Happy New Year... Ugh.
January is here and dear God it’s just fucking awful isn’t it? The nights are cold, the days are short and there’s absolutely no promise of a Prosecco and Gout filled fortnight off of work and/or real life at the end of it to see us all through. I mean we could, but I for one am still walking around with swollen feet and a blurry memory of everything between December 21st and January 3rd so it may be for the best.
Anyway, what’s this post about then? Well, to compound the ongoing misery of the new year, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that hospitality continues to be and in a lot of instances has already reached its breaking point. In the last few weeks we’ve lost the likes of Rocket & Rye, SY23, The Conway and as recently as writing this post, Kindle announced their closure too. Alongside these, some further afield some high profile closures in the form of Copper & Ink (London), The Pig & Whistle (Beverley) and Greens (Manchester) have shone yet another light on the very real crisis hospitality is facing today. This is just the tip of the iceberg. We’re losing our restaurants seemingly at a rate of dozens and while yes of course our pockets, as customers, simply aren’t as deep as they used to be, there’s also the very real fact that hospitality is actively being attacked predominantly by a government who pretends to care but actually really doesn’t and greed driven energy giants who are shamelessly extracting every pound of flesh they can with absolutely no accountability. Tony Rodd of Copper & Ink put it better than I ever could in this article that he wrote following the announcement of the closure of his restaurant yesterday. I implore you to give it a read and see for yourself some of the simple things the Government can do to help ease this crisis immediately.
There's a limited amount I can through this small food blog from South Wales outside of just trying to amplify some of the noise surrounding what's going on and continuing to try and support the restaurants, pubs, bars and other local businesses that I enjoy as and when I can. Down below, I’ve collated a list of a few local restaurants running some special deals throughout January which not only offer the paying public a tempting deal through what is traditionally the shittiest month of the year but also I suspect in a bid to ensure they survive it themselves. This is by no means an exhaustive list, it's based on a quick hour browsing the socials earlier today so if you have a restaurant and want it featured in the list below, please just give me a DM or an e-mail with the details and I will happily get it added in.
If you're just looking for somewhere to eat, that's a bit easier in the pocket than it might otherwise be, pleae do consider taking a look through the list below and getting yourself booked in.
Thomas by Tom Simmons
A restaurant that needs absolutely no introduction, quite simply one of the best restaurants in Cardiff are offering 50% off their already brilliant value four course set lunch deal. The deal runs Wednesday - Fridays between 12 - 2.30pm beginning 12th January and all you need to do is quote “JAN50” when making your reservations on the website.
This is a phenomenal opportunity to eat some of the very best food available in the city today and quite frankly ridiculously good prices.
Bar 44
Bar 44 return with a birthday offering where a selection of their brilliant Tapas, beers and wine are available at the prices they were 20 years ago. I’m talking pints of Estrella for £3.50 and Iberico Pork Pinchos for a fiver. That’s not to forget their already phenomenally priced 3 for £20 set Lunch deal too.
Nook
Having spent some time in 2023 experimenting with their menu, the turn of the year has seen Nook return to basics and what made them so unmissable in the first place in the form of non-fussy small plates and curated wine. Nook are launching a £35 taster menu through January that can cater to meat eaters. It launches tonight (04 January) with an absolute doozie of a menu. This runs concurrent with their usual small plates menu too so y’know, if you’re feeling extra hungry then treat yourself.
Ffwrnes
Ffwrnes is as close to pizza royalty that you can get around these parts and through January they’re running a Veganuary offering of their sublime Marinara pizzas for a paltry £5 a pop - you don’t need me to tell you how much of a steal this is and the best part? Ffwrness is upstairs at Cardiff Market meaning there are plenty of other top class stalls where you can spend some more money if you’re that way inclined.
No.5 Pontcanna
No.5 can be found in Romilly Crescent at the site of the former Bully’s who had to close earlier this year. Since No.5 have stepped in they have gone about their business offering classic breakfast and brunch dishes during the day time before focussing on a range of steaks and sides during the evening. The restaurant will be shut between 10th - 25th January but on the days they are open you can bag a whopping 25% discount on their evening menu by using the code “JAN25” when booking via their website.
Head of Steam
Another Veganuary based offering here with Head of Steam coming in clutch with a 20% off deal on all of their vegan dishes until the end of the month. A quick look at their menu boasts vegan offerings of club sandwiches, gyros, shawarma, nachos and wings - loads of crafties available too to whet your whistle before and/or after you chow down.
Brod
A tantalising little proposition here from Cardiff's finest Danish Bakery, Brod. For just £10 you can bag yourself a savoury in the form of a filled roll, focaccia or snegl, a pastry and a hot drink. The deal runs Tuesday - Friday in all of their locations with vegan options available too. If you know Brod then I expect you're already well accustomed to the quality they pump out on the regular. If you don't know them? Well, now's your chance.
Grazing Shed
I still remember back in the day when Grazing Shed first opened their doors in Cardiff and how stoked I was that Cardiff finally had a burger option that wasn't from a chain and having recently celebrated their 10th birthday, it's clear that they're still as relevant as they've ever been. On Mondays - Thursdays through January they're offering 25% off meals for two using the discount code DATENIGHT25
