Mesen in Cardiff

Absolutely phenomenal. Booked a table for my partner & I for Valentine's Day and had the most amazing experience. Everything we ate was spectacular, and I didn't feel pressured into ordering things I wasn't usually too fond of due to lack of options as a vegetarian. Special mention to the burrata & leek and the seasonal vegetable dishes. Service was friendly & attentive - I don't think my water glass was left empty for more than a second - and the staff seemed cool, personable and friendly. Restaurant has a romantic, cozy 'high-end' feel without pretense. Will definitely be returning and recommending to others! Thank you so much for a lovely date night. ♥️

I visited Mesen a few days ago with a good friend; both of us are chefs who've been eyeing this place up for a while. Small plates, cooked over fire in the middle of Rhiwbina, Cardiff. We were pleasantly surprised by just how good the food was here. We started with some sourdough and Marmite butter, followed by one of each of the canapés on offer. The standout was the scallop with burnt chili butter—delicious. We then ordered one of every main course on their menu and shared everything. Some dishes worth mentioning: lamb heart flatbread with dried tuna flakes (admittedly, I balked at the sound of this but was pleasantly surprised), charcoal-looking ox cheek with hummus and pickled red onion, and a marvelous pork chop. A much-needed radicchio and orange salad, a memorable barbecued mackerel and a basque cheesecake rounded out the meal. Light, airy and velvety in the mouth - all things I wouldn't usually describe a cheesecake as. Honestly, I would go back for the ox cheek dish alone. Overall, it's a great place to eat if you enjoy protein, like sharing the love, and are open to trying flavors you wouldn't usually consider. If I had one complaint, I would say that a good portion of the food we had was a little over seasoned. But that won't stop me from returning, so it wasn't really an issue. If you haven't tried Mesen yet, get to it.

Can't imagine a better Sunday lunch, amazing Yorkshire puddings

3 of us Had Sunday lunch today for first time. Staff gave excellent advice on ordering , food was fantastic exceeded expectations . Gravy is plentiful and delish , veg were excellent as were dressings . We had the beef between 3 of us .

I’ve eaten here a few times now, and each time the food has been excellent. The cocktails were also delicious. I love how the owners make you feel so welcome and the service is second to none, 100% our new favourite restaurant.

Wow Manager and staff really helpful advising on the menu which had a great varied selection We had 7 dishes to share, each exceptional quality, really could not pick a favourite. They were brought to us spaced out with no feeling of being rushed. What a fantastic experience, we will definitely be back very soon 🤩

Loved it! We’ve had Sunday lunch, bottomless brunch and evening meal and never had a bad experience. Great food, welcome and atmosphere. A great addition to Rhiwbina.

Well over priced and far from good food.

Fantastic local food. The pheasant in chip shop curry sauce is an inspired dish. The dining experience is like tapas but with a modern, welsh flavour. Amazing cocktails, the chocolate, espresso martini was especially great.

Simply stunning! Loved the food, the cocktails and the atmosphere. Truly excellent

Astonishing food. Warm, friendly service. Cosy atmosphere.

Party of seven all enjoyed the experience. The charcoal grill was not overwhelming but added to several of the dishes we had.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere!

Superb Sunday lunch - great food, wine and cocktails.

Such a lovely atmosphere and really special food- showcasing straight forwardly amazing ingredients. Rhiwbina is very lucky to have this place 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Another fantastic meal Tried Sunday lunch time and now a week day evening, both were wonderful experiences The food is beautifully cooked with amazing combinations Steak with Perl Las crème fraîche - gorgeous The roast chicken, in the Sunday menu, tasted like French rotisserie chicken - delicious A wonderful addition to Rhiwbina

We had the bottomless brunch here, great food, great people, great times! Highly recommend

Bottomless brunch was great. The food was delicious, service was excellent and the drinks were flowing!

First time at our new local restaurant, can't believe I haven't visited sooner. Creative tasty food, wine excellent and house cocktails right up my street ...will be introducing all my friends to Mesen shortly

Amazing Sunday lunch - small plates format works surprisingly well in this context and every element from the enormous crown-like Yorkshire pudding to the roasted carrots was delicious. Not cheap but great for a treat .

Been a couple of times and absolutely love the place! Incredibly friendly welcome, fantastic atmosphere and super tasty food. Staff and owner on hand to answer any questions, loved hearing about the seasonal produce that’s sourced locally. Sunday lunch is the best I’ve had - hands down! Cannot recommend this place enough…..a great addition to Rhiwbina!

What an amazing place! The best food experience I've had in Cardiff. Everything we ate was delicious and the service exceptional.

Dinner out at this new restaurant, friendly and helpful service and nice food chosen from the wall menu's. Limited choice of beers.

Sunday lunch was incredible. Service was attentive. Lovely venue. Will definitely be returning!

Fantastic flavours, interesting menu that changes frequently, excellent bar, and superb service. The front of house staff were very attentive and extremely helpful.

What a fantastic experience. The booking was easy and we were seated within minutes. Staff are very helpful and knowledgeable on the current menu, the food arrived quick, well presented and of exceptional taste and quality. Booking is advised as the restaurant is extremely popular. The menu is dynamic and offers new dishes to try, this keeps the code of food vibrant, fresh and always appealing. I highly recommend it here and will most definitely return on a more regular basis. No faults whatsoever, 10/10.

Love this place! Have visited twice and most of the dishes are excellent - the Gloucester Old Spot chop deserves a particular mention. The owner is very friendly and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is pretty laid back but there is emphasis is on good sharing food and drink. Fantastic wine list and cocktails - highly recommend!

Visited Mesen for the first time yesterday evening and loved it. The food was excellent and the atmosphere good.

No pics as just ate the food. Very much enjoyed mackerel, fennel and orange with a beetroot side. Lovely bottle of Portuguese red, sensibly priced. Such a massive improvement on what was here before. Nice to have this kind of place nearby.

Incredible food so delicious and fantastic atmosphere. Great night

We've visited this new restaurant (5 times) so frequently that it's starting to feel like a stalker. Undoubtedly, it has secured the top spot as the best restaurant in Cardiff. The owner, impresses us every time with his profound knowledge and evident passion. We can't emphasise enough how much we adore this place. Our heartfelt thanks to the team!

We had a superb evening here, wonderful to have such a good restaurant in Rhiwbina, delicious food, lovely atmosphere, great service. The owner has created a very beautiful and unique place.

My friends and I had a great evening at Mesen. The quality of the ingredients and cooking were fantastic and the atmosphere was electric. The flatbread was perhaps the tastiest bread I’ve ever had and the steak was sensation. I’m going again for the Sunday lunch so looking forward to trying more dishes soon!

The best restaurant in North Cardiff. Really pleased.

The talk of Cardiff really lived up to the hype. The food was exceptional, the staff were welcoming and the atmosphere vivacious. There’s nothing else like this in Cardiff, we’re so lucky to have this on our door step. Diolch

Exactly what Cardiff has been lacking for a long time!! Incredible food and drink, buzzing atmosphere, super attentive and welcoming staff and all right out our doorstep without the need for taxis to the centre of town. We’ve been on 4 different occasions, sampled 3 different menus and yet to find any negative points! Hands down the best place to eat in Cardiff!

This is probably the worst place I’ve eaten out at in some years. The choice of food was so limited. The food we had was bland and tasteless. We paid £9 for a baked potato that was small and had been reheated with a dollop of crème fresh on it. Will not be going here again

It was such a pleasure to eat locally. Wonderful menu - which changes as seasonal produce becomes available. The food was amazing - wonderful flavours and something for everyone. Excellent service and a fab atmosphere- just the right amount of music to chat but not be drowned out.I’m afraid we were so eager to eat we missed photos before tucking in!!

I booked a table for two and we ended up sat at the bar. That was ok to start with, but as the night got busier the staff kept coming to the bar flustered and rushed which put a bit of a downer on the evening. The food is all cooked over charcoal, although there's no char or smokey flavour on anything which was disappointing and not what I was expecting. The Scallop was a real let down. It's a single scallop served with butter and a lime wedge for £8. I don't mind paying more for good food but I have never been served a single scallop as a dish before. Luckily the bartender recommended saving the butter for dipping the pork in, which was good because the pork is served on its own. Overall, it's ok and it's a nice enough experience but there are better places to visit in Cardiff.

Fantastic food , service, so lucky to have this as a local.

Rhys and the team, the food, service and atmosphere was nothing short of amazing. Diolch yn fawr iawn! Shareen and Rhys

Really enjoyed eating here on the opening night. We were welcomed warmly and offered a lovely glass of Prosecco on the house. Every plate including the olives with orange and garlic, aubergine with walnuts, scallop, flat bread, huge old spot chop and melt in the mouth steak was absolutely fabulous. The accompanying wine was superb. Staff were friendly and informative. Thank you all we will be returning soon.

Insanely good food, brilliant hospitality. Incredible new addition to Cardiff. Could sit and soak up the sun in that front window all evening long.