Woods Brasserie

The impressive grey-stone Pilotage Building by Cardiff Bay houses a sleek & airy urban brasserie with subtly funky decor & alfresco seating for sunny days. The kitchen does a good line in snappy modern European dishes, as typified by line-caught sea bass with peas à la française & a mussel & saffron chowder. A typical lunch might take you from pressed ham hock with pineapple chutney & English mustard mayonnaise via pan-roasted chicken breast with bacon & tomato dressing to lemon & raspberry tart with thyme sorbet. Similar food is also available in the evening, when choices could range from patriotic Gower mussels with shallot & Welsh cider to roasted garlic gnocchi with sautéed Mediterranean vegetables & tomato fondue. There’s also an excellent-value pre-opera menu for those heading to a performance at the nearby Millennium Centre.