Chai Social in Cardiff

Chai Social - delicious food with some unusual additions - the momos were fantastic. The kind and thoughtful service made for a wonderful evening - thank you!

Enjoyed a beautiful royal thali with friends last night. Really generous amount of food and super tasty. It was a nice surprise to have both a starter and a delicious syrupy Indian sweet on the platter too! All of the food was wonderful, we also enjoyed a mix of starters - onion bhaji, chilli paneer and okra - all were beautifully made and delicious. Service was really good. All of the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. They also have a dosa menu which I’d love to try. The only thing that was a shame was that there weren’t more people in there! But we discovered that everywhere down Whitchurch Road was exceptionally quiet on this particular Friday night which was a bit perturbing!

I came here unbooked with two of my friends. Even though they were very busy with social media updates I have had an incredible meals as have my friends. We had , onion bhajis, cauliflower to start with thalib, biryani and madras to follow. It has been fantastic start to finish

We recently celebrated a family birthday at Chai Social, and it was a truly memorable experience from start to finish. The food was absolutely delicious – every dish was flavorful, well-prepared, and beautifully presented. We especially enjoyed the vegetable Manchurian and chicken kebabs. However, what truly stood out was the exceptional service. The gentlemen/manager, went above and beyond to ensure our evening was perfect. His warm and welcoming manner made us feel like valued guests. He was attentive without being intrusive, and his recommendations were spot-on. Any request we had was met with a smile and prompt attention. While the flavors of the dishes were excellent, we did feel that some of the curries could have benefited from a more generous portion of meat. The quality of the meat was great, but we would have liked a little more in each serving. The combination of the outstanding cuisine and the impeccable service, especially the quality service and manners of staff, made our family birthday celebration truly special. We will definitely be returning to Chai Social and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fantastic Indian dining experience.

Great food, excellent service, not an extensive menu but caters for everyone. We will come again.

Possibly my favourite restaurant in the whole of Cardiff and it has become our regular restaurant to order a takeaway from! The paneer butter masala and the garlic naan are to die for! Such fast delivery service and they always throw in some extra poppadoms for us. I’m not a meat eater myself but my partner enjoys most of their meat options! 11/10 👏🏻

Incredible food and amazing service. Highly reccomend the tikka masala and butter chicken. Best garlic naan I’ve had. The waiter was very friendly and will definitely be returning. Best Indian in cardiff

Lovely Gentleman who received and served us. Very good mocktails. Fresh food. Very good experience.

Came with my family - service was outstanding from the outset. Waiter was friendly, warm, and welcoming. Very kind to the kids. Food was great - well seasoned, nicely presented, big portions, and we took some home as well. Lots of veggie choices. Would happily come again.

Best Indian restaurant in Cardiff! And possibly the best service I've had in a restaurant.

Dined early evening with two young kids. Food and hospitality were both fantastic. Staff were so welcoming and everything tasted great. Our new favourite local restaurant.

Absolutely loved my experience at Chai Social! The food was delicious with a great variety of options, the service was friendly and efficient, and the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming. Perfect place to relax and enjoy a good cup of chai. Highly recommended!

We visited Chai Social on Mother’s Day to try their new summer menu. The starters were not only eye-catching but also full of flavor—absolutely delicious! Big thanks for the complimentary Prosecco, such a lovely touch!"

The best Indian food outside India

I go often,a woman on my own and feel so at home here .Fabulous place, the staff are so accomodating. Food is beautifully presented, excellent and very good value for money. I love it here.

The Service Personal opened the door for us with a bright smile gave us a warm welcome and while taking our order, recommended the dish of the day - Lamb Shank cooked in Curry sauce served with saffron scented Pilau Rice. I am so glad I took the suggestion! The lamb was melt in the mouth delicious. A must try when you are at Chai Social…

One of the best restaurants in Cardiff . Butter

Visited Chai Social Monday Evening and surprised to see Early Ruby deal for 15£. Curry with Naan and a Wine just for 15£ value for money. Not to mention it was quite so got full attention of Chef and Serving staff. We will visit again.

I visited Chai Social today for lunch without knowing the fact that Thali is available only on Sunday but the Manager gone extra mile to serve me what I was craving for. I am glad to see in today's world people are helpful and have emotions to understand others'feelings. Not to forget Thali is full of variety and generous portions. Highly recommend dish at Chai Social.

Chai Social an amazing place for North Indian delicacy. Had a real Indian taste of Chole Bhature in UK for the first time. Must try, Massive portion worth trying.

We came in for Mother’s Day and ordered food for 4 people bill totalling £71.31. My dad ordered shrimp briyani. There were hardly any shrimp in the dish. Possibly 4 pieces. When I brought it up to the waiter he said the chef had placed 12 pieces and suggested we may be lying. Not a great experience.

Wonderful food, for someone who doesn't eat Indian much, very impressed. Service was fantastic and for a bunch of 30 people had our own private room. All well presented and the rice and naan bread kept flowing. Lovely staff made the evening a fantastic experience. Great range of vegetarian starters and mains.

Friendly helpful staff, speedy service, quality vegetarian dishes and decently priced. Definitely go back there and would recommend

My favourite restaurant in Cardiff. Service on point don’t think another restaurant has topped it. Food is way too good and is timely. High recommend.

Best birthday meal ever! Lovely staff and even gave me a slice of cake. Food was absolutely delicious too. Will be back again!

Gorgeous food and amazing service!!

Came here for a birthday celebration with friends. The service was impeccable. The staff were so friendly and polite and really made an effort with us. They learnt our names, sang happy birthday to the birthday girl and brought us dessert. It will be hard to forget the quality of service we received. 100% would recommend to anyone in the area.

We had a very pleasant and entertaining time at Chai Social! The waiters were very attentive and welcoming and was very excited to hear that it was my birthday! The food was delicious and they kindly provided a birthday cake and free pudding for the table (including our friend who has a gluten intolerance). We would definitely recommend to anyone and will definitely come back! Thank you!

The service was top-notch. Each dish I tried was flavourful with perfect balance of ingredients especially the seafood medley pot and tandoori salmon delight .Strongly recommended this place if you want to explore the Indian food .

Went here with friends a few weeks ago. The man serving us was so lovely and the food was spectacular. I had the noodles and my friends had a selection of other dishes, all really tasty. Can’t comment too much on atmosphere as it was a Sunday in January so not as busy but they could not have done enough for us.

I got the spiced lamb saag which was delicious! I came with friends and the service was excellent and the owner was lovely enough to gift us a free-nonalcoholic mixed drink. The portions are large and satisfying - will definitely be coming back!

Absolutely delicious! Very generous portions, which are perfectly spiced (not just chilli heat). I had a spicy lamb saag dish, the meat was very tender and plenty of it! If you don’t like it too spicy, mention this - my daughter found her chickpea dish a little hot but if they’d known the heat could’ve been reduced. Excellent service.

I ordered a take away from Chai Social via Deliveroo. The delivery guy mixed our order up with another which resulted in a crazily frustrating experience with Deliveroo trying to sort it out. Only thanks to the very calm staff member at Chai Social was it sorted and I imagine they were out of pocket. Many people reading will already know my mistake which is to use Deliveroo, well never again and I’ll always go direct to the restaurant. Most importantly the food was amazing, we’ve eaten there before and the place itself is fantastic so thoroughly encourage anyone to try it.

Accommodated a large group of 20 with a private room and a fantastic set menu with variety for everyone. Chicken and lamb cooked perfectly. Service was excellent and staff very friendly. Highly recommend.

Such a hidden gem! Cocktails, atmosphere and service was great. We had espresso martinis which were so lovely and affordable!! Really recommend.

We ate here a few months ago. A large group of 12 or more. Service was rubbish. Some of the dishes like the paneer and lamb chops were great. Others, like the dhall, tasted like Tesco made it. When one of the group didn't like her mango lassi, the manager tried to get her to pawn it off to someone else in the group, which is quite funny actually, but completely unprofessional. Eventually, he replaced it with another drink. We had to request water 2 or 3 times before we were provided with it. One of the group didn't want to pay the "optional" service charge. As I said, the service was rubbish, but when she told the manager this, he still made her pay it!? I noticed that all of the bad reviews come from non white, desi people, does this restaurant have a problem with non white people, even though they themselves aren't white? Strongly do NOT recommend non white people to go here. If you're white, you will probably enjoy it. I will not return and will not recommend it.

Delicious cocktails and super friendly staff. Also had a takeaway from here that was extremely nice!

If I could put a minus 1 review I deffo would. So my husband drove 20 minutes away to look for something to eat. The restaurant was empty and no one inside at all so my husband felt sorry for them so he decided to go inside and order some food for him myself and my 2 children. He ordered one chicken curry and one lamb curry. He then asked the kids menu they told him that he can order from the kids menu 1 burger and 1 chicken nuggets. Both as a meal. The food came to a total of 29 pounds. When he arrived home we both was shocked to see what we saw. Only 1 burger meal and 7 pieces of chips and 2 pieces of chicken nuggets. For both of the kids 7 chips only all in 1 box together. I called the restaurant back as I was very unhappy and the guy on the phone wether manager or not he was very very rude. He said apparently he didn't hear him or he said my husband said that he wanted burger meal only wich was false as I was on the phone to him as he said it not once not twice 3 times. Guys do not go here rip of completely food doesn't even taste nice my children were starving after I had to make them some food as they complain they wanted more chips. Complete rip off and so rude about everything guys do not get ripped off from this place at all discusting attitude very rude staff very rude service. I'm so glad I didn't order for delivery

Lovely meal on Saturday. Food was very tasty and service was both friendly and welcoming. Will definitely be visiting again soon.

Had a lovely time at Chai Social. Suresh was an excellent host from the moment we walked in. He went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. The food was delicious, and the kitchen cooked up a dish specially made for me - the lamb tikka masala. We’ll definitely be back soon!

Went out for a meal last night at this restaurant, the food was absolutely fantastic and service was even better! Highly recommend if you are in Cardiff!

Great customer service and lovely food in a great location! Would definitely recommend. Very friendly atmosphere with authentic dishes with a modern restaurant feel. Felt welcome. I would recommend for families, date nights, and groups. Cocktails were delicious and 2 for 12£ is a bargain.

Good food particularly the mains that were delicate but traditional enough. Pleasant staff. Only drawback at the end (around 9:15-9:30) felt a bit rushed as they were tidying the place to close

We went here for lunch. the food was lovely. And the staff were some of the loveliest staff i have ever met in a restaurant. They were so lovely to our kids and even ended with a little dance and some lollipops. highly recommended

We only came here for drinks and although all of the food others were eating looked delicious, we found lots of small flies floating in our cocktails. Although the staff said that the flies may have landed in the drinks since arriving at our table, there were a few floating well beneath the ice that would have gone in the drink in the kitchen/at the bar. The staff were nice enough to take the cost of these off of our bill but it ruined the experience in the restaurant.

100% recommend this restaurant. Went for a spot of lunch and loved it! Delicious food and flavours with quick and friendly service. The restaurant is also clean and nicely decorated and has a good vibe. Would recommend the mango lassi, veg Manchurian and samosa with chickpea curry to start. 10/10 would absolutely come again!

Great customer service and to be honest this is the best place I ever been for food. Really quick service with funny environment. I suggest everyone whoever wants to have delicious food. Really amazing staff🔥😍

I ordered chili chicken and chicken noodles, and they were amazing. The chili chicken, in particular, brought back a wave of nostalgia.

Not too busy when we went in but got going shortly after. New owners from December 2023 and new menu. Some favourites still there. The food was great, clean and fresh and the service was with a smile 👍

Great experience once again. Authentic Indian meal. Staff are very friendly and polite. Suresh, manager of the restaurant, really attentive and suggested some great options. If you want to eat a proper Indian meal, visit Chai Social surely. Mango lassi is tasty. Cocktails 2 for £12 is defo a bargain.

A fantastic restaurant that I have returned to many times. Staff have always been very friendly, and service has been quick. The menu boasts a wide range of options (I can personally recommend the clay pot curries, such as the Seafood Medley). Prices are reasonable. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere.

This restaurant has authentic north indian food. Food is full of flavours and so colourful.

Had a delicious meal here while visiting Cardiff! Staff was extremely helpful and patient with our family who had limited knowledge of the dishes. Waiter provided recommendations based on spiciness and gluten-free options. Didn’t have a kid menu but he knew exactly what to bring to keep our toddler happy and trying new things! Thank you!

This restaurant has authentic indian food. Food is full of flavours and so colourful. The service is also great. I really enjoyed eating here.

Unexpectedly good food - was particularly blown away by the starters (the dahi puri chaats are to die for!) and the chicken curries + naan bread we tried did not disappoint. Serving and staff 10/10 - super friendly, prompt and considerate. Highly recommend giving it a try!

Yet another wonderful experience at Chai Social. This is the fourth time I have visited and I’m never disappointed. The service is excellent, food is fresh, full of delicate flavour and delicious. I was especially grateful for the birthday desert and candle that was presented to me this evening. Thank you to all the wonderful staff. We will be seeing you again very soon.

What an amazing experience! Welcoming, great atmosphere and fantastic food. Thank you all from Nicki n Kat x

I'm thoroughly impressed by this place. Undeniably Indian but not like the traditional curry house. Chai Social has a lovely friendly informal feel and a menu with breakfast dishes, burgers AND curries. I think we'll be making a return visit soon! ...Several return visits later, this is definitely one of my favourite places to eat!

My boyfriend and I just came back from eating there and it was the loveliest time. Not only is the staff so caring and cheerfull but the ambiance is cosy and welcoming. Now for the food, we clearly were too ambitious (we had a cocktail each, both a starter and then main dish and a naan) but it was still so worth it. The food is tasteful, there's an attention to details in the presentation of the dishes and there are quite a lot of vegetarian options that just don't disappoint! Will be recommanding this place to friends and family and recommand it to all the foodies who love a good indian restaurant!

We've now been here a few times and can confirm they have consistency in the quality of their food, drinks, and service. Firstly I must start by saying this is an authentic indian restaurant, not a restaurant labelled as Indian but really serves bangladeshi cuisine. The head chef Raj is Punjabi, he and his team have served us some of the best indian food we have had in Cardiff. We are fortunate to have tasted authentic indian food in India itself and also in the UK in places such as Southall and in the midlands in Desi Pubs as they are known. Let's just say Chai Social saves us a motorway trip which we use to sometimes do just to get authentic Desi style food. Their menu may seem limited, but they are happy to make things off the menu, our favourites off the menu are Lamb Keema and Chicken Bhuna. The lamb chops and chicken tikka starters are also good orders. When it comes to vegetarian food they don't fail either, we love the manchurian and paneer, and all the veg curries we have tasted haven't let us down either. The naan is nicely light and crisp, not that thick doughy naan you get in some places. With drinks there is a good selection available, as well as 2 for £12 cocktails all day/night I believe. It's important to point out the cocktails are all freshly made and not used with those ready-made pouches you tend to see in pubs and bars. We've tried a few different ones over our visits and we have enjoyed them all, and well worth the money. They also have Kingfisher lager on draft and Camden IPA, both pour nicely and it's clear they maintain and clean out the lines regularly, which isn't always the case in restaurants. When it comes to service, we personally think it's as good as some top rated restaurants we've visited in the likes of central London. Nothing is ever too much, they are always friendly and happy to assist, and more importantly if there are any issues they are quick to act and rectify it. All in all, this is the indian restaurant Cardiff has been missing for some time, and I hope it starts getting the reputation and popularity it deserves. Give it a go, you won't be disappointed!

Nice pub nice and clean good pint,. And the food was good around the £15 mark well worth a visit,

We had a great experience in social chai The food was extremely delicious service was wonderful all the staff very friendly definitely we will visit again Thanks alot

Enjoyed the good food, service and ambience Shoutout to Suresh bhai for his amazing hospitality. Must try place.

We had jungli pot Lamb curry with Naan. Best Naan in town taste so fresh. Thank you for the delicous meal & warm hospitality. I would definitely recommend Chai Social to my network and community.

Accomodating and welcoming staff. kids friendly Place. Thank you for looking after us. Best Indian food, Awesome music, Memorable dinning experience.

Amazing food, great ambiance, worth every penny. Great hospitality by Suresh and Raj, absolutely gem of a person.

We recently celebrated a birthday party at Chai Social, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment we walked in, the warm and inviting ambiance set the perfect tone for our celebration. The decor is chic and modern, with a touch of cozy elegance that made everyone feel at home. The staff at Chai Social went above and beyond to ensure our party was a success. Their friendly and attentive service made us feel truly special. They were incredibly accommodating, helping us with every detail and ensuring that all our needs were met with a smile. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the food. Every dish we tried was bursting with flavor and beautifully presented. The menu offers a delightful fusion of traditional and contemporary dishes, catering to a variety of tastes. Our guests raved about the delicious appetizers, flavorful mains, and decadent desserts. The chai, of course, was exceptional and added a unique touch to our celebration. We were also impressed with the way Chai Social handled our large group. The space was arranged perfectly, allowing us to socialise comfortably while still maintaining an intimate atmosphere. The thoughtful touches, like personalised service and attention to detail, made the birthday celebration even more memorable. They were also fantastic with our young children. Overall, Chai Social exceeded our expectations in every way. The combination of fantastic food, outstanding service, and a wonderful setting made for a perfect birthday party. We highly recommend Chai Social for any special occasion or simply for a delightful dining experience. We can't wait to return and create more wonderful memories here!

The taste of the food was great but I was highly disappointed with the service. If you are an Indian then please don't visit this place because they don't treat you like the locals. I would have given a 5 star review but given 1 just for their service.

Personable staff, well appointed dining room, and the food is always excellent.

Came to try their sunday thali menu. For the price, this was well worth it. The staff service was also excellent. A hidden gem!

Very tasty food, great service, nice cocktail selection. Good atmosphere, slightly expensive but worth it

Delicious food, excellent service from Tiwari who was very welcoming and attentive!

Really lovely vibe early on a Saturday evening. Had a good table in the window. Very friendly service. Range of curries was not huge but all well presented and tasty. Couple of comments: The more unique menu has been replaced by a more typical menu. Be aware of this. It felt a little rushed, probably a bit too rushed. More pricey than was expecting.

All dishes were amazing , I had lamb shank ( the special dish ) brilliant it was. Whole family of 7 enjoyed their meal even our picky ones

Enjoyed a wonderful meal at Chai Social. The food was delicious - 5 stars. Staff were incredible! Highly recommend you visit for a tasty Indian and quality experience.

Wow! What an incredible place. It was my first visit and I really felt at home. The food was piping hot, plates were hot, the staff were super friendly and accommodating. 10/10 I will be back!

An amazing place with great staff, lovely food and very nice cocktails all for great prices! Highly recommended

Lovely food and lovelier staff, second time we’ve eaten from Chai Social and will definitely be returning! Very happy!

One of the best Indian food I had in cardiff , cocktails 🍹 were also great , good atmosphere and service .

Can anyone enlighten me as to when Chai Social had changed their menu? I've always known it as a street food type of resturant and judging from all the photos assumed it still was! Me and my partner visited last night and I was surprised to see the change of menu and it fitted a more classic curry house which had we known, likely wouldn't have visited as this wasn't what we were looking for. Don't get me wrong the food was lovely and the service was brilliant, just left a little disappointed as it was not as we were hoping for!

Amazing food, service and atmosphere.. staff was very attentive and helpful. HIGHLY RECOMMEND..

1st time to chai social since it was “mint & mustard” Although new name, new owners and chef, it was lovely to be welcomed by a familiar friendly face. Great lunchtime menu (12-3pm). FOOD: We choose the “house chicken curry” & the “house lamb curry” We were asked our spice level (quite hot) Arrived in good time, boiling hot, nice presentation. Served with popadoms, rice and a naan. Plenty of succulent meat, perfect spice level and a truly fantastic authentic flavoursome curry (no floating oil or ghee) Drinks: Nice to have Camden IPA on tap. My wife also had an espresso martini for dessert which was very good too! ATMOSPHERE: attentive, friendly & happy staff. Pleasant decor. If I was to be the tiniest bit critical it would be the British 80’s playlist, would rather something a little more Bhangra/Sitar influenced. But honestly- that’s just me :-) Throughly recommended!!!! You will not be disappointed!!!

Delicious food. Lunch Menu excellent x

Highly recommend this venue. Fabulous food and attentive (and funny) staff. Went over and above for my partner with allergies - thank you. Photo is of the Chai Social Thali - yum 😋

One of the best places I’ve been to in Cardiff. The food had great flavour, the atmosphere was warm, and the staff just couldn’t do enough for you.

Thanks for letting us hire the back room for a private party. Food was great! Starters and main course. Nice amount of space. Many tables and chairs.

Very quick and attentive staff. A very relaxed atmosphere and the mains we had were very good. I had the railway curry. Pompadom chutneys were pretty tasteless and really measly portions. Save your money on those.

Lovely food and perfect service from all

Good menu selection and options for kids. Friendly staff and lovely interior. There's a few 2 hour free parking spots in the backstreets if you can't get anything on the main road.

I arrived here late with my partner, and they still said that they could serve us. The man that served us was so friendly and welcoming, and the food was amazing. I had the chicken Tikka, rice and nan bread, and my partner had the the chicken Tikka Buddha bowl. Absolutely gorgeous food. Decoration is lovely too. Can't wait to go here again.

Best biryani I have had in a very long time, with a delicious yogurt sauce!

We had a great evening at Chai Social ! Great food and atmosphere, friendly accommodating staff. We were a large party but all went smoothly. Will definitely go back .

The cauliflower Buddha bowl was fantastic, curry delicious. Really awesome place. Great interiors and friendly staff.

Lovely food, service, and good value for money

We had my daughter’s birthday meal here. The service & food were excellent! Very authentic Indian cuisine and very helpful Staff! They made an extra effort knowing it was my daughter’s birthday. It’s my favourite Indian restaurant in Cardiff!

Went for a quick lunch, pani puri, samosa and special Thali were all really good. Service was friendly and relaxed. Reasonable lunch menu.

Went for dinner with the family. Very nice atmosphere and good service. Starters were average. Dhai chat bomb was mainly yougurt needed more tamrind and spices. Chicken 65 wasn't nice. Saying that it is difficult to make.good chicken 65. Lamb was very good. Regarding mains the nans were excellent. The baigan was average and so was the chicken. In summary slightly above average Indian meal.

Food is delicious. Nice decor. Will be returning. Lovely addition to the neighbourhood.

Thank you so much to the team at Chai Social for delicious food served for our work event in Cardiff. Fantastic variety full of flavour and all served to cater superbly for over 30 people in the dedicated event room. We really appreciated the effort to cater for us and we were all so satisfied with the gorgeous food!

Lovely place for lunch. Great food choices and a good value lunchtime menu.. meal + drink for £10