcome, and take our seats. The service was, of course, attentive, but Lewis (who I have since learned co-owns the place, and has appeared on the BBC's Great British Menu) was quietly confident and eloquent in his descriptions of their 3 course lunch menu (Chicken Tea, Aged Cardiganshire Duck and the Duck Egg Crème Caramel - and the lobster corndog addition, which we added). It all sounded fantastic and tasted even better. Each and every dish was beautifully presented and executed. Good wines too. We're eager to visit again to try the full taster and enjoy a more lively evening atmosphere. Highly...