Ember at No5

Ember No. 5 has been open for around 15 months. The layout features a marble bar with the kitchen located at the far end of the restaurant. The ambience is unfortunately let down by excessively loud background music—mainly 90s R&B played at a very high volume. Everyone ends up shouting across the table, which makes conversation uncomfortable. Staying for an hour is enough to give you a headache. Turning the music down would significantly improve the dining experience. We had a 7:30 pm booking and called ahead to push it back by an hour, which the restaurant confirmed was fine. However, on arrival at 8:30 pm sharp, our table was not available. We were placed at the bar with no indication of how long the wait would be. I ordered a spicy margarita while waiting—quite good overall, nicely spicy with herb oil on top, though slightly watered down. Ox Heart Skewers with Aioli & Fermented Chilli The dish was visually appealing, presented with three neat lines of herb sauce, aioli, and fermented chilli. Unfortunately, the ox heart itself was tough and lacked flavour. Overall, a very average dish. Strozzapreti with Pork & Fennel Ragù This was the better of the two dishes. The pasta was al dente with a crispy topping and good flavour. However, the portion was small, despite being described as the same size as a main. Service was acceptable but clearly understaffed. There appeared to be one bartender, two servers, and one person doubling as maître d’. Given this, the automatic 12.5% service charge is not justified.

Booked Ember as a birthday celebration. Didn't know of the food. Had heard of the Chef. Pleasantly surprised by the bright paired back restaurant. Warm greeting and service from Emily. Chose the set £65 per head menu- thought we chose a main. However the menu was all the choices. Everything was delicious, for me the stand outs were the aranchi, plaice, ox cheek & the roast potatoes. In all honesty it was all delicious. We also had the cheese supplement. We went away well fed & very happy!

Absolutely excellent Sunday lunch today, definitely the best we have had in Cardiff - the beef was particularly good. The Cardiff restaurant scene is severely lacking when it comes to fresh pasta and this place does it really well. We will definitely be back for dinner. Service and coffee was also excellent.

My partner and I had been wanting to try Ember No.5 for a while, and we finally did, it definitely didn’t disappoint. Every dish felt like a treat for both the eyes and the stomach, beautifully presented and full of flavour. The staff were incredibly attentive and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. We’ll definitely be back!

Absolutely amazing Sunday roast. Impeccable service. Great choice and not just your standard Sunday roast option. Fantastic wine menu as well at reasonable prices. We will definitely be back and will try the midweek menu. New fav place in Cardiff.

Ember blew us away! We took our in-laws here for lunch, and we’ll absolutely be coming back - delicious cocktails, brilliant service, and a lovely tasting menu! The rabbit from the a-la-carte menu was so tasty, and we really enjoyed the fresh pastas on the set menu - definitely order the pavlova for dessert it was amazing!

Sunday lunch of dreams! Our usual Friday and Saturday night favourite , we decided to try the Sunday lunch and it didn’t disappoint. The beef was exceptional and as a pasta lover it was so refreshing to have the choice of something other than a roast. The service and the wine was on point as usual. Thank you 🙏🏻

Without exaggeration best roast in Cardiff I’ve ever tried; comparable to Bristol’s Kensington Arms’s roast, but more sophisticated :) friendliest and most attentive crew; compliments to chef :)