Neighbourhood Kitchen

We recently visited Neighbourhood Kitchen to try the taco menu and margaritas. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The venue has a cosy atmosphere that makes you feel welcome straight away. Chatting with the team behind the counter added a personal touch and made the visit even more enjoyable. We started with the burnt leek totopos and chorizo hasselbacks. The totopos were the standout small plate. Crispy tortillas topped with rich rarebit sauce and burnt leeks made for a seriously memorable dish. The hasselbacks were equally enjoyable with crispy edges, fluffy centres and a delicious avocado crema. The tacos were excellent. The scampi taco was probably my favourite. The crispy scampi paired perfectly with the pickled fennel and blood orange salsa. The enoki mushroom taco was another highlight with plenty of crunch, fresh yuzu flavours and creamy avocado. We also enjoyed the chicken tinga and chipotle lamb tacos. The margaritas were a great accompaniment. The classic was fresh, balanced and refreshing. The watermelon version was enjoyable but the classic just edged it for me. One of the best things about Neighbourhood Kitchen is the regularly changing menu. We caught the taco menu this time and were really impressed. A great spot for creative food, quality drinks and a welcoming atmosphere.

These are the best tacos in Cardiff, hands down! Everything we ate was impeccable and the staff were so lovely. The chef came out to chat to us and the barstaff were super lush and adapted one of the cocktails for me ❤️ I honestly couldn't recommend enough, we will be back!

Neighbourhood Kitchen & Cocktail is a small, intimate eatery tucked away on Tudor Road. The restaurant has just three booths seating four people each, two bar seats, and four high window tables, with an open kitchen and bar creating a relaxed, neighbourhood feel. The interior is charming, with wooden booths, a turquoise exterior, large windows that let in plenty of light, colourful bunting, and white barrel tiles around the bar. The menu is presented on printed sheets and includes six cocktails, four margaritas, and a good range of non-alcoholic drinks. The food is clearly the main attraction here. During our visit, plenty of customers were stopping by for cocktails and small bites, but the signature crawfish boils were the standout dish. The restaurant changes its menu monthly, although the current crawfish menu has proved so popular that it has been extended for a second month. The crawfish are sourced from Kent through Crawfish Bob. The crawfish boil (£20 per person) arrives on a tray loaded with crawfish, prawns, sausage, corn on the cob and potatoes. While the accompaniments were enjoyable, I found the crawfish themselves rather small—smaller than a large prawn—and there wasn’t a great deal of meat in either the tails or the claws. The rest of the dish was well prepared and enjoyable. The Southern Cornbread (£7) was freshly baked in-house, sweet, buttery and pleasantly crumbly. It was advertised as being perfect for soaking up the crawfish juices, although my tray didn’t really have enough sauce or juices to make that part of the experience. We also tried the Louisiana Catfish Bites (£9). The catfish was nicely seasoned and served with a garlic butter sauce, but the portions were quite small and I would have liked a little more for the price. Unfortunately, they had sold out of desserts by the time we visited, which was a shame as we would have liked to finish the meal with something sweet. Service was warm and welcoming throughout. Our server was particularly friendly and mentioned that she would soon be leaving to become a primary school teacher in Rhondda—a lovely personal touch that added to the experience. Overall, Neighbourhood Kitchen & Cocktail is a quirky, independent spot with a welcoming atmosphere and an interesting concept. While I would have liked larger crawfish and slightly more generous portions, the quality of the food, changing seasonal menu and friendly service make it well worth a visit. I’ll definitely be back to try the lobster menu and, next time, sample one of their margaritas.

Really enjoyed the street food “Tacos del Barrio” event at Neighbourhood Kitchen. The food and drinks are always phenomenal. If you get down to this one, try the burnt leek totopos. Amazing!