Santiago's Tapas Cardiff in Cardiff

Great food, great service. Definitely my top pick for dinner or lunch when I'm in Cardiff.

Gorgeous, authentic food and very reasonably priced. Food came quickly but servers could have been more aware of customers and checked in to ask for more bread, drinks etc. Can't wait to return!

We’ve only just come back from Spain and this meal was as authentic as they come with excellent service to boot. I can’t recommend Santiago’s highly enough - we only had tapas as a light lunch but it felt so much better than that.

I was there for a meal afer the Wales Ireland M6N game (Come on Ireland!) and found this little place on our way back. It turned out to be an inspired choice. The tapas was lovely, arrived quickly and was served with a smile. Our waitress (didn't catch her name but she was from Morocco) was attentive without being overbearing and looked after is very well. Will be happy to recommend to people coming to Cardiff for sure! I also don't think I will ever forget seeing and hearing staff talking in Hindi carrying a paella pan 😊

The churros is the worst thing i ever tried in my whole life, stay away.

Incredibly great service and couldn't ask for better food, I am a half spanish man myself and find i am very picky when it comes to spanish food and yet even then they did not disappoint. 10/10

Can’t hold back to say the tapas was great. We ordered the pastas bravas, croquetes of the day and chicken skewers. Portion was great as well as the flavour. Ordered the chicken and seafood paella for two however it would definitely be enough for 4 people after some tapas for starters. The service was great and very customer focused. Only annoyance was the fact there were fruit flies loitering a lot after we finished our food with the empty plates on the table.

Depressing, low quality food, poor standards. Staff lovey, but avoid this place

An eat in meal. Great. One tip the staff could tell customers that they could just order more of the starting tapas instead of a main meal. All food was great..

A very reasonably-priced, authentic and traditional-style tapas bar in a handy central location. Took me back to my days living in Spain in the 1990s! Very efficient staff, and good quality, fresh-tasting food. Everything came to the table at the same time and sizzling hot, which isn't easy to achieve. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and drinks. My one criticism would be that the decor is looking tired and the basement toilet was grubby. We all deserve a bright, clean environment when paying for a meal out.

Outstanding service, Tapas was excellent. Clean friendly venue

Super place to make tapas with style and flavor from Spain. Very attentive service and pleasant surprise to meet the couple next door! 😉

very nice atmosphere, excellent service. the food is excellent, felt as if i was back in spain. 100% would recommend

Santapas - the most unauthentic knock off we have ever visited. In summary, if you are happy to pay for supermarket prepacked charcuterie and cheese thrown in a plate with old brown lettuce, then this is the place for you. Barring one server that was sympathetic to our horror, most were indifferent about throwing plates down, not opening the wine and zero customer etiquette. It's a boozer's place to line the stomach, walk past.

Food was nice and the service was good. I think the name has changed now to San Tapas. Toilets could do with an upgrade but overall was happy

My partner and I had a lovely evening meal here. Felt like real authentic spanish food and service was quick. No fuss was made about our allergies either which was great! Vegan and vegetarian dishes available. Good central location and good value. Thanks!

Good service with friendly staff, but the food was pretty appalling and the prices are borderline extortionate. Grease and salt aren't main features of Spanish food. Real shame as I used to love this place.

The place is nice, the service is good. There are few dining options

Lovely authentic tapas restaurant! My partner and I come here because it was one of our first dates! Switched up the food a little this time- had the lamb which was juicy flavoursome and tender, the prawns were spot on delicious and had my usual Russian salad! Gorgeous as always :)

Lovely staff x Excellent food xx

Lovely atmosphere and friendly service. Sadly the food is not good and not very Spanish.

Loved the food and the people helping us. Great paella, roasted garlic bread, prawns, vegetables.

Lovely staff, friendly and helpful, but the food was poor quality and lacking in flavour. Not good value for money.

the seafood paella in black sauce is delicious

Had an impromptu meal here today. Lovely welcome with staff member Sindhu. She was pleasant, friendly and welcoming. Excellent service from her and lovely food. . Will return and definitely recommend.

It was decently priced for the portion size I would say 6 is the limit between two people

We did not expect such tasty food, the service was excellent and the staff were friendly and approachable with really good food allergy advice.

I was pleasantly surprised with the food quality. Service is very pleasant and atmosphere is great . Location is good . It’s a small establishment but nice . Great deserts also . I recommend the calamari and Pavlova for desert

Lovely change fir Sunday lunch. Tapas at Santiago's

Lovely staff, but not sure it’s the best Tapas I have ever had. Definitely missing some of the Spanish touch.

Good service, amazing food with a wide selection as well as regularly updated specials. Great atmosphere suiting the nature of the restaurant as a tapas place. Bathrooms down some narrow stairs

No longer Santiago’s! Not sure what’s happening here but… it’s no longer the same. Used to be utterly fantastic but all the authentic Spanish staff are gone and … it reflects in the food. Salad with garlic mushrooms isn’t a thing! I genuinely don’t understand. Service was slow, red wine was cold! Noooooo. And the food was seriously lacking. Absolutely no flavour/chilli’s/garlic in the gambas, pastas Bravas was saltless with god knows what on it. Bread was just a French stick cut up. Staff struggled to keep up with customers and people were left repeating requests for food and drinks. The cost of a standard bottle wine was absolutely insane! And we LOVE our wine and don’t mind spending a bit on it but this was just daft for cheap bottle of restaurant wine. Sadly… we will not be back. Return the authentic staff to cook authentic food.

Good tapas, very friendly crew. They made us feel at home very quickly. The place to relax and chat at the outside tables on a warm weekend night.

We had a lovely assortment of dishes that all tasted fantastic! I will say the sardines were a bit salty but they were still very fresh and tasty. The staff here are so polite and helpful, you really can’t ask for me. I’d recommend the sangria jug or the garlic mushrooms.

Visiting 31 May 2024. place was busy and we had not pre booked but able to secure a table for 2. We choose Paella de la casa for 2. Informed it could take up to 30 minutes to prepare. In the meantime we had a jug of Sangna. Meal arrived within 25 minutes. I was worth the wait. The best Paella we’ve ever had. Will defiantly be back sometime in the future.

The food was not very good, there was too much garlic sauce for every tapas dish. I do not recommend eating here.

The restaurant is small and always busy.

We had such a bad experience at this location, food poisoning, they do not have a hygiene rating its that bad black mold in tge toilet and flies everywhere clearly has never been cleaned!! These people are aggressive, rude and very bad at doing their job please do not go here!

My partner and I came in for lunch and we were really disappointed by the food. It tasted like it was pre made, defrosted and cooked. Majority of what we had was undercooked or cold. The manager came over to check in on us as we hadn’t eaten anything and she apologised and took one dish off of our bill for us. She was the only friendly person, the other waiters weren’t very nice.

It all in all was good food. The prices were what you’d expect for a restaurant these days and the food that I had as a vegetarian was delicious. Service was fast and staff was pleasant. However some of my meat eating friends complained that the seafood was not great.

I had high hopes for this nice, small restaurant. We had a friendly reception and were seated promptly. From here the service was still friendly but very slow. We had to grab attention to order more drinks, again to get the drink forgotten and to clear empties from the small table. When you are ordering tapas on a table for 2, space is limited. This was all while there were only about 3 tables in, it was full by the time we left. Food was nice enough and reasonably priced.

If you've never eaten Spanish food before you'll enjoy this place. The paella may as well be Uncle Ben's rice

We used to enjoy going to Santiago's in Whitchurch but something changed last year and the food wasn't as good.We haven't been since. Today we went to the one in town, I wasn't sure about going in but thought it might be as good as the other one used to be. Unfortunately it wasn't.The fish didn't taste fresh and the chicken skewers were overcooked and dry.So disappointing.

Food was okay, once you got through a painful experience of ordering. Ordered pulpo and gambas pil pil turned up.. which I wouldn't recommend anyhow.. The menu had a number of vegetarian options.. but alot of the menu was incorrect..(assumed to be) such as vegetable skewers not being labelled as vegetarian (might not be after all).. when the staff we asked about it we were made to feel like the idiots for asking whether the skewers were vegetarian or not...

Amazing food - 6 tapas plates between two is sufficient! Quick service, very genuine Spanish tapas and fantastic quality!

Went after a rugby International, great service, friendly and attentive, nice buzz

Popped in for some food. Asked the staff if they have a table & Food. Sat down ordered drinks. When it came to ordering food, no steak no fish on the menu. Could have told us before we sat down that there was no steak or fish and we would have gone elsewhere. Finished our drinks and left. Thankyou for your abysmal service.

Had a lovely lunch with family, we ordered a selection of Tapas items which were all delicious. The wine was chilled and the staff were great.

It is a reasonable choice of Spanish restaurant in city centre.

Brilliant meal everything was fresh and beautifully cooked! Paella amazing!!!!

The worst place ever, the food was bad, I’ve felt so sick after eating there, plus be minded about the menu, the prices are ridiculous and the food is really expensive and with no taste, burned or not done

Lovely tapas, cozy venue with great service and tasty dishes.

One of the best restaurants I’ve ever eaten at. It’s the most authentic Spanish food I’ve eaten outside of Spain. I rarely write reviews but the food and excellent service had to be shared for everyone to try this amazing gem.

Service was excellent and they were all very friendly, however some of the dishes were way too watery for Spanish tapas. Red wine was really nice and not a bad price.

Paid over £23 for a ready mix tasting small jug of sangria, the restaurant was empty and dead and there was a reason for it. Rude wait staff/management and high prices. Was there for about 30 mins just on my phone and sipping my drink, trying to relax and the obnoxious manager comes over and confronts me for being there too long when I had only been there 30 mins had half my drink left and the restaurant was literally empty no one else was there. He then said I could not sleep there lol I literally had my head on my hand for 30 seconds and was not asleep. I told him I was not sleeping and he was being very rude to their only customer and that I could see why they had no customers and left what was left in my glass in the picture before leaving. Laughably, the man that had the audacity to approach me in this manner was a short skinny but fat belly Welshman that had decrepit skin, greasy grey long hair, horrible teeth with receded gums and looked like a homeless ex drug addict, put me off my drink tbh looking at him. Would never spend money here again and will make sure this is never an option when eating out with fam or friends as a local.

I'm sorry to have to say but I was not impressed with the quality of their tapas

I wonder same owner is running the palce.I have been here before. It was amazing food before. Not any more. It is not as good. The waitress was not professional. She doesn't know about tapas and need to ask someone to check the specials. They don't have non alcoholic beer and dicaff coffee. They put a service charge on the bill even they don't ask me. i paid even I am not happy at all because i am not going back again.

Food was... Meh. Gave my colleague food poisoning during the night. Came extremely quick and when I looked behind the counter it was all pre packaged food that they just dish out. Wasn't impressed with how much it cost.

Wasn't overly friendly, service was slow despite there only being one other table of two. The restaurant was empty and lacked atmosphere. The food was underwhelming and had no flavour. We ordered from the tapas menu. The vegetarian options were cold and bland- there weren't many alternatives. Patatas bravas weren't served in there customary sauce, instead they just squeezed it out bottle.The croceques were disgusting and definitely not what you would expect in spain. The meat dishes was flavourless. The only good thing was the calamari and octopus dishes yet lacked lime or lemon which is typically to be accompanied with. Considering this is a Spanish restaurant there wasn't an authentic taste or what you would expect. It was disappointing and we're we not checked on at any point. It was truly a shame and not a true representation of the Spanish traditional dishes or culture.

Booked on Open Table for a table in 15 minutes, table ready and the food, Estrella and service was superb. WIll definitely go back

Quite a small restaurant but it packs a punch with the delicious food they offer. You just have to do the tapas...very filling but very delicious. I suggest that you book a table in advance as it's very popular, especially at weekends. I recommend to eat here and will definitely be back.

Excellent service food exquisite highly recommended

Food was rather mediocre but the vibe was nice

Terrible. mockery to spanish food. "pealla" served with dyed basmati rice. All oils used are KTC vegatable oil. Lines dirty on the larger. Go to Curado.

Our favourite restaurant, the best in Cardiff! Wonderful tapas in a very warm restaurant with great atmosphere and the loveliest, friendliest and most professional staff. Smooth operation, food and drinks came quickly and every dish was delightful. Book in advance on the weekend as was packed, we were glad we booked!

Food was undercooked and terrible and gave me a bad feeling the next day the place has gone down sorry 😞 😔 😟 🙁

Highly atmospheric tapas bar with a good range of food and drink. Service was a little patchy when I was sitting outside (I had to tap on the window to get the waiter's attention) but the food was good and the Rioja very nice.

Happened upon this place whilst spending a few hours in Cardiff. Was very happy with our choices. Fabulous, fresh, and authentic

Wir haben dort Gemüsepaella gegessen und waren dann noch ein 2tes Mal dort um frische gegrillte Dorade zu essen. Beides hat uns hervorragend geschmeckt. Preis Leistung ist in Ordnung. Das Restaurant ist sehr klein und eng, daher kann es lauter sein wenn es gut besucht ist.

Food was absolutely atrocious, chips were cold and hard steak was way way over cooked, ribs were definitely a half portion. Just a poor experience overall.

Es muy agradable encontrar en el extranjero un lugar donde comer tapas y raciones españolas con pequeñas diferencias, solo se paga con tarjeta no admiten efectivo.

The food was good and the staff was very honest and left my bag in the restaurant with wallet thought the worst to find staff had put it safe for me so I was grateful thanks 🙏

Jamon with olive oil on top, chicken with cumin, oven potatoes. Very far from being a spanish restaurant. Tourist trap to me.

Staff not accommodating to make the table bigger or move usb. Food was bland and not fresh. Watery garlic mushrooms and vegetable paella did not have sufficient vegetables. Would not recommend this place

What a lovely little restaurant

Nice food, pleasant atmosphere, good service.

Lovely tapas and sangria. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Will definitely return!

The food at Santiago’s was not what we were expecting and would not recommend, I’m sorry to have to say this but the food was poor and the general place didn’t feel clear. It’s not true tapas or Spanish, we had to send our pints back as they were flat and the food wasn’t appetising. The Paella seemed like it was microwave rice… however the staff were friendly and gave accommodating service.

Food was okay but poor service. Had to ask for cutlery and plates, staff did not come and see if we had all we needed or wanted another drink, stroppy waitress

Food very bland, toilets absolutely disgusting,I wish I went to burger king round the corner

Great food, lovely atmosphere. Staff friendly & helpful.

Great little place for tapas. Dates wrapped in bacon are amazing. Service great, friendly and quick. Perfect for a quick, light dinner.

Delicious food, friendly staff, great vibes. Went on a hot day, so sitting in the outdoor shady area was just what the doctor ordered. Would definitely go again!

Tried it here for the first time yesterday. Nice friendly service and food. Wouldn't mind coming back to try some other tapas dishes

Good vibes, good quality of food, nice view outside of restaurant, friendly and helpful staffs, good beers too! There is nothing I can complain about!

Lovely atmosphere, delicious food enjoyed the cocktails,but we went at busiest time as there was a concert on that evening so bit of a wait for our food to arrive but well worth the wait,would definitely go back.

Great tapas. Pleasant staff. Nice out front on sunny day.

Food is excellent, service not ideal, slow and they tried to rush us out at the end - we felt unwelcome. Toilets need revamping as well.

Unfortunately we had a very disappointing experience at Santiago's with subpar food and a disorganised service. Staff were friendly and generally helpful but the whole process was very chaotic and I'm a very disappointed with the quality of the meal. As well as three other tapas dishes we ordered the paella tapas and it came out with 3 small pieces of chorizo and one tiny piece of chicken. Of course we expected a smaller portion as we were ordering the tapas but the amount of meat was not acceptable for the price. The lady we spoke to offered to bring some more meat, which we appreciated, but it took over 15 minutes and we'd finished the paella by then. In the meantime our iberico main arrived and I was shocked at the price for what we received. We had ordered chips but instead we received 6 grey, wrinkly and dry new potatoes and a small piece of greasy pork. It was absolutely not with the £23 price tag, and so we apologised but sent it back to the kitchen and said we didn't want a replacement. We had also ordered the chicken skewers tapas but that hadn't appeared within an hour of us being there so we canceled it, paid the bill and left. The staff apologised and took the pork and skewers off the bill, but overall it was a unfortunately a chaotic and very disappointing experience and we will not be coming back. The croquettes and squid were good though!

Customer service good but quality of food not great, overcooked and generally quite bland

busy on Saturday evening, service was a tad slow, appeared understaffed, order mix up resulted in a long wait for our Paella, but were offered a round of complimentary drinks which is a nice gesture and welcomed. 4* for the food.

Rice as a side is £6. Got chips when I ordered batatas bravas and when I queried it was told that this is this restaurant’s take on batatas bravas. I was on an outside table and a large wooden pole fell out of the upstairs window and onto my face. I ate the chicken skewer and the grilled sea bream. The sea bream was in a pool of water. Walking home a couple of hours later I got diarrhoea and unfortunately didn’t make it to the toilet on time.

Para ser tapas españolas en Cardiff, estába todo súper bueno, nada aceitoso y muy abundantes las raciones. Los camareros muy amables.

The service is too slow！！！30mins！！！！

I came here for lunch, what can I say, the service was absent, the food has nothing to do with Spanish food and the open kitchen looks dirty and the paella looked like packaged rice from the supermarket

Worst tapas we’ve ever had, bread awful, olives tasted like vinegar and the rest of what we had was bland and just about edible! Never again!!! Oh and try not to use the toilets.

We can't really complain. We bought a number of tapa dishes to share and ordered the ribs. We thought we would get a full rack, but it was only 1/2 rack. The food had flavour and all dishes were served hot. We spent a load of money at our hotel for a meal.night before and this beat it hands down.

Lovely little restaurant with great food and friendly staff. Highly recommended

Las bravas no están mal. Tienen Mahou pero un poco cara, 5.5£ la jarra, se entiendo por los precios en general de otros sitios pero aún

Food was delicious but it's Spanish when we were sat in their they were playing Indian music