Pillars Restaurant in Cardiff

Absolutely disgusting place! Wish I never touched any of the food here! Chips were freezing, burger was half the size of the bun and was undercooked. I even found a pea in my burger which was bit of a random find.. Staff are rude, espically one of the male members of staff who was at the checkout today. Couldn’t even finish listening to me what I wanted to order without him just wanting to finish up my order for me with an attitude! Also asked for a cheese burger and had a plain burger, asked one of the staff to sort out my order for me. After waiting for a piece of a cheap cheese slice to put on top of it, it got brought back out to me with the staff members hand in my chips.. DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU WANT A GOOD MEAL AND YOU VALUE A HYGIENIC RESTAURANT

Awful terrible service , staff running around shouting orders out .asked for two jacket potatoes said they only had one left , this was 1.30 in the afternoon, then waitress came to table said we now have none left as they had burnt the last one , used to be a lovely place run by a guy think he was Italian who run a tight ship , can’t see us ever going back was awful .

Always come to pillars for breakfast whenever I'm in Cardiff and it's usually a very friendly service. However, shame about the unfriendly manager this time around who set a very bad example to his younger colleague who was doing her best.

Terrible service, unclear/ false advertising, poor shift management and the shift manager didn’t care either. Visited on Sunday morning, understandably the city was busy due to the marathon. Big chalk menu boards outside advertising £4.60 for 5 items and £6.40 for 9 My partner ordered his chosen 9 items then for me to be told the 9 is a set menu. Challenged this to be told it’s a set menu, despite my partner choosing his. Manager didn’t seem to care at all. We walked out! Poor team organisation meant employees behind the counter didn’t know if they were coming or going. First and last time of visiting,

Fruit flies everywhere food squished all over the carpets, ridiculous amounts of tables squished together, service was confusing and staff were unhelpful, meal was disappointing at best. Would not reccomend

Absolutely disgusting, first impression was not great,had never been there before and when I asked for help with ordering staff were completely unhelpful and rude. Tables were cramped together and you was basically eating your food at the same table as other people. was so unhygienic,tables and chairs were not cleaned properly,food was mushed into the floor and the so called 'chefs' where wheeling trolleys full of black bags through the restaurant. Plates of food where left on tables and not cleaned the whole time we was there. There was fruit flys EVERYWHERE,I personally do not want to eat my food surrounded by flys, old food and dirt

Entrance leaves much to be desired, sticky floor, smells weird but we were going purely for the nostalgia as we hadn’t been there in many years! The young girl who served us was absolutely lovely, clearly very busy, trying hard, very helpful ( we amongst others were very confused by the set up) despite this still got criticised by a man who appeared to be more senior (yet slapping food on a plate taking absolutely no pride in it’s appearance) because we asked her a question, to which she’d already told us the answer previously it was just so loud in there we didn’t hear. Ordering system was so confusing, some items you pick up whilst your going past on your tray (like school dinners), some items you have to order and wait for the server to walk around the restaurant aimlessly and basically keep an eye out for your food being brought over. I ordered what was on the specials board, pulled pork loaded fries, my partner ordered chicken burger and chips. We honestly just laughed when the food came. The loaded fries were burnt pulled pork, on top of a small portion of chips, with a plastic cheese on top that had been whacked in the micro for what looked like 10 minutes. The chicken burger wasn’t much better very much a “make me a chicken burger with the absolute cheapest ingredients you could find” kind of vibe. If you’ve got money to waste and you’re not that hungry it’s a laughable experience, would I go back? Not if you paid me. Also our clothes stank when we left and we were barely there 35 mins.

This was our first time visiting it is also our last. The food was awful the jacket potato was so small it had been cooked in a microwave it wasn’t fresh or it had been in too long. The prawns were warm/cold, Rose Marie sauce was just awful. The garnish what was that. Definitely wasn’t kept in the fridge. My daughter had the pasta bolognese she did say it was ok, had better. Certainly wasn’t worth the money. Generous giving a 2star

Had breakfast this morning and was really disappointed food was stone cold , unfortunately will not be returning after spending £18 for 2

ridiculously cheap and cheerful breakfast, fast service. banging veggie sausages, always hot and well cooked. huge menu, clean cutlery. no complaints.

Always welcomed at pillars. My wife and I come here for breakfast whenever we're in Cardiff. We look forward to visiting this subterranean eatery as part of our visit. Buffet style, quality dining, at great prices. I enjoy the 9 piece myself, and the Bride goes for a veggie 7 piece. Never dissatisfied. 15 pounds for two peoples breakfast with tea and coffee? Can't turn your nose up at that.

In its price range this restaurant offers great home-cooked style comfort food and there can always be a healthy twist with the range of salads I normally go by myself after a heavy workout at the gym when my body needs instant fuel Highly recommended is this Cardiff institution of many years!

Food is extremely rubbish, smell gross around the cashier and the floor is sticky. Not again.

Good choice of food and a large place underground in vaults. Can be very busy at times. Reasonable prices.

1 star is a push! Food was freezing cold and they rush you to choose your items. Cant even see the food and they’re asking what you want. Never come back. Mushrooms tasted like they had washing up liquid on them

This food is terrible if you eat here you could get food poisoning. The prawns I ordered with my salad stank and the salad was wilted. The seats were uncomfortable and the toilets were unhygienic and stinky

I have been going here for many years but I have noticed how dirty the place is now and how rude the two managers are especially the short blonde one went to pay and he was on the phone shouting at someone no communication with the customer at all just continued his phone call and grabbed at my money on other occasions you are left at the till while your food is going cold waiting for one of the managers to turn up

Was surprised by the portion sizes, wasn’t expecting so much for an excellent price. Was also impressed by the managers desire to keep a clean and pleasant environment.

I really enjoyed the vibes of this restaurant. The decorations, the service, the food, all are so nostalgic. We got jacket potatoe and cottage pie and cheesecake. They all were good quality and the prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend it and I will go back again x

During our stop in Cardiff my wife and I went looking for a nice place that served a good breakfast and w found it at Pillsrs The breakfast are ala cart and you can choose 5 or 7 piece breakfast and pick what and how many items you want. The food is good and the prices are very reasonable. The owner is a very nice man and his staff is efficient and helpful. We ate here twice for breakfast during staff in Cardiff and would stop in again if we returned to Cardiff. The bathrooms and restaurant are very clean. A good place for breakfast and more than likely other meals also.

The food is very honest, well made, not fancy, but good enough. And the best it is very cheap. Several options, fresh made, very good service. Indeed, a very good option for the amazing price.

Fabulous venue - I would never had known by looking at the entrance, the sheer size of this restaurant. Huge servery, that took me back to my childhood - the restaurants that used to be in Littlewoods, C & A +Bhs departmental stores - in a good way. Breakfast was lovely - you can choose from 5 to 12 items, including bacon, sausage, fried bread, tomatoes etc. Really good value for money. A great variety of hot and cold drinks. Lunch looked amazing - homemade pies (sweet and savoury), vegetables, potatoes, salads, paninis, burgers and so much more. The seating area is vast and comfortable with music playing. Although you are in the basement, it's light and airy. Staff were attentive and couldn't be more helpful. Such a fabulous venue - I can imagine it being a cocktails bar and dancing location back in the day. Would absolutely recommend this venue - check it out and you'll be positively surprised!! Well done team 👏 👍

Nice restaurant. Plenty of choice for breakfast.

Disgusting how management speaks to they're staff, I came in today with my family for food and it was like an episode of Gordon Ramsey kitchen nightmares,I definitely would not recommend going here and the manager wants to be ashamed of himself.

Cheap and easy breakfast, hits the spot

Not only did we have to wait 20 minutes for food in a nearly empty cafe but when our fish and chips arrived the fish was so over cooked we had to try to eat it with our fingers, it was horrible, will never go back here, a lot better place's to eat in Cardiff, avoid.

Friendly staff and good portions!

I haven’t been here for over 20 years but this place does the best lasagne I have ever had bar none and today didn’t disappoint, it’s chaotic it is what it is but honestly I’ll continue to come back just for this dish!! Thank you pillars I’m a very happy customer ❤️

A lot of choices with reasonable price compare to other restaurants in city centre.

This turned out to be one of the best value restaurants in our entire three week trip round Britain. Low key but comfortable decor as well as being very centrally located five minutes from the castle.

Great food & prices,how about a tip jar for waitresses always eaten there great service & never seen them hanging around chatting like other restuarants,always a help & always clearing up & cleaning up

Absolutel random find today.. stunning food.. have recommended it to my husband who works in Cardiff regularly

I remember this restaurant from days gone by, how things have changed. The entrance is dirty and tired and the theme continues down to the restaurant. Walking in to find a table, you walk past the waste food and cleaning station and piles of trays, it’s vile. The food is presented like school dinners. The chef/cook came out of the kitchen in an apron that needed binning. The young girl washed the table and trays with just one dirty looking rang. For visitors coming to Cardiff this restaurant in a disgrace. Won’t be going back. A positive for this review is that the staff were very nice.

Visited while staying in Cardiff - Breakfast was good, priced competitively, staff were friendly. A positive experience all round

3rd time visited pillars in cardiff in 3 month. Each time they have over charged me. I think each person you ask gives you different prices

Had lovely chicken and chips staff friendly lovey place very good value don't get ripped off like posh food places we will definitely be back

A step back in time. Huge portions of school dinner type food. Value for money n great if you're on a budget. City centre location. Manager very rude to staff, but staff lovely to us.

The last serving my husband was polite, the last serving my was extremely rude. Not a good impression for a first (and never to be repeated) visit. This place has so much potential and I love the idea of the place. But unfortunately the food was awful and also the tables and chair needed to be better cleaned.

Walked by and decided to have breakfast at Pillars .. only one friendly person that served me (buffet style ) and Second Lady was so rude to my wife .. older lady short hair .. anyways .. never mind that !! It’s the food that I want to mention! I laughed ! I laughed because this is officially the most disgusting “food” I’ve ever had and paid for ! I literally had half of sausage and half of bacon and tried microwaved “scrambled egg and I said to my wife let’s just leave . Now I know why they make you pay before you eat it 😂😂 honestly.. it’s horrible ! As we were sitting down I could see “chefs” with trollies up and down .. I’m sorry to say this as I have no intention to insult anyone but clearly poor hygiene and presentation of a person that “cooks” the food ! Basically we decided to instantly accept that we would rather lose the £20 we paid and simply walk out for our own health and safety. Not sure why we even continued to order the food since we were shocked walking in ! Lesson learned and guess . By the way , pictures on your website are misleading . It’s a yuck 🤮 place and food even worse

Disgusting! How can someone call this food ?? 🤦 reading some reviews I’m shocked !! We took the food and as they were putting it on our plate we were shocked .. went and paid (clearly a reason why pay before you eat ) 😂 sat at the table , took a bite of microwaved scrambled egg and bite of sausage and bacon and decided to just leave .. Rank is not even the word !!! Disgusting is just a part 🤮🤮🤮🤮 avoid unless you are 70 years old as the rest of customers who don’t even care what is eatable

Me and my mum found this place and thought it would be a new experience, we went down the stairs and it felt empty, for a place that big there should have been more staff, speaking of the staff they looked like they didn't want to be there, once we got out food we ordered 2 chicken burgers, 1 plain and one with the salad the both came plain and the chips they came with got cold quickly and looked like they came from the freezer and the bun wasn't even toasted and the chicken was bland it tasted like something you would get at a BBQ, nun the less I had the red velvet cake as desert an all day its mediocre and best, I've hada better experience in Witherspoon's, not coming back again, try better next time.

Rude manager 5 beans as a portion ..messaged them no response. Stopped going here . Horrid manager is very very rude . AVOID AT EVERY COST loads of options in the city . Weatherspoons do much better food at a better price

Haven't been to Pillars for a long time but thought I would give it a go again. Sadly will not be returning My husband said his food was ok but the coffee was horrible. My food was luke warm at best and I found a dead fly in my tea. When I approached a member of staff ( older lady with blonde bob hair stlyle) the response was at least you did not swallow it and she laughed, then said sorry about that. No offer of refund or anything. Absolutle awful customer services you do get what you pay for.

Lovely food and lovely staff but I couldn’t help notice how rude the manager with the bald head was speaking to do some of his staff ( shockingly rude )

I visited this restaurant today with my family, very bad experience, one of the girls who ask for your order was unfriendly and very rude, we wanted to add something else to our order and very annoyed she told us to move forward to where it is cancelled. Definitely very bad at her job. The food was a little cold, we ordered a hot coffee and it was cold, but the gentleman very kindly changed it. But, anyway, the terrible experience was only by the girl.

Terrible customer service, I wanted to order more food and the lady sent me straight to the till with bad mood.

Called in during six nations game v Scotland service quick.home made steak and kidney pie was very good been coming to.pillars for a few years now since louis closed will.use again

Took my two girls there order baked beans on toast and chips had 2 cakes and 3 drinks came to over £20 won't be going there again i can get a lot cheaper elsewhere and as a single parent money saving is everything! My partner is a vegetarian and they had little options available!

Where do I start!? This was single handedly, THE WORSE meal I have EVER had! The restaurant STANK of curry? Just stale curry? I ordered 2 lots of burger meals, 1 curry half and half, and a lasagne meal! We sat down - our daughter said it was “like being in prison feels like”? The food arrived, after hearing PINGS of microwaves, after about FOUR OR FIVE minutes? REALLY? So HOW do you cook burgers in that time? My lasagne was, quite frankly, HORRIFIC! It looked like my cat had been sick on my plate - AND it was tepid, at most! The jacket looked like it had been stood on! The skin? Was like Gandhi’s flip flop! My husband had the curry - which was VILE! One piece of chicken looked bloody. Then the rest was just chicken skin!? The two burger meals were slightly edible? But in the last mouthful - had a HUGE gristly lump? I DREAD TO THINK what it was?? All through the time we were in there, the flies in the restaurant were beyond a joke? I’m wondering if this was the missing protein from my lasagne!? My husband went to speak to someone - and fair play, our meals were refunded! But honestly, I still feel sickly now! We were then told to leave via a side door? I honestly thought Ant & Dec were going to jump out - as the WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS HORRIFIC!

Food diabolical.service terrible. The place has gone down hill since the last time i came 2 years ago.

A good value traditional breakfast - fresh, tasty and hot! Great to see crispy fried bread on the menu. Nice coffee as well. Only downside. a surly young server on counter who just seemed uninterested and, to be honest, I (and also my partner) had not a clue what she was actually saying (when she deemed to talk)! A “hello and what would you like” wouldn’t have gone a miss. And, the face on her!!

Probably the best value restaurant in Cardiff with good atmosphere.A wide variety of food on offer.british favourites like, pie and chips, curry and rice, fish and chips. Self service, orders taken and served quickly, plenty of room inside.

Had lunch here yesterday. Cold hard chips and very few on a side plate. Over £3 for these. Disgusting. Will never eat here again. Couldn't be bothered to complain as with my son who's autistic so doesn't like any form of confrontation. His was inedible too. Just so horrible

Love this place been going since I was a child, it hasn't changed. Yummy home cooked food 😀

Lovely large restaurant with plenty of seating Good selection of food and drink Reasonable price

Lovely friendly place will definitely go back .

Good place not too expensive for a basic meal, staff helpful if you have food allergies, clean and tidy

Always have to visit pillars whenever I go to Cardiff. Whether is breakfast or lunch the food is always delicious and excellent value for money

Good value, cellar restaurant that's been in Cardiff for years. There is a buffet style eatery or you can order off the menu. Good value for money, especially if you drink tea as it's only £1.71 a pot!

It is what it is. No frills cattle market delivering ok food which is cheap but not so cheerful. Would go again if needing to adhere to a budget.

All my food was cold from a hot counter

I had the lasagna which was just warm. Otherwise it was a 5 star.

Very poor service, quality and whole experience. Ordered an adult meal and it came on a side plate the size of a saucer. I sent it back saying it was child’s portion and I ordered and paid for an adults and it came back saying it was adult sized! The chips on that meal and my sons were soggy and raw! The place is like a cattle market, having never been there before I had no idea how it all worked and staff were unhelpful in explaining and I feel like and inconvenience for not knowing! All meals came out stone cold and the cutlery was filthy and so were the toilets! Definitely won’t be visiting again!

Still keeping up there standards

Used to go here years ago it was lovely. Returned there on the 29/11/2023 it was dirty looked like it hadn’t been deep cleaned for a while staff looked like they didn’t want to be there. toilets were disgusting with no toilet roll won’t be going back again.

Both myself and my Husband had the steak pie ,chips peas and gravy the food was OK but the service was awful the girl that served us practically threw the food on the plates there was gravy everywhere she was more interested in talking to the other girl that was also serving then serving us I felt like a inconvenience

Worst meal I've ever had. Ordered a cheese and onion toastie and fries. When it came, there was a white toastie that must have been toasted by a matchstick, and a lettuce leaf with a bit of coleslaw. When I asked where were the fries, a member of staff, a young girl with long red hair, rolled her eyes and just walked off with a terrible attitude. She came back after about 3 minutes with a small bowl of fries and almost threw them at me. Disgusting attitude and way of treating customers, and I will never go there again.

Oh my God! Large Durty fires are something really special! My brother tried a bacon bree and cranberry panini and was as pleased as l Very good food for very good price

Really awful first experience !! Was asked what we wanted when we were nowhere near the breakfast items so had to say we don’t know as have never been here before and don’t know what breakfast items they had . Then when we did get there and chose the 9 items the first piece of toast he offered me was white which I refused so he got more from somewhere which was barley any better he brought fresh bacon out and I had sausage egg black pudding and beans to make it up to 9 items I had a pot of tea as well and I don’t know if it was the time it took to get the tea and then go to another place to pay for it all but everything was stone cold by the time I tried to eat it !!! The black pudding was a chunk of about 4-5 inches big which was barely cooked on the outside and raw all the way through !! The pale bacon he had brought out from the kitchen was freezing and even the tea was only Luke warm The place should be called Shambles !! When u get to the ladies toilets you find that u have to put a number into the lock on the door that u find on your reciept but no one tells u this and I didn’t spot any signs telling me this and most other ladies seemed to be unaware of it as well !!! What an awful place first and last time for my daughter and i, oh and her food and coffee was as cold as mine was obviously !!! The whole place felt like a works canteen I wouldn’t take a cat there !!

It was just for a cup of tea and carrot 🥕 cake .I loved it

Good and affordable breakfast in city centre.

Randomly went in for lunch whilst visiting Cardiff from Liverpool. Couldn't fault it, food was great, no queueing, therefore no waiting for food, all served hot with big portions. Staff helpful and polite.

Haven't been to Pillars in a while, so I thought I'd take my hubby, son and his girlfriend there for breakfast before the Wales v Barbarians match on 04/11/23. Big disappointment! Fried bread was soaking in fat as was the hash browns, sausage and bacon; you could squeeze the fat into a puddle on the plate! The mushrooms had been cooked in water and had little or no flavour. Really disgusting... Used ladies loos and it was filthy! Blood and faeces on 2 of the toilets and none had tissue paper. We will never go here again!

This place needs a thorough clean. Too many bosses, not enough workers. Mushrooms were tinned and full.of water with no taste

Very nice staff, delicious food

Power thirsty managers who parade around the place as if they are better than you. Oh also food is awful.

Went to Pillars after going to Comic Con Food Amazing, Restaurant Itself LOOKS Stunning 10/10 would recommend

Hidden gem in queen Street cardiff tucked away under the main street . Perfect for small to big breakfasts and a reasonable price. Lots to choose from on the lunch menu too . Worth a visit 👍

Delightfully nostalgic and remarkably cheap. With a massively wide lunch menu, but I was here for breakfast - and I'll definitely do that again.

The only thing wrong with this restaurant is the stairs which are very steep not good for old people, needs lift. Loads of food on offer.

Comida de rancho militar , personal antipático .

I ordered the triple stack burger and to say it was flavourless is an understatement and the amount of oil was unreal I think next time some sauce in the bun and salad would improve this as its not worth 8.29 I paid which is a shame as I've got alot of fond memories of this place as a small boy and the food was always tasty and good value for money Staff were very polite and Courteous as always though.

Rediscovered this place useful for quick lunch onway home from work.Shame I can',t get Wi Fi to work.

Haven't been there since 2019. Used to be lovely food years ago. Had food there twice about 4 years ago and found human grey hairs in food. Am disgusted very unhygienic. Loos are ok. Shame must have changed staff. Gone to the dogs

I went several times with my husband in a short trip to Cardiff. He was looking for the one of his memories called maybe Leo's. We had a nice surprise instead, Pillars is this kind of grand parents restaurant where you can go with all your family and kids and get a very British food without breaking the bank at all! It's amazing! Every time he travels for work to Cardiff he prefers this restaurant even being able to choose any expensive one just because the food and ambient are as it used to be! And I love it because they helped me with my special diet requirements as a Carnivore filling my plate a bit more with meats as I don't eat any sides because all of then come from plants. Unfortunately I don't have enough pics to show how good was our particular experience but at least I can give a good review.

Disappointed probably wount eat here again not hot enough

Love this place. Food is tasty and the portions are ample. Always enjoy a visit here.

Not the poshest eatery in Cardiff. They do nice variety of food from salads to cooked meals

A great place for a good meal at a realistic price

Brilliant place to get a nice breakfast on a rugby match day - Must also be the only restaurant I've ever known to put their prices *DOWN* when they've been able to. 7 item cooked breakfast for £4.75 when I last went. Speedy service as well.

Love this place, for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner the food is excellent. The Homemade pie is great and the Curry half and half amazing. Plenty of seating and well worth a visit.

Chap who served us was in a rush, but there was no one behind us. Felt quite rude. Food was hot but tasteless.

It's an OK place....breakfasts need more in yhe way of seasoning....

This place never changes it's a lovely reliable place to eat

Really nice place to go and grab food. Mind blowingly secret gem of Cardiff. The breakfasts are impeccable. And the interior is that of a ww2 bunker. Very cool

Was lovely but only thing by time we waited for drink and payed our breakfast was quite cold x

Pillars is, nostalgic central for South Wales folk. Generation after generation goes here for good food that comes with a very reasonable price tag. Staff were all friendly and helpful. Just like your typical cafe, with plenty to choose from. It has toilets and plenty of space and it's right in the centre of the city. Opposite the Queens Arcade (St Davids shopping centre). However there's no lift that I noticed, there is steps down into the restaurant/cafe. I had lovely chicken curry, rice and chips. The child's meal was a good portion and the wife had bbq pulled pork with chips with one drink that came to £19. Overall if you like good food that's not fancy for a reasonable price then this is the best place in Cardiff.

Not great...I ordered the 12 piece breakfast too find there was no scrambled egg or black pudding..of what I did have the bacon was OK...fried bread cold undercooked and oily...fried eggs over cooked and greasy..mushrooms undercooked and cold..sausages were not breakfast sausages..I'm not a fussy person..I eat pretty much everything...but this was bad...I had better food in the army...the decor is definitely dated but quirky I guess...an experience for definate...get a new chef !

Hadn't been here since the late 80s, it hasn't changed too much which I actually really liked. It's admirable unwillingness to move with the modern dining trends, is matched only by it's ample selection of reasonably priced food. Simple, tasty popular dishes including veggie options served in a professional and friendly atmosphere. A spacious cavern of dining, you're not squashed in here. A stalwart of old fashioned Cardiff dining, don't ever change!

I ate lasagna (warm/cold, tasteless, looks like porridge, bad appearance, large portion), my friend had chicken curry with rice (very sweet taste, coarsely shredded chicken, bad appearance) anyway, we didn't like it and we won't be back and we don't even recommend it, there's no hot pepper sauce, very expensive beer...