Best Brunches in Cardiff

By Ellie Smith

2 years ago

Where to get your avo-on-toast fix in the Welsh capital


Cardiff wasn’t always renowned for its food scene – but in recent years, the city has undergone something of a culinary renaissance. Nowadays you’ll find endless great independent restaurants and cafes spanning a wealth of cuisines, with a stream of buzzy new openings sitting alongside long-standing hotspots. That includes plenty of options for brunch, whether you’re after a hangover-curing fry-up or a nourishing smoothie bowl. Read on to discover the best places for brunch in Cardiff, from vegan eateries to Turkish-inspired cafes and more.

Best Places For Brunch In Cardiff

KIN+ILK

 

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With multiple branches across the city, KIN+ILK is an eco-friendly café serving specialty coffee and locally sourced brunch fare. Sourdough bread from Pettigrew Bakery serves as the base for dishes like Turkish eggs with garlic yoghurt and burnt chilli butter, chorizo hash with sauteed potatoes, and Welsh minute steak with eggs. There are also breakfast brioche buns filled with the likes of halloumi, bacon and sausage, or if you’re after something lighter the pretty porridge bowl will do the trick, topped with granola and homemade compote. Coffee, meanwhile, is directly sourced from a farm in El Salvador called Finca El Corazo, and has a distinct taste with notes of pecan and milk chocolate.

Multiple locations, kinandilk.com

Coffee Barker

 

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This popular spot in the Castle Arcade is inspired by New York’s West Village and the grand cafes of Paris, with cosy interiors and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s the perfect place for weekend brunches with friends, serving a hearty breakfast every day until 1pm. Feeling extra hungry? The Proper Full Breakfast is sure to do the trick, featuring smoked bacon, Cumberland sausage, eggs, mushrooms and toast. Those who fancy a taste of the Big Apple, meanwhile, can tuck into The Elvis: toast with peanut butter, bacon and maple syrup. 

1-13 Castle Arcade, Cardiff CF10 1BU, coffeebarker.com

Wildflower Kitchen

Perched at the south end of Whitchurch Road, Wildflower Kitchen is a friendly café designed to work in harmony with nature – hence the name. Everything is made in-house using locally sourced ingredients, and all veggie peelings go towards a nearby smallholding to feed the goats. There’s a lovely garden where you can enjoy everything from bacon sarnies to cheesy leek rarebit and avocado on toast topped with Wildflower’s own almond pesto. Little diners have their own special menu, and dogs are welcome. Easily one of the best spots for brunch in Cardiff.

72-74 Whitchurch Rd, Cardiff CF14 3LX, wildflowerkitchen.co.uk

Anna Loka

 

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On the hunt for vegan food in Cardiff? Head to Anna Loka, a plant-based café spearheaded by Adam, a Hare Krishna monk. He opened the venture in 2015 with the aim of creating a space where vegan diners could order anything they wanted from the menu. For brunch, that includes wraps filled with scrambled tofu and cauliflower hash, and the Cali Breakfast, featuring veggie sausages, hash browns, grilled mushrooms and toast. Pair with a Sacred Juice for the ultimate health boost or fill up on an indulgent shake: our top pick is the Almond Butter Crunch, made with hemp protein, almond butter, pink Himalayan salt and flaked almonds. Who said vegans can’t have fun?

114 Albany Rd, Cardiff CF24 3RU, anna-loka.com

Longa Turkish Café

 

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Headed up by sisters Gizem Yorgun and Simge Yalçin, Longa Turkish Cafe is named after a type of Turkish music which combines both traditional and modern elements. This ethos is channelled in the eatery, which serves twists on Turkish classics – from baked eggs to simit bread with fried egg and halloumi tava (fried halloumi in a rich tomato sauce). Diners can also opt for a sharing platter complete with either shakshuka or menemen (scrambled eggs with green peppers and chilli served with Turkish bread), alongside an array of sides, such as olives, feta, hummus and salami. The café is inspired by the sisters’ childhood in Çanakkale, a coastal city in North West Turkey, with many recipes learned from their mother.

180 Whitchurch Rd, Cardiff CF14 3NB, longacafe.co.uk

Porro

 

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Like all good Italian restaurants, Porro is all about celebrating simple, high-quality ingredients, with the kitchen led by chefs and owners Tom Furlong and Gwyn Myring. There’s a small but perfectly formed menu of brunch treats made using local produce, plus a few specialty ingredients from Italy. Keep it classic with Eggs Benedict on ciabatta, topped with bacon and hollandaise sauce, or go for the Veggie Breakfast, a feast of avocado, buffalo mozzarella, tomato, fennel and beans. The restaurant has a stylish interior, with a private dining room available for larger groups.

22 High St, Cardiff CF5 2DZ, porrocardiff.com

Chapter

The historic Chapter opened in 1971 after being converted from a disused Edwardian school building. Now it stands as an arts centre, complete with an independent cinema, a gallery and an all-day cafe and bar. The latter is a lovely spot for brunch, flooded with natural light and serving seasonal dishes, coffee and cake. Tuck into a hearty cooked breakfast (meaty, veggie or vegan) or enjoy a simple pastry before spending the day exploring the various different cultural spaces.

Chapter Arts Centre, Market Rd, Cardiff CF5 1QE, chapter.org