Last Sunday my husband and my dad were competing in the Cardiff Half Marathon so on the Saturday night we decided to go for an Italian to get them both stocked up on carbohydrates. We usually go to Cibos on Pontanna St but unfortunately the last time we went there we were a little disappointed. So we thought we’d try something new and go to La Lupa in Canton, Cardiff. 

The Venue

La Lupa doesn’t look like anything special on their rather poor website or from the outside and it is not in the most trendy part of Cardiff but it is definitely a hidden gem. It is very typically Italian with the checked table cloths and the rustic surroundings, a very warm and cosy feel to it.We went on a Saturday night and it was 95% full which was nice, there’s nothing worse than an empty restaurant.

The Food

The menu was different from your standard Italian menu with not a spag bol or a lasagna in site. However the food that they did have on offer was orginal with something for everyone. Using the excuse that the men needed feeding up we all had 3 courses (what we had a hard day supporting to do). All three courses were deliciaous, with good presentation and generous portions.

The Service

This is debatable. The service was a little on the slow side although consistently slow. The staff were by no means unattentive, I just felt that it was just their way of doing things. The slow service was more then made up for by the very friendly staff. Most of the staff were Italian which was nice and were happy to explain the menu and recommend their specials. There was a definite personal feeling and the kind of place that you know that they will remember you the next time you go.

The Price

The prices of the meals were average. Going on the surroundings you would not be expecting to pay a lot but when the food arrived you wouldn’t mind paying more. The starters were around £4 the mains around £9 (more for things such as steak)

The Verdict

I will definitely be going back to La Lupa, good food and nice staff are quite hard to come by these days.

Score = 7/10

The Occasion

Last weekend Adair’s parents came to stay for the weekend so on the Saturday night we thought we’d go into town for a meal. As we all agreed we love Italian food the plan was to go to Jamie Oliver’s Italian which Adair and I had been to before and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately as you are unable to book a table there is quite often a small queue outside. This would not normally bother us but it was windy and raining so not the best weather to be stood outside. I had heard that Carluccio’s was a good restaurant and as it was only down the road we thought we’d give it a try.

The Venue

On entering the restaurant I was a little disappointed as to how little it looked Italian, the decor was very minimal and open plan. They have obviously gone for a modern theme which is nice but not an Italian atmosphere if you ask me. The restaurant was full when we arrived so we were asked to wait at the bar which would have been fine except we were given a drinks list but then nobody came back to take our order. To be fair though we were seated within ten minutes so it wasn’t so bad.

The Menu

There was a lovely selection of different food for appetizers and starters however the choice of mains was a little disappointing. Adair and his dad opted for the rib eye steak which was a bit tough and they were not provided with steak knives, which agreeably you should not need for a good steak but in this case they were required. My dish was nice and I enjoyed it. Adair’s mum opted for the special which was crispy fried spinach balls and penne pasta. The menu made it sound lovely but when served it was exactly as the menu said, there was no sauce so it was very dry.

The Service

Our waiter was very pleasant, attentive and chatty which made the experience a whole lot better and we were happy to leave him a good tip.

The Price

The price is reasonable for what you get but I can think of plenty other restaurants in this price range which ai would rather go to instead.

Overall Rating 6/10