Mesen — Restaurant in Wales

It was our first visit to eat at Mesen, despite trying on a number of previous weekends when they were fully booked.

The atmosphere was very lively for a late midweek meal with my family and my visiting sister.

The service was excellent and natural not fussy which is how I like it. The owner made us welcomed and got to know us personally. They even made a new cocktail for me with spiced rum just because I mentioned that I love rum. We named it Chris' Cwtch. Stunning!

The food was absolutely amazing 😍. We picked 9 dishes to share between 4 of us. There was plenty to eat and we left very little. We all had our favorite dish, mine was the lamb but I enjoyed everything. The menu is never the same and constantly changes week to week. I wouldn't worry because the food won't make the menu unless it is great.

We also ordered a bottle of wine, soft drinks for my daughter and a few cocktails for the not so grownups. The evening cost was £40-50 per person for everything including tips.

You have to go and try the food. My only fear is that they will grow too quickly and they become too trendy. Because booking will be more difficult and they may move to bigger premises. I intend on enjoying Mesen for as long as I can in Rhiwbina.

If you go, you have to try the 'Chris' Cwtch' perfect on a hot day but great anytime.🍹😍

My wife and sister took photos so I will add them at...

I visited Mesen a few days ago with a good friend; both of us are chefs who've been eyeing this place up for a while.

Small plates, cooked over fire in the middle of Rhiwbina, Cardiff. We were pleasantly surprised by just how good the food was here. We started with some sourdough and Marmite butter, followed by one of each of the canapés on offer. The standout was the scallop with burnt chili butter—delicious. We then ordered one of every main course on their menu and shared everything. Some dishes worth mentioning: lamb heart flatbread with dried tuna flakes (admittedly, I balked at the sound of this but was pleasantly surprised), charcoal-looking ox cheek with hummus and pickled red onion, and a marvelous pork chop. A much-needed radicchio and orange salad, a memorable barbecued mackerel and a basque cheesecake rounded out the meal. Light, airy and velvety in the mouth - all things I wouldn't usually describe a cheesecake as.

Honestly, I would go back for the ox cheek dish alone. Overall, it's a great place to eat if you enjoy protein, like sharing the love, and are open to trying flavors you wouldn't usually consider. If I had one complaint, I would say that a good portion of the food we had was a little over seasoned. But that won't stop me from returning, so it wasn't really an issue. If you haven't tried Mesen...

Wow, my wife had been here before but it was my first visit, and I wasn't disappointed. We went on a Sunday so had the reduced menu, essentially a "Sunday Roast" - but it was so much more! Sharing starters were Sardines (5) or Partridge (2 legs, 2 breasts), both were absolutely lovely and very flavoursome, having been cooked over open flame. For mains the protein choices were Chicken, Pork or T-Bone Steak (for 2 to share), served with coal roasted potatoes, fire cooked cabbage and roasted carrots, all plates are served with a home made Yorkshire Puddings and jugs of Gravy. The portions were very generous and exceedingly good! There was a good selection of Desserts which also went down well in my party. Cocktails and wine were both also great. Don't be put off by the price tag, it's worth it; and for those who eat a little less, you'll have enough to take home to be able to enjoy it again another day!! Lastly there were vegetarian and vegan options, but we didn't try...