Bar 44 Cardiff

Loved the authentic Spanish tapas here. Each dish felt thoughtfully crafted, and the flavors reminded me of being in Spain. The staff were knowledgeable about the wines — a fantastic dining experience overall.

The most perfect way to spend an early evening or lunch. The 3 tapas and a drink for £22 offer is outstanding value for the quality of food you get. I’ve been all over Spain and the U.K. and other than in very few Spanish places, it has to be the best tortilla I’ve had. Runny and gooey like it’s meant to be, not stone cold and dry like a lot of U.K. places. The chicken was so soft and tender. Machego with honey.. need I say more. My only criticism is they might want to invest in some kind of sound proofing as it does get very noisy. Otherwise definitely coming back!

We had an excellent meal here and it couldn’t be improved. Each dish was amazing and not too pricey, with quality ingredients. The staff were very friendly and attentive, and happy to answer any questions. The atmosphere was warm and cosy - couldn’t recommend enough.

Friendly welcome from the lady at the door, and most of the hosting staff but sadly not all. When we asked for a dirty plate to be changed before we'd started eating, the waitress felt she needed to examing it before taking it to be changed. It was very busy in there the evening we went which made noisy and difficult at times to chat without shouting. However the food was delicious.

We walked in and the place stank of seafood, it was a bit like walking in to a fish market. We were quickly seated and had our drink order taken, the drinks were served quickly and were tasty. On to the food, we opted for several of the tapas dishes and unfortunately there was not one that we liked. The bread was stale, prawns made one person ill, meatballs were bland and the chicken tasted like a condom. Our patatas bravas never came, and we left all feeling a bit unwell. We did complain about the chicken and the waitress apologised and took it away. The front of house staff here are all brilliant, we couldn’t fault them.

A fantastic tapas bar/restaurant! We opted for the early evening menu which offers a drink and 3 tapas for £24 which we found to be excellent value. We enjoyed every dish and also the red berry sangria very much. Portion sizes were generous for tapas at the price point. We could easily have ordered more but decided to go for dessert, both of which were again, excellent. Very tasty food. If we return to Cardiff we will definitely try the sherry flight tastings which also looked good value! In short - lovely surroundings, friendly staff, excellent food and a great choice of dishes. Highly recommend.

We arrived without and booking and were welcomed by Gemma, who was really accommodating and offered us a big table even though it was a Saturday evening. We ended up taking one for two as it was quieter, but the flexiblity already made a really good impression. Gemma knew the menu inside out and made exellent recommendation on both food and drink. This was the type of service you normally only get in the US. Every dish was amazing (shrimps, fish, anchovy cesar salad, artichoke, blue cheese and Basque Cheese cake) and the house sherry and brandy excellent. This is the best dinner I have had this year. I would actually come to Cardiff to eat here agin, The food and drink is better than Spain!

Absolutely first class tapas. Food delicious and great service. Highly recommended. The deserts and sweet sherry's a real revelation.

A very nice tapas bar, situated on Westgate street in Cardiff, close to the Millenium Stadium. It's part of a small, growing chain whcih started in Cowbridge and also has a branch in Penarth. After the large bars and pubs on St Marys Street, it is a relief to find this quiet, subterranean eaterie, tucked away nearby. The brick vaults and wooden floors are enlivened by dazzling tiling on the front of the bars. The bar has an extensive, but exclusively Spanish, wine list, and there is also a wide selection of sherries and cavas, beers, ciders and even Spanish G&Ts. The tapas menu is extensive, with meats, seafood and cheeses, most of which are under £5 (though some of the classier items are more pricey). On my visit, service was very friendly and attentive. The restaurant has won a whole string of awards, including Cardiff Life Restaurant of The Year, 2015.

Off Westgate Street below street level, Bar 44 (which is part of a chain in South Wales) is situated in a cosy piece of architecture with vaulted ceilings with exposed brick. The strap line is Tapas y Copas and it lives up to that ... The food here is less like the type you would get in a tapas bar in Spain. They have tried to do upmarket food in a tapas style. But it is VERY tasty. We had the octopus, a belly pork and black pudding, lamb neck and the ubiquitous patatas bravas. I would recommend it all. The star of the show being the lamb neck. The gin menu is excellent, served in the bi goblets with plenty of ice, a range of gins each paired with bespoke mixers and "additions" like fresh herb leaves, fruit peel and olives/brine.... Double Yum!!! Worth a visit!

We didn't have a reservation but managed to snag a table at 8 p.m. on a Friday evening. We saw folks turned away after we arrived. This is a marvelous find as a change to pub grub and other fare. The selection was sufficient and eclectic enough to provide a variety of flavors. The staff was by frequently enough to order in shifts even though it was quite busy. We paired the food selections with a nice Spanish Syrah and it was perhaps our favorite meal while in Cardiff.

First heard about this Spanish resteraunt on the Made in Cardiff TV channel. It peaked my interest enough to check it out online and go further and make a visit first hand. I have now been there on two occasions both on the lunchtime. The first visit I was going down to the Bay for a mid-week comedy gig at the Glee Club (Joe Lycett), I thought to have a spot of lunch in the town centre. The Bar 44 is easy to find being a stone's throw away from Cardiff Central train station and right next to the now named Principality stadium. It is a basement restaurant which would hold I say 70-80 people quite comfortably. I had made a reservation online previous to this visit to book my first lunchtime. I opted for on this occasion the three courses for £10 lunch option. I had some chorizo sausage as a main with ensalada and patatas bravas as side dishes - the portions were quite generous and tasted fabulous. I also had some of their freshly baked sourdough bread with olive oil too. Then followed with a desert of a very booze sherry fuelled Spanglish trifle. I enjoyed so much I went back a few weeks later, this time I was in Cardiff for two music gigs (Wolf Alice at the Uni & reef at the Tramshed both on the Easter weekend), again I had made the reservation beforehand, just as well as the place was busier on the bank holiday weekend. Anyway I tried some stuff from the special board this time. Started with the albondigas (spicy lamb meatballs with a meat and chorizo sauce. Followed by a fabrada one pot Spanish stew (consisting of belly pork, chorizo & pancetta in a thick smoky herb sauce.) Finished off with a Muscavado, honey and sour cherry cheesecake. On both occasions had the Al Hambra 1925 Special Reserve 6.4 strength lager (drunk a lot of this in Menorca last year). They do have an excellent range of sherries, ports beers, wines & liqueurs there. The place has only been open a few months and is winning awards and critical acclaim left right & centre. Well worth checking out for that taste of Spain. Place is excellent value for money and the staff are friendly and courteous. Great atmosphere - go on try it you know you want to.