This authentic tapas restaurant set on church street in Cardiff, is a unique new concept for Cardiff and beyond and will please the most finical of tapas seekers. This was originally Truffles Cafe but has had an inspiring change of style. The building has kept its iconic tainted windows and has a new Mediterranean feel to it. From its continental inspired handmade dining tables which are hand crafted with Spanish tiles, to its beautiful yet elementary white tiled bar. The restaurant has adequate seating along with single bar stools for the solo patron. I attended the evening with my colleague Carl Marsh, who is a frequent visitor of Spain and stated he found the food to be incredibly authentic and delicious.
“Our mission is to provide authentic Spanish tapas dishes” – Head chef
We were presented with a number of dishes from their exquisite tapas menu, which were truly enticing. A highlight for me was their Russian salad as it was accompanied with homemade Spanish mayonnaise, which was delightful. Their other offerings also included ‘Pulpo a la Gallega’ which is octopus cooked with a Galician recipe and topped with smoked paprika and sea salt, ‘croquetas de la abuela’ which is their special croquettes of the day, these were a ‘grandmothers’ secret recipe from the head chef and were truly delicious. The mash potato was incredibly fluffy and soft and melted in your mouth.
Another interesting dish presented to us was their black seafood paella, which was incredibly tasty and alluring. Their homemade ‘alioli’, which is a Spanish garlic mayonnaise sauce was a perfect complement to their tempura battered calamari. I also have to compliment their ‘Albóndigas en salsa de almendras’ (meatballs in almond sauce) which were perfect combined with their ‘Patatas Bravas’. Their Spanish omelette with onion was divine and fit for El reino himself. I found all of these dishes to be expertly cooked and have a true Spanish taste. Their head chef previously worked at Antonio Banderas’s restaurant for many years, so has a flare for credible Spanish cuisine. The imported selection of Spanish cured meats and cheeses were flavourful and of superior quality.
I found the restaurant to be especially charming and mellow. I felt that I had been transported to an original tapas restaurant in mainland Spain. My expectations were exceeded and tastebuds truly tantalised. The management team were really knowledgeable and attentive. The homemade sangria was also a lovely addition to the whole Mediterranean experience. They have a good selection of Spanish wines to complement all of their tapas dishes. In my opinion, this new offering to Cardiff far exceeds any other tapas bar I have tried in the whole of the UK, it was spectacular. The family run restaurant is now open to the public and the whole team look forward to welcoming you. Below are links and contact details.
Reviewed by Brett Salway
Santiago’s Tapas
Authentic Spanish Tapas Restaurant.
3 Church Street,
Cardiff
CF10 1BG
www.facebook.com/santiagostapas
