Nook
Cardiff, Glamorgan
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A relaxed but stylish restaurant in a gently hipsterised corner of Cardiff, Nook is bright and airy, with big windows (and views onto Victoria Park), a riot of houseplants and a fresh blue-and-white colour scheme. Furniture is reclaimed rustic – think chapel chairs and scrubbed pine tabletops. To the rear of the dining room is the open kitchen, which turns out an imaginative selection of seasonal small plates, gleefully drawing in global flavours while staying true to the local, seasonal larder. There’s something for everyone here – from a faithful rendition of prawn toast with punchy crab soup, a prawn spring roll and crispy seaweed through to a showstopping dish of tender faggots with a fresh, lively spring broth made with split fava beans, fennel and mint. Chef skills are very much to the fore, with no shortcuts taken. Fresh house breads and whipped herbed butter are a delight, while delectably creamy mozzarella is teamed with a vivid, juicy caponata and crunchy, buttery pine nuts. Occasionally the flavour balance wavers: a dish of ricotta and nettle occhi was overly citrussy, although it was still a pleasure to eat. Desserts such as chocolate hazelnut mousse with cream and shards of crêpe dentelle deliver a deft final bow. The welcome is warm and genuine, while the wine list is full of interest with its emphasis on low-intervention tipples, mostly from small-scale European vineyards.
