A visit to some of the eateries on Albany Road:
Coffee #1
This branch of Coffee #1 has been in Albany Road since at least 2008. It was nice to see a bit about Roath’s history on the wall. We had a Danish, or pain au raisin as they seem to be called these days, and a tuna melt pannini. The afternoon was rounded off by a visit to the Albany Gallery over the road which has been there almost 60 years!
Greggs
This particular branch of Greggs has been here since at least 2008. I had a slice of their pepperoni pizza and a caramel custard doughnut. I say on a nearby bench to eat the pizza and had a lovely chat to a local man who collected medals. It was then onto the Rec where they are busy building the new cycle path to eat the doughnut.
M.A.K. Halal
A fairly new addition to Albany Road arriving in 2022. M.A.K. Halal was founded in 2016 in Small Heath, Birmingham. We had their loaded box of Fries con Polo and a vegetarian pizza. All very tasty and nicely served.
Iceland
Iceland have been here many years and occupy the premises that used to be Hopson and Son tobacconists where I spent many a happy summer working. Five years ago Iceland made a pledge to get rid of plastic packaging on their own label products by the end of 2023, a pledge I thought would be impossible at the time. I think it was quietly abandoned along the way. I picked up some lunch along the way.
Ania Polish Delicatessen
Food Plus and the Ania Polish Delicatessen is a nationwide franchise and arrived in Albany Road in 2017 moving into the former Market Garden greengrocers. Must admit I thought it was just a convenience store so was pleasantly surprised to find a well stocked deli there. We purchased some ham, pickled stuffed fish and a sausage which we cooked up with leek and served on pasta.
Tesco Express
The sign on Tesco Express on the corner of Albany Road and Inverness Place says Cardiff Roath est 1966. I called in and purchased a falafel and houmous wrap.
Easy Asian Food Store
This was somewhere we’d never been in before but will be coming back. A great little discovery. It’s been here a couple of years now. As well as stocking up on some mirin sauce and teriyaki marinade and a couple of Chinese beers we got some shanxi noodles which were lovely.
Pooja
Pooja arrived in Albany Road in 2012. A recent newspaper article which interviewed the owners explained the origin of the name as: ‘Back in Pakistan we have this word called ‘PetPooja’, a Hindi origin word which means worshipping the stomach, and which also means having a meal that fills your stomach and heart’. We’ve visited Pooja previously for their delicious take-away samosa and pakora but have never eaten there. Tonight we put that right. We had three curries: chick pea, coliflour and a potato and spinach together with a dhal, chapatti and rice. The sweets looked very appealing too but we were full so bought a box to bring home.
Chai Green
Chai Green arrived in Albany Road in late 2022 and is part of a small franchise started in Birmingham. I must admit I hadn’t realised this was a restaurant. It looked to me to be a tea take-away from the front so we were in for a big and pleasant surprise. We went in lunchtime and had a Desi Breakfast consisting of masala omelette with channa, masala beans and fluffy puri served with a pot of house chai along with a Samosa Chaat. It was all looked and tasted very nice.
Chickies
It was around 2019 that Chickies arrived in Albany Road. Coated in some tasty seasnoning I enjoyed my three piece chicken dinner.
Benny’s Chicken
Benny’s has been frying chicken in Albany Road for an amazing 20 years. Good sized tasty portions and served with a smile.
Albany Fish Bar
I’m guessing this must be pretty much the longest established eatery in Albany Road having opened in 1967. It always looks busy when I pass. We had, guess what, yes, some tasty fish and chips served with a smile.
Ali Baba’s
It’s getting to be a dangerous place for a chicken at the eastern end of Albany Road with numerous chicken outlets now vying for your business. Ali Baba’s opened here in 2022 moving into what used to be Sino and before that Oxfam. I treated myself to a Chicken Doner Wrap. Friendly service.
Costa
Costa Coffee moved into the old Blockbuster store in Albany Road in 2015. It is named after the Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa who started their coffee business in London in 1971. There’s something I find unnerving about the fact that the Costa coffee cups don’t sit in the middle of the saucer.
La Mina
What a gem of a place this is. I’ve past it many times previously and never visited, thinking it only sold juice. It does in fact serve delicious a whole range of things like baguettes, panini, wraps and salads as well as juice and is very popular. It was established in 1997. We had a generously filled coronation chicken baguette and a tasty warm falafel wrap which we took down the Rec to devour.
Cake Box
The Cake Box has been in Albany Road since around 2020. It is part of a national franchise serving egg-free cakes which started in East London in 2008 and now has 200 outlets. We ordered a cheesecake and picked it up the next day and very tasty it was too.
Tariq Halal Meats
A chain mainly based in the London area is fairly new to Albany Road arriving in the last year or two, moving into the old Ripple store. It has a bright, clean and spacious appearance and friendly staff. We purchased some chicken kebabs that cooked up very nicely.
iFeed
iFeed has been on Albany Road for just a couple of years. It serves food from a number of menus at the shop and tours festivals. Tonight we had a hummus, falafel and avocado wrap together with a vegetarian BBQ Bliss burger and portion of ‘properly seasoned skin on fries’.
Andrew Buchan
The Andrew Buchan opened on Albany Road in 2012. The Rhymney Brewery itself started in 1839 as part of the iron works to satisfy the thirst of the workers at the end of their shifts. They put their engineer Andrew Buchan in charge of it. Buchan was Scottish and first came to Rhymney as an engineer to deepen and straighten the river to facilitate the building of the ironworks. There was a real fire burning in the pub today so it was cosy and warm. I have a nice pint of Rhymney Bitter.
Indigo
I do like the play on words for this take-away. It’s been here for around ten years and we paid our first visit today. Our meal consisted of a Vegetable biryani, chicken tikka masala together with coconut rice and a peshwari naan.
Anna Loka
Anna Loka vegan restaurant has been in Albany Road since 2015 with maybe a change in style along the way. We went with the burgers this time. The Ultimate Burger was a beetroot, red onion, cashew and red lentil patty topped with vegan cheese, onion rings and a few other things and served with sweet potato fries and garlic mayonnaise. The Bad Boy Burger was an oyster mushroom and soy protein patty with vegan cheese, onions, topped with homemade smokey rashers and a few other things served with triple cooked chips.
China Kitchen
China Kitchen Chinese take-away has been here many years with some estimates put it at 50 years making it probably one of the oldest in the city. Tonight I had a meal for one – egg fried rice, sweet and sour chicken and a beef and mushrooms dish.
The Claude
The Claude is a fine Victorian building, the exterior of which has changed little since it was constructed in 1890. The name originates from Claude Williams of the Williams family who lived in Roath Court (now James Summers funeral home). It’s probably almost 50 years since I had my first drink in here, a Cinzano and lemonade together with a game of darts. Nice to see that the Oak Room was saved in the latest refurbishment. It’s a lively place on a weekend catering for all age groups. I had a pint of Greene King IPA whilst I waited for my Chinese take-away to be cooked.
Little Kochi
Little Kochi has been on Albany Road for a couple of years now and is developing a fine reputation. We paid our first visit and ate vegetarian with some individual poppadoms to start with followed by a bean curry and a shallot curry with coconut rice and pilau rice. It all tasted very authentic and with good service to round off a good evening.
Cardiff Capers 