The Heathcock Hotel

The Heathcock, Cardiff

For some time The Heathcock, and indeed its sister gourmet pubs the Hare & Hounds, Aberthin (which also has a bakery) and Bristol’s The Clifton, have been earning plaudits for their stripped- back, modern take on food and hospitality, but adding rooms to this Cardiff institution has completed the picture.

The Heathcock was once a proper boozer, hosting smoke-filled quiz nights and brimming with staff from the then nearby Beeb studios. Today, it still has plenty of pub charm, quiz nights (without the smoke) and good ales on tap, not to mention gourmand sausage rolls. But while one half is still very much pub, the other is a restaurant that knows its crispy pig cheeks from its stuffed rabbit loins. It’s non-fussy in a way only people who really know how to cook can manage: you know that whether it’s the best of the season’s game, chunky lamb shoulders or just a great cut of steak, it’s going to be handled well, and paired with only things that add to the avour and don’t just look pretty on a plate. The two rooms they’ve added complete the picture, allowing you to stay in this great location around the corner from Llandaff Cathedral and with the River Taff owing nearby. Both rooms have the calibre of decor you’d expect: deep, freestanding baths, a nice balance of old and new furniture, style that’s contemporary yet in-keeping with the inn’s heritage.

And then for breakfast, a plate with the thickest cuts of bacon you could ask for. It’s a complete package for any gourmet traveller.

Doubles from £120. 029 2115 2290, heathcockcardiff.com

Words by Alex Mead.

This review was taken from the March 2024 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.