The Brook Bistro in Cardiff

We had our Christmas family meal again at Brook Bistro, always top class. Good food, good staff and good place. Would recommend. Thanks Darren.

I arrived without a booking on a very busy day for the restaurant, however I was able to have a table for lunch. The staff were very friendly & there was a good choice food. The food was excellent, & presented well. This was my first visit, but won't be my last. The restaurant & restrooms were clean and tidy.

Ate at Brook bistro on 7 December 2024 with 5 ex work friends for our Christmas get together. The food was amazing the service was even better. We had just finished our meal when there was a full power cut in the restaurant. As we had just finished we were prepared to pay for the lovely meal we just had. But the management decided to let us eat free of charge. We didn’t want to do that but they insisted, so each one of us gave the waiting staff £10 to cover the service. What can I say a great unexpected gesture. Thank you thank you thank you for every thing we had a great night regardless.

I must say dinner was out standing But us 22 people mainly volunteers from Cancer research spend at least £1,000 on food and drinks.But were give a £57 service charge which I think is disgusting and over the top.Will never go there again.

Buena comida, un entorno agradable, excelente servicio. Reserve una comida un sábado por la noche con mi esposa. Amplio menú - entrante de vieiras era lleno de sabores, plato principal de pollo era sabroso y para cuando llegamos al postre decidimos que una porción de helado entre dos sería suficiente (teníamos razón). Una visita muy agradable ayudado por el personal amable y a algún lugar que me gustaría volver pronto.

Sunday lunch was GREAT. Polite and helpful staff. Very tasty food. Prompt service. Fortunately, they fitted us in with no prior booking THANK YOU. All good for me.

Hmm the evening for us started badly - got better and then got worse again. We went here for a celebratory meal for our anniversary. When we arrived we were offered a table right next to the door in the path of everyone and also told we had to vacate it just over an hour later! This had definitely not been told to us when we booked. We obviously declined and opted to sit out on the terrace. (Which in fact was a good option as the two inside rooms have so many tables crowded together you would constantly be knocked by people/servers going past - the noise level is also very high with so many people in a smallish space.) The waiter who served us first was lovely - in fact all the staff were, the problem being that there were just not enough of them by the time the restaurant was full. We had arrived early so did not realise just how busy it would get. Our starters and mains were very nice - although by the time the mains arrived the staff were stretched - my husband had to go and find someone as the promised sauce had not arrived after about 15 minutes by which time I had eaten most of the meal before it got cold. We could see the staff were busy and we were not in a particular hurry but when the plates had still not been cleared about 3/4 hour later and we had not ordered a pudding, we asked one of the staff. They cleared and brought the pudding menu but by then we felt we had had enough and decided to go home for some ice cream. If you like a very noisy busy place and dont mind waiting a long time its for you - but it is not somewhere I would recommend for a romantic evening!!

First time. Very impressive fabulous food. Great atmosphere in local village

We were seated at our booked table at 6.30 and waited and waited for nearly 3/4 hour for our order to be taken . then had to ask the waiter to come over to take it. When it finally came it was missing the veg. ??? When asked the waiter were they were he said it didn't come with veg. It clearly did as it checked on the.menu.. as soon as we had finished our meal we where asked to move off the table as it was only booked till 8.30 (I wasn't aware of this) it doesn't seem right as we had to wait in the first place for our meal. The staff were rude and we asked for the tip to be moved off the bill. The reaction to that request was childish and unacceptable. Will not consider going again until the current ownership

Always a fantastic experience. The service is warm and friendly and exactly the right balance. The food is consistently excellent. Independent business run by people in the locality and their family. An asset to Whitchurch, thank you!

A lovely evening starting off at the Veronica Lounge with cocktails and then a great meal. My Friend from New York was very impressed with the decor, the cocktails and the food, especially the belly pork. We made a great choice

Amazing dinner with my partner. Absolut gem in Cardiff. We definetly will come back to it !

Food was delicious, nice varied menu and very reasonably priced. We had a starter, main, pudding and one alcoholic drink each which with a 10% service charge came to just over £50 a head. Ate here while staying in Cardiff for just one night and absolutely made the right choice! Sorry we're not closer to come back again!

Had a two course meal with friends last night. Amazing atmosphere, steak cooked to perfection and the staff were so friendly and engaging! 10/10. My only criticism is that it’s not easy to park (this is coming from someone who doesn’t know the area).

First ever visit, spur of the moment so very pleased with an excellent brunch, superb service with polite and friendly staff. Definitely with a visit and now on our go to list.

Fabulous food as always! Have eaten at the Brook Bistro many times (brekkie, brunch, lunch & evening meals) and we have never been disappointed. The staff are all lovely, friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend!

I’ve been here a couple of times now and this place does not disappoint! The food was perfect and the restaurant is beautiful. The staff are lovely really helpful and always polite. Would recommend this place to everyone 10/10 👌

7 friends met for Lunch at Brook Bistro we all had the 2 course set menu it was absolutely delicious & excellent value highly recommend

As always fabulous food. Starter and Sunday Roast delicious. First class service. The brook Bistro never disappoints. Lovely relaxing friendly atmosphere. The salted caramel brownie is absolutely divine!

First ever visit tonight, outstanding food and service , staff went above and beyond highly recommended

Lovely lunch. Great atmosphere. Food is well seasoned and delicious.

Best breakfast I've had in years

This is my wife's review based on her visit with a friend on Friday night. It was an early evening booking and was OK until the last 10 minutes. The food was OK given it was an early evening special value menu. They were finishing their last glass of wine when the bill was brought without asking for it. Their table then became under surveillance from the restaurant manager who announced that they had outstayed their allotted time and the table was needed for other guests. When challenged, as there was no mention of time limit on the online booking and nothing had been mentioned previously, he became increasingly indifferent. This gave them a strong feeling of 'we've had your money now you need to go'. In their experience, this is completely unprofessional and rude. Handled the right way, they could have finished their wine on the terrace and not had the evening spoiled by his unwelcoming behaviour. We are firm believers in 'you reap what you sow' and we are part of the local hospitality industry. Brook Bistro was in some information that is shared with visitors to the area who are looking for somewhere to eat locally. Following this unnecessary and upsetting experience, it has been deleted. EDIT FOLLOWING OWNER'S RESPONSE: 'The owner doth protest too much, methinks'

Fantastic service, lovely food. Such a nice evening. We were two couples celebrating 33 years of marriage. They presented us with 4 glasses of Fizz. How nice was that! This place is the nicest in Cardiff. We love it. Nice to have Welsh-speaking staff too. Diolch o galon.

This was my 3rd time to this bistro and my husband's 1st time. We decided on the set lunchtime menu. Good quality and value for money. Staff professional, friendly and welcoming. Perfect once again.

Excellent meal celebrating my sons 20th birthday. Great food, great choice of food, great service, will definitely be back again!

Really looked after us by lovely staff and management , fab place, excellent meal and service. Fab ambience . Thank you.

This remains our favourite place to go in Cardiff whether it be for a casual bite to eat or a fancy celebration. Darren and his team provide amazing service, atmosphere and food. Yes at times it can be busy which adds to the atmsophere but it’s consistent and keeps us coming back!

We booked for 6pm and ordered from the menu including wines and a glass of cider. There were 4 of us dining, and two of us had three courses and two had just the main course. At 7.50pm the waitress was starting to remove the dishes and glasses, even though we weren't quite finished, and we were told that the table was required for another party at 8pm. We were visiting relatives in Cardiff and this was meant to 'top off our visit' but it somewhat put a damper on things. This was the worst dining experience we have experienced, and we eat at many fine restaurants both here and abroad, as well as on various cruise ships. 'Maybe we should have had a packed lunch in the nearby park?'

We had an absolutely amazing time at The Brook Bistro! The staff are all lovely and the food is divine, plus there are lots of gluten free and vegan options. The chocolate brownie was unbelievable… especially paired with an espresso martini! The staff couldn’t do enough to help and were super accommodating. Would definitely recommend 💖

Burger was nice but chicken in the spaghetti was very dry and tough, starters were nice enough. Brownie was good but cheap salted caramel let it down. (Not hard to make in house and would have been so much better). Waitress kindly discounted the bad meal, but overall would I go back? Unfortunately not. Food just needs a bit more love.

Firstly the drinks came out wrong, then after waiting 30mins for our mains they came out luke warm with our side that was fridge temperature in the center. My meal then disappeared for 1min and returned but the manager assured me it was a fresh meal and not just microwaved again which I feel is worrying when it come to a rice dish. Definitely won't be returning here.

Loverly place, see you next month

Delightful lunch ,great food ,service and atmosphere. Will return.

Good vibe.... Good team.... Good food.... Reasonable price! Will return

The food is good. What spoils it a little is how much the staff rush you through the meal to get your table back for the next booking. Which doesn’t make for a very relaxing dining experience. If you want a quick single course meal then it’s not a bad option. If you plan to have more than one course, without ending up with indigestion because the staff keep coming back to hurry you along, this probably isn’t the place to go.

I don't normally leave reviews but the food and staff were lovely. I arrived around 8:30pm and they were able to find me a table. I ordered the mussels in white wine and cream and they did not disappoint. The food was lovely and the staff are really friendly. It says on the doors that they won the Food Awards in 2019, 2022 and 2023 and I can understand why.

Sunday lunch excellent. Brilliant service and the food was faultless. Can recommend.

I was looking forward to trying this restaurant for the first time with our family for a Sunday lunch, as I can no longer cope with cooking a roast myself. What a big disappointment. Slow cooked meat always tastes stewed, as was the case here. Unfortunately, I'll probably never go there again. For the record, I did tell the waitress that I'd left my meat because it was stewed rather than roasted. I can only imagine your chef didn't have proper roast Sunday lunches when growing up.

Lovely spot on their terrace. Great service and the French toast with bacon was delicious.

A bit disappointed after an evening meal with friends. The mains were tragic! We all ordered the seafood paella and we were given a bland risotto with a disproportionate offering of seafood. Two of us commented that neither of us had any squid (which it was advertised to have and at £21.95, you’d expect every advertised ingredient to be served ) so the waitress took our plates and returned them 5 minutes later. The new plates contained lukewarm food and were missing the peashoot garnish (not a big issue really, but put the effort into making the plate look presentable again). Our friend ate alone while we waited for our mains to be returned, which wasn’t great and no apology offered for the food mishap. We were served by 3 waitresses altogether, not one was particularly pleasant with their demeanour. For the prices charged, you’d expect better service and better food.

Excellent Service. Really polite, kind staff. Food was fantastic

We popped in for breakfast and it was a great choice. Amazing food, quick and friendly service and very reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend and pop back when we're in Cardiff again!

This is the first review I have ever written. The food was fantastic and fresh, great choice on the menu, and the staff were absolutely brilliant! The best service we have experienced in a restraunt. We had our baby nephew with us, and the staff were absolutely brilliant with him. Cannot recommend this place enough! Can't wait to be back soon! Thank you x

beautiful food, amazing service and good value

Excellent service and the food was exquisite, honestly couldn't do enough for our group of 16 on the super comfy and cosy terrace. GO!! You won't be disappointed!!

Great spot, plenty of choice. Just a little feedback: reduce the portion size of the desert & the price. (Or have a few mini options.)

We were a large party 34 - there on Saturday night . Food lovely, service amazing and staff so friendly and helpful x Great time had by all thank you so much

Lovely place with excellent service only criticism is there were only wine or cocktails gor an alcoholic beverage e.g. no bottled lager/beer

absolutely fabulous place,staff were super helpful and the set menu was great would highly recommend 👍🏽

Got orders wrong twice, oner cooked Tuna

Fantastic! Food was delicious, the staff were attentive and friendly. Darren the owner was very welcoming and made sure we had a perfect night . Thank you.

Me and my partner booked a table here for a Sunday roast - it was a surprise booking for my partner but I decided after looking at the menu and seeing ‘slow-roasted leg of lamb’ as well as the many Mediterranean inspired dishes. The food was incredible, it was fresh, quick to come out and absolutely worth every penny! However, the service absolutely outdid the food if that was even possible! We were warmly greeted and taken care of by multiple staff members who even helped me write out a Welsh birthday message for my friend! I have already recommended this place to my friends as there is nothing I can fault especially with the beautiful decor! We will definitely come back again😊

Great food, great service, lively atmosphere. Prices OK too.

First visit today to The Brook Bistro, two of us had Sunday lunch - best ever had outside own home. One had fillet streak and another person had tuna ( both excellent). Granddaughter only wanted chicken burger!!!! and chef kindly cooked her one. Delightful and well trained staff.

It was our date night, came over without booking upfront, seats were provided straight away even though place was busy, starters made with tasty and fresh products, I had tuna as main course and it was absolutely incredible!!! So tasty!!! And then coffee ☕️ that was actually HOT and tasty with delicious desert! Will definitely come back Thank you

First visit for us. The good was beautiful. Great atmosphere.

Food was super. Service friendly and prompt and atmosphere was warm, lively and bright. Good job 👍

What a lovely find! Delicious food, lovely atmosphere and friendly staff. It was very busy when we were there so I would recommend booking!

Fantastic food and friendly service, very relaxed atmosphere

Great food, great atmosphere, great service.

Been here several times and food has always been first class.

One of the nicest restaurants in the area of Whitchurch. Daren and his lovely staff always make you welcome. the food is so tasty, with a good choice for all, including vegetarian. There is special lunch menu and Al a carte .

We had an amazing dinner last night at The Brook Bistro. The food was excellent and the service efficient and very friendly. Thank you very much, guys.

Lovely, intimate surroundings with excellent, efficient service. We were impressed with the quality of the glasses and pretty water carafe that was automatically brought to the table. Staff very polite and friendly. Good to be able to see staff cooking in kitchen and we were very impressed with the efficiency of kitchen staff organising the order of dishes to be prepared. Meals we had were beautifully cooked - my belly pork just melted and fell apart and my partner's burger with pancetta was simply delicious. We'll be back!

Visited last night with friends . Fantastic food and service was brilliant. Didn’t have to wait to be served at any time , and it was very busy in the restaurant. Very good size portions. Highly recommend.

Excellent Sunday lunch. Superb service and food in lovely surroundings.

Nice experience at the restaurant, went for a 50th celebration with 18 people. Very prompt service and great atmosphere.

Stopped in for lunch. Very congenial atmosphere. The food was hot, which is always a good start. I didn't leave a thing on my plate. My main was the pie of the day, which was beef with veg. The beef was melt in the mouth. I would definitely recommend the restaurant and definitely go back there.

Great atmosphere and lovely staff. The Brook Bistro were very accommodating for our party of 15 and the service was fantastic even though they were very busy. Also the food was delicious! I would highly recommend it

Very cramped and noisyi think it was truimh to be something it isn't!

Wonderful delicious food, surroundings really cosy and staff friendly! A lovely couple of hours with friends x

This little gem of a restaurant was outstanding today,dealing With our disorganised by my part group.thanku for a wonderful breakfast and lovely service. Thank u Janex

Just want to say a HUGE THANKYOU to all at the Brooks Bistro.. what a fabulous night, wonderful atmosphere and the food was exceptional.. i booked for a family Festive evening for 16 of us, the service was very professional and friendly even though it was packed e didn't feel neglected.. can't recommend this place highly enough.. we had the Festive menu and there's plenty of choice for each course, the presentation and quality of each and every dish was excellent. Also plenty of choice for coeliac guests. The chef popped in to see us which was lovely too.. would definitely book again

We have 2 steaks, chips, cheesy garlic bread for me and my partner and then a cheese burger and chips for our daughter. What a meal!! It was beautiful! Best steak we have had in a long time!! So tasty and cooked to perfection! Our daughter likes to call their burgers ‘banging bistro burger’! Highly recommend! You will not be disappointed!

Food good and service acceptable. Really disappointed however, to be presented with the bill whilst we were having our coffee, then 5 minutes later the card machine arrived and we were told our table was required in 10 minutes! Just not impressed, a poor experience! Won’t be going back, plenty of other more professional and genuine places to eat in and around Cardiff and the Vale.

It can get busy so I recommend booking a reservation. I was there for breakfast and I loved the food. I had waffles with bacon & hash browns. I wanted a side of scrambled eggs which they were able to do. My boyfriend had pancakes with the winterberry compote. Everything was delicious! Definitely coming back!

This place was recommended to me as great place to eat. We were a table of 6 for lunch. Half of us weren’t impressed as we had the chicken breast ,stuffing with 3 tiny bits of what was supposed to be roast potatoes ,which had been cooked so much they had dehydrated in the middle ! It was served with frozen green beans and peas accompanied by what was supposed to be home made gravy , which in fact was gravy granules as when I poured it out onto my plate you could actually see some undissolved granules. My starter was awful my Katsu prawns were overcooked . We asked at the beginning of the meal if we could pay separately, no was reply . I DID NOT complain on the day as it was a special day for one of our party and didn’t want to spoil the atmosphere. But as a professional chef myself ,I was really underwhelmed by the food . £15.95 is a competitive price , but 2 of our party had the seabass which was cooked superbly and the other had the lamb sausage meal which was also a substantial meal .

Fabulous Sunday lunch from start to finish. Very good value too and a great atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Was recomended to go to The Brook by some work colleages as I was meeting my sister for a belated birthday lunch. On entering the decor was very stylish and modern. The staff were very helpful especially when I explained my sister was running late. We chose off the set lunch menu which had something for all tastes. I had prawns as a started and the chicken burger as a main. It was very well presented and tasted delicous. The service was quick but freshly cooked. Drinks were slightly expensive but as we were driving this didnt affect us. We didnt feel hurried, the ambience was lovely and we werent cramped into a seat near other people so felt we werent overlooked. Spotlessly clean and tidy. Would definately go again. Thank you.

Warm welcome, fantastic table by the window, outstanding service (helpful, friendly and filled with smiles) and fabulous food (Between us we had calamari, sea bass with salad, fillet steak and creme brulee with freshly baked shortbread). It is a long time since we have enjoyed eating out this much. High quality ingredients, cooked and presented to perfection. Lovely, hard working staff. Beautifully decorated restaurant and good value. I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant and the amazing team who run it. 5 stars is not enough!

Came here for a family meal to celebrate my brothers birthday this week. We all throughly enjoyed our meals. All had starters which were great as well - Chicken kebabs were a bit over cooked but other that that, a fantastic meal! Staff were friendly and accommodating. Would definitely recommend and will be returning!

A good find when visiting Cardiff for a couple of days. Parking can be difficult though. Nice bistro, obviously popular.

The best Sunday lunch in Cardiff. Service, atmosphere and most importantly the food is always excellent.

Cosy Restaurant, So Warming & Fresh Inside, Food Was Sooooo Good, Had The Sunday Lunch, Great Choice & Vegan Options To. Service Spot On, Very Friendly!! Definitely Recommend The Noreen Cocktail.

Very disappointed the lamb was like cardboard and it wasn't cauliflower cheese it was leftover with cheese and why put garlic in a roast dinner you were amazing and now no recommendations won't be back

A really nice place, with great food, shame about the 40th birthday revelations, which were certainly not the restaurants fault.

A wonderful combination of wonderful, fresh food and amazing people who run the place

Lovely restaurant. Suitable for all. A relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Service was efficient and attentive. Had the burger which was very tasty and shared a dessert. Would definitely recommend and would go back again.

1st visit. Food was delicious, staff very friendly and attentive. Thoroughly recommend

Went for lunch for mums 90th Birthday. Really nice place to eat. Good atmosphere, attentive staff, really nice food. Would definitely recommend.

Came here for an anniversary meal, food was truly exceptional, service was friendly, relaxed and professional our waitress Chloe was so friendly and knowledgeable couldn't ask for a better waitress, I would highly recommend a visit

Been here many times. Great staff, very cosy ambience, delicious food, great value for money considering the quality of the service, food and welcome from all the staff. Would highly recommend 👍

We all had the set menu today. Amazing value 3 courses for £20 I really don't know how they can serve up such quality dishes for that price. Everything was lovely, the food, the service & the atmosphere. 5* to all at Brook Bistro.

Amazing food, great service, lovely vibe. Great set menu selection. Cant wait to return.

We went for dinner on Saturday night and had a great evening. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, the customer service was good and the environment inside was lovely. The pulled pork Bon Bons were a highlight alongside the apple, pear and plum crumble which was SO delicious. Plenty of choice on the menu which would bring us back again.

We come here most Friday evenings for the 12pm - 6pm menu. At £15 for two courses it is literally the best value in Cardiff. Fabulous food and excellent service. Brook Bistro is a wonderful local bistro.

The Bistro was recommended by a friend. Based on his high commendations we visited late afternoon.. We opted for a 2 course for £15. The prawns for starters were OK. 4 thin prawns with a slight drizzle of chilli sauce.. OK, tasty. Then on to the mains... I'm just glad my 2 sons at 6 foot plus weren't there... My lamb meal consisted of about 3 very small slices of lamb with one 1arge roast potato,cut in to 4...i couldn't believe it... Complained to management but forget it... There were no apologies.. Anyway, to cut a long story very short.. We left feeling very hungry and wished we had gone to the local chippy just up the road.. Never again... A lesson in management skills would be advisable.. Don't waste your money here. When we complained, they brought our a little plate with a few carrots and a few peas..... Okay.. 🤣

Booked for a late Sunday lunch 4pm. Very good standard, Very fairly priced and the desert were delicious. Think we've found our new favourite eatery.

Are here for brunch with family at 10am. Decor was clean and interesting. They offered gluten free toast. The food took quite a while longer than ideal to arrive at the table. No complaints about the food from any of the party. Polite staff. Quite...