Wahaca Cardiff — Restaurant in Wales

My boyfriend and I booked the table at Wahacas for 8:15 on Saturday night, we booked it previous night. When we arrived we were asked to wait a while and then we were guided to our table which was on the last (3rd) floor by the entrance to the toilet opposite the bar. The area was completely empty we were the only table sat there, the lights were bright and it looked like this part of the restaurant is closed. On the other side of the floor there was a big party with around 15-20 people dressed up which looked like a private party/dinner. As we sat down I have spoken to our waiter, told him this doesn't feel right as we booked the table and expected to be sat in a more vibrant place rather then in the area which seems closed, he explained they had a lots of unexpected walk-ins. I have said that surely they should prioritise customer that have already booked the table like us, he just smirked, said sorry and walked away. The food arrived all at different times, every person serving us food just put the plate on the table and run away, we have never been asked if we would like another drink or did have a check back. I had a vegan bowl that lacked flavour to my liking so I stopped one waitress walking by to ask for any spicy sauce, unfortunately the sauce was brought at the end when we finished eating everything and my boyfriend pork tacos arrived together with the sauce, Tacos were totally cold and my boyfriend left the entire plate. I needed to go to the bar to bring us some water, our table was totally forgotten about. We have cleared our own table putting empty plates on the table next to us. Nobody ever came to cleare it for the 1,5 hours we've been there. Only at the very end when we put our jackets on waiter came with a card machine and a bill adding 10% of a service charge. We've spent £70 in the restaurant that evening and honestly it was not a nice experience for either of us. This was the very first time dining at Wahacas and unfortunately...

I had such expectations of this place after reading all the great reviews but we didn’t have an experience that was enjoyable. The restaurant is nicely decorated but has no vibe or atmosphere and feels pretty cold. We waited a really long time to get served despite it being almost empty. We ordered our food and asked if it would be possible for it to come as close together as possible as each dish is cooked fresh .. other places that do this will usually try to accommodate as best they can when cooking individually but the waitress was blunt, rude and simply went “NO .. we don’t do that” we didn’t mind if it arrived separately but were simply asking if it were possible.

When the food arrived it looked nice but the portions were small .. it’s sharing and street style so we expected this but at £6.50 for 2 tiny tacos it really wasn’t worth the money. The Halloumi taco was decently filled & had good flavour but the vegan mushroom option was HORRIBLE. The filling was limp, over cooked to the point of being inedible and the salsa was so acrid it left a nasty taste on the tongue. The corn on the cob & cheese bites were nice & the cheese bites were actually a good size. The cauli bites were sadly atrocious and very pricey for what received and looked nothing like the image online. We also had an enchilada with mushrooms which was ok, the spicy tomato sauce was nice but again the filling had a horrible acrid background flavour that really jarred with the sauce and cheese.

Our table was then only half cleared after we’d finished and after asking for the bill it took a very long time to arrive. I wouldn’t go back here and found it beyond substandard, I’ve had better Mexican food at las iguanas which is a much more generic chain. At least at las iguanas the flavours are nice and the portions worth paying for. We wouldn’t...

Enjoyable place, relaxed with lovely decor! With two people you can easily have 2-3 dishes to share and come away satisfied and comfortably full!

Friendly staff too, clean bathroom! What we ate :

Sweet Potato and Feta Taquito (v) : One long crispy blue corn wrap stuffed with a sweet potato and caramelised onion mix served on a fresh salad / salsa with feta and coriander. Medium size dish (a good sized starter!) This is one of my favourites, lots of texture and filling with a refreshing salad to accompany! £4.95

Duck Croquettes : 3 x Smoky crispy balls about 2 inches in size each with a soft sweet potato filling served with a tasty dip. For me, not as ducky as I would have hoped but good on texture. Not sure I'd personally order again but my Mum loves them! £5.85

Special : Crispy Mexican Tetela (VG) (H): 1 giant sized samosa stuffed with a black bean style mix served on a fine coleslaw. In terms of texture this was pretty good and the filling was nice but not something I'd choose to have again. I'm very sensitive to oil tastes and I could taste an oil like flavour in the pastry which was not particularly nice for me. It may have been old oil? I'm aware I'm super sensitive about this so maybe unnoticeable for others. £5.50

I've given the whole review a 4/5 despite having a couple of not so great dishes but that's because I have eaten here a few times and I know their dishes are normally beautifully cooked and diverse.

The burritos are always great and super filling, so would highly recommend. Especially the chicken tinga! Also the tacos... so tasty!!

If you're not a fan of coriander you may struggle here but I'm sure they would accommodate your needs if you let them know (they ask about allergies / requirements before ordering).

Genuinely lovely people! Great little eatery,...