Bar News

It's true about the lack of a 'high street.' Outside of Whitchurch I suppose the nearest you get to that is the Birchgrove part of Caerphilly Rd.

Places such as Splott, Adamsdown, Grange, Llandaff North etc have much more offering in terms of local centres which is odd as the population of north Cardiff is probably significantly higher and definately more affluent. There is certainly a general 'anti urban' feel to north Cardiff. Everyone refers to the the local centres as being 'villages', there is very little clamour for more shops/services and almost any development is met with much wailing and gnashing of teeth - witness the existential crisis brought on by Papa Johns opening on Caerphilly Rd Crossroads.

I suspect a lot of people are quite happy to go and drink, eat and make merry in Roath, Cathays etc and then return to their peaceful cul de sacs safe in the knowledge that no-one will be making a noise after 11pm or parking in front of their house.

There is a deficiency of food and drink related leisure activities in North Cardiff, and unfortunately that's just the way many of the locals like it. Witness the trouble Snailz in Rhiwbina had getting a late licence, the notorious Rhiwbina Little Old Ladies are still a political force to be reckoned with.

At least the cafe situation has improved dramatically in recent years, it used to be Starbucks at Ty Glas or stay in the house. In Birchgrove we're soon to get a choice of two establishments on Caerphilly Road alone.

I suspect a lot of people are quite happy to go and drink, eat and make merry in Roath, Cathays etc and then return to their peaceful cul de sacs safe in the knowledge that no-one will be making a noise after 11pm or parking in front of their house.

I think you are overestimating the adventurousness of most of the residents on North Cardiff. They will drink locally at the local pub - or go into the centre of town. In terms of eating out, its a trip to a chain restaurant in the city centre or on a retail park, or one of the big "pubs with food", again often a chain.

Like retail, the market for independent or higher end offerings is relatively limited in Cardiff - even among the more affluent citizens and areas. I think its because many people still fundamentally consider themselves "working class" and so seek out consistent but slightly stodgy "good value". Its such a difference with (southern) England where the "middle class" pride themselves on frequenting independent places, even if they do the bulk of their retail spend in middle class stalwarts like "Markses", John Lewis, and Sainsbury's.

My Cardiff local is The Deri in Rhiwbina. A few years ago they upgraded the pub from Ember Inns to Ember Bar & Kitchen or something like that. It was a more gastro style offer, but not really gastro of course, and the prices were a quid or two more. It was still comparatively cheap but it died on it's arse. Cue quick menu swap back to the old style.

It's very telling of the lack of appetite for good food establishments in north Cardiff if a mediocre Mitchell's & Butler's brand fails. I think it's down to an ageing population and the associated lack of adventure. My parents frequent Beefeaters these days which says it all really.

Rhiwbina ward is the oldest in Cardiff by quite a way - average age is 50! Whitchurch is also quite old, but a bit more mixed, and its high street draws in people from the surrounding area too.

One area that would probably support more if there were the right kind of premises would be Cyncoed. Its population is increasingly mixed: lots of Asian professionals (especially in healthcare) favour the area. Maybe its just to close to Roath though?

And Beefeaters.. you've got it easy! My dad eats out quite a lot with a friend of his, and I'm trying to persuade him to try something a bit different. They both drive so it could be anywhere in the city really. And why they do vary it, its between Cafe Rouge, TGI Fridays, Chimichangas and Bayside Brasserie. Urgh! I mean TGI's....

I think its because many people still fundamentally consider themselves "working class" and so seek out consistent but slightly stodgy "good value". Its such a difference with (southern) England where the "middle class" pride themselves on frequenting independent places, even if they do the bulk of their retail spend in middle class stalwarts like "Markses", John Lewis, and Sainsbury's.

That's a very interesting observation. There seems to be a demographic in Wales which while middle class by any objective measure continues to regard themselves as working class in terms of voting behaviour, consumer spending etc. Even Rhiwbina has elected Labour councillors on occasion and Whitchurch is Labour more often than not.

It's telling as well that non-conformist chapels still seem to be flourishing in places like Rhiwbina & Whitchurch while they have more or less disappeared in more deprived districts. I guess the coaldust lingers in the blood for a few generations!

My dad at 67 increasingly claims he has no appetite. I think that's fairly common amongst the older generation. I wouldn't expect them to be too adventurous when it come to new food. I remember my dad joking that his father would never eat anything foreign. Same on my mother's side. My grandfather was from a working class background and I don't think he wanted my Nain cooking anything too experimental. She took up continental cookery courses after he died. Anyway I'd say both sides of the family, although middle class and most definitely Tory, were fairly conventional when it came to food.

I'm not sure I buy the stuff about voting behaviour. Newcomers have been known to complain about the food in the House of Commons where thanks to the influence of Tory MPs there's lots of roast dinners and nursery puddings, just like a 1960s public school.

I'm not sure I buy the stuff about voting behaviour. Newcomers have been known to complain about the food in the House of Commons where thanks to the influence of Tory MPs there's lots of roast dinners and nursery puddings, just like a 1960s public school.

The point wasn't about food choices - it was about consumer spending and political attitudes. My parents lived in Rhiwbina and were pretty well off and adventurous about what they'd eat. They came from valley and gog backgrounds though and never spent anything more than £10-15 per head on a meal even on special occasions. In the same way they always voted Labour or Plaid and would never dream of voting Conservative - despite it often being in their economic interests.

The lack of restaurants across north Cardiff does seem a bit of a mystery, though as I say I think age may have something to do with it. Are North Rd, City Rd, Cowbridge Road East a much better bet location-wise.

I will defend the old ladies in Rhiwbina to the hilt as my grandmother was one of them. If they don't want late night openings, off licences etc good for them. You already have one restaurant there so I can't see why another would be objected to. Most people don't want a meal past 10/11pm anyway.

Don't know if there's any snooker fans but I was looking up the Ronnie O'Sullivan fuss and at the end of his BBC interview he mentioned the Happy Gathering chinese. Never been there but he was so effusive you'd almost think he'd been paid to mention it.

I've always thought it looked a fairly ordinary place but I've never tried it. There are so many restaurants around Cowbridge Road some of them must be good.