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Bara Menyn used to be one of my favourite breakfasts in Cardiff back when Catrin was running the kitchen out of Ffandangos in Llandaff, but they parted ways so they could concentrate on a solo project. From humble beginnings starting out at Castle Emporium on Womamby Street, Bara Menyn have now taken over an empty unit within the Gloworks office block at Porth Teiger next to the BBC studios in Cardiff Bay.

A new venture has prompted new branding, that blends in perfectly with the design centric location it now calls home. The kitchen and venue also pay homage to local Welsh produce throughout the food and drinks menu and with Catrin being a fluent Welsh speaker you’re more than likely to receive a warm Welsh welcome at the door too.

The Food

The Bara Menyn breakfast v1 at FFandangos has gone through slight change as most of the breakfast items came from the legendary Charcuterie, who has recently stopped production of his award winning farmhouse butchers favourites. Not to be worry though as Ariel Jones butchers has stepped up to the mark to supply some equally as epic cured meat.

We got invited to the soft launch the day before opening for friends and family to give our seal of approval, not that there was ever any doubt they would knock it out of the park.

So the menu as it stands features mostly breakfast and brunch items for them to find their feet in the new venue but I’ve been informed there will be lots to come in terms of supper clubs, gin and food pairing etc.
Seeing as I’m on a mission to find the best breakfast in Cardiff and seeing as Bara Menyn used to be near if not top at the previous incarnation it would be rude not to be the first to sample it. Full Welsh it was!

If you couldn’t quite face something substantial, the usual favourites were on there in some shape or form with eggs, bacon, avocado, sourdough toast etc.

The full breakfast, costing £9 is at the lower end of pricing compared to some other places i’ve tried lately with one costing nearly £11 for views of Bute Park.

The breakfast features in no specific order:

  • Butchers pork and leek sausage
  • Thick cut bacon
  • Black pudding
  • Tiger Bay bite
  • Mushrooms
  • Fried Egg
  • Home baked pulled pork beans
  • Sourdough Toast
  • Bara Menyn Bomb (also known by me as a cockle bomb)

The breakfast came in two parts with the main of the breakfast in a deep bowl and the pulled pork cowboy beans separate in a mug to stop it flooding everything else on the bowl.

It was an absolute feast fair play. Two types of sausage with the pork and leek and the Tiger bay bite, which had a thumbs up. I’d had 2 failed attempts and a decent toasted sourdough slice at my last two breakfasts so this crunchy wedge, dripping in proper butter dipped into runny egg yolk more than hit the spot.

I’m not always a fan of mushrooms with breakfast, not because i don’t like them. It’s just 9 times out of 10 there’s no seasoning what so ever but these were seasoned perfectly.

Being the world’s biggest bacon lover, the bacon had a thumbs up along with a wheel of black pudding that required no chisel to cut and just fell apart with little pressure from my fork. This is more than can be said about a recent breakfast at a well known venue on Witchurch Road that you might of seen on a recent Insta vid I uploaded. I didn’t know whether to eat it or cover a manhole with it.

The home baked pulled beans reminded me of our Cardiff Gin Club Gin Camp trip to Flatholm Island last year. Catrin pulled out an army sized container full of these to cure our hangover on the Sunday morning, which she cooked over the hot embers of the fire on the beach. These took me right back, especially as we were sat outside now basking in the sun with the smell of my plate whafting up my nose.

Last but not least and a curve ball if ever I’ve seen one on a breakfast and that is the Bara Menyn Bomb. It featured on the breakfast menu back at FFandangos as an extra but the size of you head. This time the cockle bomb featuring lavabread, coated in oats and deep fried had been downsized to a manageable bite and added to the full breakfast. It’s the ultimate savoury addition to a breakfast.

The Verdict

Knowing how passionate Catrin, the brains and cook behind Bara Menyn is about food (Nearly on par with myself, if that was ever possible), I was in no doubt the v2 would develop into something bigger and better than the previous venue.

Cardiff Bay is really missing somewhere to fulfil hungry bellies for breakfast and brunch. Come to think of it, lunch, oneses, dinner and tea to be honest so this is a much welcome addition to the endless number of chain restaurants down the bay.

It’s a close one with Pettigrew Tea Rooms breakfast but i think it might of just pipped it to the top spot of the best breakfast in Cardiff.

Being an avid supporter of Cardiff Gin Club too we’re hopeful we can put on a few collaborations in the near future too as they’ve got a licence with a fully stocked bar that already features some of our favourite Welsh Gin and Whiskies.

I attended the soft launch so we got our food and drinks for half price, but would and will be happy to pay full price on my next visit, which won’t be too far away I’m sure.

Contact Details
Bara Menyn
Gloworks
Porth Teigr Way
Cardiff Bay
CF10 4GA