Lite Bites in Newport

Went as a couple on valentines day, and when we arrived we were the only people in the restaurant (and had a booking) however the waitress directed us to sit on a sofa before we could go to our table, this was just an indicator of how the night was going to go... I'll start with the positives, the food was hot and tasty, and there was a good selection of vegetarian options, I definitely suggest the paneer chilli masala! My vegetable vindaloo was not spicy at all however, which was disappointing. Not the best indian food I have ever eaten, but not the worst... Unfortunately the negatives far outweighed the positives. The service was slow and odd, to say the least. The waitress took our drinks order then proceeded to go and wrap cutlery instead of fetching the drinks, eventually they arrived, followed by our popadoms. Our dirty plates from the popadoms were left with us whilst we ate our starters. A long wait later our main courses arrived. Once we had nearly finished the main courses, the smoke alarm went off. No apologies from any of the staff, and no indication that it was going to be turned off. We asked for the bill, and the only other table asked for their food to takeaway, as there was no indication the deafening noise was going to end. We were then informed there was no card machine, so I had to sit listening to the smoke alarm for ten minutes whilst my partner found a cash point. A little advance warning if this would go a long way! As we walked round to the taxi rank we could still hear the alarm sounding. Overall a weird experience, made worse by the constant alarms and chirping from the bar area, and the deafening smoke alarm at the end! A lack of music in a completely empty restaurant makes for a very uncomfortable experience. If this hadnt been chosen and booked as a valentines treat by my partner I doubt I would have visited, and I cant say that I will visit again, as the food quality did not outweigh the issues listed above.

I’m one of those people who just can’t find the time to meal prep and when I do they are quite tragic and make me not want to do it again. I mentioned to a work colleague I had just signed up to a week of a major online provider of prepped pots. They recommended HealthHut, I checked the location and called in. I tasted the chicken carbonara on site then ordered 10 prepped pots for the following week. I cancelled the online provider and chose these as I have the flexibility to check the menu and drop their instagram a dm. From chicken tikka, nude burgers with sweet potato, pulled jerk chicken and more. i’ve been very impressed with the food and it’s also meant a haven’t been loading up on JustEat orders when i get home from work. Working full time and doing OU, my fridge monday to friday has allowed me to be so clean. I jumped on the scales last weekend and in a month without any exercise I had lost 6Ib. I re-signed up to the gym after seeing that. motivation levels are so high now, knowing i can lose weight , still eating my treats. so the gym will only add to the solid foundation of a sensible diet that health hut has provided.

Beautiful hotel, but could have a few more small amenities in rooms 🤍 My fiancé and I had a beautiful stay at the Mercure Hotel when attending Wales for a church convention. Location - The hotel is located in the city centre in Newport and it’s very close to the Friars Shopping Centre and Newport Food Market (4 minute walk). Parking is not available onsite but it’s a short walk to the nearest car park which is very handy (7 minute walk). Staff - The hotel staff were lovely! Main desk were so polite regardless of it being a busy check-in period over the weekend. I didn’t catch her name but to the person who wished us a lovely stay, we appreciate your kindness. Zero qualms with check in or check out 😊 View - We were very lucky to be on one of the higher floors facing the beautiful hills and nature of Wales. The sunrise was also a beautiful touch to witness! Bedroom - EVERYTHING WAS SO CLEAN! Spotless in fact, so kudos to the hotel staff for the upkeep - especially after a busy day out. The bed was extremely soft and comfortable. Windows don’t open (which is understandable as it’s very high floor) but the A/C definitely worked! It was cool when needed, and nice and toasty for the cooler evenings. The rooms must also be very soundproof because I couldn’t even hear a peep of any talking in corridors, next door, traffic outside, or anything so we had a very peaceful stay. Unfortunately, there was no fridge, or small things like biscuits in the room which were the only things I’d suggest adding (especially for the price), but other than this there were main essentials such as a kettle (tea and coffee), iron, iron board, wardrobe space, TV, etc. Bathroom - Small but very aesthetically pleasing! The interior design for the bathroom was stunning. Nice light-up mirror, beautiful lighting (for makeup lovers), and a nice roomy shower - and, again, everything was CLEAN!!! We love that 🧼 They’ve gone green so no shower caps or nail files etc in the bathroom which was unfortunate but these things can be requested from the main desk downstairs. Restaurant/Bar - The Restaurant/Bar area looked very lovely and roomy, and had a very quick service. We ended up ordering in breakfast but I’d love to try the hotel food some time. Overall, this is a beautiful hotel with amazing interior placed quite randomly in the middle of a shopping area but nonetheless, we had a very comfortable stay and would recommend for couples for a quick weekend stay. 🤍

We booked in advance for a late Sunday lunch, we arrived at 2pm but had to spend 10 minutes in the car park waiting for someone to leave as there are not enough spaces for the number of guests they can accommodate apparently. Got in and sat down at 2:15. It was very busy, but from what we could see most people were either already eating or had eaten and were waiting for their tables to be cleared. The waitress came quickly to get a drinks order however the food order wasn't taken for another 15 minutes and the food itself didn't arrive for another hour. When it did arrive the food was very good, however I was disappointed to only have two very small slices of beef. I heard someone on the table next to me complain about the portion size too. It didn't get them anywhere so I didn't bother to mention it. We decided to have desserts which again were very nice, and thankfully didn't take quite as long as the mains did! So all in all, although the food was nice, service was very slow. We booked later thinking we would be served and back home quicker, however by the time we left we'd been there over 3 hours, so this isn't the place for a quick bite to eat!

Really nice setting in the old town, with great decor, good cabinet food and fantastic staff. But please work a little more on the coffee - a little watery!