Custom House in The Vale of Glamorgan

First class service, exquisite food and amazing atmosphere. We had a great Christmas dinner there, and very grateful for that, thank you! 🙏🏼

I have used the Custom House regularly over the years, and have always found the food and friendliness of the staff superb. On the weekend my wife's niece visited and I thought sunday lunch there would be a lovely finish. Curt and unfriendly, lamb and pork both overcooked, raw broccoli, and overcooked seasonal vegetables. We're both still waiting for extra gravy. Asked if we had enjoyed the meal, I explained our disappointment. No apology, and almost contemptuous responses. £28.50 a head, apart from removing the broccoli from the bill we were charged the full price of £57. Three times I was invited to add a staff tip and made to feel quite uncomfortable when I declined. The third anniversary of my wife's death. A hugely disappointing and actually insulting experience, what a shame.

Had an absolutely delicious meal here - amazing fresh fish cooked perfectly, and some of the best chips we've had. Staff also very friendly and accommodating. We've returned just over a year later for a birthday celebration and it absolutely lived up to expectations.

We called here last week for lunch . Our choice of Sea bass in rock salt was delightful. Highly recommend.

Really amazing place. Food is awesome. Staff are very accommodating. It's value, with quality in quantity

Fantastic Sunday lunch at El Puerto. Excellent service. Would definitely recommend 👌

Lovely venue for lunch /dinner. Reasonably priced for excellent quality food. We had sunday lubch which was delcious and received excellent service. We will definitely be back!

On visit without family lovely couldn’t fault ,on a visit today and haveing a mixed family group found very different service poor at most ,le monde which is part off the chain perfect however this place I wouldn’t waste a penny on if u have a diverse family feeling was awful couldn’t wait to leave and yes paid full bill

Excellent all round,,Saturday 20th September 2024.

My colleagues and I ate here as a large party a couple of weeks ago. The steak I had was divine, probably the nicest steak I’ve had in a long time and was cooked to absolute perfection. All staff we encountered were friendly and a great evening was had by all

Lunchtime specials were very enjoyable and sensibly priced. Classy place but tables a little too close together. Food served hot and tasty, staff attentive and friendly. Apparently, these menu boards may change DAILY!

Too many tables in the bar area, it was way too cramped and claustrophobic. They had a dining area to the right of reception but not sure why we weren’t sat in there? I believe the bar area should be for people drinking only and not for people eating, as I like to eat food in a quieter environment. I found it strange how there are no physical menus and we had to actually get up and give our table number and order at the desk, I expected table service from the waiters as it is a posh restaurant. My steak wasn’t medium rare how I asked, it was more medium-well. Overall, was not what I expected.

Wow !!!!!! The food was amazing , the staff were so kind and the drinks were great as well ! The bar staff were really attentive and answered any questions we had . The bar manager was very smiley and made us feel very welcome !

Very friendly, great atmosphere in a maritime style. Very good food at affordable prices. Spread over 2 floors. Very well maintained.

Amazing experience at The Old Custom House as a first time visitor. The food was delicious and service was some of the best we have encountered from the moment we walked in until we left. Our order was taken promptly and we then had a personal wine server who was a lovely, well mannered tattooed young girl throughout our time. Cannot wait to visit again soon!

My girlfriend and I were out for a 30th birthday celebration, food was great but the service was really poor, they forgotten our drinks order twice and the chips came out 3 quarters through our meal just before we finished our steaks, we had to chase our drinks twice and also our sides twice. The bad service has put a dampener on my girlfriends 30th birthday celebration

Fairly regular here about once every couple of months, absolutely guaranteed to have a great time. Lovely food , great staff.

I've been going here since it opened. Always feel welcomed and like family. The food is fantastic and always a great selection. The upgrades they have made to the lovely outdoor seating area means you can sit outside whatever the weather.

Really nice fresh food. A party of nine celebrating a birthday. A really enjoyable dining experience. Can highly recommend this venue

A strange place that can’t quite decide what it wants to be. The food is expensive and good quality but the service and ambiance were extremely poor.

Service and food were good. Not too busy but a good atmosphere. Great to sit and watch the sun go down on a warm evening.

We just had a drink, no food. It's a very nice place, but also quite expensive

Have been before a few years back quite busy for a week day evening but that was not a issue

We had a great lunch for a family member's birthday. The food was excellent, including good vegetarian dishes. The staff were present but not overbearing, and it was surprisingly cheap. They didn't add an automatic service charge, but we gave a decent tip because they deserved it. The setting is lovely too, and some of us finished with a lovely walk out over Cardiff Bay.

Nice venue but the drinks are expensive.

Myself and my boyfriend came here for our birthday pre dinner meal. I tried fresh mackeral and Veal for the 1st time. Everything was beautifully cooked and seasoned. The staff were very attentive and the service was outstanding. My only niggle is it would be nice to have a menu on the table so you can peruse the offers before going to the counter. Also the queuing for the counter should have some sort of system when it's busy as we saw a lot of diners looking uncomfortable with a large group queuing next to their table. However this wouldn't put me off in the slightest. The food standards were impeccable and I loved everything.

Night out from out of town. From minute you walk in ,everything was great. The idea of picking your fish and meat.

Went here for fathers day dinner, It was very busy with music playing outside and people enjoying themselves. it was a nice relaxed place to be. The food was was excellent I have to say very tasty, we had, steak, lamb and chicken and each of us had a starter and a bottle of wine. Now the not so good part for what we had it was expensive, which we expected But £30+ for a steak and all it came with was the steak and a few chips in a basket, the lamb shank, two pieces of lamb and some boiled potatoes, same with the chicken fillet. The bill came to well over £100 yes of course you could have veg etc but that would have been extra, Saying all this it was a full house so maybe I'm just a tight old git one who just likes value for money which i feel I didn't get at The Old Customs house

Lovely location. Great menu. Authentic food. Service great. Lots of friendly staff

Love the team behind this place, it's sister restaurant Le Mond is one of our favourites. Sadly, on the day we visited,(bank holiday Monday,) they were out of several items & we felt a bit rushed.

Lovely food,but have to book a table before turning up.

Nice place to chill out best view

I must admit that my family and I have been a long term fan of The Custom House in Penarth since it opened The building and decor is stunning, the views over the bay from the patio at the front of the building on a warm sunny day with a nice cold glass of wine served straight from the bottle and the ice bucket is the best place to be in Cardiff. The Martinez Restaurant team are the best in the business for service and the quality and choice of food is always superb. I love the fresh fish selections the most but my favourite fillet steak is always cooked the way I like, medium rare and very hard to turn down. My wife and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary after a great meal, but finished the night sharing the very best Crème brûlée recipe you will ever try. A perfect ending to the meal

Used to come here often for food but found the staff to be quite rude. Called in for drinks & got the impression this was still the case. We were told by a waitress that we couldn't take our drinks out onto the right hand terrace (in the sun) despite many others being out there with just drinks, but could go to the left, in the shade. We checked with the bar man & he said it was fine so we just sat where we wanted. Unnecessary & off putting but on the plus side, gorgeous building with lovely views over Cardiff Bay. Quite pricey, but nice for a treat or stop off on a walk across the Barrage.

Never had a bad experience here, food good quality, service good although this time we had the sun in our eyes and despite requests, they did come down for a short time then back up again

Lovely restaurant with nice view,the customer service was outstanding ,excellent food.Highly recommend this place 👌

We are frequent visitors, it's local, it's well priced for the quality of the food and there's always friendly service. And of course, the views!

Food was amazing. As always. Waiters were brilliant couldn't do enough for us and chatty. Couldn't recommend enough. Beautiful location 👌

Fantastic views lovely food great ambience sat outside in sun is lovely

Fantastic meal , scallops, bajan fish cakes beef koftas to start, lamb, steaks for mains, keep doing what you do

Fantastic location and venue. We were just stopping by to get some cold ones in on a perfect day, but to be honest it's up there with Barcelona or Valencia for Tapas and service. We might come back with our smarts on! Great online table service too, but don't forget to check out the interior decor if you sit outside

We were there on Wednesday and the service was excellent and the food was top rate, nothing was a problem for the staff would highly recommend to anyone thinking of going there.

We always enjoy dining at The Old Custom House, today was Sunday so we enjoyed a two Course meal of cawl/pate plus lamb and beef dinners. Absolutely fab as always, excellent service, great recommendation on the wine and a thoroughly enjoyable few hours

Had a wonderful lunch in La Marina celebrating a couple of birthdays .. Everything was perfect. We had a table for 8 near the bar area. The food was great, service excellent and the ambience and view was great. ... would highly recommend.

Have visited the Custom House several times a year it has to be one of our favourite places to eat . The restaurant is warm and inviting and has a good atmosphere . We are always welcomed nicely and the service is really good , the food is lovely a very good selection of meats and fish they cater for all dietary needs . Lovely salad bar to .The food is also plentiful . It has a really good selection of drinks from wine spirits and champagne and beers . I highly recommend le monde if you are looking for a lovely evening out , for any occasion or just date night . Lovely in the summer too sat outside over looking the barrage , lovely lunch time menu to and tapas ,we love it here whether it be the two of us or with couples or friends . Look forward to revisiting again Soon .

Got a table as a walk in, it looked empty but soon filled up. Unusual ordering method. You go up to the "fishmonger's counter" look at the produce (which is quite spectacular) and then order what you want to eat. I had a vegetarian option, it was so good to have something cooked from scratch. My chick pea patties were a bit too soft but I'd rather that than something out of the freezer. Loads of asparagus on my plate. Very tasty potatoes, you get a choice of chips or new or fancy. Fabulous building. Very helpful staff, attentive.

The Old Custom House, Penarth Marina I highly recommend having an event here. I held my daughter’s baby shower here last month and all the staff made everything super perfect. We all had an amazing time and were very well fed ! Thank you to everyone at Customs x

We popped in to the Custom House as usual last night- what an atmosphere. Wow! We sat at the bar and the bar man with the tie was on fire! Elegantly moving up and down the bar- drinks were flying out. He served us very quickly considering how busy it was and was an absolute charm and really enjoyable to watch! Also a fantastic espresso martini and margarita- best I’ve had there for years! Then onto the food- sea bass cooked to perfection as always and deboned at the table. Perfect. Our waitress was fantastic throughout always made sure we were okay for drinks and the speed of drinks of when ordered was fab! My only criticism of the whole night would be I wish the music was a tad louder as we couldn’t really hear the music at all- just other people chatting, don’t get me wrong this isn’t a negative at all as it was a fab night as usual but just a bit of feedback :) Thank you Custom House!

We ate in El Puerto which was excellent. The counter display of fresh fish and meat was a novelty. The food was delicious and satisfied both a vegetarian who eats fish and two meat eaters.

Love it the fresh oysters were great. Highly recommend. Everytime I visit the service is great and the food is amazing

Had the amazing fish starter. Excellent lamb dinner. Service amazing. Looking forward to going back again

This was an excellent venue. It was lovely to have such great good and great staff.10/10

Wonderful greeting at the front desk by Stan (he's French!), fabulous Portuguese/Italian waiter, Arnaldo (I think that's right; apologies if I haven't) and, later, Raymond. Terrific food (and hot, and on a hot plate - SO RARE these days! I thanked the chef on my way out), it was my first of what I know will be many visits, as I've moved into the area. I just wish they would keep the bar open after lunchtime service has finished. I wasn't made to feel rushed at all, but I like a REALLY leisurely lunch. Cost: yes, you can push the boat out financially, but I thought £18 (melon, followed by steak and mushroom pie - pastry was divine, meat tender and tasty) for two courses was excellent value. Loved it all (apart from the closing, obviously!).

I was pressurised, totally my fault, into ordering the evening 'set menu' . The first course of a Spanish seafood salad was very good. However, the main course of belly pork was unpleasant. I know that belly pork has a lot of fat, but this was very fat, indeed. When we cook it at home we are able to render the fat down and enjoy chrispy skin; not so here. I felt that the tables were very closely positioned and, consequently, the restaurant was noisy and cramped.

There have been mixed reviews of the Old Custom House, but my most recent experience was excellent in all respects. We chose from the fixed £26 menu for two courses which one orders at a display counter and salad bar. the five or so choices are listed on a colourful blackboard. I stared with a fish pieces in a tempura style batter, with nice salad leaves and a good piece of lemon. The fish tasted fresh and the batter was very good. For main course I had a noisette of beef filet (tender and well-cooked) in a tasty sauce with various beans. It included a choice of potatoes - acceptable chips and buttered new potatoes. The Californian Pinot Noir by the glass was outstandingly good. Service was pleasant and efficient. reasonable coffee with a chocolate mint. Full enough for lunch so no dessert.

Excellent Evening as usual all staff polite? Made it a nice occasion for a first date. Thank You Mark Jones

I highly recommend The Old Custom House. My husband and I eat here most Sunday's now, as we know we will never be disappointed. The food is always cooked to perfection, the staff are warm and friendly, whilst remaining professional. The wine list is endless and the ambience is always elegant. This restaurant is one of the most classiest there is!!!!! As soon as you walk in, you are greeted by the host (usually Bruno) and shown to your table, then the knowledgable sommelier, Arnaldo, will come and take your wine order. If you don't know what to order, just tell him your pallet and he will recommend the perfect wine for you. Then you go up to the counter, where you can choose which cut of meat, which type of fish or a veggie option. Here you will be greeted by the "ever smiling Darren" I want to give him a special mention as he always makes my husband and I smile with his jolly, chatty personality. You can see the food being prepped and cooked as the kitchen is open, Chef Chris always gives us a wave. You never have to wait very long for your food to arrive and the waiting staff are always super pleasant and just so friendly. Each and everyone of them brings a different type of vibe to the table. The ladies that deserve a mention are Bianca, Tracey, Sophia, then we have the guys, Paco, Stan, Thomas, Smiley Ray (he really is a Ray of sunshine) and there are a few new additions to the waiting staff too, along with many other staff but we can't remember all their names right now but they all deserve to be recognised for their hard work, making our dining experience a pleasant one in a busy restaurant, always having time to stop and ask how you are and how your week has been. Juan the manager is doing a fantastic job as he seem's to have created a very happy team and this vibe passes on to the customer. Its not just about the food and drink, it's about how you are made to feel whilst you are there. every week, we are made to feel so welcome. We have also been to several events at Custom's.... Beaujolias Day and Bastile Day.....Oh wow!!!!!!!! What a celebration they put on.....absolutely fan-tas-tic. This is a prestegious restaurant that caters for families, couples and business meetings too, there is definitely something for everyone here. our favourite place!!!

Lovely restaurant in a good setting. Easily accessible. Food is really good and service by Darren, excellent

Always loved this place and enjoyed our food and drinks , expertly served by Darren Lane who made our experience even more amazing than it was already!! Keep up the good work

Custom House is my favourite restaurant in Penarth! The food is always beautiful and the service is outstanding. The staff are pleasant and Darren who works behind the food counter is always very helpful and cheerful!

Wow!wow! The food is amazing Darren was extremely knowledgeable was able to tell us about the food, what a lovely experience and an old school way to celebrate a Birthday !!

We went to your establishment last week for food + drinks +the service we had from your waiter darren lane was really good he served us our food + gave us drinks when we wanted them + he was so polite he really looked after us

We had a meal in el Puerto downstairs, the meal and service was excellent and Darren behind the food counter was very helpful and most knowledgeable. Would surely recommend.

It was one of my friends birthday and we have been a few times for food here . We had a lovely evening . Food was excellent and was well looked after by Darren behind the food counter he was very helpful and had a lot of knowledge . Made our evening perfect .

Beautiful meal and Darren was wonderful in helping us choose our meal, Bruno always wonderful so are all the staff, food beautiful as always

Stunning restaurant with amazing service especially the lovely maitre de and Darren on the service counter.

We always call in here after walking from the other side of the bay. We usually have a snack, but today just had a couple of coffees and a pint. The staff are lovely and friendly and the place is beautiful. The coffees are beautifully served and are really good quality. Lovely way to relax after a long walk.

Love this place and always make us feel welcome, Darren is a top man along with an awsome team. Best fillet steak in Wales !!! And garlic bread from heaven ……

My wife and I had a very pleasant Sunday lunch today. Even though the place was packed the service was attentive. Food was prompt and cooked perfectly (which considering how busy they was quite impressive). The meat and fish are laid out in the refrigerated...

Fantastic Sunday lunch in a fabulous setting

It’s always a pleasure to eat Custom House. It’s a regular of mine, the service provided by Darren is fantastic and he always has a great knowledge of the daily dishes, where they’re from and how to have them cooked. It’s excellent food. Excellent service....

We had a wonderful night at The Old Custom House. We were waited on by Darren. He was fantastic and made us feel very welcome. Great food and great service 10/10. Thank you 🤩 we will be back soon.

Such lovely food!! Great atmosphere!! Darren behind the counter was beyond helpful. Thanks Darren and staff what a great smile!

Stunning food and great service. Excellent restaurant for a special occasion

Fantastic food service and price x

Called in for the lunchtime menu. Very pleasant environment, efficient, friendly service and good quality food at a competitive price. Will definitely go there again.

We had the best experience here, the staff couldn’t do enough for us, always asking if we needed anything else. Interacting with our children, making us feel very welcome. The food was absolutely incredible, both children ate all their food and loved it. Salad bar...

Popped in for coffee decided to stay for lunch it was so lovely. Fab wine selection with a knowledgeable sommelier, which is always a good sign. Good value set lunch menu too.

Beautiful food, lovely staff and a fantastic setting. Highly recommended

A beautiful place to eat on the Penarth side of the bay, come summer or winter.

Booked a table last minute after previous venue wasn't suitable...lovely restaurant, with pleasant atmosphere. Excellent food counter displays( fish, salad etc. ) Four of us had the 'Festive Menu'( 2 courses £35) Two lamb dinners & 2 turkey(with all the trimmings) dinners, all delicious & tender. Excellent food, but only a 4* review because there was NO vegan option for dessert whatsoever, which spoilt an otherwise pleasant night....beware, they charge £6 for the 'bread option' with the starter!

Superb Sunday lunch. Have eaten here many times never been disappointed with food or service.

Came here for a Christmas dinner but it was quite disappointed. Service: the table staff are friendly and helpful however this is different for staff behind the counter. I was keen to order Mediterranean fish soup but when I asked what’s in the soup your staff is not happy to answer my questions. This is a basic thing and they don’t even asked whether you are allergic to any ingredients. Food: Ordered the fish soup but to be honest it is just a tomatoes based soup with a lot of onions and peppers. I have been told there are some fish inside but only two pieces of mussels nothing else. All you can taste are onions and peppers. Avoid! On main courses I ordered tuna steak and all I can taste is the salt. It’s very salty and I have to keep drinking water. Bear in mind this is a restaurant that don’t serve tap water. You have to pay for bottle water. Overall: As other have mentioned this is an overrated restaurant with simple food. While I think the seafood is fresh, it was just not properly prepared.

The Mediterranean fish soup. My favourite dish.

We had never been here before, which is a real shame because it was excellent! The food was exceptional, the view across the bay amazing. We will definitely be back.

Having read the contrasting reviews and not previously visited we went ahead and booked with an open mind as to what to expect. Well how wrong we were to have any concerns, the staff on a busy pre Christmas evening were attentive, polite and courteous,...

First time here came here for my birthday this evening,we had sea bass with chips it was gorgeous the best food Ive ever had,we ordered Belgian cake it was lovely,staff are brilliant ,our food came quickly,dishes was taken away quickly,a wonderful restuaraunt to dine in was my best birthday.

My first visit, will definitely return, great service even better food

I went to this place for my lunch and also to check it out as a place to have Christmas Dinner in the future. It was not welcoming at all. £35 lunch menu and no table service, was told to order at the counter. Approached the counter and was ignored. I have to admit everyone there seemed to be enjoying the experience. I walked out very disappointed and tried another place.

I went to this place for my lunch and also to check it out as a place to have Christmas Dinner in the future. It was not welcoming at all. £35 lunch menu and no table service, was told to order at the counter. Approached...

steak very fatty all over priced no apology, we had a table for 2 and every walked past as a main walk through to have there back side in your face whilst eating

Average to good food at moderate prices Busy... Good service.. wines to suit most taste and wallets £25 Sunday meal two courses We will sit in a quieter area next time

I thoroughly enjoyed the concept, the food & the service.

Had a lovely meal though only went as a special occasion a bit pricey

Stopped in the Old Custom House after a long walk around Cardiff Bay and the garage. Conveniently located, found a seat at the bar, the restaurant was quite full and bustling and smelled amazing. They have a unique menu listed on a chalk board above an array of fresh meats, seafood and salads. We only shared a bowl of olives but will definitely be back in the near future to have a full meal.

Every aspect of The Old Custom House is top shelf. Food, service, drinks all 5 stars.

Great food, service & atmosphere, a most enjoyable evening 😊

We visited on a Sunday in October after pre booking, we’ve fancied visiting for a while but never got around to it and I was a little put off by the reviews stating bad service. I’m glad we visited because our meal was excellent from...

We visited on a Sunday in October after pre booking, we’ve fancied visiting for a while but never got around to it and I was a little put off by the reviews stating bad service. I’m glad we visited because our meal was excellent from start to finish. We were welcomed at the door and offered a seat at the bar while we waited for our table, we waited for a small while to be served but our table was ready when we did. My wife had a Sunday lunch and I had a fillet steak, my wife said the Sunday lunch was the nicest one she’d had for a while. The fillet steak was excellent, really nice size for a fillet, really tender, tasty and perfectly cooked to my order. We shared the pate starter and had a bread basket, the pate was lovely and so was the bread. The broccoli side I had was very nice, cooked with chilli and garlic and so was the pepper sauce I had with the steak. We had a bottle of the Marques de Riscal Verdejo and a couple of glasses of Piper Champagne, both very nice. The service was excellent throughout, from the greeting to the table service and the guy behind the ordering counter, very welcoming, friendly and helpful. The building is very nice too, nicely decorated, bustling with activity but plenty of space around the tables. Including the alcohol I mentioned the bill was around £130 including a tip. We will definitely be back.

Had a super meal from the 2 courses at £18.95. Sardines to start & steak & game pie for main, it was delicious.