Top 10 of 2022
2022 was the year I began to take my food blog a lot more seriously, where my passion for food and my palate were developed. I dined at many wonderful (and not so wonderful) restaurants, visited some amazing places, and was left in equal measure elated from some meals, as deflated from others.
Here are my top 10 experiences from 2022:
10. JJ Beaumarchais, Paris
The first of two Parisian trips which make the top 10 list, this was a unique experience: a blind tasting menu.
I did lots of research prior to travelling to Paris in early August, and the reviews of this restaurant made it a must visit. Fine dining but in a laidback setting, superb food and cost effective.
I was blown away by the value for money. We only had the choice of 4 of 6 courses. I opted for 6 at the cost of £50 (I believe the 4 course was available for £34).
The only other question we were asked was: “are there any foods you don’t like?”. The courses were then tailored around the preferences.
Highlights included smoked lobster, peach, red onion & pickled cream.
Gnocchi, parmesan, mushroom & peas.
Octopus, corn, eggplant & rocket.
9. Bar 44, Cardiff
If you live in Cardiff, then it’s likely you’ve heard of Bar 44. It’s one of the cities most renowned & well-loved places to dine & drink. Venues also available in Penarth & Bristol, and of course its sister restaurant, Asador 44, is around the corner.
I’ve visited Bar 44 a handful of times, but never for a Sunday roast. Recently voted as one of the best in the UK by The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/oct/16/ofm-awards-2022-best-sunday-lunch-runners-up
This was a wonderful offering, £38 for 2 to share, with a Spanish twist on each component including:
- Chorizo Yorkshire pudding
- Jamon fat roast bravas potatoes
- Manchego cauliflower cheese
8. The Heathcock, Llandaff
If this place is good enough for Jay Rayner, it likely is for the vast majority of the population, see: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/mar/06/jay-rayner-restaurant-review-the-heathcock-cardiff-does-the-good-things-well
I have had the pleasure of experiencing The Heathcock on numerous occasions, I only lived over the road during my time at university. When I first moved to Cardiff back in 2016, the pub was in a rather sorry state, and it changed hands several times when I was a fresher. Then along came the owners of The Hare & The Hound in Aberthin, who transformed this capsizing business into a thriving one.
My most recent visit this year in August, they were offering small plates as opposed to their A La Carte. Their classic sharing dishes were also available, I finally got the chance to try one of their pies.
Oysters are a must try here (£3.50 each), they have an oyster & champagne bar located upstairs.
Steak & ale pie with buttered greens & chips, for 2 (£34).
7. Matsudai Ramen, Grangetown
After gaining a cult following by providing ramen kits delivered across the UK, Matsudai Ramen took the plunge into opening their flagship store. Thankfully for me (and thousands of others), that venue is in Cardiff.
Following weeks/months of a co-worker of mine pestering me to visit (thank you Steph), I toddled over to dine there on my own one summers evening. I did not regret it.
The restaurant was casual, staff super friendly, and food was delicious.
Chicken kare karaage – triple cooked chicken thighs dipped into a Japanese curry mayo.
Followed by their signature ramen. Spicy mala miso ramen – it certainly was spicy! (But tolerable).
6. Kimchi, Canton
My manager at football made me aware of this place, despite the fact it was located a 10-minute walk from my house at the time.
My manager at football also asked me to keep the place a secret, as he didn’t want word to get out (sorry gaffer).
The restaurant has an authentic feel about it, shoddy décor and grills on each table. This is truly authentic Korean food. I enjoyed it so much, that I returned the following week!
To kick things off we ordered a plate containing a mixture of chicken, pork & duck dumplings.
Before moving onto sizzling squid & pork, sizzling king prawns, chilli king prawns (these were exceptional), and egg fried rice.
5. The Walnut Tree Inn, Abergavenny
A Michelin starred restaurant in my hometown, which I visited for the first time in November. A little expensive as you might expect, but nonetheless a great meal in a cosy venue. The Walnut Tree has held their star since 2010.
To start I had scallops in a lentil & coriander sauce (so many scallops!)
And for my main course mallard with Jerusalem artichoke.
To finish off the three-courses I divulged in a warm ginger pudding with butterscotch sauce & clotted cream.
I loved all 3 courses – worth noting, however, that my girlfriend had a twice-baked cheese soufflé with black truffle to start. This is a signature dish of theirs and was incredibly rich as you might imagine. Wasn’t a huge fan!
4. Y Bwyty Bach, Crickhowell
I wrote a detailed piece on Y Bwyty Bach here.
This was a seriously fantastic experience in a Grade I listed barn conversion, in the picturesque town of Crickhowell.
A 5-course tasing menu for £60 per person, and finer food than some Michelin Star/Guide restaurants that I have visited.
Highlights were the cod with smoked potato mousse, beer pickled mussels, caviar & a dashi broth.
The main event of duck with parsnip, pear, miso & cabbage, accompanied with a small side bowl of chive & truffle potato puree which was outstanding.
3. Issy Guinguette, Paris
The second entry from my Paris trip in August. Believe it or not, it’s incredibly difficult to book restaurants at this time in Paris, as they all close for a 3-week break.
Thankfully, I happened upon this place whilst researching restaurants. I am so glad that I did.
Set within a sloping vineyard and a fairy-lit terrace, the venue itself is breath-taking, and the food wasn’t far off the same description. (So too my girlfriend).
Rather unusually, the most outstanding aspect of the food were the starters and the desserts.
The starter was simple: beef carpaccio with parmesan & arugula salad. It was divine.
I still dream of the apricot tart with cocoa sorbet & caramelised pistachio nuts we had for dessert.
We enjoyed a bottle of the restaurants own rose wine, created within their vineyard. The meal was also reasonably priced, considering the common perception of Paris being expensive.
The other meals we ordered were rather good.
A starter of burrata & tomatoes (too much burrata to tomato ratio).
Mains of beef with chimichurri sauce and rabbit leg roasted with curry coconut milk.
2. The Olive Tree, Bath
Visited Bath for a long weekend at the beginning of December; stayed in a lovely Airbnb, enjoyed the Christmas markets, and watching the World Cup.
We had two restaurants booked that we were excited for: Sotto Sotto & The Olive Tree.
The former was disappointing; however, the latter was anything but, and was the perfect way to cap our weekend on the Sunday evening.
9 courses for £140 is steep so of course, this was an expensive outing but if you enjoy fine dining then I cannot recommend The Olive Tree highly enough.
The only Michelin Starred restaurant in Bath is led by Chris Cleghorn and can be found at The Queensberry Hotel.
The service was impeccable, everything ran smoothly, and I loved that chefs were bringing the dishes table-side and explaining the contents of each.
Highlights:
Ruby beetroot, caviar & alliums.
Fallow deer, salt baked celeriac, autumn truffle & long pepper sauce.
Cured chalk stream trout, wasabi, apple & dill.
75% baked chocolate, cocoa nib ice-cream, olive oil & Pedro Ximenez sherry.
1. Thomas by Tom Simmons, Pontcanna
And now we arrive at number 1.
In terms of an overall experience, this will be difficult to top.
Note: I’d say the food at The Olive Tree was better!
On the morning of my 27th birthday, I was excited to go for dinner that evening at a restaurant that was booked by my girlfriend (Millie) months prior. The restaurant offers a tasting menu, and it was somewhere we had wanted to try for a while.
As we were eating breakfast, Millie received an email to say that due to unforeseen circumstances the restaurant would be closed, and they would be unable to honour the booking that evening.
Gutted! We quickly reassessed and Millie suggested we book with Thomas if there was availability. I had been two times and loved both visits, and it was a restaurant that Millie wanted to try. Luckily there was a table available early in the evening, so we booked it. Crisis adverted! We were now looking forward to dining A La Carte at Thomas.
When we arrived at the restaurant and were waiting to be seated, to make some small talk rather than standing in the doorway awkwardly, I mentioned to the server how lucky we felt to have gotten a booking on the same day, as our initial plans had been dashed last minute.
We sat down and a bottle of wine was brought to us, pre-paid for by one of our friends as a surprise! We were then even more surprised when the Manager told us she had spoken with the chef and explained our situation, and that the chef would like to offer us a 7-course tasting menu. We gratefully accepted, and the rest is history.
Every single member of staff we spoke to was warm, friendly, and knowledgeable. From the food to the wine & cocktail pairings, these guys seriously knew their stuff. This evening was the golden standard of hospitality. Clara, Lowri & Adam, take a bow!
And of course, there was the food which I will now briefly discuss.
Even the smallest of details meant a lot to me; we asked for scrap of paper with the contents of each course jotted down to take home, and we were presented with a printed menu.
The parmesan truffle waffles pictured were one of the snacks, they were delicious. Millie often pines for them even now!
We’d already eyed up the tea brined fried chicken with lime mayo & sesame when we were being seated, on someone else’s table. To our delight they were part of the tasting menu!
The chicken liver & madeira parfait is something I wouldn’t usually order, such is the beauty of a tasting menu, I absolutely loved it spread over the toasted brioche provided on the side.
Cornish brill with laverbread macaroni, cockles & smoked pancetta and the Pembrokeshire spring lamb, crispy belly, peas & girolles absolutely are dishes I would usually order. I was not left disappointed.
We were here for a good few hours, we moved outside to eat our cheese course & were given a birthday card from Tom & team. An experience which will live long in the memory!
