CardiffWalesMap

jonbvn wrote:

Frank wrote:Having been doing my christmas shopping I have to say I was struggling to find anywhere to buy quality wine. I don't usually drink but was looking for some relatively fancy plonk - but where? There's one specialist shop in Castle Arcade - but it's all in the £10 range. I don't know if the price of wine ha come falling down but I would have expected to find more in the £20-25 range.

With those middle-class expectations I would direct you to those middle-class mainstays M&S and Waitrose.

Waitrose have some good offers in the run-up to Christmas and you can pick up your wine in-store (Pontprennau). It's what we do.

Waitrose are very good for wine and will order it for you if the bottle you want isn’t in stock in a particular branch.

Not town, I know, but The Bottle Shop, which has branches in Penylan and Penarth is excellent. They have a very good choice of wines, including a lot that you would not regularly see in supermarkets and the staff are incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

http://www.thebottleshops.co.uk/

Yes can also highly recommend the bottle shops - have had some excellent stuff from there in the past - beers, wine, spirits etc.

Or Majestic Wine is also worth a shout.

I wonder whether Byron's plans to open in St Davids remain intact, following news that branches will be closing elsewhere.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... estaurants

Wrights food emporium also have a wine shop upstairs in the castle arcade.

Cardiff is one of the sites at risk, despite not being open it seems.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42625716

Stardivarius are opening in the old USC unit on the top floor of SD2. Haven't a clue who they are or what they sell but good news that a big unit is being filled.

It also looks as though Pravins are expanding into the area that has the half arsed public art consisting of little windows with various items such as a ticket to Ninian Park as well as cash point machines.

Is it me or are jewellers recession proof? Since SD2 has opened various retailers have come and gone but it seems to me that not only have all the jewellers who were there originally remained but also new ones have opened as well. I think H Samuel have been in the same unit in the original St Davids for nigh on 30 years. Other than Ratners I can't recall a big name jeweller going bust either. They must have a huge mark up and so don't need a great volume of sales to keep trading as every time I pass they all look empty.

Karl wrote: They must have a huge mark up and so don't need a great volume of sales to keep trading as every time I pass they all look empty.

Some of them look empty. Others always seem to be heaving. Pandora and Thomas Sabo in particular.

Looks like Jamie's Italian in Cardiff is earmarked for closure:
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/f ... y-14152903

"Jamie's Italian in Cardiff is one of 12 branches across the UK that is set to close, according to reports.

Last year, six of Jamie Oliver's restaurants closed because the market was "tough" and the uncertainties caused by Brexit had intensified the pressures.

Now it is being reported that branches in Cardiff, Reading, York, St Albans, Bath, Kingston, Chelmsford, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Bristol, Harrowgate and Soho are to go after losses of £9.9million last year.

A source told The Sun: "It’s devastating news, and the timing is pretty bad too.

"Officially, staff will be told the closures are because of company streamlining."

Last year, chief executive Simon Blagden said: "As every restaurant owner knows, this is a tough market and, post-Brexit, the pressures and unknowns have made it even harder."

There are currently 35 branches across the UK."

daearegwr wrote:Looks like Jamie's Italian in Cardiff is earmarked for closure

Absolutely no surprise based on the opinions of the 15-20 people I know who have been there. Not one of them had a good thing to say about it and almost all of them complained about the slow service and small overpriced portions.