[Cardiff, Wales] Côte Brasserie at Mill Lane

[klyeoh (Peter)]

I was in Cardiff last weekend to catch BBC Wales’ biennale Best Singer in the World contest grand finals. And where to catch a quick meal in the vicinity of St David’s Hall, right smack in the middle of downtown Cardiff, before adjourning to the concert hall and be seated by 6.45pm?

Central Cardiff is replete with any and every chain restaurant outlet known to Britons. I chose Côte Brasserie on Mill Lane as a couple of Londoner friends had just told me a day earlier that they loved the boudin noir there and “you’d probably find a Côte in Cardiff”.

My early dinner:

1. Boudin Noir - sautéed French black pudding with caramelised apples, poached egg and frisée salad (£6,50)
   
   

2. Baked Crottin (traditional goat’s cheese from the Loire Valley), served warm with lamb’s lettuce and apple salad, walnuts, croutons and golden raisins (£6,50)
   

   

3. Fish Parmentier - cod, haddock, prawn and salmon in a creamy white wine and leek sauce, topped with mash potato and Gruyère cheese (£12,50)
   

   

A couple of things I like about about Côte - you know what to expect: friendly, efficient service, and well-prepared food which you know will taste fine. Café Rouge was like that n the 90s.

Address
Côte Brasserie
10-11 Mill Lane, Cardiff CF10 1FL
Tel: 029 2034 3810
Opening hours: Mon to Fri 8am-11pm, Sat 9am-11pm
Sun 9am-10:30pm

[Harters (John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)]

IIRC, in his first ever TV show, my food idol, Gary Rhodes, cooked lunch for the Manchester United team. It was a “Full English” breakfast salad which I recall was pretty much like your starter. Of course, he used Bury black pudding and there was bacon in there as well. Inspired.

Rhodes is, of course, one of United’s “prawn sandwichbrigade” of London supporters.

[klyeoh (Peter)]

I followed Rhodes’ cooking programmes with a passion, too. But he seemed a bit too OCD by the time he did the Rhodes Across India series.

[Harters (John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)]

Can’t recall the India series - must have been on a channel that wasnt with our package.