Entrecôte Café De Paris in Cardiff Bay combines a great location with stunning views and a mouth watering menu. As the name would suggest, the food is stunningly French, although Parisian might be closer to the mark with the sheer quality of the plates that are served up.
It sits on the upper balcony of Cardiff Bay’s Mermaid Quay, so whether you get a window seat, sit outside on the Balcony or even have a table further into the stylishly decorated restaurant, you’ll get to see quite a lot of the blue waters of the bay. On a sunny evening it’s hard to find anywhere more perfect in Cardiff, especially considering how tasty the food is.
The menu is typically French with a wide array of amuse bouche, as well as delicious entrées ranging from 18-month aged, cured Bayonne with an apple & fennel rèmoulade and moules marinière with white wine, thyme, & cream served with toasted baguette to roulade of smoked Scottish salmon with black tiger prawns & salmon mouse and pan seared scallops wrapped in pancetta, served with a warm broad bean salad.
The starters are bolstered by some sumptuous plats principals. The pan fried fillet of sea bass with roasted fennel risotto is amazing, with the only criticism being that the skin could have been seared to give it a crispy texture to compliment the amazing taste of the plate. The pan roasted rump of lamb, crispy ham, spring greens & whole-grain mustard sauce is also a great choice, but make sure you go for the meat on the pinker side of the spectrum and don’t worry too much about eating the chewy ham if you’re not into it, the rest of the dish is strong enough on its own.
There’s also a stunning coq au vin, a range of steaks, herb crusted halibut and braised leg of duck with an orange and port sauce to choose from, but if all that isn’t enough to finish you off, the desert menu has got a lot to look forward too. With melt in your mouth profiteroles filled with Chantilly cream and covered in warm chocolate sauce, a stunning traditional crème brulee and a fruit tatin there’s a good few brilliantly French classics.
Entrecôte Café De Paris is definitely a good choice for eating out in Cardiff. There’s a good selection of French wines to match with the delicious meals you’re bound to have and with the view you’re pretty much guaranteed a good night. The waiting staff are attentive in the most part and the service is well balanced, although a friendly goodbye wouldn’t go amiss.
Entrecôte Café De Paris, Cardiff review – 4.4/5
