The Potted Pig — Restaurant in Wales

Chose this place after searching for somewhere to take my mum, nan and auntie for Sunday lunch. The website looked inticing and perfect for what we wanted. However this was no so. On entrance the gentleman did not smile - which did not make me feel at ease. Our reservation was at 14:30 which is the latest reservation on a Sunday. Before we were seated the gentleman explained they had sold out of some starters and mains and others would not be served today as they were not up to standard. It was busy and loud which was to be expected. The surroundings were interesting and located in a vault. But it felt like the atmosphere was missing something. We were offered water almost immediately which was good service. Having been given the menus we were left for ample of time to decide on our courses - maybe too long but we were patient and had time to talk to each other. We chose the 2 course selection opting to not have starters. Service was slow for food but we were aware of this as per previous reviews. We all ordered the beef which was lovely but not outstanding. It was too stringing and difficult for all of us to cut using standard knives. The serving of beef was a decent size and likewise the yourshire pudding. The selection of veg was disappointing and too fancy - the cabbage seemed spicey which my nan was not so keen on? The Yorkshire pudding was insanely salty!! This was be last thing I ate and I was so so thirsty afterwards! The gravy is describes as "proper" on their menu but it was awfulling runny, I had mistakening assumed proper meant thick gravy.

This place just was not for us. We've had better service and meals in low market places the same weekend. The service was dreadful and we were too very aware that we were last people they would probably serve today. They should really have acted like we were the first and made us feel welcome and like nothing was too difficult. But we felt like we were holding them up from going home. They had sold out of many options and the menu we had was very different to the one online that made us make he booking. We politely asked why this was so and were told the menu online is a sample menu... obviously! We were quite disapponted to not have the option of poached pear which was the seller in us making the booking. To add insult to injury; we ordered two Brownies and two lemons possets to be told they only had one lemon posset left. It just become further disappointing and it felt like the staff didn't care. It was hard to figure out whether this place is trying to be posh or just overpriced but we would not recommend and we're shocked as to how different it...

Amazing Food in a Fun, Quirky Atmosphere

We happened upon The Potted Pig from an article in a promotional tourist book in our hotel. I am generally doubtful of the articles since I know that they’re really just paid advertising. Nonetheless, the article interested us enough in the restaurant to investigate further online and to, consequently, make a reservation. What a great decision that turned out to be!

First off, the location is quirky and fun. The restaurant is located in a former bank vault, so you enter the door from the street and descend down into the heavy brick-walled lounge and dining area.

The drinks and wine menu is extensive, but their selection of local gins is remarkable (there were 3-4 pages of gin listings). We each tried different gins, served with tonic on the side.

And then the food … oh, the delicious food! Given the Potted Pig name of the restaurant, there is an emphasis on pork, but there is a nice variety of items for non-pork eaters, as well. We shared two starters: potted pig with toast and pickles (much like rillettes, a rustic pate, but with less fat) and a crispy pig’s ear salad with bacon, blood sausage, and poached egg (the blend of textures – crisp and soft – and flavors – salty and savory – were wonderful).

For the main course, my husband had the pork belly with smoked potato puree. The pork was slow-cooked, as described on the menu, and was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. In fact, it was probably the beset pork belly dish we’ve ever had in a decade of pork belly as being a “go to” dish for chefs across the globe. I had the honey-glazed duck breast, with a spiced dumpling and broccolini. The duck was perfectly cooked, and every bite was tender and delicious. Clearly, the chefs pride themselves not only on their cooking, but also on finding the best local purveyors to provide fresh and tender meat.

The custard tart with poached rhubarb was an interesting, but not remarkable dessert, in terms of flavor or presentation. However, the caramel parfait with honeycomb and peanut brittle was spectacular. Every bite exploded with flavor, balancing sweet and salty – and crunch and delightful “gooey-ness.”

During our 11-day holiday in England and Wales, this was one of our top three favorite restaurants – a delightful find in the delightful...

From the moment we arrived, we where made to feel welcome. After going through the normal 'covid check in' we where shown to our table by a very polite female member of staff, who would be one of our servers. Once seated, she explained how things worked (covid) and presented us with both food and drinks menus. The restaurant has an extensive gin selection as can be seen on the drinks menu, a G&T or a cocktail? Mmmm. Our drinks order was taken, again by a male member of staff who was polite, attentive and understanding to our questions. Soon after our drinks arrived, our food order was taken. Now, having a vegetarian with us, generated a few questions from them regarding the vegetarian option on the menu. Seeing that the customer was not going to get the best food for them off the menu, our server suggested she go and speak to the chef. A little while later, she returned, apologised for the time it took and explained a totally new vegetarian dish, the chef would gladly prepare. As you may know, this can be a rare occurance. Food order placed, we relaxed with our drinks. When the food arrived, wow! The mustard and honey hock was amazing. It was more than enough for 2 people as stated on the menu. So now we had a dilemma, finish the hock or leave some so we could try a desert. The desert was looking like the way we'd go, then again our server approached us and offered us the perfect solution. They where more than happy to let us take any remaining food home. YES!! Desert here we come. Now desert, thyme ice cream was one of the elements, a first for me. Yes, it messed with my head, but yes not only would I have it again, I'd look at 'different' ice creams on future menus more favourably. Our evening was finished off with coffee's and a very pleasant chat with our server. All in all, an excellent evening. The staff, the food, the ambiance, we could not fault. Would we visit again, YES! So if you are looking at dining out in Cardiff, we can highly recommend this venue, booking is...