A memorable meal at Gorse: Cardiff’s only Michelin-starred restaurant

After being surprised with a trip to Hiraeth for my birthday, it was only fair I repaid the favour, which is how I ended up at Cardiff’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, Gorse, earlier this month.

Situated in the city’s trendy Pontcanna district, Gorse opened in May 2024 and was awarded a Michelin star a mere eight months later – the first restaurant in Cardiff to be awarded the prestigious accolade.

The restaurant is helmed by chef Tom Waters, who plied his trade at such illustrious restaurants as Bryn Williams’s Odette’s, Phil Howard’s The Square and Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck.

I’d booked a table for lunch, where we were to have the four-course tasting menu for a reasonable £60.

On arriving at the restaurant, we were shown to a table in the corner and presented with the day’s menu in an envelope, where we were left to decide if we wanted to open it or be surprised. We opted for the latter.

We started our meal with an infusion of native Welsh seaweeds (above). The seaweed broth was, unsurprisingly, warm and salty, and reminiscent of the sea.

It was a fabulous way to start the meal and really helped awaken the palate.

We then moved on to the first of two snacks: mushroom, pickled juniper and lovage (above). The tiny tartlet was a work of art and almost too pretty to eat.

Not only was the delicate morsel a delight to look at, but it was packed with flavour and I was amazed by how many tastes they managed to pack into such a small mouthful. The ultra thin, crisp pastry was a triumph, too.

The second snack was Bara Brith with mature Caws Cerwyn (a Welsh cheese) and pickled walnut (above).

Bara Brith is a traditional Welsh fruit cake that’s usually sliced and buttered. Here it was served warm and topped with the cheese and pickled walnut.

The small bite was seriously tasty – the warm, fruity bread married beautifully, if unexpectedly, with the slightly pungent cheese.

I loved both snacks, but the Bara Brith was my favourite (and this is coming from someone who doesn’t even like Bara Brith!).

Our starter was beetroot cooked in spruce with Sinodun Hill goat’s cheese (above), another dish that looked too pretty to eat.

The classic combination of delicate, sweet beetroot and silky smooth goat’s cheese was to die for. Then the sharp blackberry compote came through at the end, where it lingered on the palate.

Next up was monkfish with roast chicken sauce, hay béarnaise and a hen of the woods mushroom (above).

The monkfish and hen of the woods were succulent and meaty, and I really enjoyed the hay béarnaise.

I’d never had anything hay flavoured before and wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was lovely and had quite a punchy flavour.

All the elements complemented each other well to form a satisfying course.

My dish of the day was Gower salt marsh lamb with preserved wild garlic and sunflower (above). The dish packed so much flavour into a simple piece of lamb that it made me quite emotional.

The tiny wild garlic capers were extraordinarily intense and brought a gut punch of flavour to the dish, while the cabbage added a wonderful earthiness.

The lamb was served with a Parker House roll to mop up the juices (above) – the soft, moreish bread oozed butter and was topped with salt crystals.

All in all, it was a phenomenal dish and I couldn’t fault it.

For dessert, we had toasted oat llymru, smoked cherry jam and apple caramel (above) – think an ultra sophisticated jam and custard.

I don’t like cherries, but I loved this. It was light, creamy, fruity and scrumptious.

To end, we had an apple and mugwort jelly (above). The little sweet was fantastic and an excellent way to finish off a memorable meal.

I loved our visit to Gorse and can see why it’s been awarded a Michelin star, as the exquisite food was elegant, refined and most importantly, delicious.

The restaurant was packed for the lunchtime service, and the staff were friendly and attentive throughout.

If you’re looking for somewhere to go for a special occasion in Cardiff, or even just a treat, you can’t go wrong with Gorse. It’s outstanding and fully deserving of its Michelin star.

Info

Gorse, 186 to 188 Kings Road, Cardiff CF11 9DF
Open 6.30pm to 8pm Tuesday to Thursday, and 12pm to 2pm and 6.30pm to 8pm Friday and Saturday
gorserestaurant.co.uk